This is a work of fiction – a bit of science fiction and fantasy mixed together in fact.  None of the characters, names or personalities, are based on real people.  Any resemblance to a real person is entirely coincidental and not intentional.  I do live in the Atlanta area and use a lot of places I’ve been in the story.

If you are offended by sex between adult men don’t read any further.

If you are not of legal age don’t read any further.

If this type of story is illegal where you live, for whatever reason, don’t read any further.

This story is copyrighted to me and cannot be reproduced without my express written consent.

If you have any comments you can send them to btaoc1963@gmail.com  I appreciate anything that anyone has to say good or bad.  If you have bad things to say please at least be polite.  I’ll try to respond to anyone who sends me an email.  I'm astounded by how nice everyone has been, and I really do feel like I've made some great pen pals.  I check my in box all the time now hoping to see new messages.  I don't care if they are about the story, I just enjoy the conversations that some of us have started up.  You guys are awesome!

I used to say that I’m rusty at writing.  I did some writing back in college in the mid to late eighties but this is the first thing I’ve tried to write of any length or complexity since then.  Man did I jump into it feet first lol.  I should have started with something shorter and less involved.  I’m not so much rusty anymore but I do consider myself inexperienced as far as being a writer.  I’m sure my story comes across as naïve to many people – but I’m having so much fun writing it and overall the feedback has been good and positive.  I would write it anyways even if no one enjoyed it – I’m writing it for myself. However, with that being said, if you have any ideas you want to share please email me.  A few ideas in the story were sparked from emails from readers.

I am not in nor ever have been in the military, so I apologize for getting anything incorrect.  The characters are all Navy SEALS in the Prologue, where the story starts.  I was raised in a  military environment.  My father is a retired Marine and served for over twenty years.  I was fifteen when he retired , so any memories I have are from the  late 1960's through the mid 1970's.

The email notification list for new chapters has been building and seems to be working well.   As great as Nifty.org is in many ways, sometimes it's difficult to find new postings when the stories aren't put out on a set schedule (like mine *cough cough*).  So if you are interested in getting on a mailing list send me an email and I'll create a group so I can let you all know when I post a new chapter.

I know I always end up apologizing for how long it takes between these last chapters.  School is just that crazy and I never expected how much of my time it would take.  That probably sounds stupid I know lol, but the Program I am in is full time.  This semester I go to class two and a half days a week on campus, and I go to a hospital for two days as part of my first clinical rotation.  I have to study 4-6 hours a day outside of class to learn the material and solidify it in my brain.  The worst part is that the intensity of the material,  and now much of my brain it takes up, pushes the story out and I have a hard time getting back into it when I do find the time.  

So with that being said, the fact that it is now finished is actually a big relief.  I can now focus on school and my grades completely - or so I hope.  I mention in my note at the end that 'the guys' live inside my mind.  They are there and I love them dearly - I think about them all the time and things they might say or do in situations I find myself in.  I will keep notes, so when I can work on the sequel I will have lots of ideas to work with.  I find it's the small details that make the characters individuals and the dialogue between the guys so enjoyable to write.

I don't have any links for this chapter.  The only music is Lane's original song, The Humbling River.  If you haven't listened to that song by now you never will.  I wish you would if you haven't as the lyrics are so integral to my motivation for the story.  With Stephen's help I think we will put out an 'appendix' of sorts... sort of  like the character notes that I posted around Chapter 11'ish.  There are so many characters, and their abilities changed over time, and many of the relationships did as well... it would be nice to have a reference.  The guys live in my head and I know who goes with who but I know sometimes some of you get confused.  So if you see another post after Chapter 30 it's not a continuation of the story but just supplemental information to help it all make sense.

Thanks as always to Stephen for his hard work and editing magic.  His commentaries are priceless, and some of the pictures he sends me.

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<>< Prologue to Chapter 30 ><>

          Forces set in motion before the beginning of Creation and Time were in play. Allenor, the sole survivor of the previous Creation, freed from his imprisonment over billions of years, sought the one he called Origin.  He asked to be unmade, but Origin was silent and did not answer him, and so Allenor and his influence on our Creation continue. 

          The Dragon, named Leroy by his Protector Bryan, whose purpose was originally thought to be as an instrument of destruction, was thought to be created by God to one day annihilate Creation.  It was still unclear if his purpose was misunderstood, or if the ripples of the hybrid Nephilims’ existence altered Leroy in some fundamental way.  Bryan and his Brothers deduced that Leroy’s Fire could Cleanse Creation and make it new again – or destroy it.  One of the ten Avatars, the Avatar of Renewal wielded by Kevin, draws from Leroy’s Fire as its Source.

          The Dark One, who plotted the downfall of the High Hosts since his own Fall and expungement from Home, spun his plots both inside and outside of Time.  One of his most prominent and potent threads in the Physical Realm was The Master. The Master’s thread spun into existence eighty thousand years ago, and was about to come to fruition, or be severed from the Tapestry of Creation.  The Dark One, however, was helpless to intervene or interfere with the outcome of The Master. Due to ripples of the Hybrid Nephilim and their cleverness and might, he was bound by the Oathstone of Heaven and unable to influence events.

          The vortices and turbulence of the multitude of forces were felt everywhere in everything, and all led to the moment at hand, as a little boy named Drew Ross faced his brother, The Master, a being of immeasurable Power and Evil.  Drew was the Hope of Mankind’s Redemption, yet his task seemed impossible.  Drew had to convince The Master to ask his forgiveness for killing the first version of Drew in the Valley of the Tree of Life eighty thousand years prior – the action that sparked the Curse on Mankind, stripping them of their Immortality and achieving their potential as Original Men. 

Humans were meant to be Stewards over the Earth, yet under the Curse they fell far.  They were slaves to entertainment, and with their Minds closed, their attentions turned inwards to self-absorption and self-indulgence.  They were the Dark One’s playground, and his grip on them was firm and tight.  There were some humans strong enough in themselves to resist those traits who slipped through The Dark One’s fingers.  A small number of those were drawn to the Light of the Hybrid Nephilim and joined their cause.

The two forces, the Light and the Dark, were on a collision course and the impact would decide everything.

<><  Chapter 30 ><>

<><  Waffle House, Buford Drive, Buford, GA – the Nexus of Events ><>

          The scene was surreal.  Miss Lula stood at the window watching Drew standing by himself in the parking lot.  His red hoodie seemed bright under the dark skies above, and he seemed terrified and isolated; utterly alone. She was with him nonetheless, even though he was unaware of it; she always kept her promise.   She wept inside at the state of his Soul and the tragedy of his life, but he was also a shining star that changed her tears into tears of Hope.  He was compassionate beyond the span of the seven years of his own life, his harsh life tempered by the unconditional Love of his adoptive father and uncles. 

          Unconditional love was at the heart of everything; it was the reason for existence, and if Drew was successful, it was because of the love shown him by his father Henry, his Uncles, his mother Liz, and Aaron and Albrecht.  Even the young soldiers in Australia were a part of Drew’s journey, adding their own touch on his damaged and tortured Soul.  Sally was there, as well and his Grandpa Tag and Auntie Olive. 

          Each in their own way enveloped him, but Henry and his uncles touched his Soul in ways the others couldn’t.  They weren’t the reason for his Compassion, but they magnified it. As with everyone who encountered Ken & Brad and their Brothers, Drew and Henry grew into their potential – the potential to save Mankind.

          While Miss Lula watched Drew, unconscious patrons slumped in their booths or sat with their heads down on the counter, put to sleep by a Compulsion from Brad that spread over the entire planet, while the fate of Mankind was about to be decided in the parking lot of the small greasy diner.

          Drew felt alone; it was his greatest fear, yet he orchestrated events to be alone in an attempt to save his dad and his beloved uncles. His bravery, driven out of love for the men he cared so much about, was profound beyond words, yet also simple; it was the unconditional love of a child.  He had lost his mother, and he vowed in his own way that he would not lose anyone else in his life.  The thought was unbearable to him, so he orchestrated events to confront his Brother on his own.

The Master seemed a giant, and Drew froze for a moment, even though he thought he was prepared. The black smoky nimbus covered his brother’s face, and he radiated pure Evil.  The Amulet Drew wore prevented The Master from attacking his Mind, but he could physically crush Drew with one clawed hand.

          The adult-like part of Drew’s Mind wasn’t present, overrun by the terror of a nearly seven-year-old boy.  As Drew stood still, virtually petrified with fear, The Master raised one clawed fist, his arm thick with muscle, and he swiped it down to rip his brother’s body in half.

          Henry appeared out of thin air, moving blindingly fast, grabbing his son a fraction of a second before The Master’s clawed hand would have eviscerated Drew.  If The Master’s hand connected, the fate of Mankind would have been sealed.  Lula breathed a sigh of relief that Drew was still alive.  Her ‘nudges,’ what the Team called ‘puppet strings’ were done.  They were necessary to bring events to where they were, but now everything must play itself out with no more interference.  If she interfered at this point, it would take all meaning from the pain and sacrifice they endured to get them this far.  Their success must rest on their Free Will to do what was necessary or everything was meaningless.  It all had to matter.

          As Henry appeared, he wrapped up his son, not only in his strong arms, but in his Soul, comforting him and Protecting him.

          Lula watched and Listened; she, Frank, and the Birdman heard everything.  They were everywhere, in everything; they were the Trinity, three beings – yet One, a Paradox.  Brad’s Compulsion made things on Earth more quiet; conscious thoughts were silent, but she still heard the Souls of everyone.  Many still Dreamed; their unconscious Minds, even closed, aware of the tumultuous forces buffeting them.

          Even though she heard everything, Miss Lula Listened particularly to what was happening before her.

          Henry appeared, moving as fast as he could.  As he materialized, Darren changed his trajectory slightly for better advantage, but not his velocity.  Henry’s perception of Time slowed until he was almost frozen so he could utilize every bit of precision and skill.  One with his Brothers, he saw through Pat’s Understanding exactly what he needed to do, and how to prevent any injury to his son. 

          Drew didn’t even have time to be surprised.  The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, fifty feet away, wrapped up in the arms of his dad.  The voice he wanted to hear so bad, and the arms he wanted around him more than anything, were there, and he felt safe again.

          He felt Henry’s warm breath in his ear as he whispered, “I’ve got you, Tiger.  I’m with you!”

          Henry snatched the Amulet from around Drew’s neck, and the chain snapped as he tossed it away.  Without the Amulet as a barrier, he merged with his son and took them both down deep inside one-another.   They appeared naked to one-another and became One.  Henry soaked in the presence of his son, as his own presence washed over Drew.  He knew the doctor said it was dangerous, but he felt he had no choice.  The love they had for one-another was a comfort beyond words, and it was what they both desperately needed.  Father and son both cried as Henry hugged Drew against him in relief.

          Time wasn’t moving as Drew’s arms flew around Henry’s thick neck, and Henry’s strong arms wrapped tightly around his son.  Drew clung to Henry like a spider, and he started to cry as all the pent-up emotions of the last weeks came pouring out.

          “It’s OK, honey.  It’s OK.”

          Everything Drew had been through was there, and Henry saw it all.  Drew’s reasons for leaving, and how torn up he was inside over it all.  Every lie to Henry and his uncles and Doctor Aaron and Albrecht and Sally; each one ate at him.  Using his powers on people to buy him food and drive him around; the dirtiness he felt inside for acting the way he did was there.  Aside from that, his greatest fear over his actions was that Henry and his uncles would be disappointed in him.

          Oh God, Drew!  I’m not disappointed, honey!  Never that!  You were brave, and everything you did was to protect me and the guys.  We love you so much… it hurt when you left, but we all understand why you did it. 

          Drew saw the pain he caused Henry and his uncles, and it almost made him hysterical.  All he could do was cry and beg Henry to forgive him.

          With the Amulet gone, the presence of all his Uncles followed as Henry pulled them in with him and his son.  Henry wanted Drew to feel their love and know there was nothing to forgive, and he wanted all of his Brothers to see everything he did. 

          All the familiar voices he missed, their strong arms and warm bodies, Drew felt all of it at once as his Uncles wrapped him up with their Hearts and Minds.  They formed a Wall around his Soul.  The relief in all of them that Drew was OK and with Henry washed over him too.

          It took a long time before either Henry or Drew was ready to talk.  The intensity of their emotions finally ran its course.  After the initial relief of feeling Henry with him, Drew pulled back in a panic.

          Daddy, you can’t be here!

          I know what the man said Drew.  We figured it out. You didn’t tell me what you weren’t supposed to, so that part doesn’t matter anymore!

          Henry spoke the truth, but the Birdman still said Drew might lose Henry if he fought The Master.  They saw and heard the exact words in Drew’s memory now that they were together.

          He said you might lose me Drew.  Not that you will.  I’m taking the risk honey, and we’ll be extra careful, but you and I are going do this together, alright?  Don’t fight me on this!  I know we can do it.  You can do it! I wasn’t supposed to live when I fought the Eschphene Leader, but I did.  I lived because I had to.  I can’t leave the most wonderful boy in the world, the boy who I love more than anything, alone.  I’ll do whatever I have to Drew, to get us both through this safe and alive.

          The relief in Drew was overpowering.  Henry’s rock-solid presence filled him and washed away his fear.  Henry was a Wall and right now that Wall was backed by Ken’s Avatar, synchronized with all his Brothers, and their ten mighty Souls wrapping them up.

          Drew sniffled, and Henry wiped his tears away with his thumbs.  They looked at one-other intently, and Henry cupped Drew’s face in his big warm hands.

          OK?

OK, Daddy.

          Good boy.  Now let’s get this over with.

          Henry hugged Drew against him one more time and kissed the top of his head.

          You’re such a good boy Drew.  I know I said it before, but I don’t know what I did to deserve you.  I know why you ran away honey, and I’m not mad.  I’ve never been so scared, knowing you were all by yourself.  You should know by now you’re never by yourself.  You will always have me with you.  Don’t run away from me again, and together we can do anything.  Do you understand?

          Drew smiled, and this time he cried happy tears.  The sincerity and the depth of Henry’s love for him was clear.  They were One, and Drew saw Henry’s confidence; it became a part of him.

          Ken and each of the men had their own words for Drew, telling him how much they loved him and how confident they were in him.  Each one held him and hugged him as long as he needed them to.  The adult-like part of Drew returned, and he realized how foolish he had been to pull away.  How could he have run from them?  From the love they had for him?  He should have trusted them from the beginning.

          Drew didn’t know how everything was going to work, but whatever happened they would face it together

Time stopped momentarily while Miss Lula turned and put on a fresh pot of coffee, and called out a new order, “Drop one hash brown! Scattered well, smothered, covered, capped, and diced!  Drop one bacon, medium!  Raisin Toast! Three egg omelet, old fashioned, with cheese and mushrooms!”

Frank moved over and started collecting the items from the refrigerator beside the grille to start the order.  A loud sizzle followed and the aroma from the grille filled the diner as he dropped the hash browns on the greasy hot surface.

A man appeared in one of the booths by the front window so he could also watch.  He saw the same things Lula did in Drew.  He was Drew’s Birdman, who had met with Henry and Drew both, and spoke to Drew on occasion.  He was the Dove.

He smiled saying, “Thank you,” nodding his acknowledgement to Miss Lula, knowing Frank would cook his order to perfection.  The corners of his Ageless eyes crinkled on his careworn face.  His eyes had stars in them just like Miss Lula’s and Frank’s.  Their eyes held all of Creation, and they watched together, and Listened, three as One, a Paradox, as the fate of Mankind – their Children –  played out before them.

The jukebox, silent until that moment, lit up.  The song that began playing should have been impossible.  Lane never published or recorded any of his music, yet his voice filled the small diner as the start of the hauntingly beautiful melody came over the speakers.

Nature, Nurture, Heaven and Home,

Sum of all and by them driven,

To Conquer every mountain shone,

But I’ve never Crossed the River.

          Mankind had a River to Cross.  If Drew was successful, and Ken and his Brothers defeated The Master, then they would face the decision to take Mankind across the River or not.  The decision would be theirs with no interference or influence by God.  However, they needed to win the first of their Battles before that possibility was even on the table.  And in order for them to win, Drew and Henry had to be successful in their part and break the Curse on The Master.

Creation paused with the First of all Realities, while God cooked, served, and ate his own breakfast at a greasy short-order diner in Atlanta, GA.  As always, Frank’s hash browns were perfect; no wonder Ken loved them so much.

<><  Raphael’s Pocket Dimension ><>

The Archangels gathered to witness the unfolding events.  This was the time of their grandchildren, the first part of the Battle they were born for.  The Archangels witnessed the glory and beauty of the men they called their grandchildren, both their physical forms and their Hearts and Souls, and they were proud.

The tension in them was high though, not from a lack of confidence, but because they knew the depth of the Curse and what their grandchildren fought against.  Their only Hope was the Paradox of their existence.  Their Free and Unfettered existence, and the Ten of them bonded as One, more than the sum of their individual selves, and their Avatars blended together to form the only possible defense against the might of the Curse.  By the nature of the Curse, they could not defeat it; their goal was to fight it long enough for Drew Ross and his father Henry to be successful in their task and repeal the Curse over The Master.

The Archangels felt the many changes inside themselves; the ripples of their grandchildren were much farther-reaching than they ever planned or expected.  They had their own conflicts and run-ins with their Nephilim offspring, yet they truly did love them, and were afraid for them. 

The Archangels stood in full battle regalia, knowing that regardless of their grandchildren’s success or failure, Luke, The Dark One, would be free of his Oath the second there was any sort of resolution, good or bad.

The ten Archangels – Michael, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, Barachiel, Remiel, Jegudiel, Saraqael, Raguel, and Selaphiel – held hands.  They seldom prayed. They seldom needed to pray, but the fate of so much rested on the strong shoulders of their grandchildren; and if they were successful, an even bigger task lay ahead.

The Dove, Miss Lula, and Frank all smiled when they heard the prayers of their First Children.  Even they were changed by the ripples of Ken & Brad and the rest of their Third Children, and it was good.

<><  The Master’s Psyche ><>

Henry felt different; there was a transition of sorts, when The Master’s hand touched the Stone.  He felt the rough ruddy skin of The Master’s clawed fist as it clamped down, trying to crush the Stone along with Henry’s and Drew’s hands. But, according to their plan, the Sigils etched into the Stone by Németh ignited with the red-orange glow of Eschphene Magic, and Henry and Drew were physically transported into the Mind of The Master.

Drew was still tight in his arms, but something felt… odd.  They were in the parking lot of the Waffle House, but at the same time he knew they weren’t.

His eyes bright with emotion, Henry pulled Drew back so he could look at his son and asked intently, “Drew, are you OK!?”

He cupped Drew’s face in his big warm hand, wanting to touch him and know he was alright.

It was eerily silent and everything seemed muted, like when he was inside the magical dome during his duel with the Eschphene leader.  Drew threw himself forward, putting his arms tightly around Henry’s neck and nodded his affirmation of Henry’s question.  His voice sounded muffled against Henry’s thick neck. 

Drew sniffled, and Henry felt the remnant of his son’s tears against his neck, but Drew replied, “Yes, Daddy.  I’m OK.”

Feeling the soft skin of Drew’s cheek and his warm breath against his skin almost made Henry choke up.  The last weeks of Drew being gone, and the helplessness and anxiety Henry felt, the fear for his son… it was all still there.  Holding Drew in his arms again was a relief, but they were in more danger than ever. 

He merged with Drew before they transitioned to wherever it was they were, and worked through their emotions.  The intense feelings from that connection still ran through father and son, but they were together and would face everything as such.

They both heard The Master’s scream of outrage at their disappearance, but the sound was heavily modulated and garbled as though they heard it from a distance, or through some sort of filter.

Drew looked up. The Master still faced them, towering menacingly, and he began tearing up chunks of concrete in his frustration at their disappearance.  He seemed to be moving in slow motion.  Oddly, for the first time ever, they saw his face through the smoky nimbus covering it.  They were in his Mind and saw him as he saw himself, ugly and misshapen.

Henry felt a wave of Power come off Drew. 

You don’t see us.  We aren’t here.

Henry remembered Drew saying he could hide from The Master.  He had no idea how Drew knew how to do that.  Henry was sure The Master wasn’t aware of them in the moment, but Drew masking their presence sure couldn’t hurt.   

The Master, enraged at their disappearance, turned and ripped off his amulet, throwing it away as he bellowed his challenge.  As soon as the amulet was far enough away eight bolts of lightning struck the ground in the parking lot, and Ken and the Team, minus Bryan & Lane, appeared.  Henry saw Cavall at Loy’s side. 

Intent on watching his Brothers about to confront The Master, Henry started as the Wolf-Spirit appeared in front of him.  His initial surprise was followed by an immediate sense of relief; her presence was comforting, and Henry knew their chances of success were far greater with her by their side.  Loy’s original wisdom in calling the Ancient Spirit and binding her to Protect Drew proved to be more far-reaching than any of them imagined. Drew seemed to take her being with them for granted. 

As Ken and the Team appeared, Henry saw them as the shining beacons of Light and Power they were.  He had come to love his Brothers so much, and he owed them his life.  They always spoke of ‘never keeping score,’ but after everything they did for him, he owed it to them to succeed.  He wouldn’t allow himself to fail them, any more than he would allow himself to fail Drew.  He would be a Wall for them too.

His voice was quiet as he said, “Hang tight guys.  We’re on this.”

Drew lifted his face from Henry’s neck and saw his uncles.  He knew they couldn’t beat his brother – The Master – until he and his dad were successful, and he was scared for them. 

Then he looked at his Dad.  His handsome wonderful dad, who made him feel safe and loved.  Drew smelled Henry’s aftershave and his sweat, the distinct smell of Henry, his father. He put his hand on Henry’s cheek so he could feel the rough stubble and his father’s warm strength.  He felt the intensity of Henry’s love inside him, but he needed to feel it through touch as well.

Henry smiled at him as they made eye contact and said, “Are you ready to do this kiddo?  Together?”  Drew smiled back, nodding his assent. Henry rubbed their noses together and got the giggle he wanted to lighten the mood.

Drew turned, looking at Ken and the Team, and said, “I love you, Uncles.  We’ll hurry!”

As The Master turned to face his Brothers, Henry felt a tug as the Wolf-Spirit pulled them away.

<><> 

Henry felt another transition, and suddenly they were in a house.  It felt cold.  The Wolf-Spirit sat on the floor looking at them with her unnatural intelligence.  In this place, she was solid; it seemed odd, because he was used to seeing her translucent.

Henry looked around and whispered more to himself than her, “Where are we?”

Inside The Master’s Mind; in his Psyche.  This is where your journey begins.  You and the cub are present.  That should not be possible. 

Henry remembered when the Wolf-Spirit talked to him in his Dreams, and based on where she said they were, he wasn’t surprised to hear her voice.  He was thankful she could talk; it would make things much easier.

Drew loosened his arms from around Henry’s neck and slid down to stand on his own, but he kept a hand firmly in one of Henry’s.  He rested his other hand on the Wolf-Spirit, wanting to feel her too.

Recognition hit Henry as he glanced around; he knew where they were.  It was the main house The Master lived in when he stayed in Atlanta.  Henry had been there numerous times in the three years of his coerced servitude to The Enemy.  He knew The Master’s Throne Room was just down the hall.  Memories of all the blood rituals Henry was forced to partake in were still in the back of his Mind – the place they were in was evil, just as The Master was.

Henry asked the Wolf-Spirit, “Do you know where we need to go?”

Surprisingly it was Drew who answered, “We need to find him.  The first one of him, like my first.  The one who killed me.”

Henry couldn’t help the “fuck me!” that slipped out.  It pulled at his heart how casually Drew spoke of his first death.  It compounded Henry’s need to Protect his son from any more pain if he possibly could.

Drew actually giggled at Henry’s F-Bomb and Henry winced, “Sorry, Tiger.”

Henry looked at the She-Wolf, “Can you help us find him?”

It will be a long journey, and not easy.  His Mind has traps, and he will fight us once he realizes we are here. 

Henry was oddly calm.  He was there for one purpose, to Protect Drew and help him complete his goal.  The Wall inside of him was firm.  All his own trials and tribulations prepared him, and his suffering made him stronger in unimaginable ways, preparing him for what was about to happen.  He was touched by God, and his Wisdom as well as his Heart had grown because of it.  Henry was unique among men, starting out as a physically enhanced Protector, but now an Original Man with his Mind and Heart Awake.  He was not part Nephilim like his Brothers, but he was truly Powerful in his own right, and had grown into himself through their influence and his own experiences.  Living inside their Souls affected him just as it affected the Archangels, and helped him to come into his full potential.

Drew felt oddly calm as well.  His dad and the Wolf-Spirit were both with him.  He wasn’t alone as he feared he would be, and he no longer believed Henry had to die. 

Drew still realized the price he would most likely pay for success, and he didn’t want to let his dad or the Wolf-Spirit know that; that thought was boxed away in the secret place in his Mind, and it was the only secret he withheld from Henry and his uncles when they merged.  He could face whatever would come if they were with him.  As long as he saved his dad and his uncles, any cost to himself would be worth it.  He learned all about sacrifice from his uncles and his father, and especially his mother Liz, and about doing the right thing no matter what the personal cost.

When Drew merged with Darren in Thomin’s Vault, he saw everything about Darren and his uncles.  They lived inside one another and their experiences were laid bare to Drew.  He saw their SEAL training, and running missions together in Desert Storm.  He saw, and felt, the bonds between them, and he knew they felt the same way towards him and his father.  He learned what true sacrifice was about from them, and again from Liz. 

He saw all the times that his uncles nearly died in the fight against The Enemy, and the fortitude inside them that kept them from giving up.  He saw their trust for each other, and their love, and he was a part of it.  He could do no less for them than what they had been doing for him all along.

As we go deeper the danger will increase.  Be on guard.

          Henry:  We need to hurry.  The guys can’t hold out forever.

          Time is not the same here as in the Physical Realm.  As we go deeper into The Master’s Mind, the difference will be more extreme.  There will be time.

The house was a maze and their first obstacle … first they would have to find their way out, and then move deeper and deeper though The Master’s Mind and into his past – through eighty thousand years of memories – until they found the version of him that Drew needed to confront.

Henry gave Drew’s hand a slight squeeze of comfort and encouragement, and they started their task together, father and son, following their guide.

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          Light erupted as eight thick bolts of lightning struck the ground around The Master as Ken, Brad, Pat, Darren, Rick, Loy, Kevin, and Bill appeared.  Cavall was with them at Loy’s side adding his feral strength to their own.

          The Battle was happening on both sides of the Veil, and The Master saw them as the shining towers of strength and Power and Light they were.  Their angelic Heritage as Nephilim made them inhumanly handsome and charismatic.  Their powerful bodies fit their assault uniforms perfectly as if they were molded to their physiques.  They looked hyper-masculine and every inch the weapons and soldiers they forged themselves to be; they were the Defense against The Enemy who wanted to subjugate Mankind.  They were Purity and Light against his Corruption.

          The Master screamed at them, “WHERE IS MY BROTHER?  I WILL DESTROY HIM AND ALL OF YOU!”

          Ken braced himself – backed by seven of his Brothers present and Lane and Bryan from across the world in the Valley –  as The Master turned to face them. 

Even without Pat’s Understanding, Ken could tell from The Master’s body language how pissed off he was.

The corner of Ken’s mouth smirked slightly:  Well that’s a good start.  He’s gonna make that easy on us.  Let’s keep him pissed off and not thinkin clear, ladies.  Keep him off guard.  You know the drill.

As Ken’s thoughts were heard by his Brothers, The Master’s physical form started to grow, filled with the Power of the Curse Unveiled.  The black cloudy nimbus that always covered his face thickened and began to spread, covering his grotesquely primitive and muscled body; the strength of his Aura was evident as they felt him grow even stronger.

Alright guys.  We have to buy Drew and Henry whatever time they need.  Lane and Bry, stay strong – we’re with you too.  All you fuckers are the best.  You know that, and you know what we’re here for.

They heard Ken’s voice in their Minds and Hearts, but more importantly they felt his Will and Conviction backing them up.  He believed in all of them with everything in his Heart – they were One and their bonds were unbreakable.  In their Hearts and Souls, Ken’s arms were around the shoulders of each and every one of them, pushing them to be their best and boosting their confidence.  He was their Leader, and even aside from his Avatar he had a way about him that brought the best out in each of them.

They knew the secret of their Avatars – the runic symbols that represented their abilities from the Language of Creation.  They would become equal to the task – but they would have to dig deep inside themselves to push beyond equal to win.  However, the Paradox of the fight was they knew it was impossible to defeat The Master until he asked Drew’s forgiveness for killing him eighty thousand years ago.  As powerful as they could become, by the nature of the Curse, they couldn’t be enough until it was broken.

Because they were One, each of the men saw Drew’s plan when they merged with Henry and Drew in the seconds before they entered the Psyche of The Master, not his secret, but his plan to find the first version of The Master in his memories.  The Master was still unaware of his own danger and possible defeat, and they wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. 

          In recent years after discovering their Nephilim Heritage, as a Team they accomplished near impossible tasks; resetting the Demon Azaziel, freeing Allenor –  the last survivor from God’s previous Creation, temporarily trapping Luke, The Dark One, and fighting the Eschphene on three separate occasions. However, they hadn’t yet pitted themselves against anything so strong as The Master with the full Power of the Curse Unveiled.

          Their Avatars shone brighter than ever as the Power needed to fight their opponent filled them; they became the vessels necessary to contain what they needed to be, not only physically but Spiritually and emotionally.

          The shimmering translucent form of the Tree of Life appeared over and around them, its canopy high in the sky amidst the lightning.  Animal Spirits swam in the air, called by Loy, their Steward.  Brad fluttered their Souls back and forth accross the Veil, empowering the dual nature of their Physical and Spiritual existence as Nephilim and Original Men.  They Listened to the Songs of their partners’ Souls, even as Lane did in the Valley with Bryan.  All the sources of their Power filled them, and just as strongly they filled each other; the unconditional Love they had for each other tied them together in ways normal humans couldn’t imagine. 

Their ties ran back decades, from their time together as SEALs, through war in the Physical Realm up to the present, where they were enmeshed in the Battle with The Enemy over the fate of Mankind.  They were Brothers in every way imaginable, living inside one-another, and the threads of their Souls were woven so tightly together they were unbreakable. Lane learned through Taliesin that individual threads could be broken, but when woven together into a rope they could become nearly indestructible, and that was what made them so powerful.

          Never had they felt the blending of their Avatars so fully and completely as in that moment, the Province of each of man fully apparent and magnified by the presence of his Brothers.  The full Paradox of their existence was evident, ten men, five couples, yet One - more than the sum of their individual selves, stronger together by far.  In the presence of the Curse, the intangible ‘something extra’ the doctor spoke of was more evident than ever before.

          Even though Bryan and Lane were across the planet in The Valley, they were still present with their Brothers, and their Brothers were present with them.  Ken’s Will filled them, honing them into the Warriors they were; Brad’s Intellect combined all their tactical expertise, Lane’s Creativity added to their ability to interpret everything they saw, Pat’s Understanding, Darren’s connection to the Physical Realm, Bill’s Knowledge… each man added something special and unique as all their training and focus came to bear.  They were the Warriors of the New Order facing the first Purpose of their existence – fighting The Master, the earthly servant of The Dark One, over the fate of Mankind.

          They glowed so Bright they were blinding to look at in the Spiritual Realm.  Their White Light clashed against the Curse, and thunder and lightning ripped through the Heavens from the clash of Powers.  They felt the cold icy chill of The Master’s Aura, but he felt the White-Hot Light of their own in turn.

          Ken’s voice echoed with Power, “Alright you fucker.  You aren’t destroyin anyone.  Prepare to get your ass kicked!”

          In response, The Master threw his arms back and bellowed his response, belching out a vortex of Black Power from his mouth.

          Hold it together guys!  We’re not givin an inch!

          The Black Power hit their Shields and they felt the impact down to their Souls, but they were enough.  Barely.

<><  The Valley of the Tree of Life ><>

          Bryan’s muscled Body felt like granite under his Kevlar assault suit.  Lane’s hands gripped his husband tight from behind, crisscrossed over Bryan’s thick torso as he brought all his own Power to bear, aiding Bryan in his Defense of the Tree and the Valley.

          Often, in times of conflict or significant events between the Light and the Dark, severe weather echoed the confrontation between the Powers, and Lane had never seen the skies so volatile.  Nature also reflected the emotions of the men as Nephilim, being Elemental creatures themselves, and Lane exerted his Will to calm the wind and rain directly around them.  Lightning continued to rip through the skies as the immense Black cloud – the physical manifestation of the Spiritual Power of the Enemy – struck at the canopy of the Tree. 

          Bryan, at the Heart of his Power, let the Life Energy of the Tree flood into him.  It was a tide he normally had to hold back when physically present, but now he needed all of it if he wished to have any chance of holding the Darkness at bay.  The same as the time of his Second Awakening, awareness of Life expanded inside of him, filling him with Power; from the grubs in the soil underneath his feet to every plant, animal, and being throughout Creation – the Roots of the Tree touched all Life in all Realities. 

The pain that came with that Power, from gaps in the Pattern where species of plants or animals were now extinct or missing, was held at bay by the bonds of his Brothers and the unconditional love they had for one another, and the knowledge that once they won their fight, as One they could replace those gaps and make the Pattern whole again.

          Bryan felt Lane’s strong arms around him, along with his Heart and Soul.  His husband – the grandson of Gabriel the Archangel, Herald of God –  was truly Powerful and added his own strength and might to Bryan’s.  As Powerful as they were together, even at the Heart of Bryan’s Power, they were barely enough.

          At the time of their First Awakening, when The Master called his Dark servants in his first attempt to destroy them, Istariel Summoned the Four Corners - the Archangels Michael, Uriel, Gabriel, and Raphael - to defend them.  Now the Four Corners were unavailable – Lane and Bryan and their Brothers had come into their Nephilim Inheritance, and Bryan’s Province was Protector of the Tree and the Dragon hidden and asleep beneath it.  With the Dark One bound and unable to interfere, the Four Corners could not be summoned, so Bryan and Lane Protected the Valley while their Brothers faced The Master.

          As the Black cloud writhed and seethed, tendrils split off from the main funnel and began striking the shield Bryan maintained.  Both men felt the blows on multiple levels; with each impact, the Blackness burned their Minds as well as their Hearts and Souls.  The emerald Shield over the canopy of the Tree flared with each blow, but it held strong, fortified by the Will and Power of Bryan and Lane.

          Lane, who’s Province fell in the Music of Creation, Listened.  He was inside his husband, and heard the crystalline Song of Bryan’s Soul.  It was the most powerful Source available to him, but he didn’t draw from it as Bryan did the Tree; rather, Lane Listened and let the Music flow through and become part of him.   He wove the two halves of Bryan’s Soul together from the half that resided in each of them and the Music made him powerful like nothing else could.  It also gave him a supreme sense of comfort, even amidst the pain and the effort he put forth.

          Lane poured himself into his husband, his arms tight around Bryan’s Powerful body, squeezing in a physical expression of affection at the same time as his Soul filled his husband.  Their eyes were white and flashed often, reflecting the lightning in the sky.  The wind blew the hair off the foreheads of their handsome faces.  Each felt the rough cheek of the other as Lane buried his face against Bryan neck, bringing every bit of strength he could muster and adding it to Bryan’s.  Their Hearts, Souls, and Minds were bound together just as tightly as their bodies, but the physical sensation of holding on to one another brought an additional strength and comfort.

          In their Minds, they whispered encouragement and support to each other as the intimacy of their connection caused their eyes to shed fresh tears.  The exquisite and powerful sting of being fully immersed in each other and knowing that no matter what, they had each other and their Brothers despite their faults, always brought tears to their eyes.

          Bryan felt Lane’s Love wash through him as Lane’s Power added to his own.  With Bryan’s Understanding, he saw how powerful the black cloud was.  He and Lane could hold it at bay for a time if they put all their strength into the defense of the Tree, however they would need to dig deep inside themselves to have any chance of mounting an offense to drive The Enemy back.

          The tendrils were relentless and the ground shook from the force of their blows.  In the darkened skies, through the rain and wind, the two men looked up as dozens of black shapes broke off from the Blackness.  They were cloven hooved, with powerful leathery wings keeping them aloft; they were Demons of the Pale, under servitude of The Master.

          Bryan:  Fuck!

          The Demons dove down and even over the din of the wind and lightning, Bryan heard and felt vibrations from the impact of their landing.  They scattered themselves around the Valley and began destroying anything they came in contact with.  As painful as it was, Lane’s Avatar flared, and he called the animals of the Valley to defend it.  He knew the animals couldn’t stop the Demons, but hoped they could slow them down.  The Valley had not been so desecrated since The Master killed his brother the first time, eighty thousand years earlier.

          The anger of that thought ran deep inside the two men, especially Bryan, and they channeled that anger, letting it fuel their defense.

<><> 

          Deep below the Tree, the only sounds in the immense cavern were the occasional bubbles of lava bursting if one managed to reach the surface through the thick viscous substance.  Random fires burned when gases released from the bubbles ignited; the light of the fires coupled with the soft glow of the lava illuminated the chamber.

          Leroy slept fitfully – the Battle taking place in the Valley above him stirred forces he was sensitive to.  His Protector, Bryan, the man who loved him like no one else ever had, was in danger, and Leroy sensed it.  The ring on Bryan’s finger, a Christmas gift from Lane the year before, was charged with Dragon Fire from Leroy, and the dragon fire agates Albrecht placed on the ring resonated magic connecting the Man and the Beast.

          Unlike the Leroy of the alternate reality Brad and Lane travelled to, the Leroy of the first Reality had never woken up.  Occasionally the Dark One, his true Father, would come visit him, and cause no end of torment in his sleeping Mind.  The Rage inside him always burned stronger when The Dark One was near.  Bryan, his Protector, soothed Leroy by his very presence, and helped drive the Rage away, or at the least hold it at bay.

          Leroy’s unconscious Mind sensed Bryan nearby, and the tumultuous emotions running through his Protector.   He felt Bryan’s deep-seated fear for Drew & Henry and what they faced, for his Brothers in Atlanta as they faced The Master, and for the Tree above as he defended it with all his might.   Leroy also felt the unwavering strength of character and Love Bryan had for everyone in his life, and the anger over them being in danger that drove him to be the man he was.  On top of all that, Leroy felt the cold presence of the Darkness against his Fire.

          Leroy knew nothing of the events of the world, he only felt the emotions in Bryan, complicated yet simple, and the dark Power on the fringes of his awareness.  Bryan was a man of loyalty, and the gentlest of all his Brothers.  The Dragon was far more intelligent than any of them realized, and many of Bryan’s qualities, through his connection to Leroy, bled into the great creature.  He had never been awake, but he was Created for a Purpose, and had the traits necessary to complete that Purpose.  No one knew the full reason for his existence except God, who had commanded Luke to sire him.  Even Luke was unaware of all of Leroy’s secrets, and how much he had been effected by the ripples of the hybrid Nephilims’ existence.

          Leroy sensed Bryan’s need; it called to him in a way Bryan never would.  Bryan would never wake the great Beast intentionally, so Leroy would wake himself.  Exposure to Bryan and Lane, and the rest of Bryan’s Brothers changed Leroy.  Just as the existence of the Hybrid Nephilim changed the Archangels in ways they never expected, the ripples of their existence touched all Creation.  They were Random and Unfettered, perhaps even Chaotic in that they didn’t realize, and were unaware of, how their presence changed those around them, especially those they cared about.  That effect, while subtle, was perhaps the most potent aspect of their existence.

          Deep in the cavern of his birth, where he slept since the Earth was formed, Leroy’s eyelid’s opened, and the Light from his Golden Orbs lit the cavern.

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          The eight Brothers, soldiers and Warriors of The New Order, surrounded The Master.  The reach of his arms was long and he swung, inhumanly fast, trying to claw them in half or rend their flesh.  The agility and dexterity of their muscular forms were glorious as they fluidly and gracefully avoided his attempts to kill them.  Each man brought every aspect of his training to bear, moving as One, and executing every maneuver flawlessly.

          They landed strikes of their own while The Master never touched them.  Their blows were ultimately ineffectual; even if they felt a bone break the Curse healed him, restoring him to the state he was in when it took effect.  They felt the impact on their own bodies as they landed blow after blow, but a constant flow of Healing energy, running through Brad, Loy, Darren, and Bill, kept them all in top form.

          Just as in their training, they used each other as weapons, and shielded each other when necessary.  All their training was manifest, and their bodies were grace in motion.  The pressure of The Master’s Dark shield was relentless and wore on them, but their Light never wavered as they confronted The Enemy head-on.  Holding the image of Drew & Henry foremost in their Minds and Hearts gave them the impetus to persevere and not waver in their resolve.

          Other than taunting The Master, much of their normal banter was silent.  Occasionally a comment was made, but they instinctively conserved their strength, and kept their focus and concentration on their task.  The fate of two of their own was at stake, and that of the world.  Even with their voices silent, their Will backed each other, and the emotions were clear between them as they were bound so tightly together.

          Their goal wasn’t to maim or hurt yet, it was to occupy and delay to give Henry and Drew whatever time they needed to be successful.  Each man conserved his strength, and their attacks were precise and efficient.  Their efforts were convincing, taking any opportunity to strike that presented itself so that The Master would not become suspicious.  The Master had more skill than they expected, but by goading him and constantly stoking his anger he became increasingly erratic, vacillating between his natural savagery and a combination of various fighting styles. 

          The men however, were masters of The Quintessential Dance, taught to them by the Archangel Michael, Ken’s angelic grandfather.  The fighting techniques they used, coupled with Albrecht’s training, made them far superior to The Master in hand-to-hand combat.

          The fight wore on, first seconds, then minutes, and The Master quickly became frustrated.  Rage took ahold of him, just as they planned. No one had ever withstood his Power for so long!  He hurled chunks of concrete at them, followed by Black Talons; he was relentless in his attacks, yet they withstood him.  Darren deflected the concrete, or if it was in small enough pieces he changed the trajectory of their movement and sent them back at The Master.  Darren sent some of the pieces high above, using Pat’s Understanding to see the trajectory back towards The Master, pelting him from above.  They hurt him repeatedly, but the Curse restored him as quickly as any damage was done.

          They used every shred of knowledge and experience the doctor shared with them on how to use their Powers to full effect with minimal effort.  They deflected attacks, rather than blocking them, Understanding exactly how much force was needed and at what angle, whether it was a physical attack or magical. Pat’s Avatar allowed them to see the Laws of Physics and the relationships between everything.   They faced The Master’s brutal savage strength with staunch precision and training; they met his Darkness with their Light.  On every level they equaled him, but they could not overcome him.

          Their powerful forms were grace in motion and would have been glorious to behold if any humans were conscious to witness their bravery.  Their handsome faces shone with the Brightness of their Souls; they were serene and confident and were what they needed to be for Drew. 

They sweated and breathed heavily, but did not tire.  They soaked in oxygen through their Core energy center to fuel their physical bodies; all the grueling training Ken put them through over the years paid off.  The Mentalists kept up the Psychic and Spiritual pressure as they assisted the Bodies, maintaining their Shields, and attacking The Master on all fronts, not giving him any reprieve.

          They played the game of cat and mouse, not knowing how long it would take Drew & Henry to accomplish their goal.  It didn’t matter; they would be what they needed to be for as long as they needed to be, confident in their training and their Powers.

<><  The Master’s Psyche ><>

          Holding Drew’s Hand, Henry followed the Wolf-Spirit.  He knew getting out of the house wasn’t going to be as simple as going through the back door.  She led them inwards and downwards, to the places where the Darkest and most powerful magics and evil rituals were performed – they were in the recent part of The Master’s memory and what they witnessed was foremost in his conscious and unconscious Mind. 

Henry was worried about Drew seeing something that might freak him out, but remembered all the atrocities his son had been subjected too, not only in his own life but across the ages.  Many of the incarnations inside of him were insane from the abuse they suffered when they were alive, and Drew remembered much of their lives after his interaction with the Stone.  Regardless of what his son had seen, Henry didn’t want to subject him to much of what they were most likely going to see.

The unfairness of it all broke Henry’s heart, and he tried to be a buffer against all the hurt inside his son.  Henry & Drew were Linked enough for Drew to feel the surge of protectiveness, and Drew, in that adult-like manner he sometimes exhibited, squeezed Henry’s hand back and whispered, “It’s alright, Daddy.”

Henry’s breath caught at Drew’s words, and his eyes watered.  No, it wasn’t alright!  It wouldn’t be alright until everything was behind them and Drew could live a normal life!  The life every seven-year-old boy should live!   Henry had to quell his anger, instead choosing to remember how grateful he was to have such a wonderful little boy in his life who loved him.  He had no idea how Drew overcame everything to be who and what he was, and Henry didn’t realize how much he was responsible for a lot of it – easily as much as, if not more than, Ken & Brad and all the men who loved Drew as their own.

Not wanting to get too serious, Henry smiled down at his son and ruffed his hair with a wink.  That got the grin he wanted to see, and they continued to move slowly and cautiously, not knowing what to expect.  The Mind of a being as old and Powerful as The Master was a dangerous place; his unconscious Mind would still react if they weren’t careful.  The Wolf-Spirit said there would be traps and triggers placed as protections against psychic attacks.  They bypassed most of those simply by already being inside his psyche, but there were sure to be some.

          Henry stopped when a deep guttural growl came from the Wolf-Spirit.  The temperature dropped icy cold in a matter of a few seconds, and a small cloud of steam came out of her muzzle when she growled.  Her eyes glowed in the dim light of the hallway as her hackles rose.

The entrance to Master’s Throne Room was just ahead, and they were all on guard.  The Wolf-Spirit was in the lead and Henry brought up the rear, keeping Drew between them.  Henry felt Drew’s anxiety spike at the Wolf-Spirit’s reaction to danger.

Henry’s fearlessness and determination, and his solid presence, kept Drew calm as they quietly made their way down to the open doorway.  The powerful stench of blood hit them as they approached the threshold of the room.

Drew, if anything happens stay close to me honey. Don’t run unless I tell you to.

After a short pause, Henry reasserted:  I’m right here, Tiger.   His fatherly instincts told him Drew needed to hear those words.  They were Linked, fairly deep, but not merged, and Henry strengthened his presence inside Drew.

Cautiously, they entered the room.  It was dark, and the smell was overpowering, and they knew immediately they were not alone.

Shades of Souls The Master had consumed, many his own servants, were trapped in the room of their demise.  For decades in that house in Atlanta, The Master had killed countless adults and children and even some animals, devouring their Souls and Spirits to fuel his Dark Magic.

The entities that remained were like the incarnations inside Drew, real but not real.  They were trapped in the room where they died, and sensed the warmth and Life inside Henry & Drew.  They yearned for that warmth, instinctively wanting it, as though it would ease the pain of their horrific existence; they were insane, driven to such a state by constant torture inside The Master’s Mind.  Their Souls were cold and frozen and hungered for the Light and warmth of Henry & Drew like moths to a hot flame, and they swarmed forward as soon as Drew and Henry crossed the threshold.

Instinctively, Henry slowed down his perception of time and took Drew with him.  The Wolf-Spirit stayed with them; Henry wasn’t sure how she did it, but she did.

Henry felt Drew’s initial terror as the Shades rushed towards them.  He didn’t like scary movies, and the place they were in was far worse than any movie Hollywood could ever think of producing.  The sight of the Shades was horrible enough; their outward forms exhibited the torture of their Souls, and Drew & Henry could both sense the hunger inside of them, their desperate yearning to feel alive again even for the briefest of moments.

Don’t be afraid Drew!  We won’t let them get you!  Be brave, honey!

In that place the shades had physical form.  They were strong, many of them had been Protectors and ‘suits’ of The Enemy whom The Master had killed, but his victims knew no bounds; some of them Henry was sure were from The Order.  He recognized many faces he knew from his time of forced servitude to The Enemy.

Henry’s shields strengthened, flaring brightly, and Drew added his own Power to his dad’s.  The Wolf-Spirit Howled, causing the Shades pain and slowing their advance.

Henry moved forward, blindingly fast, staying between the Shades and his son; none of them came close to Drew just as he promised.  Henry used every bit of his skill and training, and he was a whirlwind.  His Power wasn’t only Physical, his Spirit shone bright, and Drew was with him, their combined strength decimated the creatures.  The Shades they didn’t engage, the Wolf-Spirit savagely ripped and tore apart.  They didn’t bleed, which Henry was thankful for.

The white lock of hair on Henry’s head practically glowed in the dark room.  Henry grunted, much like Bryan, when he saw shades that he and the Wolf-Spirit ripped apart begin to reform. 

Well that sucks.

          Wolf-Spirit:  Free them with your Light.  It is stronger in you than ever before.  You and the cub together can free them from the torment of this place.

          When Brad and his Brothers Opened Henry’s Mind and Heart, making him an Original Man, he remembered Albrecht telling him his Heart energy center would be the weakest of the three Sources.  Since that time, through the sacrifices he made for Drew, even dying and meeting God face to face, Henry’s Heart grew in unimaginable ways.  It had to grow to encompass the Love he had for Drew and his Brothers, and the thousands of incarnations inside of Drew.  Ken and Brad and his Brothers filled him with their Light over and over, holding him up and supporting him, and he was like a sponge, absorbing it all. 

          Similar to when their own abilities were stretched, Henry’s were as well.  Through his exposure to them, and his own experiences, his Heart expanded.  He grinned inside, knowing Lane would have a smartass comment to make, and he clearly heard Lane’s voice in his Mind:   And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say –Henry’s small heart grew three sizes that day. And then – the true meaning of Christmas came through, and Henry found the strength of ten Henry’s, plus two!

          His eyes teared up at the thought of Lane and the others.  How much they meant to him and Drew and what they sacrificed, and continued to do, even in the moment they were in to make everything possible.  Perhaps his own Mind and Heart used Lane’s voice to send him the epiphany; Henry truly was much more powerful currently than when they first Awoke his Mind and Heart.

          When Taliesin sacrificed himself to save Drew, Henry had the strength to hold all his Brothers up when they needed him, and in reflection he realized how much he had grown into himself.  He wasn’t a Nephilim, but he was a father and an Original Man, fighting to Protect and save his son.  He realized in his training that emotional strength was just as important as physical in the Battle over Mankind.  He also realized the truth behind what he had been taught by Albrecht, Aaron, and the guys:  Unconditional Love was the Heart and Strength of their Power.

          Drew, merge with me Tiger.  Let’s show these guys what we can do.

          Henry didn’t have to pull Drew in; Drew practically threw himself inside of his dad.  He wanted to be in Henry’s Heart, where he was loved.  Drew was the second oldest human Soul in existence and Powerful in his own right.  He trained with Aaron Thomas & Albrecht, and Brad & Ken and his uncles.  The constant love and support they filled him with made him even stronger; it fueled his Compassion and healed his Soul to the point where he was even able to understand his Brother’s plight and forgive him for killing Drew that first time all those years ago.

          Henry felt Drew dive into him, and the Centering Flames they both held in their Minds merged.  Together, as Father and Son, they became One.  The Light of their Souls reflected the Love they had for each other.  Both of them were broken before they met the Team.  Now they were whole and knew what it was like to both Love and be Loved unconditionally. 

          Henry let that Love fill him up.  The white lock of hair on his head was as bright as his Shields as the Shades burned up in the Light he and Drew shone with.  Their merged Souls shone like a small Sun inside The Master’s Dark Mind.  Suddenly the room was warm and the Shades were gone.  Never, in eighty thousand years, had a Light so bright shone inside The Master’s Mind.  Never, in eighty thousand years had The Master felt so much pain as his brother’s Soul combined with Henry’s burned into him from inside his own Mind.

          Henry grinned again, knowing Lane would find some way to make a Tolkien reference out of what he and Drew just accomplished.  He vowed to himself, if he and Drew got out alive, he would read the books, just so he could understand Lane’s references.

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          In the midst of the fight, unexpectedly, The Master stumbled.  He clutched his head and screamed, and for a brief moment the black nimbus covering his face vanished.  They saw his eyes, the same color as Drew’s, and his ruddy skin, his pronounced forehead and high cheekbones, and his crooked sharp yellow teeth. 

          They saw shock in his eyes and then understanding, as he realized where Drew and Henry were!

          “HOW!?”

          The Master shook his head, and the smoky nimbus returned.

          Ken exclaimed, “Fuck! Now I know why you keep that mug of yours covered up!”

The Master spoke, but it was obvious it was directed at Henry & Drew, “I don’t know how you can be in my Mind, but now that I know you are there, I will destroy you!”

          Ken smirked, and wanting to keep The Master focused on them he replied, “I told ya you aren’t destroyin anybody!  You keep sayin it, and it keeps not happenin!  You’re just a big orange pussy! Hey, while you’re busy not destroyin anybody, can you do anythin about the smell?”

          What Németh accomplished had never been done before.  Henry & Drew being physically sent into The Master’s psyche was uncharted territory.  If The Master slowed down his perception of Time, he could focus on Drew and Henry, and Ken knew they could not let that happen.

          B!

          On it, Ken!

          The fight up to that point had been primarily physical, but Brad and the Mentalists, backed by their Brothers, took the fight to The Master in the Spiritual and Mental Realms.  They had to keep him occupied and distracted so he couldn’t focus on Drew & Henry.

          They had never fought from inside the place where their Souls-were-One.  It was always a place of peace and refuge for them, a sanctuary.  It was another Paradox of their Nephilim heritage; they were so Deep inside one-another Time stopped, yet they attacked The Master.

          Thick White ropes of Power, forming a Talon, shot out of Brad and the other Mentalists, striking The Master’s shields.  The Darkness around him seemed impenetrable, yet the force of their attack caused him incredible pain.

          It did exactly what was needed and The Master came back to himself as his feet left the ground and he was thrown back against one of the large metal dumpsters in the parking lot.

          They needed to keep The Master off his feet and focused on fighting them.  Brad and the Mentalists stayed on the offensive, not allowing The Master to focus on Henry & Drew.  If he did, Brad and the Mentalists were ready and forced him back up.

          Ken saw an old ivy covered telephone poll still in the ground at the rear of the parking lot, with no power lines or transformers attached, and an idea formed in his Mind.

          Hey Dar!

          Darren saw in Ken’s Mind what he wanted.

          Darren: You got it!

          Under his Kevlar, Ken’s Avatar flashed emerald green as he softened the wood at specific spots, decomposing it.  Darren sliced through those spots with little effort, honing a slice of telekinetic force down to the width of a few molecules.  The pole divided into three even pieces and each teleported into the hands of Ken, Rick, and Kevin. 

          Batter up!

          With inhuman speed Ken leapt, twisting his body midair, avoiding the clawed hand swiping at him, and as he landed, he swung the pole with all his strength right into the stomach of The Master, sending his immense form up in the air, only to have Kevin swat him again before he landed.  Rick followed up and they juggled The Master in a three-way aerial beat down.

          The fight became stuttered as their perceptions of Time sped up and slowed down as they maximized their efforts and coordination.  They exhibited perfect control of every move; every act, every motion, even down to the point that their breathing was precise and efficiently planned, coordinated through Brad and executed by all of them.  They pushed every button they could to infuriate The Master, embarrassing him, teasing him, and mocking him, intuitively knowing what would dig the deepest.

          Brad deduced, after numerous discussions with the doctor and Albrecht over the last few years, that while The Master was borderline brilliant and extremely knowledgeable, he was still the primitive man he was born as, and the Curse kept him in that state.  The Curse did not hamper his intellectual capacity, but his basic physiological and emotional makeup were locked into his genetic makeup, and he was still a ‘primitive’ man compared to a modern human.

          They spoke at length about the nature of the Curse, after thousands of years of study and research.  The Master was born as the first Original Man, and was still in that state, Immortal aside from the Curse.  But by the nature of the Curse and the interference of The Dark One, he was isolated and alone – much as Luke had isolated Orophir to control him, he did so with The Master.  Long ago, the doctor realized that Immortality was a dual edged sword, which is what drove him to the act of splitting a Soul with another human to make the years bearable.  The Master had been alive forty times as long as the doctor or Albrecht, and in all that time he was alone and unloved, while being manipulated and isolated by Luke.  The effects on his psyche were horrible and made what happened to Taliesin look minor in comparison.

          Brad and the other Mentalists took that knowledge, discussed it at length and incorporated it into various strategies.  Thus, Ken knew how to make his insults dig even deeper.  They took no pleasure in taunting the creature they saw as a pitiful being who had little chance to be anything other than what he was.  His life was a tragedy; yet he was also the closest thing to pure evil beside The Dark One, and they had to do whatever was necessary to stop him, even if it dug at their own Hearts deep down. 

          The words of Ken and the other Warriors, their taunts, the feelings they purposefully invoked in him – it was all a part of their strategy as much as the Physical and Spiritual aspects of the fight, and it was perhaps even more effective because the Curse couldn’t defend The Master from their words.

Memories and emotions stirred, perhaps even more because of Drew & Henry being inside him and delving into those areas of his Mind.  When he was a small boy, The Master had been manhandled and hurt by the male tribal leader who sired him.  His treatment at the hands of the Team, abominations in his Mind, brought back the rage and terror of being hurt and out of control.  The Dark One, as a voice in his young Mind, vowed he would never be afraid again, or hurt, and promised him complete and ultimate Power and Authority over the Physical Realm!

          The fact that his brother – whom he considered inconsequential – and the New Warriors of The Order – his inferiors – were causing him embarrassment as well as pain was inconceivable and drove him to embrace his primitive rage, the rage that drove him to kill his brother the first time.  The arrogance of who he was and what he was would not permit him to be mauled or treated in such a manner!  His jealousy of their perfection added even more to the sting and the well of rage inside him, and all his emotions fed into the Curse.  In essence, he cracked, just as they wanted him too.

          HE was the FIRST Soul!  HE ruled the Physical Realm!  They should BOW to HIM!  He was their MASTER!

          Brad’s Intuition, bolstered by the Avatars of the other Mentalists, warned him.  They were One, and his awareness was theirs.  Lane felt it too, on the other side of the planet.  Something was about to happen and his gut ran cold, colder than it ever had.  The Dark nimbus surrounding The Master appeared around them.  

          Ken yelled:  Dar, get us outta here!

          Darren’s Avatar flared under his Kevlar on the ball of his muscled shoulder… and nothing happened.  The dark shroud of his Power was holding them, blocking Darren from teleporting them to safety! 

Darren:  Fuck! He’s blocking me!

They all knew something bad was about to happen; the Intuition of Brad and the other Mentalists sent a signal so strong they felt it physically.  They also felt a brief conflict inside of Loy, but his decision was made as soon as the thought formed in his Mind.  His eyes flashed white, and his Avatar flared so bright under his Kevlar suit it was visible.  He sent his Call across the Spiritual Realm – Come!  His Will was in the Command and the Spirits would come to his bidding, even if it meant their own demise. 

He only wanted to use the Spirits in a direct attack as a last resort, however their Intuition told him whatever was about to happen was bad, and the fight needed to continue.   Many Spirits were already present, as he and his Brothers drew from their strength, but his call went across all the Realms.

As they trained themselves to do, all attacks immediately stopped, and they diverted every bit of Power they could muster to the defense of their Shields. This time, however, they weren’t enough.  The Curse, fully invoked and backed by The Master’s rage – driven to near insanity – was too much.

They knew The Master was Powerful in his own right.  His Soul was the oldest and strongest in existence, and he had tens of thousands of years to hone his powers under the tutelage of The Dark One.  Those qualities alone would have made him formidable. 

They had a glimpse through the Blood Curse that almost killed Ken of the strength of the Curse, but they had no idea how powerful the Curse truly was in and of itself.  What they couldn’t account for, even though they were prepared, was how strong and deep it ran.  Its Power ran back to the beginning of Time, before Creation.

          The Master’s scream shook the area and would have shattered the glass of the Waffle House windows, if God had not prevented it.  The Black explosion of Power that erupted out of him ripped through their Shields, shattering them, sending all eight of them flying back and knocking them unconscious.  He drove the Darkness of the Curse into them, covering them in a blanket so they could not recover.

          As the echoes of his scream faded, an eerie silence followed. In the aftermath of his effort, The Master stood still, his chest heaving, recovering from the eruption of Power.  He shook his head attempting to recover a semblance of clarity to his thoughts, but the rage would not let go.  He saw Ken, laying on the ground closest to him, unconscious.  He lumbered forward, almost stumbling, and the ground rumbled with each step.  He looked down on Ken’s handsome face and perfect form, laying at his feet, defenseless.  Ken’s perfection was difficult to look at, and it brought the anger back almost the point of losing control again.  His lips pulled back savagely over his crooked yellow teeth and he hissed, spitting his hatred at the Leader of the New Order.

          The Master reached down and picked Ken up by his neck as if he weighed nothing.  His 400-lb. body hung limp, dangling helplessly.  The Master pulled Ken’s handsome face close enough to his own that Ken’s hair moved with the force of The Master’s breath as he spoke.

          “I told you I would destroy you, yet you still came against me.  You have plagued me for the last four years.  Your existence is an abomination.  With your death, my reign on the Physical Realm will be supreme and uncontested, as I was promised.  I have longed for this moment, and it is sweeter than I imagined.  Die, Ken Habbersham, Leader of the New Order.  With your death, The Order, Old and New, dies too.  The flesh of your Avatars will adorn my new Throne, evidence of the finality of your downfall, proof for eternity that there is no Hope of opposing me.”

          Lula, Frank, and the Birdman heard The Master speak – his voice was heard throughout the Physical Realm.  As the echo of his words fell silent, the only sound remaining was his harsh raspy breathing.  Then a clear and distinct ‘crack’ was heard across the globe and all through the Heavens as Ken’s neck snapped in The Master’s clawed hand.  It wasn’t just his bones breaking, The Master drove all his Darkness and Hate into the act, invoking the Curse, making the wounds impossible to Heal.  Darkness drove like a wedge into Ken, smothering his Light.

          The Hope of the world died in that instant.

          The Master threw Ken’s body down with all his might, breaking his body even further.  He savagely stomped on him, roaring his primal dominance as he did so. 

          He stopped and looked at the remaining Warriors, laid out and helpless.  Under the black nimbus covering his face, his lips pulled back in a smile.  Turning, he began to reach for Kevin, who was the next closest.  He would kill them one by one.

<><  The Valley of the Tree of Life ><>

          Lane felt the deaths of the animals defending the Valley from the Demons; through his Avatar it was as if his own Soul and Body were being savagely ripped apart with them.  Bryan felt the destruction of the Valley itself, as the Demons uprooted and burned everything within reach.  The animals barely slowed them down, sacrificing themselves to little effect.

          Bryan:  Lane, go!  I’ll hold here!  The animals aren’t enough.  Go stop of those fuckers!

          Lane:  I can’t leave you Bry!

          Bryan:  You have to!  I’ll hold here, Little Buddy.  Those Demons will tear the Valley apart if we don’t stop them!

          Lane:  I love you Bry!  I’ll be back!

          Lane slowed down his perception of Time to collect himself.  He felt a momentary sense of anxiety at leaving Bryan, but quickly compartmentalized it as he was trained to do.  His SEAL training was as much a part of him everything else.  He took a deep breath, focusing himself, and recited his usual mantra:

          Don’t be a pussy Lane!  Think, dumbass think!

          His tried and true intonation worked, and his Avatar flared brightly.  Lane looked through the eyes of the closest deer and vanished, using its eyes to teleport to the Demon it was fighting to stop.

          Lane came in hot, filled with the Power from the Music of Bryan’s Soul, and all the other Sources of Power available to him.  His movements were efficient and precise.  There was no banter, and his face was grim, his usual mischievous grin absent.  He steeled himself for what he needed to be, and he still felt Ken’s hands on his shoulder and back, along with all his Brothers’ in Atlanta as they fought The Master. 

          The Demons were immensely strong in their own right, fallen Angels from Heaven, sundered from Home, their Power now rooted in Darkness and Evil.  Lane’s Shields flared bright, and he wove his white ropes of Power razor sharp, shredding its existence and sending it into oblivion.  His attack was Powerful and swift, without mercy.  He was visible for less than a few seconds before he vanished again.

          He was methodical and calculating, staying down in Time, allowing him the chance to look through the eyes of all the animals to determine his next target.

          Fuck Loy makes this look easy!  It makes me cross-eyed!

          He was drenched in sweat from his efforts, and after shredding five Demons he had to slow down and recover for a few seconds.  Even though it would mean more damage and loss of life, he would not compromise himself by overextending and being impatient.    

          In his brief respite, he allowed his conscious focus to look towards Atlanta.  He grinned to himself when Ken called for Darren to cut up the telephone pole, watching through their eyes in the back of his Mind as they swatted The Master around like a woofer ball.

Lane felt the same sense of impending wrongness as Brad and the others did, and he heard Ken’s voice from across the planet: Dar!  Get us outta here!

He felt his own Avatar synchronize with theirs as Darren tried to teleport them to safety, but it didn’t work.

Darren: Fuck! He’s blocking me!

          Lane felt the shock against their shields as The Master, enraged to the point of insanity, hit them with the full Power of the Curse.  Lane felt their shields shatter and their conscious Minds go quiet.  He felt the blanket of Darkness cover them, and his stomach lurched as they dropped out of the Link.

          Immediately, the Power they shared lessened and Bryan dropped to his knees with a loud groan of agony.  His face turned purple with the strain, and the veins in his neck distended, ready to burst.

          Lane’s eyes turned white, and his Avatar flared.  He saw the Vision as Ken’s body dangled helplessly in The Master’s clawed fist, and his voice echoed through the Physical Realm:

     “I told you I would destroy you, yet you still came against me.  You have plagued me for the last four years.  Your existence is an abomination.  With your death, my reign on the Physical Realm will be supreme and uncontested.  I have longed for this moment, and it is sweeter than I imagined.  Die, Ken Habbersham, Leader of the New Order.  With your death, The Order, Old and New, dies too.  The flesh of your Avatars will adorn my new Throne, evidence of the finality of your downfall, proof for eternity that there is no Hope of opposing me.”

          Lane saw Ken’s neck snap and heard the crack that followed; he felt it in his Soul.  He saw the Darkness driven into Ken, and the shroud covering all his Brothers keeping them from being Healed.  His eyes flooded with tears at the implication of what he witnessed.  It was as if his own neck snapped.

          He and Bryan both stumbled at the realization of Ken’s death, and their Hearts sank in their chests.

          NO!

          The Master threw Ken’s body down, stomping on it.  The image of Ken, dead at The Master’s feet, struck Lane –  he had seen that image before in a Dream The Master sent him when his Avatar was first Awakening.  The scene in his Mind wasn’t exactly the same, but it was similar enough.  Another image he saw in that Dream was Bryan, impaled on the charred and burning stump of the Tree of Life in the Valley.  He suddenly felt an overwhelming urgency to get back to Bryan’s side.

          Frustration and anger mixed with all the other emotions raging inside of him – he took the Gift from Taliesin to change the outcome!  He did everything he could to alter the possibilities!  This shouldn’t be happening!

          The devastation inside both Lane and Bryan was debilitating.  One of their Brothers, whose Soul they so often lived inside was just ripped away.  They always knew the possibility of any of them dying existed, but they always avoided death and managed to come out on top of things.  They weren’t cocky, but they were confident in themselves and their abilities, and the suddenness of the loss caught them off guard.

          Emotions hit, and hit hard.  They were soldiers, trained and battle hardened, but they were also men and much more than human.  Their capacity for love as well as pain was vastly greater than when they started the Program, and the emptiness inside them, and the thought of what Ken’s absence would do to Brad as well as the rest of them, stunned both men.  It wasn’t possible!

          Lane realized his thoughts about Brad were irrelevant.  The rest of the Team lay unconscious and defenseless and they would all be dead in a matter of seconds.  Brad would be dead just like Ken, their Light extinguished from the world.  The Master would consume their Souls, and they would be truly gone, and Uriel would be unable to convey them Home.

          The Will behind the Black funnel cloud sensed their weakening and pushed harder.  Lane appeared back beside Bryan – the conflict inside him at the decision he was faced with was incapacitating.  If he teleported to Atlanta to try to save his Brothers, Bryan would fall.  If he stayed, he and Bryan had a chance to preserve the Valley and save the Tree, but it would cost them the lives of their Brothers.  His mind was numb with the decision – and with Time standing still the pain was constant and consuming.

          How could Ken be dead?  Lane’s own Power diminished as the realization that his Brother, so much a part of him, was gone and the rest of his Brothers would soon follow.  His heart wailed, and he fell to his knees sobbing even as his arms wrapped around Bryan.

          Lane remembered when he chose to die to save Bryan in Taliesin’s Construct, and how that decision turned out to be the wrong one.  Bryan wouldn’t have been able to survive without him.  The comprehension hit him that everything they worked towards was now over.  Lane chose to stay with Bryan, as his heart broke for what he knew was about to happen.  He waited for the next sound, futilely trying to steel himself as The Master reached for Kevin.

<><> 

          Bryan screamed when he heard and felt Ken’s neck snap.  They were One and he felt it as though it happened to him, except it broke his Heart rather than his neck.  Ken, his Brother, such an integral part of him, was suddenly gone.  He felt his own Power diminish as his Brothers dropped out of the Link, and he fell to one knee at the sudden massive increase of pain and pressure. 

          The agony he felt over Ken was every bit as powerful and debilitating as when Lane died inside Taliesin’s Construct.  The tears were so thick his vision blurred.  His handsome face was a mask of grief.  You can’t be gone you fucker!  You can’t!

          Bryan tried to dig deeper inside himself, even amidst the pain he felt over Ken, but his heart wasn’t in it.  Without Ken, their Avatars couldn’t be completed.  Even if Drew & Henry were successful, they couldn’t remove the Curse from Mankind even if they managed to kill The Master.

          Lane appeared by his side and fell to his knees sobbing, wrapping his arms around Bryan, trying to give and receive comfort and sharing his grief.  Defeat was never an option, and Ken’s optimism and faith in all of them never wavered.  Now he was gone, and they faltered for a briefest of seconds. 

          The two men clung to one another inside their Hearts, even as Lane’s arms clung to his husband.  With desperate strength, Lane held Bryan, as they struggled to compartmentalize their grief.  This time it didn’t work.  When they were SEALS, still human and Unawake, they learned to do that, but over years of living inside one another, becoming so much a part of one another… this time they just couldn’t do it, not with the loss of one of them.  Their bonds ran too deep; Ken’s absence in their lives was unthinkable; and the rest of their Brothers were about to follow.

          His face red and eyes filled with tears, Bryan raised his face and screamed to the heavens:  FUCK!

          The seething Blackness, driven by the Will of thousands upon thousands of The Master’s servants, bound to his subservience by The Dark One himself, sensed Bryan’s weakness and struck again with its full might.  Years ago, the Enemy’s first attempt to kill the abominations failed, now their leader was dead; and the Enemy knew their chance to defeat The Order once and for all was upon them.

          One of the thick Black ropes whipped back, a clawed Talon forming at its tip, and struck Bryan directly in his chest.  Their Shields shattered, and the column of Darkness impaled itself through Bryan’s and Lane’s torsos.  Bryan’s eyes went wide in shock and surprise as he looked down to see the large hole in his chest, glowing with a black nimbus.

          Lane felt the Black spear pierce both of them.  He was fully merged with Bryan with his arms were wrapped around his husband as the Black spear went through both their Bodies and their Souls. His own eyes went wide in shock as the realization hit him that they failed and were dead.  He buried his face against the small of Bryan’s back, unable to believe what just happened.

          Blood trickled down from the corner of Bryan’s mouth.  Handsome, gentle Bryan, the man he loved more than anything, was dying in his arms, within seconds of losing Ken.  All of them were about to be gone forever, obliterated by The Enemy.

          The Black rope split in two and started to lift Bryan up to fling him about, but Lane sliced through it with what was left of his own strength.  Without the rope supporting him, Bryan fell back on the roots of the tree, taking Lane down with him.  Again, the image was similar to Lane’s Dream which The Master sent a few years prior of their defeat at his hands – not identical, but close enough. 

Lane did everything possible to divert events from that conclusion, yet it was all coming true!  He felt the brunt of the failure on his shoulders, and his Soul cried for Bryan and Ken, and the rest of his Brothers whom he knew would surely be dead in moments.  He thought of Drew & Henry, their last hope to break the Curse, even if The Master survived.

          The Dark Cloud sensed its victory and pulled back to coordinate one final attack on the Tree, and finally destroy it and the two abominations of the Light that defended it.

          Bryan’s Soul was weakening rapidly, and Lane heard the Music inside his husband fading as he Listened.  Lane went down inside himself and took Bryan with him.  They appeared naked to each other where-their-Souls-were-One.  They lay together, Bryan’s head was in his lap, cradled, with the hole in his chest.  He was so weak he could barely grab ahold of Lane’s hands.  Lane was barely conscious himself; the same wound in his chest was present and the last of his Light was fading fast.  He used what little strength he had to hold Bryan as they looked into each other’s eyes, One being, as their sorrow and remorse over everything ran through them.  Lane’s tears spilled down on Bryan’s face as he looked down at his husband.

          Lanes tears added to the tears of pain and grief already covering Bryan’s face as his deep gravelly voice weakly said, “I…I…I L.. Love.. y…you… La…Lane.  I…I’m s..sorry.” 

          Lane’s tears were so thick he could barely see, and his throat so tight he couldn’t form words.  He actually laughed inside his Mind, and a grin crossed his face at his throat closing so tightly; everyone teased Ken about his inability to talk when he got emotional.  Lane’s grin faded as his own wounds overtook him, and his vision began to darken. 

          Lane wrapped his arms around Bryan unable to squeeze him, but he wanted to feel their bodies touching one last time.  He drew strength just by physically holding Bryan, and loving him so much.  Everything went still, in the Time between breaths where he and his husband lay dying together.  He went quieter than he ever had, straining to Listen with every iota of his being. 

          His heart was with his Brothers, unconscious in Atlanta.  They tried!  They tried so hard!  Hopefully, Henry & Drew would still succeed, and the doctor could figure out some way to carry on the Program.

          The place where-their-Souls-were-One began to dim as they started to slip away.  This time Uriel could take them to Heaven together, yet both men wondered how, even in Heaven, they could ever find happiness and contentment without their Brothers.

<><  The Eschphene High Temple – Beyond the Pale ><>

          Németh carefully observed the Nexus of Balance in the Eschphene Temple.  Balance was the Province of his People and being their Leader he felt all the events leading up to the Conflict.  He was attuned, through the High Temple, to everything transpiring.  Walking slowly, he moved through the mystical representation floating in the air before him.

          He watched the intricate threads, and knew who and what each one represented.  He saw Drew & Henry and the Wolf-Spirit inside The Master’s Psyche.  His own magic made that possible, and he sent a silent prayer out to the Heavens that the boy would be successful.

          He saw the bright threads of the Hybrid Nephilim, the brightest of any he had ever seen in the Tapestry of Creation, brighter even than the Archangels who sired them.  He saw The Master and all his servants, especially the huge rope of intertwined Darkness, as Bryan & Lane fended them off in the Valley of the Tree of Life.

          He watched Aaron & Albrecht, and Tag, Olive, and Raphael as they moved towards The Master.  There was something attached to Tag & Olive that he had never seen before and would have to ponder – they had been touched by… something he was unfamiliar with and was gravely disturbed by.

          Németh saw the Dragon, named Leroy, awake in his cave, and his heart lurched at that.

          Németh watched as Ken’s Thread was snapped, and his heart lurched again.  One thing he learned in all the long years of his exile, was not to rush to conclusions.  The ripples of the Hybrid Nephilim were so Random and far reaching that there was no way to predict any outcome.  He would be patient and wait for events to unfold, yet he still prayed for Ken Habbersham.

          In the Tapestry before him, brought to life by the Sigils imbedded into the stone floor of the Temple, the same place where the human Henry Ross defeated and killed Németh’s own descendant, returning Németh to his rightful place as his people’s Leader, he saw minute gaps.

          His knowledge and wisdom ran deep, and he knew there was at least one last piece still not in play. He saw a tiny gap in the threads and the frays that needed to be woven back in to fill that gap.  The forces that kept the Balance swayed so long towards the Dark, resisted with all their might.  Németh’s thin lipless mouth smiled as his thoughts formed – he would patch the visible frays, not to sway the Balance to the side of Light, but to give the Light an equal chance.

          He reached out and plucked the brightest of the seven tiny threads, and watched the vibrations lead back to their Source. He plucked the others, and they all led back to the same place. There was something odd about two of the threads in particular.  Once he was present, he was confident he could discern the reason.

          His Mind called forth the Sigils to take him back to the Physical Realm, and he vanished as his Magic took him to the humans whose threads he just touched. 

<><  Uluru, Australia Lab ><>

          Everyone was on edge, gathered in the main common area.  Sally let them know they found Drew and that the Confrontation was happening much earlier than they expected.  Everyone in the Uluru base in Australia was shielded from the Compulsion that Brad sent across the world that put everyone into a deep sleep.

          Jacob, Guy, Nathan, Caleb, and Rich were soldiers and wanted to help.  Craig was with his older brother, against Jacob’s better judgement, even though he knew of Craig’s desire to help.  However, there was no way in or out of the base except by teleportation, so they were climbing the walls.

          When Sally’s message arrived, Jacob called everybody into the common area of the Uluru Lab.  Kelly was there with her daughter Chloe, along with everyone else.  Chloe, normally a very calm and quiet infant, was fussy and irritable.  Glenn Hampton and the other fathers, with the exception of Kent, didn’t hide their irritation at the sounds of the crying baby and at the fact they were all pulled out of their beds.

          Jacob held Chloe, bouncing her and trying to comfort her.  As Jake gathered his thoughts to speak, Glenn Hampton cut him off, “Who put you in charge, kid.”

          Jacob calmly handed Chloe back to Kelly and turned to face Glenn, “Excuse me sir, but you need to sit down and be quiet.  You know what’s happening, and I think it would be safer for everyone if we all stay together.  We have no idea what to expect, good or bad, and we need to be ready for anything.”

          Glenn puffed up like a rooster, wanting to assert his dominance. 

          Rich sighed and said, “God Dad, give it a rest.  Jake’s right, we need to stay together until we figure out what’s going on.”

          “I’m not taking any orders from a snot-nosed punk!”

          Kent saw red and was about to tear into his old friend, but before he could say anything Rich shot back, “How about you do it because it makes sense, Dad?”

          Glenn, incensed that his son – who used to be a total pushover, was standing up to him and embarrassing him in from of his friends, grabbed his son by the collar of his shirt and yelled, “Don’t talk back to me!”

          The next thing Glenn knew his face was smashed down on the kitchen table and his arm was painfully twisted behind his back.  Rich had him in an armlock, “You’re never touching me like that again, Dad.  You’re a total dick.”

          Rich glanced at the other fathers, “All of you are, except for Mr. Peterson.  You know what we’re all involved in.  If something goes wrong, we need to be ready, not pissing your territory.  Now do as Jake says, or I’ll kick all your sorry asses.”

          Jake stifled his initial “Oh shit!” at Rich’s action, and almost laughed.  He winked at his friend and nodded.

          Glenn’s face was purple and he screamed, “Let me go!”

          Rich said, “Are you going to behave?”

          Rich gave an additional twist of his dad’s arm, and Glenn practically spit out, “OK!  OK!”

          Rich let him go, backing off quickly, ready for any retaliation on is father’s part, but Glenn was too overweight and out of shape to do anything but pant and sit down, his hair disheveled.  His eyes were full of rage and embarrassment, and he wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone.

          Before tempers escalated even more they were all shocked when Craig let out a yelp of surprise as Németh plucked his string in the Eschphene Temple Beyond the Pale.

          Kent Peterson shuddered and groaned too, doubling over like he had been punched in the stomach.

          Jacob, Caleb, Guy, Nathan, and Rich felt it to a much smaller extent.  They all looked at each other with surprise and not a little fear in their eyes.

          Before any of them could say a word, one of the mothers screamed, pointing towards the gymnasium doors.

          None of them were prepared to see the massive form of Németh crouched over to fit in the room.

<><  The Lab – Atlanta, GA ><>

          Aaron & Albrecht were tense.  The event of their lifetimes, the final Confrontation with The Master was at hand.  Their adoptive sons, born to finish that Fight disappeared moments ago from the gym in the Lab to confront their Enemy in an unwinnable fight. 

          There were many reasons why Aaron & Albrecht never fully merged with their young charges.  Both men had done things they were ashamed of in the thousands of years of their lifetimes, but that wasn’t the main reason.  Both men garnered certain arcane knowledge they didn’t want their adoptive sons exposed to – it was inevitable in the fight against Evil that they would learn much that scarred their Souls.  “Know thy Enemy” was a phrase often used, but not necessarily wise when dealing with pure Evil.

          Aaron & Albrecht knew the power of the Curse and how far-reaching it was; it altered the foundation of Creation and held God’s original plan at bay.  That was what their sons were up against.

           Aaron’s original Plan to implement New Warriors of The Order had been hijacked by the Archangels of the Higher Order, and only in the last few years did Aaron become aware of the interference.  The men he considered his sons, through the intervention of The Higher Order – and even God as he now understood it – were far, far greater than he ever hoped they could be.

          He felt so blessed by these men who came into his life.  It might have been fate, but regardless of the tests and interviews, he knew immediately with each one of them when they walked into his office that they were the ones.  Even then, decades before their first Awakening when they were still fully human, they had something about them that reached out to him.  It was subtle, but he learned to trust his intuition.

          He came to love them as his own early on, though he seldom showed it outwardly.  At that time of his life he was still struggling with Albrecht’s absence, but they embraced him in their lives, wrapping him up already and effecting him.  They truly made his life bearable in a dark time, and he came to love them even more.  Just as importantly, he came to not just trust them, but to trust in them and their potential.  It tore at his Heart to keep information from them, but once he revealed his true purpose for recruiting them, they didn’t even flinch and faced their destiny head on, with him by their side. There were still times, in the quiet of the night when he was held by Albrecht that he teared up at the thoughts of how much he cared for them.

          The main reason, though, that Aaron never merged with his sons, and made Albrecht promise as well, was that he never wanted them to see the seed of doubt that existed in his own Mind about their ability to win.  It was small, and rarely in his conscious Mind, yet it was there, and he knew it could cripple their ability to succeed.  Aaron hated himself for that doubt. He knew so many things they did not; in fact, he wished he could forget many things he knew.  He believed in them with all his Heart, yet in the farthest corners of his Intellect he knew what they faced – a force powerful enough to change all of Creation, against the Will of God.  He was, perhaps, the only person who truly understood the Curse and what it was.  His unconscious Mind fought that doubt every second of every day, and he prayed his sons would find a way to win.

          In their lifetime of study and fighting the Battle against The Enemy, both Aaron and Albrecht gleaned many secrets Mortals were never meant to know.  Both men had worn The Mantle at some point in their lives and delved into the mysteries of The Enemy.  They knew how powerful the Curse was, and how formidable The Master was, even without the Curse.

          If the Curse wasn’t in the equation, there would be no doubt of their sons’ success, but it was, and it changed everything.  The secret of their Avatars, which Brad gleaned on more than one occasion, was that they would be equal ‘in the moment’ to any challenge.  The Achilles Heel of that strength was ‘in the moment.’  How many moments could they maintain that level of Power and sacrifice?  Even for them, as brave and stoic as they were, it seemed an impossible task. 

          The Paradox of their existence was his final Hope.  He knew they could accomplish impossible things – he witnessed it repeatedly.  He never wanted his own seed of doubt to be planted in their Minds and Hearts about their ability to succeed, so he kept from merging with them so they would never see that inside of either of their mentors.

          We should go Aaron.  They will need us. 

          No.  As painful as it is we should stay here.  Our ways failed.  They are the New Order and it is their fight.  What difference can we make?  We would only hinder them.

          Aaron, listen to me!  Perhaps our ways did fail.  The Mantle and Charisa… there was Corruption, but Charisa’s faults did not stem from you!  We cannot let them face The Master alone!  You have studied the Curse your entire life, and even you are not sure what its Power is capable of.  Their Avatars are strong, but until Drew & Henry are successful the fight is unwinnable. Even then, we don’t know.  I trust them Aaron, more than you.  We have seen them perform impossible tasks.  I believe in them, and you must too.  Cast that seed of doubt out of your Mind once and for all.  You must, or your lack of faith in them will be their undoing.

          Albrecht’s words were harsh and painful, and it was a discussion they had often of late.  Aaron was a great man, one of the greatest who ever lived, and the world owed him a debt of gratitude it would ever know.  In the quiet of the night though, when he was simply Aharon, Albrecht’s lover, he was a man with his own doubts and fears.

          Aaron recounted a discussion he had with Brad recently about how even after the thousands of years he and Albrecht had lived together, Albrecht still managed to teach him things about himself.  As usual, in his self-depreciating way, Aaron wasn’t aware that he had the same effect on Albrecht – and he would sometimes forget, until they merged and were One, and sharing everything with one another. 

          The love they found when Aaron split their Souls nearly two thousand years ago, laid the foundation for what their sons now were.  Aaron wished he had merged with them, just once, to see them as they truly were.  He vowed that if they survived this fight he would do that, and take the chance of them not accepting him once they saw everything in his life.

          You know they will Aaron.  Don’t make them less than they are.  That’s what I’m trying to tell you.  They are above you and me, but they will never see themselves that way.  They are greater than you and I could ever be, yet it was you who made them that way.  It was your Plan, even before the interference of the Archangels, to make them so.  It was your wisdom, against the wishes of Charisa and the Elders, that guided them and allowed them to grow without interference.  The Higher Hosts might have improved on your plan somewhat, but it was your plan.  You did it for a Purpose, and sacrificed your life to make it so, even to the point where Charisa mandated our separation, knowing how much pain it would cause us.

          As usual, when words ran dry, the two men simply rested in each-other as One.  They stayed in that state more often than not, a refuge for one-another, a sanctuary, where they could work everything out.  They promised each-other, very early in their relationship, never to separate angry or at odds with one-another.  Sometimes it was difficult; they were both strong-willed and intelligent, yet they always managed to figure things out together.  They were more than the sum of their individual selves, just as their sons were.  That Paradox was the Hope that Aaron needed to have in them. 

          Albrecht pushed Aaron to embrace that Hope, despite everything he knew, and believe their sons would be successful.  Albrecht reminded Aaron that even God acted through people, more often than he did his Angels.

          We must be there for them Aaron.  You and I.  It is fitting, and I think they will need us, in order to win. 

          Aaron sighed as his massive intellect heard everything his lover said.  He knew Albrecht was right, and he set aside his pride and his doubts.  His guilt was the last thing he let go of, and the hardest.  He would not allow himself to be the reason his sons failed.  He would not… could not, fail them.  He loved them too much to fail them.

          He remembered when he started to fear them and what they were becoming.  When he first realized their potential, and saw the Pattern of their Avatars emerging, doubts crept into the back of his Mind.  It was Brad & Ken, who showed him how needless his fears were, and how much they loved him as a father.  He saw their humility, even then, and their unconditional love for him as their surrogate father.

          Aaron laughed, deep inside himself, as he recalled how Brad had to cast his own ego and pride aside to grasp his full potential.  On the day Brad & Ken were in the bank robbery, Brad had an epiphany: he had to surrender and shed his ego and the pride that held him back.  My sons, like Albrecht, continue to teach me.

          Albrecht felt the courage it took for Aaron to exorcise the seed of doubt that followed him about their inability to win.   Aaron was a scientist, a mathematician; hope and intangibles were always difficult for him, even with all his spiritual and arcane knowledge.  He faced the fact that his sons were a Paradox, outside normal boundaries, and touched everyone and everything around them in inexplicable ways.   

Let us go. 

          Albrecht smiled and Aaron’s heart warmed as it always did.  His smile altered slightly into a smirk:  I’ll drive.  You drive slower than my mother.

          Aaron’s immediate analytical response was that cars didn’t exist when Albrecht’s mother was alive. However, she would have most certainly driven an animal cart of some kind, most likely an Ox.

          That’s my point!  You drive slower than an Ox cart.  We will never get there in time.

          Albrecht continued to smirk as he grabbed the keys to one of the Suburbans by the back door. 

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          As The Master reached for Kevin, a deep-throated guttural growl echoed through both the Physical and Spiritual Realms.  He heard the growl in his Mind and Body, and recognized it as the challenge it was.  The sound gave him pause, but it was the Power behind it that stopped him.  Not only was it strong, it was wild and savage… not human.

          He turned and saw a dog, bloody and wounded, standing defiant and defending the unconscious Warriors.  The Master looked directly into Cavall’s silver eyes and realized that the dog saw through the Black nimbus surrounding him, and he turned to face it.  Recognition immediately followed, and he wondered at how Cavall could be present.  His servants told him of the animal when they killed Taliesin, and he speculated that it might be Cavall, somehow come back.  A strange chill ran down The Master’s spine at the sight of the dog… too many things were happening outside of his control – too much opposition he did not expect.  The Balance was pushing back harder than he ever expected.

          Cavall’s ears laid flat on his head and his fangs were bared; his hackles stood high.  His silver eyes saw everything, and Cavall knew who it was he faced.  He saw the lightning ripping through the skies, and how thin the Veil was at that moment.  He saw both the Physical and Spiritual Realms reacting to the Battle he was in the middle of.  He saw the turbulence and vortices around The Master and what they meant.

          Cavall realized that the creature in front of him was the Source of the Evil his masters fought against all the long years across Time.  A sudden warmth spread through the hound as he heard both his Master’s voices:  Delay him Cav.  You’re the only one who can, brave heart!  

          Fearless, Cavall knew he would most likely be seeing his old masters soon.  He would lay down his life to protect the Steward and his Brothers, and delay the Evil before him with everything he had in him. 

          With his silver eyes that saw everything, Cavall also saw Henry & Drew inside the evil creature. Cavall still protected the boy as he was instructed, and he instinctively knew he had to keep the focus of The Master on him to give the boy more time.

          He bared his fangs at The Master, almost in a feral smile, making his challenge clear.

          You must pass me to get them, Evil One. 

          Cavall was fearless - another Defender of the Light against the Darkness.  Blessed by the Angel Ariel at Raphael’s behest, he had already saved Drew so he could face his brother, fulfilling his first Purpose.  Now he faced off against the Evil One himself, willingly giving himself up to complete the last command of his two masters and his beloved Steward.  He had no Hope of winning, but he would delay the creature as long as he drew breath, and make his masters proud.

<><  The Master’s Psyche ><>

          Henry knew the moment The Master was aware of them.  He felt the difference as soon as he and Drew burned up the shades; it was subtle, but noticeable.  He didn’t say anything to Drew, but he felt Drew’s hand tighten in his.  They felt The Master’s focus on them, trying to find them.

Drew squeezed his eyes shut and thought:  You don’t see us.  We aren’t here.  The same wave of Power Henry felt when they arrived passed out of Drew.  Henry squeezed his hand back in recognition of his efforts.

          The presence got stronger, but it seemed to move over and through them, and Henry breathed a sigh of relief.

          “You’re awesome, Tiger.”  Henry ruffled Drew’s short hair when he said that, and Drew grinned.

There was a door on the far side of the Throne Room.  A new sense of urgency passed through Henry, and even with the time differential he knew they had to hurry. 

“Come on, let’s keep moving.”

The Wolf-Spirit moved forward and sniffed at the door.  She nudged it open with her muzzle and there were stairs going down.  A strong breeze blew through the door, bringing a smell of dampness and mold and memories.

This way. 

          The stairs began as polished wood but soon turned to stone.  The temperature kept dropping as they went down, and Henry had an odd feeling of going backwards in Time.

<><  Waffle House, Buford Drive, Buford, GA – the Nexus of Events ><>

          Ken started.  He felt the searing pain across his Soul as The Master hit them all with the Curse… and suddenly he was seated at a table in the Waffle House on Buford Drive, surrounded by the familiar smells of his favorite greasy diner.  Frank, his favorite cook, stood behind the counter at the grille.  He recognized Miss Lula although she rarely waited on him.  Another man he didn’t recognize sat across the table from him, but Ken knew him immediately from Henry’s description – his Ageless eyes held all of Creation in them, and he knew it was Drew’s Birdman.

          Aside from suddenly and unexpectedly finding himself there, the scene through the window shocked him.  He saw himself at The Master’s feet, his body crumpled and his head turned at an impossible angle. The rest of the Team lay unconscious, scattered about the feet of The Master and covered by a Black Aura.  Cavall, fangs barred and hackles high, stood interposed between The Master and his Brothers, bravely defending them.

          The scene was still, paused in Time, and Ken’s stomach lurched as he remembered the searing pain as The Master unleashed the full Power of the Curse on them, shattering their shields and rendering them unconscious.  He saw Brad laid out defenseless with his Brothers, and he couldn’t sense any of them.  He was terrified for them, and reached for Brad with his Mind and Heart but felt nothing, and that scared him as much as anything.

          His throat closed, thick with emotion, and his eyes filled with hot tears.  He put his hand against the window, wanting to be with them.

His deep voice was barely discernable as he squeaked out, “Oh, God, no!”

A feeling of sudden and intense desperation gnawed at his Heart.  They needed him!  It wasn’t conceit or cockiness on his part.  They needed to be together!  He needed to be there for them!  The cold pressure of anxiety in the pit of his stomach at what they faced without him made him want to throw up.

          He sat, looking totally out of place.  His powerful frame wore the Kevlar Assault Suit designed by the doctor. It was soaked in sweat and dirt from the fight, and his short dark brown hair was plastered to his head.  His emerald green eyes were red from the tears starting to run down his handsome face at what he saw.  He kept his hand on the window, trying to Will himself back into his body.

          “Hello, Ken.”

          Ken turned, his throat still so tight he could still barely talk.

His voiced sounded pleading, “Send me back!  Please… I have to go back!”

          “That’s not up to me, Ken.  Nothing is going to happen for a while. Sit with me.”

          Ken’s Mind wrapped around his situation quickly.  He knew Uriel couldn’t take his Soul back to Heaven without the half that resided in Brad.  There was nothing to prevent The Master from consuming the half in his body to make himself even stronger, and if that happened he would cease to exist, and he and Brad would never be together.  It would most certainly cause Brad’s death as well, and his fear was more for that than his own.

          Ken’s handsome brow furrowed, and he quietly asked, “Who are you?”  His eyes darted to Lula and Frank, and widened when he saw Frank as disbelief crossed his face.  Frank grinned and winked at him, but with his enhanced sight Ken saw the stars and all of Creation in them and he silently said, “Fuck me.”  He saw the same in Miss Lula’s.

          “You should eat, Ken.  Maybe it will calm your nerves.  Nothing is set in stone, and even I don’t know the outcome.  I do, however, know everything that is happening.  All is not lost yet.”

          Ken was sure that he was in the presence of God, in the Waffle House, just as Henry was when he died.  He couldn’t shake the thought that he failed.  He failed Drew & Henry, Brad & all his Brothers, and the doctor & Albrecht.  He failed the world, when he was needed most.

          Another voice shocked Ken back to himself, “Hey fucker!”

          He turned to see the big form of his brother walking towards him.

          “Rich?!”

          Ken flew out of the booth and grabbed his brother, burying his face in Richard’s shoulder as he hugged his brother as tightly as he dared.

          Rich’s big arms wrapped around his brother, clapping him on the back as he said, “That’s Dick to you, hombre!”

          Richard held him for a minute, hugging him back, knowing the emotional turmoil Ken was going through.  There were tears in Rich’s eyes as well while he held his younger brother just as tightly.

          Richard released the hug. Taking Ken by his shoulders and holding him at arm’s length he said, “Fuck, let me look at you.  God what a stud!  And still better lookin than me!”

          Richard glanced down at the man in the booth and said, “Sorry!”

Ken’s eyes were bloodshot, and his cheeks were wet from the hot tears and his own sweat. 

          Ken started to stammer, “I failed, Rich.  I… I don’t…”

          “Shut it punk.  You haven’t failed shit!  Not yet, anyhow.  I’ve been watchin.  You didn’t have a chance to stop what happened.  The Curse… it’s too strong.  The kid and his dad need to do their thing, and then you can kick the hairy guy’s ass.”

          “But I’m here…”

          “I got no idea how that’s gonna work, little bro, but you got a badass guy out there and all your fuck-up Brothers still in the game.  It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings right?  Let’s grab some chow and see how things play out.”

          Ken sat back down.  Rich was right, he had to have faith in Brad and his Brothers.  He had to trust them.

          “Mom said to tell you hello.  She wasn’t allowed to be here, but I sweet-talked you-know-who into letting me come talk to you.”

          Ken was grateful for Rich’s presence, and his brother calmed him down, just as Brad would have.  Rich reached across the table and lightly smacked Ken on the cheek.

          “Suck it up.  I didn’t come all this way to eat by myself, plus I wanna see what all the fuss is about these hash browns.”

          Ken took a deep breath and forced his anxiety down.  It was hard.  He missed Brad’s presence inside of him, and his Brothers’ – he was never really alone anymore, and the feeling was intensely uncomfortable.  But, his flesh and blood brother Rich, who was dead and in Heaven, sat across the table from him.  Like so many things in his life, it was impossible, yet it was real and happening.

Miss Lula was done with her ‘nudges’ as far as events were concerned, but she didn’t think one more to help relieve Ken’s anxiety would hurt.  It wouldn’t effect anything one way or the other.

          Suddenly, his stomach let out a cavernous rumble of hunger.  Rich’s eyes widened at the sound, and he laughed, “Damn!  That was impressive, even by my standards!’

          Ken sheepishly grinned back. Maybe some hash browns wouldn’t be so bad, especially if Frank was cooking them.  

<><  The Master’s Psyche ><>

          The Wolf-Spirit led them further into The Master’s memories.  They moved down the stairway in the house after burning up the Shades, and the temperature dropped as they descended.  At some point in the darkness the steps turned into cold, wet, slippery stone. 

          We are fortunate.  The cub hides you both well, and this path circumvents many traps and will take us close to where we must be.  If not for the cub masking your scent, we would be in far more danger than we are.

          The Wolf-Spirit sounded pleased, with herself and with Drew, and Henry felt more than grateful for her presence and wisdom.  He was also proud of Drew and made sure he knew it.

Henry watched her as she guided them; she would stop occasionally and sniff cautiously before continuing, and he would often feel a slight sensation of transition as she moved them in whatever manner she did, avoiding traps or other dangers. 

After what seemed like hours, roots and vines began to appear, hanging from the dark ceiling above.  They were wet, annoyingly slapping Henry in the face, forcing him to hold an arm out to keep them at bay.  Drew was short enough that they didn’t bother him.

          As they descended, Henry noticed Drew shivering, and he paused to pick his son up and hold him, using his own body heat as well as their combined Shields to hold the cold at bay.  The place they were in was cold and damp, but there was also a cold that wanted to work its way down to their Souls.  Henry zipped up Drew’s hoodie all the way and covered his head.  The fatherly care he showed his son unconsciously made Drew less afraid and love his dad all the more.

          A deep guttural growl suddenly echoed around them – not just in the area they were in, but throughout The Master’s Mind.  It was loud and shook everything, yet at the same time it bolstered their Shields.  Drew recognized the growl from when Taliesin died.

          “Daddy!  That’s Cavall!”

          Henry stifled his immediate thought that Cavall didn’t stand a chance against The Master.  Drew would be devastated if the dog was hurt or killed.

          For the first time the Wolf-Spirit’s voice held a sense of urgency, as if she knew something: 

Follow!

It seemed another hour at least before the steps came to an end, opening up into a hallway.  The walls and ceiling were stone, and it was filled with heavy wooden doors, many with glowing Black Runes.  Faint wails and other muffled noises came from behind the doors.

He wondered at the doors and the appearance of the place they were in.  They were in a place between The Master’s memories, guided by the Wolf-Spirit.  His insight told him his own Mind was altering the appearance into something he could comprehend.  Brad spoke of that happening when they went to the-place-where-their-Souls-were-One.  It wasn’t a tangible place, yet they perceived it as so.  He didn’t focus on those thoughts, he accepted them and was grateful his Mind worked in his favor.

As soon as Henry stepped into the hallway, he felt a powerful but brief sense of vertigo.  He felt as if he was falling into himself and went down to one knee.

“Daddy!”

Their shields flared brighter as Drew’s emotional spike hit from concern over Henry.

Henry tightened his grip on Drew and managed to say, “I think I’m OK.  I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

Where we are now is before you were born.  The first such crossing is always the most difficult.  It will lessen quickly and become easier each time.

The Wolf-Spirit appeared to be sniffing the air, and she paced back and forth a few times.  Her hackles were partially raised.

We are deeper here and further back.  Behind these doors are memories he has locked away. 

After a short pause her voice continued… I smell danger.  It is close.

Henry had no idea how the Wolf-Spirit knew where they were but trusted her implicitly. 

“So, we’re getting closer?”

Yes, but the memory we seek will be the deepest and oldest of all, and it will be protected.

“Well, we knew this wasn’t going to be easy.”

They started moving again.  As they passed the first few doors the noises inside became louder.  There were screams of pain and suffering, and even some of ecstasy.  Many of the voices begged for an end to their torment, be it pleasure or pain.  Like the Shades in the throne room, the Souls behind the doors sensed the Light of Henry and Drew, and Drew jumped when the doors thumped as whatever was inside tried to get at him.

Henry turned Drew’s head against his neck and whispered in his ear, reminding him he was safe.

“I’ve got you, big guy.  Nothing’s going to hurt you.”

Drew’s arms tightened around Henry’s neck at his comforting words, and the feeling of his dad’s rock-hard body beneath the Kevlar, accompanied by the Wall of his Will, made Drew feel safer.

Time and distance were difficult to measure, but it seemed that the tunnel ran on for miles.  Henry remembered Brad talking about how travel worked across the Veil – direction mattered, but distance had no meaning.  They didn’t have a choice in the direction they moved in at the moment as the tunnel only went one way.

A few minutes after Henry had that thought, they came to another opening.  As they approached the threshold he could tell it was a large open space.  Tunnels like the one they were in lay all around the periphery, like spokes of a giant wheel, but also from above and below.  They were approaching the center of all The Master’s memories; it reminded Henry of an Escher print.

Be wary.  There is a trap here.  I smell it, but cannot discern its nature.

Henry immediately became more alert, and set Drew down in case they needed to fight.  Henry felt disoriented again as they moved out from the tunnel they arrived in… the floor seemed solid even though he could see all the other hallways above and below him.

He felt like he wanted to throw up from the disorientation, when he heard the Spirit-Wolf’s voice say:  Focus on me. 

As soon as he did what she said, his orientation seemed to settle, and after a moment he adapted to the oddity.  The white lock if his hair glinted slightly in the darkness as he discerned the nature of where they were and how to traverse it.

The air was damp, and they heard a faint echo of dripping water, but the direction of the source was indiscernible.  There was no floor or ceiling, only the small lights of the hallways similar to the one they came from.  As they moved further in, the tiny lights from the hallways began to look like faint stars in the night sky. 

A strong smell of salt water permeated the air and it reminded Drew of Thomin’s Vault but much, much larger.  He shivered in his hoodie, not only from the cold, but from the memory of his time there and Darren’s torture.

The Wolf-Spirit cautiously led them towards the center of the room.  Henry gave up on trying to remember which way they came from.  If they needed to backtrack he hoped the Wolf would know the way. 

“Daddy, I see something.”

Drew pointed ahead, which seemed to be towards the center, and Henry did see something.  It looked like a small stone structure about as tall as Drew.  The sound of water dripping became louder as they approached.

It appeared to be a ring of moss-covered stones, stacked roughly in a circular shape, with a metal grate across the top.  The entire structure was covered in a network of thick black iron chains with multiple large heavy locks.  It was old, and Henry felt another wave of vertigo as they moved up to it. 

They found the well inside The Master’s Mind… the place he shoved the memories of his brother down tens of thousands of years ago.  Any memories that wanted to make him human again were down that well.

The well is the doorway to The Master’s deepest memories and fears.  All that made him human lies inside.  Your journey ends once you enter that well.

Drew looked at the well, and Henry was surprised that there was no fear in him.  What Henry saw in his son bothered him deeply – it was the same casual indifference Drew exhibited just before he ran away, a sort of resignation – and Henry had to hide the sadness inside him at what he saw.  No seven-year-old should ever have to deal with what Drew did – or what he had in his life up to that point.  It ignited the anger inside Henry once again at the injustice of it all, but he stifled his emotions.

Henry walked up to the well and visually examined it.  When he got to the edge, he heard another sound mixed in with the dripping water.  Faint echoes of a child screaming made Henry’s breath catch in his chest.  He knew, without question, the screams were Drew’s, the first version of his son that was so brutally murdered.

Drew’s words shocked him as he said quietly, almost to himself, “That’s me.”

Henry was at a loss for words.  Even with his newfound wisdom, he didn’t know what to say, so he grabbed Drew and pulled him close.  Henry fought the tears that wanted to come; they were from anger as much as listening to the pain of his son’s screams.

Drew, in that adult-like tone he sometimes used, hugged him back and whispered in his ear, “It’s OK, Daddy.  Don’t cry.”  He knew what Henry felt and wanted to comfort him.

It took everything Henry had to get up and act somewhat normal.  He knew if he was upset it would upset Drew, so he steeled himself and became the Wall Drew needed him to be.

He squeezed Drew one last time, rubbing his back, and said, “I love you, Tiger.”

Drew said, “I love you too, Daddy.”

Henry got up and turned to look at the well again, trying to ignore the sounds.

“We know there’s a trap here, but this is the only way forward.  Everyone get ready.  Drew hold on to me, honey.”

Henry channeled oxygen through his Core energy center and his body swelled slightly as his muscles pumped full of oxygen and blood.  A light sheen of sweat popped out all over his body, and whatever skin was exposed felt the chill of the air.

“Here goes nothing.”

He grabbed part of the chain, but pulled his hand back quickly.  The black iron wasn’t just cold, it burned with the evil Will of The Master.  He placed the protections and traps specifically to keep anyone from entering.

Henry pulled on the gloves he had tucked in his belt.  It would help with the cold and roughness of the chains, and his Shields would have to protect him from the Darkness.

He knelt down at eye level with Drew and said, “Alright kiddo, your old man needs your help again.  We need to burn through these chains.  You think you can help me do that?”

Drew nodded his head, their eyes turned white, and Henry felt Drew’s presence delve into him and they were together in that place-where-their-Souls-were-One.  They were naked to one another, perfectly comfortable with the sharing and exposure of themselves to one-another.

Drew instinctively climbed into Henry’s lap.  He nuzzled against Henry’s warm bare torso and wrapped his little arms around Henry’s thick neck.  Henry wrapped his powerful arms around his son, holding him tight for a few seconds, resting his chin on the top of Drew’s head.  They breathed in each other’s essence.

You ready, Tiger?

Yes, Daddy.

Alright, let’s do this.

Henry bolstered his Shields against what he knew was coming, and he grabbed two of the chain links in his gloved hands.  His physique swelled and a few of the Velcro bindings started to pop as his muscular body expanded.  Sweat popped out on his forehead as he gritted his teeth.  With his enhanced strength, he twisted the links apart.  It was an effort, but he bore down with all his physical and Spiritual strength, augmented by his son.  White Light shone around him, and in his hands, as he burned through the Black links.  It took a few seconds, but finally the first link snapped and dissipated into smoke.

As soon as the link broke, sounds broke out around them, echoing and reverberating around the big chamber they were in.  All the doors in the various tunnels flew open, releasing whatever was contained inside.  It was impossible to tell how many doors opened, but based on the hallway they came through, and the multitude of similar hallways, there could potentially be thousands.

Henry let out a ‘Fuck me’ under his breath and started breaking chains as fast as possible, but he knew he would never get enough cleared before whatever was behind those doors reached them.  He and Drew glowed bright in the darkness, putting forth everything they had in them, trying to go as fast as possible.

          Drew pressed against Henry’s leg as he watched the rushing tide of Shades swarming towards them.  The noise they made was the worst, and it was deafening.  Henry knew he wasn’t going to get the grate open in time so he turned, putting Drew behind him, to face the onrushing tide. 

Henry was shocked when the Wolf-Spirit moved through them and outside his protection.

          Her voice was quiet and calm in his Mind, even soothing, and he heard her through the deafening sound of the shades.  Go!  Take the cub and flee.  You no longer need me to guide you.  I will hold them off and give you time.

          Drew shouted:  No!

          It is the way of the pack, child.  Feel no remorse for me.  I love you Drew Ross, as one of my own, and I will do what I must to keep you safe.  Honor me with your success.  Be brave little one, as I know you are.

          She turned, and her form grew.  Just as she had grown in Henry’s nightmare when he fought the Eschphene Leader, she filled the chamber, and the Light of her form illuminated the eyes of the shades. 

          Her massive jaws opened, and she spun ferociously as the first Shades reached her.  Her howl, much like Cavall’s, slowed them down, and she ripped the first part of the wave to shreds.  Her ferocity and Power held them at bay as Henry desperately broke the links until there were enough free to pull the chains from over the grate that capped the well.

          Henry cringed when he heard the yelp of pain from the Wolf-Spirit as she was overrun.  They swarmed over her as her huge form writhed under them, clawing and biting any she could reach.

          Drew was almost hysterical as he hugged Henry’s leg, and Henry felt his son’s desperation through the strength of his grip.

          Drew!  Come on, honey!

          We can’t leave her daddy!  We can’t!

          The indifference was gone from Drew, and his emotions were running wild.  White fire shot out of his hands and blazed through the Shades, obliterating the ones he hit.  It gave the Wolf the respite she needed to get back on her feet.

          Henry felt the wave inside of Drew as his Centering Flame blew out, and all the incarnations inside him appeared.  His own rushing tide of shades, his former lives, memories and fragments of his Soul, flooded out of him to meet the tormented creatures bound to The Master.

          The Power Drew exerted was considerable, and the Wolf-Spirit only slightly less.  Inside his Mind, The Master felt the fight and knew where they were.  He still did not understand his own danger, but he knew where they were trying to go.

          He was being forced to fight on two fronts, and he knew his enemies used the same tactic he did in trying to separate the Warriors between Atlanta and the Valley.  His rage bellowed in his Mind, and he sent his Black Power into all the shades.

          DESTROY THEM!

          The Wolf-Spirit looked directly at Drew with a wolfish grin and let out a howl that shook the entire area.  She called The Master’s attention to herself, as she turned to run.

          Henry knew what she was doing, ’tho he wasn’t sure Drew understood her intent.

          The Master’s voice echoed over the din of the shades:  You were foolish, Spirit.  You have haunted my Dreams, and if you had stayed in that Realm, you would have been safe.  Now you are mine!  You will pay for your insolence and interference!  Without your aid, my brother and the Betrayer will have no chance!  I cannot feel them yet, but once I kill the rest of the abominations of The Order I will turn my focus inwards.  Hear me brother!  I will kill you again, and this time I will eat your Soul so you can never return!

          Drew was frantic to save the Wolf-Spirit.  He loved her as much as he loved his uncles, and it tore at his young heart knowing she was going to die because of him.  Henry grabbed Drew around the waist with one arm as he kicked and screamed, and with his other arm he took hold of the grate and tossed it aside. 

          With the well uncovered, the screams coming from inside became louder and clearer.  They were Drew.  Henry had heard them before, right after Liz died those screams woke him up as Drew dreamed of his first death.  The sounds of his son in such pain were almost more than Henry could bear, but he had no choice, and his intent was to make it so his son would never have to know such torment again for any reason.  The Wall inside Henry firmed, and he used the emotions listening to Drew’s cries invoked in him to make the Wall stronger.  It hurt every bit as much as his own death at the hands of the Eschphene Leader, but like then, he persevered and became what he needed to be.

          Drew was frantic to try and get away and make it to the Wolf-Spirit to help her.  His emotions, magnified by the incarnations, caused him to be momentarily overrun.  There was no way he could break Henry’s hold around his waist, so in his desperation Drew sent a Compulsion to the incarnations inside him:  Save her!

          Henry felt a wave of Power come out of Drew.  He had never called on all of his other selves at once in such a manner, but they obeyed him.  Most of them were close to being insane from their lifetimes of abuse, yet they loved the Wolf-Spirit as much as Drew did because she brought them comfort and protected them.  Drew felt the rushing tide of the multitude leave him, and he felt empty.

          The tide of The Master’s memories met with the tide of incarnations inside Drew, the two fighting over the Wolf-Spirit; one trying to save her and the other destroy her.  The Wolf-Spirit drew both forces away with her, further from Drew & Henry, and they quickly lost sight of her in the darkness.  They heard the horrifying sounds, and her snarls and yelps of pain, and it tore at both father and son.

          With all his enhanced speed, Henry turned and rushed to the Well; as Drew’s screams blended with the screams from the Well Henry jumped, sending them both down into The Master’s deepest, darkest memory.

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

As The Master reached towards Kevin, a growl heard across both the Physical and Spiritual Realms stopped his hand.  He spun around to see Cavall, hackles high, fangs bared, and snarling.

Cavall leapt, immediately on the offensive, surprising The Master and biting savagely into the flesh of his leg, gnashing while clamping down with all his strength.  The Master howled more in surprise than pain, and he swiped a clawed hand down to kill the beast.

Cavall was a cunning fighter, and had killed many wild animals much larger and stronger than himself. Amazingly fast for a dog of his size, he was already away and positioning himself behind his opponent, ripping at his hamstrings.

The Master’s left leg went out from under him as his hamstring was severed, and as he went down Cavall leapt for his throat.

The Master had never fought a creature like Cavall, whose teeth bit through his dark Shields.  The beast’s Power came from both sides of the Veil, and his attacks were powered from both.  They were potent, and The Master felt them.

For minutes Cavall pressed The Master in a savage flurry of attacks, defending the unconscious forms of the Warriors of the New Order, Brothers to his most recent Master.

The Curse healed The Master, but the constant barrage of pain and damage renewed his anger from moments before.  Rage fueled his unearthly speed, and he finally caught the dog in his massive clawed hand.  Cavall struggled and writhed to break free, tearing at The Master’s hand as much as he was able.

They made eye contact, silver to black, and The Master knew the dog saw through his Darkness.  It startled him, and made him uncomfortable.  One thing he absolutely detested was anyone or anything seeing him for what he was.

He raised the squirming dog above his head, intending to slam him into the pavement and crush the life out of him when another sound caught his ear.  He turned his head just in time to see a black Suburban, glowing brightly with runes, racing right for him.

Albrecht floored the gas pedal on the big vehicle, aiming straight for the giant form of The Master.  The minor runes etched into the metal of the frame started glowing brightly as soon as they were within proximity, activated by The Master’s Dark Aura.

The crushing impact of the multi-ton vehicle was strong, but backed by the magic of the runes it dealt The Master a serious blow, knocking him back nearly twenty feet and onto his back.  Cavall went flying and yelped as he hit the pavement, stunned but alive.

Albrecht & Aaron leapt out at the last second, rolling to safety and nimbly landing on their feet.  What they saw though, shocked them down to their core.  Ken’s body lay before them, broken and twisted, along with the other unconscious men.  The abruptness of the image, of Ken’s handsome face staring at them with his neck at the odd angle, was something they weren’t prepared for. 

Inside one another, the two men wailed at the scene before them.  Even as they looked, and the hot tears started to flow, Ken’s Soul lifted out of his chest and hovered over his body, a beautiful orb of liquid yellow light bobbing softly.

“Oh my son!”  The whispered sound of grief in Aaron’s voice tore at Albrecht’s heart.  Albrecht felt the same emotion as his partner; they felt it together because they were One, and they both loved their adoptive sons with all their Hearts.  Albrecht was a warrior, and knew they could not delay pressing their attack on The Master if the other men were to have any hope of survival.  He poured the sudden intense emotions running through both of them into their Centering Flame, and it became white hot, filling both of them.

In all their long years together, Albrecht had never before seen the look that crossed Aaron’s face at that moment.  It was terrifying, a mix of profound grief and anger beyond anything he had ever felt.  Even when his own daughter Charisa was killed by The Master, he hadn’t felt such pain.

“YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!”

Aaron’s voice was heard in The Master’s Mind and by his ears.  His age-old enemy, Aaron Thomas, was at hand.  He shook his head, clearing it, and he smiled beneath the cloud of Darkness covering his face, baring his crooked yellow teeth.

“How I have longed for his moment, Aaron Thomas.  You finally dare to face me! You and your lapdog priest!”

Fresh lightning ripped through the skies as Aaron unleashed a Mental and Spiritual attack on The Master such as had never been seen before.  Aaron’s rage fueled the Centering Flame, and all his years of arcane mastery and mental disciplines were brought to bear.

Ken made a comment years before about what Aaron might be capable of.  His exact words were:

 “You’re right.  But I tell ya B, I don’t think we’ve seen what the doc is capable of.  My guess is if it comes down to a fight, he’s gonna be like Yoda and whip some ass like we’ve never seen.”

The sheer ferocity of the doctor’s attack took The Master off guard.  His Black Shields absorbed most of the attacks, but many made it through.  Albrecht attacked as well, and the two-pronged engagement kept him occupied.  Cavall, recovered, rejoined the fray, howling and snarling, pressing against The Master’s Shield with his own Power, and ferociously rending his flesh.

Again, for a short time, The Master was held at bay, but Albrecht soon realized their efforts were futile.  Aaron did as well, and knew they were most likely going to die with their sons.  They were like ants against The Curse, and its Power was unlimited.  Theirs was entirely finite, and the emotional charge that fueled their initial attacks was already fading as their reasoning reasserted itself.

          The Master stood back up and bellowed his rage, bolstering his Shields.  The Blackness deepened, and their attacks became inconsequential.  He turned, ignoring them, and saw Ken’s Soul, bobbing softly over his chest.

<><  The Valley of the Tree of Life ><>

          Lane and Bryan drifted together in the dark, Lane holding his lover, his husband, as their bodies breathed their last.  Even the turmoil of their emotions was spent, and all that was left was their love for each other, and the love they shared with and for their Brothers.  They would all be reunited in Heaven at least, and the troubles of the Physical Realm would be behind them.  Then… who knew?  They were Spiritual beings as Nephilim and their existence would continue; they had been assured of that, but what roles they would play in the grand scheme of things they had no idea.

          If he had the strength, Bryan would have chuckled at the thoughts his husband had as they lay dying.  What would they do in Heaven?  Play strip poker all day?  Make endless love to one another?  Would they have to mow the grass?  Would Tolkien and C.S. Lewis let him ask all the questions he ever wanted to ask?

          Their eyes were closed as their bodies lay together in the Valley.  The Black funnel of seething Darkness screeched out its victory as one massive Talon drove down to obliterate the two Warriors.

          Neither man saw it coming with their eyes, but they felt the cold approaching.  Their sense of Time was nearly still, and the feeling started slowly.  They never felt cold in the place-where-they-were-One; their naked bodies always felt perfect together, neither hot or cold, unless it was sweat from the heat of their love-making.

          Bryan felt a sudden warmth wash through him that was profoundly comforting, counteracting the cold Darkness about to strike them.  He felt a tug at his Heart first, but it quickly turned into a pull; one that was irresistible.  A voice like mountains grating filled his Mind and Heart, reverberating, and Lane heard it as well:

          “IT IS NOT YOUR TIME TO SLEEP, ABBA.  I AM WITH YOU.  MY FIRE IS YOURS.  BURN THEM.”

          In their Minds, Bryan and Lane saw Leroy in his cave, wide awake and looking at them.  It was unlike anything Bryan had ever felt.  His eyes popped opened, and they were Golden Orbs with slitted pupils.  The golden liquid Light of Bryan’s Soul, now matched by the color of his eyes, gently bobbing inside the hole in his chest, exploded.

          Dragon Fire erupted from his entire body a fraction of a second before the Black Talon touched him.  His body bowed with the Power that exploded out of him, and the thick Black Thread turned to ash. Lane’s arms tightened, and he almost lost his grip as Bryan’s powerful body tensed and bucked.

          Bryan became a conduit for Leroy’s Fire, and because they were One, Lane did as well.  It was a harsh Healing, but Lane wove a thick thread and thrust it into their bodies.  There was so much Power they didn’t know what to do with it all.  The holes in their chests closed, and all the bones and organs regenerated; the only evidence of their wounds were the tattered holes in their Kevlar Suits.  The skin of their muscular chests and backs exposed by the holes shone with a heavy coat of sweat from the healing and the heat of the Fire around them.

          A fiery image of Leroy’s head formed in the Fire that exuded from Bryan, and as Lane added his own renewed strength from the Dragon Fire the image shot upward, consuming the Black Cloud and turning every part it touched to ash.

          The sudden and unexpected relief they felt in one another was almost overwhelming, knowing they were alive and together at least.   The tears and sweat on their handsome faces mixed.  Lane hugged Bryan tightly from behind and kissed his neck, whispering in his ear, “I’ll be right back.”

          His Avatar flared and he once again put his presence into all the animals of the Valley.  Those that had fallen to the Demons he restored, Healing their broken bodies and reconnecting their Spirits.  The Demons of the Pale in the midst of destroying everything paused as they witnessed the new and unexpected attack on the Black Cloud.

          Lane was blindingly fast as he teleported from Demon to Demon, ready with his razor-sharp chains of Light, shredding their existence.  His attacks happened so fast they were practically simultaneous.

          Black tendrils like whips that before attacked the Tree, now writhed in pain as their Darkness was rapidly burning into nothing. In desperation, the Will behind the Black Cloud threw all of its remaining strength into its Shields, but Leroy’s Fire burned through even that.

          Deep down Bryan realized his Avatar could alter the Fire into a purifying Light that would reset the Darkness.  As the thought came to Bryan, his Avatar lit up, and the sparks of color from it were seen inside the Dragon Fire bursting forth from his Body. 

          The Light of the Dragon Fire turned liquid and started splashing against the Black Shields.  The terror of that possibility shattered what Will was left in the Cloud, and it broke apart, vanishing back to the corners of Creation from whence it was called.  Once again, the Power of the Darkness was broken and thrown back, but this time it was greatly diminished and would take longer to reform.

          Seconds later, Lane was back with Bryan, who stood bathed in Dragon Fire.  It licked over his form in a manner Lane had seen once before.  The Fire magnified everything in Bryan; he exuded virility, and his form was so perfect Lane started to tear up.  Mere seconds ago they lay dying, and now they were whole, and their goal was accomplished.

          The relief in both men, at being alive and together again was intense, and Leroy felt the connection between them and their gratitude to him for saving them.  The great beast also felt the intense hole inside both men where their Brothers should be.

          Bryan turned and reached for his husband, and they hugged each other tightly.  The relief in both of them was tremendous as it washed over them, and the Fire dimmed to a low pulse.  Lane, also filled with Leroy’s Fire, had the same effect on Bryan; the Power running in them was Primal and a force of nature.  It ignited their libidos and they both laughed at the thought of how Bryan always gave Ken & Brad shit for getting turned on for each other in a fight.

          Bryan couldn’t think of anything else to say and yelled out, “GOOD DRAGON!  I LOVE YOU, YOU BIG FUCKER!”  He sent all his love of the great beast with his words, wrapping his Heart and Soul around Leroy.  Lane was Listening, and what he heard made his smile just as bright.  Bryan heard it through his lover; the cavern where Leroy rested was filled with the sound of his purring.

<><  Tag, Olive, and Raphael ><>

          Raphael was still unconscious in the front seat, slumped between Tag & Olive.  His head rested on Olive’s shoulder.  She occasionally had to close his mouth to stop his snoring and to keep him from drooling on her.

          Bullet was on the floorboard, curled up on Olive’s feet.

          She was stiff and wanted to resettle herself, but she was pinned in by the man and the dog and she murmured, “I swear I kin hardly move!”

          Tag leaned forward, holding onto the steering wheel, and looked up into the sky. 

          “Mamma, will you look at dat?”

          The sky ahead was black as night with boiling clouds.  Lighting ripped constantly, and they began to feel and hear the thunder.  The enormous image of the Tree of Life filled the sky and the lightning danced in its upper branches and leaves.  Small balls of Light, the Spirits called by Loy, swam amidst the branches with the lightning.

          At the base of the Tree there was a powerful glow, and they knew it was ‘their boyz’ fighting the Darkness.  There were flashes there too.  Whatever the angel did to them at their house before he expired enabled them to See into the Spiritual Realm.  They were witnessing the Battle between The Order and The Master, something humans were not intended to see.

          Driving was difficult with all the cars blocking the roads, so Tag mostly drove on the gore, or the shoulder if it was wide enough.  He still estimated they had a few miles to go when they saw an enormous explosion of Darkness and the Tree began to fade.

          “Oh no.  Dat don’t look good!”

          “Hurry, Papa!”

          Whether it was fate or good chance, the road seemed to open up.  Most cars were off to the side and Tag sped up, desperate to reach his friends to help them.  He had no idea what he could possibly do in such a fight, but he was a soldier just like they were, and he would do whatever he was called to do.

          Olive prayed, and she was heard.  She had no idea that Lula, Frank, and the Dove were waiting for them at the Waffle House.

<><  The Master’s Psyche – His First Memories ><>

          Henry and Drew landed on soft grass.  The sun was bright in the blue sky, and the air fresh and clean.  They were under a canopy of large ferns and the sounds of birds and animals surrounded them.

          The place felt strange, but in a good way.  Henry scrambled and moved over to Drew immediately.

          “Are you alright, honey?”

          Drew rolled over, seemingly fine, but his face was red and splotchy and wet with tears.

          Henry didn’t want to stay where they were; he had no idea if anything could come after them through the Well.  He picked Drew up, hugging him tight, and Drew’s arms and legs went around his waist and neck like a spider.  He buried his face against Henry’s neck, sobbing.  Henry rubbed his back in comfort, but didn’t say anything yet, not wanting to make it worse in the moment.

          Henry stood up and looked around.  The humidity was almost overpowering.   Henry was already sweaty from his efforts to break the chains covering the well, but in seconds he was soaked.  His Kevlar suit was designed to breathe and help his sweat evaporate to keep him cool, but it couldn’t keep up with the heat and humidity of wherever they were.

          Henry said, “Come on Tiger, I don’t want to stay here.  Let’s find someplace higher up so we can see where we are.”

          Without the Wolf-Spirit to guide them, Henry felt at a loss as to where to go.  His Mind wandered, and he wondered how the guys were faring in the fight with The Master.  He wondered what Cavall’s growl meant, and hoped it wasn’t a bad sign.  The Master said ‘once I kill the rest’, and he prayed to God that none of them were dead. 

          Henry was cautious, yet moved quickly away from the spot where they appeared.  He noted the area, trying to remember it in case they needed to find their way back.  He wasn’t sure if he could regardless – they were inside the Mind of a powerful deranged maniac, and anything could change.

          He moved them away towards some rocks.  He saw a high ledge that was too sheer to climb, and the top was shaded by other rocks. 

          “Drew get on my back for a minute kiddo, and hold tight.  I’m going to jump.”

          They had practiced the same maneuver in the Lab gym many times, and Drew was good at holding on.  He didn’t say anything and did as he was told.  With all his enhanced speed and strength, Henry took off blindingly fast and leapt.  The muscles of his legs bunched and his quads thickened and he propelled himself up and onto the ledge easily.

          The ledge was fairly large; half sunny and half shade.  There was a slight breeze which felt soothing over his sweaty face.  Moving back from the ledge to be less visible, he looked around.  He had seen the Valley in the memories of his Brothers, but from his vantage point he recognized the Tree of Life from its description.  He wondered at its size and beauty, but he was more concerned about his son at the moment. He could stare at it later.

          He moved back into the shade and knelt down so Drew could slide off his back.  Drew stood with his head down, and he was hiccupping slightly.  Henry pulled back the hoodie and unzipped it; Drew was sweltering in the heat from the heavy material.

          “Let’s get this off you Tiger.  It’s too hot to wear here.  Drew’s face was red from crying, but he was also hot and sweaty just in the few minutes since they arrived.  Henry took off Drew’s t-shirt as well and rolled his pant cuffs up as much as he could so they were more like long shorts.   He rolled up the t-shirt and stuffed into the front pocket of the hoodie and then tired the hoodie around Drew’s waist, not wanting to leave it in case they needed it again.

          Henry stripped off his own gear, down to the basic shorts.  He didn’t expect he needed to be bulletproof in the Valley.  He would rather fight freely with no restrictions if it came down to it, rather than sweat to death in the uncomfortable suit.

          He folded the suit pieces he removed and used a Velcro strap to attach them to the band that served as a belt around his trim waist.

          When he was done, he knelt down to be at eye level to his son.  He reached out and gently cupped Drew’s chin and raised his face up.  Fresh tears spilled and Drew threw his arms around Henry’s neck.

          “She’s gone, Daddy.”  He could barely get the words out he was sobbing so hard.

          “I know honey, I know.  Let it out.  I loved her too.  She kept you safe and was a great friend.”

          “I’m going to miss her.”

          “Me too, Tiger.  But right now, we have to be big boys.  We need to keep moving.  I know how much she meant to you, but your uncles are fighting to give us time.”

          Drew moved his head, resting it against Henry’s shoulder.  Henry leaned his face down and kissed the top of Drew’s head.

          “Do you think they’re OK?”  Drew’s voice was so quiet Henry almost couldn’t hear him.

          “I hope so honey.  We have to trust them, like they trust us.”

          Henry pulled Drew into his Heart, giving comfort to his son.  He had his own grief over the loss of the Wolf-Spirit.  She was a loyal and trusted companion, and she guarded Drew’s Dreams – he owed her his son’s sanity.  He was very fond of her, but Drew loved her in the way that little boys love dogs.  Henry felt Drew’s pain at losing her; he felt he abandoned her, and it tore him up inside. It tore Henry up to see such hurt inside his son.  Drew was also afraid that Loy would be mad at him.

          Honey, uncle Loy won’t be mad at you!  She sacrificed herself to save us, and let us move on so we can do what needs to be done.  She was heroic, and did exactly what uncle Loy wanted her to do – protect you!  Loy loves you as much as I do.

          The things that Drew saw in Henry caused fresh tears too.  When Henry stripped off his Kevlar, and he stood up with most of his virile muscular body revealed, sweaty and shining in the sun, it effected Drew.  The musky aroma of his body as he knelt down, and the feel of his smooth hot skin, wet with sweat over hard muscle, did something to Drew.  It was the manliness about his father that affected him, the solidity of his dad, the ability his dad had to Protect him.

          It wasn’t sexual; it reminded Drew of the Lab, in the Gym with his dad and all his uncles.  He loved to be in the gym and work out with them, and he was used to their sweaty, warm bodies holding him tight.  The smells and the feeling of being safe and protected permeated his being.  It drove the fear out of him, and even some of the grief over losing the Wolf-Spirit.

          He trusted his dad and his uncles implicitly.  He saw their faith in him, and he returned it tenfold.

          Father and son, basked in each other’s presence and Love, where time didn’t move.  Henry held Drew until he felt better, and then he took them back up.

          He asked quietly, “Are you feeling better?  Ready to go?”

          Drew nodded ‘yes’ and leaned in to give Henry a big kiss on his cheek. 

          Henry walked back to the edge of the ledge they were on to look around.  He said, “I’m not sure which way to go, kiddo.”

          Henry shifted Drew’s weight onto his arm so he was sitting on Henry’s hip.  Drew twisted his torso some to look around, and then he noticed it.  He didn’t see it at first because Henry had been holding him close; the tether was back.  He looked down and it came out of his chest; the other end went towards the Tree.

          Drew pointed towards the Tree and said, “That way.”

          Henry was hesitant, but he decided to ask.  He always promised Drew he would be honest, “Do you sense him, honey?”

          Drew nodded.  

          “Do you know if he can sense you?”

          “I don’t know.  He could before we came here.  When I was in the hotel.  But that was the real him.”

          “OK. Well, let’s see this as a good thing. We know where to go, right?”

          Drew nodded his head.

          Henry set Drew down and knelt down again so he was at eye level.

          “OK Drew.  We know where to go.  This valley isn’t all that big so it shouldn’t take us to long to find him.  If anything happens… if there’s another trap… let me take care of it.  If that happens, I want you to run as fast as you can to him and do what you have to do, alright?  Can you promise me you’ll do that?”

          “But, Daddy…”

          Henry gripped Drew by his shoulders and looked directly into his eyes, “No buts.  I promise you Drew, with all my Heart, I will be alright.  I will do whatever I have to, to protect you so you can do this.  I’m strong honey, just like you.  Together we’ll do this so your uncles can do their part.  Are you with me on this?”

          Drew looked deep into Henry’s green eyes.  He put his little hands on Henry’s big shoulders.  They felt like granite to him, and he felt Henry’s strength.

          “OK, Daddy.”

          Henry grinned and said, “Good boy!”

          Henry stood up and said, “I know I’ve said this a lot Drew, but I love you, and I’m very proud of you.”

          “I love you too, Daddy.”

          Henry glanced down to gauge the distance and said, “OK I’ll get us down and then you can stay on my shoulders until we get closer.  Sound like a plan?”

          Drew nodded, and repeated, “Sounds like a plan, Stan!”

          Henry laughed, “Let me guess.  Did your uncle Lane teach you that?”

          “Yes, sir.”

          Henry shook his head in amusement as he picked Drew up and jumped down the thirty or so feet.  He slowed his perception of time perfectly and absorbed the impact with precision, rolling his body while encapsulating Drew against his torso and with his powerful arms.  He sprang to his feet, and then flipped Drew onto his back.  Drew held up his part of the maneuver just as perfectly.  He sat on Henry’s shoulders with his legs draped around and crossed at the ankles and his arms wrapped the top of Henry’s head loosely.  Henry held his fist up and felt Drew’s fist bump at their success.

          Henry felt it when Drew was comfortable and secure and he took off at a brisk pace, faster than Drew would be able to keep up.  Henry was careful because he didn’t know the rules of the place they were in.  He wasn’t sure if animals would really act like animals – if anything they met was just a memory, it might ignore them.  On the other hand, if it was a trap of some kind he had to be fully prepared.

<><> 

          Drew guided Henry, keeping him pointed in the right direction.  It seemed odd that they heard animals and birds all around them yet never saw anything alive.  Henry heard the doctor talk before about how sounds are related to memory – he assumed the sounds of the area were a comfort to The Master when he was a boy.  He had a difficult time thinking of The Master as a boy, before he turned into the monster he was.

Drew had to resettle himself frequently because the humidity had them both sweating bullets, and he slipped periodically from Henry’s movements.  Henry thought it odd that neither one of them felt thirsty after sweating so much.  He remembered the pocket reality in Africa that Loy and Rick became trapped in; it seemed some of the same odd rules applied to the imaginary place he and Drew were in – it was real yet not real.  Since they were physically present it had to be real, yet it was inside the Mind of The Master.  Rather than give himself a headache thinking about it, Henry let it drop, just thankful that they didn’t need to worry about food or water.

          Henry and Drew moved quickly for over an hour.  The Valley didn’t look that big from the rocky ledge he used to survey the area, but it proved to be larger than he thought.  Again, direction mattered, but distance had no meaning.

          After a while Henry set Drew down and climbed a tree; he let out a ‘fuck me!’ when he realized the Tree was just as far away as it was when they started, only from a different vantage point.  He wasn’t sure if that was a trap, or some kind of protection mechanism The Master put in place, or if it was just how the place worked.

          He thought hard to remember everything Brad or any of the guys had ever said about traveling across the Veil in the Spiritual Realm. 

          “Drew.”

          “Yes, Daddy?”

          “I want you to try something for me.  Think about the other end of that tether you see coming out of you.  Think of your brother on the other end, and hold that image.  Can you do that for me?”

          Henry stopped moving so Drew could concentrate.  He felt Drew’s centering flame, calm and strong, and gave Drew’s leg a slight squeeze of comfort and encouragement.

          Drew hugged his dad’s head, pressing his cheek against the top of Henry’s sweaty hair.  He exhaled and rested in the strength of his dad, and let the image come he had been afraid of for so long.

          The first time the Eschphene showed themselves on Earth, they used Drew’s birth father Doug, to kidnap him.  While Drew hung, suspended in the air amidst a ring of sigil-covered stones, the Stone – the instrument of his first death – orbited his unconscious form.  The Eschphene Leader used the Stone in a Ritual of his own devise, and revealed the connection between Drew and the Stone, proving he was the Second Soul.  In that Ritual, Drew’s unconscious Mind began reliving the memory of his first death at the hands of his brother.

          Early on it came in flashes, mostly dreams, and often nightmares.  The Wolf-Spirit kept those dreams at bay after Loy summoned her, but before her protection Drew often saw the act of his first death, or one of the subsequent deaths from the thousands of Soul fragments that lived inside of him.

          In those memories, he knew what his brother looked like as a young boy.  As time went on Drew consciously remembered more of what happened, but he suppressed those memories, hiding them in that secret place no one could see, not even his Uncle Brad.  The Wolf-Spirit helped to hold them at bay because he Dreamed of it, over and over, but he had the first images safely hidden.  He knew one day he would need them, and that day had finally arrived. 

          He felt conflicted between wanting to obey Henry, but also wanting to delay the inevitable.  Drew realized his uncles were fighting his brother in the real world, and he and Henry needed to hurry, but he was still afraid. 

          He held the image of his brother, large for his age and muscular, with his ruddy brown skin and crooked teeth.  His teeth weren’t yellow yet, and his body was covered with course hair, almost like fur.

          His vision tunneled through the translucent tether and he saw his brother, almost like looking through a telescope, drinking water from the stream that flowed by the roots of the Tree.  The same stream where Luke introduced himself to Ken & Brad on their first visit to the Valley.  It was also the place of his first death.

          Henry felt another transition, and they were in a large copse of ferns, with the Tree looming overhead.  The sun shone down on them at an angle – it seemed mid-morning.

          Drew tapped lightly on the side of Henry’s thick neck; it was the signal for him to get down.  Henry silently reached back and flipped Drew over and set him on his feet.

          He’s close, Daddy.  He’s drinking water right over there.

          Drew pointed through the ferns, towards a rocky outcropping.

          Good boy, Drew.  You’re awesome, Tiger.  Let’s see if we can get a little closer.

          Together they moved as quietly as they could; the area was still filled with the sounds of birds, and occasionally a breeze picked up, rustling leaves, and giving a brief but welcome respite to the heat and humidity.

          Henry and Drew saw him at the same time, squatted down on two feet, almost froglike in his posture, splashing water over himself.  He had a happy expression on his face and made sounds of pleasure as the cool water ran over him.  

          Henry watched him, and wondered how the young boy he saw could transform into the monster he was destined to become.  He steeled his Will, knowing what he saw was a memory and not the real boy; and yet he was real enough to change the fate of the world.

Henry tensed as Luke unexpectedly appeared nearby, perched in a tree not far away from the boy.  Luke was clearly visible, but the young version of The Master seemed unaware of his presence.  Henry knew it couldn’t really be Luke; the Oathstone kept him bound to his promise not to interfere.  He deduced it must be a shade of Luke, a representation of the Voice that spoke to the young Master inside his Mind.  All through The Master’s childhood, Luke whispered in his thoughts, planting the seeds of his downfall and laying the groundwork for his ascension. 

Daddy!  That’s the bad man!

          It’s not really Him, honey, just a memory of him, but I’m sure that’s the last trap protecting your brother. 

As they watched Luke spoke to him, telling him how clever and smart he was; how special. In the Master’s memory, he heard Luke’s voice, so Drew and Henry heard it as well.

You know he wants to be like you.  He wants to become stronger than you, so he can kill you, and be the only one who is special.  You must kill him before he kills you.  You know this is true.  Look into his eyes the next time you see him, and you will know the truth of what I say.

The young version of The Master shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.  His smile faded and he hugged his knees tightly, hiding his face.  He had no defense against Luke; he knew nothing about the Power of his Soul or how to Shield himself.  He never stood a chance against Luke.

Henry’s anger flared at the injustice done to the boy he saw, much like he railed against the injustice of Drew’s situation.   How could the lives of these two boys, both so utterly tragic in their own way, control the fate of all Mankind? 

Henry and Drew continued to watch and listen.  Luke’s words were relentless, and masterful in how he played on the boys’ emotions, knowing just what to say, and how to play him like a fiddle.

          Henry took Drew down with him, into his Heart and they became One. 

          OK, honey, this is it.  Are you ready?

          Drew’s face was impassive, but Henry felt his nervousness, and a little fear.

          Henry pulled Drew tightly against him, his eyes bright, knowing that his son was scared but still willing to continue.  His bravery was staggering, and to see it and feel it humbled Henry.  Drew hugged him back just as tight, his small arms around Henry’s solid shoulders.

          I’m so fucking proud of you Drew.  You’re the bravest little boy in the world.

          Drew giggled at his F-bomb, which is what Henry wanted.

          Promise not to tell on me?

          I promise.

          Drew’s smile faded faster than Henry would have liked, but it was to be expected.

          OK, Tiger, I’m going to get Luke away from him so you can do your part.  You know what you have to do, right?

          Yes, Daddy.  He needs to tell me he’s sorry.

          Henry thought of a thousand words he wanted to say to Drew:  what a good boy he was, and how lucky Henry was to have him as a son, how brave he was, how he didn’t deserve any of the life he had, how he wished Liz was still alive and they could just live their lives together being happy…. The thoughts continued, but he said none of them. 

He took them back into their bodies, and the white lock in Henry’s hair shone brighter in the sun.  Even with all the thoughts running through his Mind and Heart, Henry felt it wise not to say anything, knowing it would only upset Drew, and he wanted to keep his son focused so he could do what he needed to do.

The Wall inside Henry trembled for a fraction of a second as the wailing of his Heart railed against it, but he pushed all those thoughts back, not letting Drew hear them.  He would share them later, once Drew was successful, so his son would know how much he cared.

          His eyes bright, Henry leaned forward and kissed the top of Drew’s head and thought:  I love you buddy.  I’m going to sneak away and attract Luke’s attention.  When he’s gone you’ll be clear.

          Drew nodded his ascent and Henry slipped away into the bushes, leaving Drew alone.

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          The Stone sat on the ground, discarded by The Master after he flung off his Amulet and bellowed out the challenge to his Brother and The Order.  When The Master tore up chunks of concrete, the Stone rolled about, bouncing here and there, ending up just outside the window of the building.

          Miss Lula saw it lying on the ground.  The reflection of the Stone was visible in the depths of her Ageless Eyes as it sat outside the window.  Through the Battle with The Master against Ken & Brad and the Team, the Stone lay as a witness to final events.  The Stone was the Instrument that brought the Curse into being, it was only fitting that it be present at the End.

          Just as the Stone lay lost and out of sight for tens of thousands of years, unnoticed by anyone but God, it vanished from the parking lot, but its reflection stayed in her eyes, only once again it was covered in blood.

<><  Drew and The Master ><>

          Drew stayed still and waited.  When he was sure Henry was gone and he was alone, fresh hot tears started spilling down his cheeks.  His Heart swayed back and forth between that of a seven-year-old boy, and the wisdom of a Soul that was eighty thousand years old.  He knew what he needed to do, but he was terrified.  He felt the arms of his dad and his uncles around him, letting their love hold him up.  He remembered their bravery and solid courage to do whatever they needed to do to keep him safe, and it strengthened his resolve.

          His brother soon stood up and moved off down the path, quickly vanishing from sight.  Luke dropped nimbly down from his perch in the nearby tree, but as he landed a White rope of energy shot through the trees and grabbed him, yanking him back.  Henry’s shields were tight, and Drew never felt his attack.

          Drew’s words were barely intelligible, “I love you, Daddy.  I’m sorry.”

          Drew channeled a small bit of Power and his form shifted into the image of his first self.  He was no longer wearing his jeans with his hoodie tied around his waist.  He had the same ruddy skin and fur as his brother, but he was smaller and leaner.  In his Dreams, he had seen his first self often enough to have the image locked in his Mind. 

          Drew remembered everything that transpired the day of his death.   He knew his brother would call him to gather food for the upcoming winter.  The memory he and Henry were in was a loop, playing over and over in The Master’s Mind.  The torture of it became too much to bear, so he locked it away in the Well in the deepest part of his Mind, blocking it and hiding it from his conscious Mind.

          As Drew stepped out from the cover of the ferns, he was startled when an image of himself appeared by the water; the memory was continuing.  With a small trickle of Power Drew held it, and he moved forward and merged with it.  He didn’t feel the same vertigo Henry did – he belonged to the time of the memory, even though he was physically a child of the twenty-first century.

          As he remembered, he heard his brothers’ thoughts.  They weren’t words, just meanings, but he knew the intent.

          Brother?

          Here I am.

          The sorrow of his own memories rushed into him; he remembered feeling alone and ostracized by his brother.  They had been so close as they grew up together, the first two Souls, talking Mind to Mind.  Their Power was raw and unchanneled and they knew nothing of Merging or becoming One.

          I’m sorry I haven’t spent time with you.  Would you like to gather food together as we used to?

          Drew felt the elation inside himself at his inclusion.  Maybe things would go back to normal and they could be close again!

          Yes!

          His brother stepped back out of the woods and beckoned to him.  As soon as Drew started moving towards him he took off into the foliage, and Drew quickly lost sight of him.  He followed, looking for his brother, curious as to why he didn’t wait.

          Drew remembered all of it.  He calmed himself in his Centering Flame.  Holding his hand out, he Summoned the Stone.  It appeared in his hand, pulled from the Physical Realm, as Miss Lula saw it vanish.  It was tied to him.  He loaned it to Thomin, the Archangel of the Vault for his Collection, but Thomin knew the Stone was bound to the boy.  He was happy to let Drew have it occasionally, as long as he always got it back.

          Drew didn’t know the reason Thomin didn’t mind him ‘borrowing’ the Stone was because he knew, as part of his Province, that the Stone had more of a role to play, and would be even more significant soon. 

          Drew moved down the trail and dropped the Stone on the path so it would be clearly visible, and then he hid himself.  As soon as the Stone hit the ground, thunder rumbled through the Valley.

          The sky, bright blue and cloudless before, began to darken.  All of Creation was now watching the events that had repeated themselves for eons.  This time however was different; an opportunity was present that had never happened before.  The greatest wrong that had ever happened had a chance to be corrected, and reset the course of everything. 

          The young Master doubled back, thinking his brother out in the woods looking for him.  The words of the Voice replayed in his Mind:  You must kill your brother before he kills you.  Only then will you be safe, and the only special one.

          He stumbled on a stone and picked it up, looking at it.  The idea popped into his Mind, as though it was a seed.  The Stone had jagged edges and fit nicely in the palm of his hand.  It would suit his purpose perfectly.

          He moved over to the water’s edge, below the rocky ledge up above. Steeling himself he used the Stone to gash his own leg.  Bleeding, he lay on the ground and cried out in pain, and lay down with the Stone hidden underneath him.

          As the young Master ripped the flesh of his leg with the Stone, lightning flared in the sky, and the thunder became louder.  The upper branches of the Tree began swaying as a strong wind picked up.

          Drew hesitated.  Now that it came down to it he faltered.  He wanted his mom Liz.  He wanted Henry to hold him.  He wanted his uncles around him.  In his Mind, he felt all of them holding him, but he wanted to touch them physically and feel their love.  They loved him so much; he felt it through their touch every time they picked him up or he sat on their laps or climbed on their strong backs.  It took working with Doctor Aaron a long time before Drew felt like he deserved to be Loved.  After the abuse of his father Doug he felt he deserved to be punished and to feel pain.

          To willingly go back to the place inside him where he felt such pain was the only way he knew to identify with his brother.  That was how he felt Compassion for The Master – he knew the pain his brother was in.  His brother never had a dad like Henry, or a mom like Liz, or angelic Uncles whose Souls touched him in ways he could never have imagined.  His brother was tricked by The Dark One, the being Drew instinctively knew as the bad man.  

          Drew’s thread in the Tapestry was tied to The Master’s and through him to Luke – that was how Drew knew about him.  It wasn’t a conscious awareness so much as a connection in the back of the Pattern.

          He worked himself up and rushed forward, acting out the memory, telling himself it would only hurt for a few seconds, and it couldn’t be worse than the cigarette burns or broken bones from Doug.  He remembered the pain though, and it did hurt worse, because this pain would take him away from everyone he loved for a very long time, perhaps forever

          Rushing to his brother’s side, he knelt down and turned him over.  A powerful feeling of déjà vu hit Drew; he had done this before.  Just as in his memory, his brothers’ arm swung swiftly and savagely and the Stone hit his temple and he collapsed.  Blinding pain shot through his head.  He knew another one would follow and it did.  He felt the bones shattering in his face.  It hurt as much as he remembered, even more because he did it willingly for everyone he loved.

          The crack of thunder accompanying the impact of the first blow of the Stone was heard throughout Creation, and the laughter of The Dark One with it. Heaven heard Luke’s voice and the malice in it.  There was an even louder crack of thunder with the second blow and not only the sound, but the shock, was felt throughout the Earth. 

Thunder and Lightning filled the skies.  Rain poured down as the Heavens wept over what was happening.  Creation groaned, and the laughter of the Dark One echoed throughout the Valley, the world, and the Heavens.

          Even though it prolonged the pain, Drew slowed down his perception of time while he still could.  It was hard, the hardest thing he’d even done, but he held on because he had to, just like Henry.

          He had to, in order to say the words he needed to say in his brother’s Mind, to let him know he had been tricked by The Dark One.

          Y.. you didn’t h.. have to d…do th…this.  I al…always l… loved… y.. you.  You al.. always… were, a… and… always…wi…will… be sp..spec…special t..to… me.

          He sped up his perception of time and steeled himself for the final blow.  Drew remembered Henry’s last thoughts as he lay dying in the fight with the Eschphene Leader; how courageous and stoic his dad was, and it gave him the bravery to push through.  He matched Henry’s bravery, and the bravery of his uncles – he saw it inside of them, and he could do no less.  They fought so hard to save him, but this time he would save them.

          I…it’s OK.  Y..you…di..didn’t h..have … to.. do ..th..this.  Y..you.. we..were… tricked.  The V..Voice lied.  I…love… y… you….

          The Master heard his brother’s words, this time not as feelings and emotions but as words, just like the Voice.  He understood them, just the same because they were Mind to Mind, and from Drew’s Heart.  The young Master felt his brother’s love for him in his words, and he realized how wrong he had been.  He had been tricked, and the agony over that realization hit him hard.

          He knelt down and grabbed Drew in his arms, crying, and cradling his brother’s body.  Drew’s last thought, not in words, brought him comfort.  As Drew felt his brother’s arms around him, he knew he wasn’t alone at the end like he thought.  He was with his true brother.

          The young Master smelled something, and he looked down to see the Stone, covered in his brother’s blood, smoking in his hand.  He felt his brother’s body twitch as the nerves in his body fired even though he was already dead.

          He knew that the body in his arms no longer held his brother.  There was some intangible difference, and he knew his brother was gone, and the irrevocable nature of his action washed over him.  It was final, and he would never see his brother again.  The Voice lied to him!  He had no words, but his Mind shouted out to the Heavens:

          What have I done!?

          He cried and wailed, and hugged his brother to him.

          I want him back!

          God was silent; there was no answer.  Nature reflected the violence of his act as rain, thunder, and lightning filling the skies.  The Voice was gone, and he was alone.  The image of his brother in his arms changed back to Drew, the illusion fading with his death.

          The young Master looked up to the Heavens and cried as he rocked Drew’s body in his arms, filled with regret.

<><  Waffle House, Atlanta, GA – Aaron, Albrecht, Tag, and Olive ><>

          Amidst their attacks on The Master, Aaron & Albrecht reached for the Minds of their sons, but there was a Black Shield over them, preventing access or aid.  The Master wanted them dead, and he kept them unconscious and defenseless until he was ready to kill them.  Ken’s Soul continued to bob softly over his chest, held under the Dark Shield The Master kept over them, its Light a constant reminder of everything that was occurring.

Albrecht knew it was only a matter of seconds before he and Aaron were done for.  So far, they managed to dodge or deflect his attacks, but neither one of them were strong enough to survive a direct attack.  The Curse was invoked, and the Power he wielded nearly limitless.

Yet, in desperation, they still attacked The Master with everything they had in them.  There was no plan, only grief-driven ferocity, as the two men, the oldest partners in the history of man, fought their age-old Enemy with every bit of skill and Power they could muster.  It wasn’t enough, but they were desperate to try and save the world, and more importantly than that, their sons.

Their sons were the key to everything, opening new possibilities just by their very existence.  The love they could generate between other humans, and the wisdom and leadership they exhibited in the fight – they were too important to lose.  Even unconscious, they sent out ripples that were effecting events.

Albrecht was, arguably, the greatest human warrior who ever lived.  He held that unofficial status in hand-to-hand combat and with most weapons.  Áedán Mac Artur was the only human who ever existed who was his superior with a sword.  Even though most people never knew it, because he was so unassuming about his abilities, Aaron was near Albrecht’s equal.  Albrecht often teased him, saying if he practiced more, and ate less Long John Silver’s, he might be his equal.

As a trained warrior, Albrecht was always aware of his surroundings; he constantly looked, aware through his peripheral vision and his fighter’s instincts.  Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement, and was surprised to see a small panel truck racing towards them.

Aaron!  Cav! Keep him facing towards the building!

They both moved, coordinating their efforts, so The Master wouldn’t see the truck.  As it got closer, he and Aaron were shocked to see Tag behind the wheel!  He was supposed to be dead!  Olive was beside him, and another man, unconscious between them whom he didn’t recognize.

Even through their grief over Ken, their hearts were filled with wonder at seeing their friends alive.  It was a miracle, and both men wondered how it could be so.  Their house was inexplicably destroyed by residual energy from Allenor, the last being of God’s previous Creation.  Their house wasn’t simply atomized, the Physical Realm around their house ceased to exist!  There was no way they could have survived if they were home.

He reached for their Minds and again he was surprised when they were Shielded.  The shield was Angelic – it was Powerful and distinct.  There was obviously a story there, but there was no way to talk to them mentally.

For the second time in only a few minutes, The Master was rammed by a vehicle.  The panel truck didn’t have runes, and it did little damage to him, but the momentum of a few tons of steel dealt him a solid physical blow.  The airbags deployed and while shaken up, the occupants of the panel truck were alive.

They heard the crunch of bones all through The Master’s huge body, but the Curse knitted him back together.  The absurdity of the relentless attacks from the Light caused another explosion of rage.  They wouldn’t die!  As Powerful as he was, they still managed to fight him.  The insanity driven by his primitive rage burst forth again.

Be ready love!  This is going to hurt!

They were ready, and only by Aaron’s vast experience and knowledge did they live.  He layered multiple Shields, each with the purpose of deflecting part of the incoming explosion.  It was another principle of physics – he dampened the energy in steps until what was left would not kill them.  It would hurt terribly, but it wouldn’t kill them.

The Shield covering Tag, Olive, Bullet, and Raphael shattered, but they were alive.  With the Shields over their Minds now gone, Aaron pulled Tag & Olive down into his Heart along with Albrecht.

<><> 

          Tag & Olive appeared naked in a dark place.  Aaron & Albrecht were with them, also naked.

          Tag spun around, startled and scared, asking, “Iz we dead?”

          Olive shrieked and immediately tried to cover herself, quickly moving behind her husband.  Her eyes wide as saucers she blurted out, “Lord have mercy!”

          Aaron: We are in each other’s Souls, and time is nearly standing still.  Our bodies are still above, where you just crashed the truck into The Master.  In this place, we are naked to one another, in our Minds and our Hearts.  This is the way Brad, Ken, and the others usually communicate.  There is no need to be embarrassed.

          “So we ain’t dead?”  Tag didn’t sound convinced.

          Albrecht:  No Tag, but we might be in another few seconds if we don’t come up with a plan.  We need to break that shield over the men, and give them time to recover.  None of us are strong enough to do that.

          Aaron looked at his friends, knowing how traumatic a transition they just endured.  Neither Tag nor Olive had merged with any of the men.  They had Linked with them on a few occasions, but never more than that. 

Aaron: We are so glad you are alive!  We were all devastated when we thought you dead!

          Tag grinned, saying “We gots our own story ta tell.  It’s been a hard couple a’ weeks, let me tell you.”

          Aaron:  In this place just think your words.  Your feelings and emotions go with them, and it’s a much better way to communicate.

          Tag started to move, but Olive wouldn’t let him.

          Dag nabbit, Momma settle down!  You got nuthin no be ashamed of!

          Albrecht:  Tag’s right Olive.  You are a beautiful woman, and there’s no need for you to be ashamed here. 

          It’s not right!

          Albrecht:  Let me show you how I see you, Olive.  Perhaps that will ease your discomfort.

          Albrecht moved over to Olive and cupped her cheek.  With his touch, he gently entered her Mind, and showed her what her Soul looked like.  Human Souls are beautiful to look at.  Hers didn’t have the strength and majesty of any one of the Team, but it was beautiful nonetheless.  It was a warm, golden ball of liquid light, and all her inner and outer beauty was evident.

          You see Olive?  This is what I see when I look at you.  Please be at ease.

          Her eyes were wide and her hand went to her mouth, and a tear fell down her aged cheek.  She sounded just like the doctor when she thought:  Oh my!

          Aaron:  I know this is sudden, but we need time to talk and strategize.  We also need to know how you are alive?  All of us thought you perished in whatever happened.

          Albrecht:  Would you mind if we look into your memories?  It will be much quicker that way.  If you are uncomfortable with that, we can simply talk.

Tag started:  It was an Angel.  He was hurt bad, bleedin, at the edge of the front yard.  He couldn’t come in, on account’a the Protections on the house.

He paused for a second and then continued:  Yeah, why don’t you just take a peek.

Albrecht:  Thank you, Tag.  It won’t hurt.

Tag felt the two men enter his Mind, and they pulled Olive in with them, to get the account of their story from both perspectives.  Olive & Tag shared everything with them.  The presence and comfort of the two men were a balm to the old couple, especially after all they had been through on their journey back to Atlanta.

Both Aaron’s and Albrecht’s faces looked grim when they finished.

Tag:  Sumptin wrong, doc? 

          Aaron:  There is a great mystery in what happened, Taggart.  The words of the Angel are extremely disturbing.  Where he went, and what caused his death… after what our sons discovered in Africa… this does not bode well at all.

          Albrecht:  It may not matter if we don’t figure out a way out of this.  We have no way of knowing how much longer Drew & Henry will be in their mission.  We just don’t have the strength to break the barrier The Master has over our sons and hold him off long enough for them to recover.  If they were functional again, we would at least stand a chance.

          Sometimes Aaron hated his Intellect.  Most often, Intellect was not a friend to Compassion and Love, and this was one of those times.  A solution popped into Aaron’s Mind, as clear as day, and Albrecht immediately saw it, shouting:  NO!  Aaron no! 

          Tag & Olive knew it must be something bad by the sound of Albrecht’s voice.  They had never heard him frightened or scared before, and now his voice was filed with both emotions.

          Aaron’s Mental voice was barely a whisper as he intoned the ancient phrase: A Soul freely given, a willing sacrifice, has a thousand-fold power of one taken.    They were the same words Raphael the Archangel spoke to Liz Hastings before she sacrificed her Soul to save her son, Drew.

Aaron:  It would give us the Power we need.  You cannot deny that.

Albrecht:  Then it should be me!  You can wield the Power far better than I.

Aaron:  But I could not stand to live without you.

Albrecht practically screamed at him:  Do you think I could!?

The emotional tension was so thick between the two men, it was tangible in that place.  Tag & Olive, in the time since Tag’s rescue, lived in the Lab with the doctor, Albrecht, and ‘their boyz.’  They knew the story of the Battle, the War between The Light & the Dark, The Order & The Enemy.  They had come face-to-face with The Master when he kidnapped them and held them hostage in a basement, in an attempt to hurt their friends.

The old couple owed all their friends so much:  Tag’s life for starters, and their safety, regenerating Tag’s leg, and finding them a new home.  They had come to love everyone in their lives:  Drew, Henry, Ken & Brad and their Brothers, and the doctor & Albrecht.  They witnessed firsthand the grief and sacrifice that the men suffered through, and watched them push themselves with their training.

Few humans knew the Truth about existence and the Balance, but Tag & Olive were firsthand witnesses to all of it, and were warriors in that fight.  Olive knew why the Angel told them to be in Atlanta and why their friends would need them so desperately.

Her soft quiet voice cut through their argument and silenced both men:  Take me.

The three men turned to look at her.  Tag’s face turned grey when he realized what she said, and then a second later his eyes showed his understanding.

He thought:  Me too.  There is two of us, and two of you.  One of us for each of you.  That’ll give you what you need to save the boyz, right?

Aaron paled:  We cannot ask you to do such a thing.

Olive almost sounded angry:  You isn’t asking!  It’s the reason we is here!  That Angel sent us here for a purpose, and dis is it! 

Tag:  You know it can’t be either’a youz.  You is too important to the boyz and the world.  Me and Momma, well… we’ve had a good life, and we is blessed to have known all’a ya’ll.  But this is something we can do.

Aaron:  You have no idea what it truly means!

Olive had tears in her eyes, but she stood firm:  I know exactly what it means!  I’ll never see my husband agin!  I won’t be in Heaven, workin on my knitting and cookin chitlin’s for Taggart Keenan.  Ever agin!

Tag: I’m wit Momma.  I don’t wanna go on without her, and she don’t wanna go on without me… an the boyz… well they is the Light a da world!  They gotta survive.  They gotta carry everybody on after all dis mess is settled!

Aaron:  But Kenneth is gone!  They cannot do that without him!

Tag:  Can’t you use what we give’s ya to fix him?

Albrecht:  No, Tag.  Healing is not an ability Aaron or I have.  That is related to their angelic Heritage.

Olive:  Then fix them up so they can fix Ken.  

Silence fell among the four of them.  Aaron & Albrecht were One, and the groaning inside of each of them over what Olive & Tag were offering, for their sons and for the world, was deep. 

They had already lost Kenneth, and might lose Brad as a result, and to find out that Tag & Olive were alive only to lose them again so suddenly would be devastating.

<  private conversation between Aaron and Albrecht >

Aaron:  They think they understand Albrecht, but they do not.  They are brave, but can we let them do that, even with what is at stake?

Albrecht:  I know, Aaron.  The strategist in me says we must accept, because the consequences of everything are too severe, and it will give us what we need… a chance.  To think that such a sacrifice would only give us a chance… and even that may be in vain.

Aaron:  They must understand, Albrecht.  As painful as it will be, if they do it knowingly, with full understanding… I am becoming weary of the fight, love.  All the sacrifices over the years by so many.  I feel it should be me this time.

Albrecht:  Only if I do it with you, but then no one would be present with the knowledge to wield such Power.

Aaron:  I will show them the full consequences of their offer.  They have to know the extent of their sacrifice. 

<><> 

Aaron put his hands to his chest, forming a diamond pattern and quickly a memory sphere emerged, floating gently in front of him.  He concentrated, and it split into two separate spheres, one each for Olive & Tag.

Do not be afraid.

The spheres moved forward and went into the foreheads of the older couple.  Their eyes went wide, and reddened with fresh tears, as the reality of what they were offering was truly revealed to them.

Olive spoke the truth when she said she understood.  She was a wise woman, Godly even, and she had a grasp on everything that was going on, and what was at stake.

Tag had a grasp on most of it, but much of what Aaron showed him hit him hard.  Yet inside his Mind, instantly, he resigned to keep his offer.  There was too much at stake for him not to.  He was a soldier, just like Ken and the other men, and he had a duty to protect innocent people.

Aaron: This goes far beyond that Tag, you know this.

Tag: I do, but it’s all the same to me.  We gots ‘ta give da boyz a chance!  They kin do this!

Olive:  They can!  I have faith in ’em. 

Olive stepped out from behind Tag, and he took her hand in his own.  The brown, leathery, skin of their faces wrinkled as they smiled at one-another, at peace with their decision.

Tag spoke out loud, “I’m sorry Momma, that we won’t git to be tagether like we planned.”

“Me too, Papa.  I love you Taggart Keenan, with all my heart.”

Tag lifted her hand and kissed it, and as he did, his tears dripped onto her knuckles, “I love you too, Momma.  Always have, always will, no matter what.”

Tag straightened his shoulders and said, “We’s ready.  Git on wit it.”

Aaron still hesitated, wanting to talk them out of it, but Albrecht caught his eye and shook his head slightly.

They have made their decision Aaron.  Do not dishonor their choice.

Aaron sighed, and his shoulders slumped:  You are right.

<><  Raphael’s Pocket Dimension ><>

          For the last few moments, once they heard the sound of Ken’s neck snap, Michael stood silent.  He continued to watch with the rest of them, as their Nephilim grandchildren lay unconscious.  Michael’s shoulders were bunched, like granite, under his armor.  He gripped the pommel of his sword so tightly it creaked.

          Raphael knew to keep silent for the time being.

          They were as surprised as Aaron & Albrecht when Tag & Olive drove up in the panel van, hitting The Master and knocking him back.

          Raphael’s inhumanly handsome brow furrowed at their appearance, and he wondered how they came to be spared from the devastation that occurred at their home on Earth.  He sensed some profound significance was being kept hidden from all of them and turned all his attention to seeking what that might be.

          One again they were surprised when they heard two human voices cry out Uriel’s name, Summoning him to the Physical Realm.

<><  Waffle House, Atlanta, GA – Aaron, Albrecht, Tag, and Olive ><>

          Albrecht:  We will not have much time when we go back to our bodies.  Cavall and I will attempt to distract The Master, while Aaron prepares you.  When he is ready I will know, and it will happen.

          Olive only nodded.  She had tears in her eyes, expressing too many emotions inside of her.  They ran thick through her Heart – Hope for Ken, that he would somehow survive, Drew & Henry, the rest of the Team, Aaron & Albrecht, and lastly for herself and Tag.  Her last prayer was for the World.

          She felt sorrow, resignation, and even a small touch of pride for her act of selflessness.

          Tag felt much the same, in his own way.  Albrecht saw the hardening of his eyes and knew he was braced for what was about to happen.  Albrecht simply nodded back, and said everything with his eyes that Tag needed to hear.

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          Suddenly, there was noise again, and smells, and movement – mostly though there was the cold feeling of The Master’s Aura.

          Albrecht shouted in his Mind to Cavall in ancient Gaelic:  Cav!  We must distract Him, only for a few seconds, but it must be done.

          Cavall’s response was a howl that echoed all around them, hitting The Master’s Black Shields, as he moved on the opposite side trying to force The Master to face him.  Albrecht leapt and rolled to be with him, launching his own attack.

          Aaron rushed to Olive & Tag.  From an ankle strap, he pulled out a short silver dagger, honed razor sharp.  He ripped open Tag’s shirt and the top part of Olive’s dress.  He regretted their exposure, but there was no time for modesty.

          Not wishing to cause either of his dear friends even the slightest physical discomfort, he cut across his own palm with the dagger, and used his blood to trace the necessary runes on their bodies. 

          The Master, in his arrogance, ignored them and faced Albrecht and Cavall.  The man and dog had fought and hunted together centuries ago, and fell back into their routine as though no time had passed.  They danced around their foe, dodging attacks, and landing a few of their own.  Though it seemed forever to Albrecht, it was less than a minute before he heard Aaron’s voice:  It is done.

          The two men, lovers and partners, once again delved inside each-other completely.  Together, as One, their voices echoing with Power, they sang Uriel’s name in the Language of Creation, Summoning the Archangel of Death.  They could not bend his Will or Command him in any way, other than to make him appear before them by using the most sacred and powerful form of his True Name.

          Uriel appeared in a blaze of Light, right behind Aaron, Tag, and Olive.  He hovered off the ground, his powerful form barely discernable in the brightness of his Aura.  He did not arrive in his true form, lest he destroy the humans present.

          Aaron heard Uriel’s deep voice in his head:  I would have come regardless, for my grandson’s sake.  I am not your enemy, Aaron Thomas.  It is a deep thing you do, and I understand how difficult it is.

          The Master spun, “What is this!  You cannot be here!”  He took up a defensive posture unsure of what was transpiring.

          Aaron’s Mental voice quivered as he begged:  Please make it painless for them as you did with Liz Hastings.

          Of course.  Their sacrifice is enough, and I will make it peaceful.  They will simply go to sleep and never wake up.

          Tears flowed over his face as Aaron whispered, “I am sorry, dear friends,” as he and Albrecht empowered the runes on Olive’s and Tag’s bodies.  Their forms started to glow brightly, as Uriel’s wrings wrapped around them.  He accepted the sacrifice of Souls so seldom offered.  Liz Hastings was the last one, and there hadn’t been another for millennia.  It did not escape Uriel’s notice that three Souls had been sacrificed within a short period of time as he counted it.  Such things mattered.

          As he had with Liz Hastings, Uriel wrapped Tag & Olive up in the comfort of his wings, and their sacrifice was painless and swift.  Olive & Tag were gone in a blaze of Light, and Uriel was gone with them.  Aaron already felt the weight of their absence inside of him, even as his eyes glowed white.  Albrecht’s eyes did the same, as the two men became the vessels of the Power of a thousand Souls each.

          The look of anger appeared on Aaron’s face again; anger at his age-old Enemy who forced him to make such painful decisions, and who had killed so many of his loved ones over the centuries.  All the cruelty and evil he inflicted on the human race that tore at his heart rose up and fueled his anger.

          Free our son’s Albrecht, they must get back in the fight if we are to have any chance.

          With the Power of Tag & Olive’s sacrifice, The Master now felt their attacks.  The two men spent thousands of years gathering their knowledge and honing their skills.  They called upon spells and abilities never before used because the Power to complete them had been lacking.  They utilized every scrap of knowledge either of them had ever learned.

          Aaron sliced through The Master’s Dark Shields, crippling him and rending his Mind, Heart, and Soul in devastating attacks, yet the Curse was always present, restoring The Master to the state he was in when it was brought into being.  

          Albrecht, confident in his lover’s knowledge and abilities, turned to look on the Team, laid out on the ground unconscious and imprisoned under the Dark Shroud of the Curse.  He knew the Shield was strong; and he had no idea how The Master was maintaining it.  It seemed as though the Curse was doing it on its own.

          He threw his newfound Power against it, but it didn’t break.  His brow furrowed; Aaron’s attacks were penetrating The Master’s Shields, yet his did not?  What was the difference? He did not have much time to find out!  Their Power would only last so long, while the Curse was virtually unlimited.

          Motion in the sky caught his attention.  Lightning and thunder had ripped across the Heavens nonstop since the fight began, but a new disturbance began to take shape.  A vortex was forming, but not one he expected.  It consisted of small specs of light, thousands upon thousands of them.  They were animal Spirits, called by Loy before he lost consciousness, coming to the Call of their Steward!

          Much like the Black Vortex Lane and Bryan fought, the Spirits formed a huge funnel, concentrating their strength.  Their individual shapes were lost as they merged with one another, their Will driven by the older and wiser Spirits while Loy was unconscious.  It took them time to gather in sufficient numbers and strength, but now they attacked The Master at the Command of the Steward.

          Albrecht focused his attack with the Spirits yet the Shield over the men still withstood their attack.  He soon realized what the problem was.  Just before The Master unleashed the Curse on them they threw all their own Power into their Shields.  Their Avatars were more Powerful than ever, attempting to be equal to the attack, and the Curse still overmatched them.  The two Powers were still in conflict, and essentially their own strength was responsible for the Power of the Black Shield.

          He would have to overcome both the strength of their Avatars and the Curse to break the barrier.  With a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach, Albrecht realized even with the Spirits and the Power he wielded it would not be enough.  The forces in play were unimaginable, yet they still weren’t enough, and they never could be until Drew & Henry were successful.

          As difficult as he and Aaron knew it would be, he still had no idea how far things would go.  He realized why Aaron had that seed of doubt all his life.  He studied the Curse more than any other scholar through the Ages, and Albrecht reluctantly admitted his lover might have been right.

          Albrecht shook his head, refusing to believe it was impossible.  No!  He would not despair!  The Paradox of their existence meant they would find a way!  It had to be possible – the forces driving the confrontation made it possible for the Conflict to occur, and there had to be a chance for them to be victorious, or everything was futile and meaningless.

          His thoughts turned to Lane & Bryan in the Valley. Normally he would not have the Power to reach across the planet, but with Tag & Olive’s sacrifice the distance was now inconsequential. 

<><  The Valley of the Tree of Life ><>

          Lane Listened and Leroy’s purring filled his senses.  The vibrations were rich and unique, adding a distinct mix of frequencies he was unaccustomed too.  Leroy’s Fire still licked over their bodies; they had never been filled with so much Power before.  The full Power of Leroy’s Fire, the ability to re-write Creation, flowed through them.

          Lane & Bryan embraced, their emotions reeling over the quick turn of events.  Not even seconds before they were both on the brink of death, knowing their demise would mean the destruction of the Valley and the Tree.  Now they stood, fully enmeshed in one another, two Souls, One being, alive and whole.

          The relief in both of them was nearly overpowering, yet they both knew their Brothers needed their help desperately.

          Lane!?  Bryan!? 

          Lane:  Albrecht!

          The relief in their mentor was palpable as he Linked with them, sharing the current state of events in Atlanta.  Bryan and Lane heard and felt Ken’s neck snap, and the pain in their Souls cascaded into what almost became their own deaths.

          The two men nearly fell to their knees again when they saw in Albrecht’s memory the sacrifice of Tag & Olive.  They thought the old couple dead, and then lost them again in the same breath.  The blow was another bruise to their Souls they would feel for a very long time.

          Albrecht’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he felt the Dragon Fire fully in both his young charges.  They shared with him their own memories of everything that transpired in the Valley.

          The one thought in Albrecht’s Mind – Leroy’s Fire was their only hope to break through the Shroud imprisoning the rest of the Team.

          The smile on Bryan’s face faded quickly, replaced by a grim look, and the Rage that accompanied Leroy’s Fire built once more.   There were few things that could truly anger the gentle spirit that resided inside the big gruff man, but endangering and threatening the ones he was closest to was one definitive way.  The sacrifice Tag & Olive made to save them all crushed the big man.  Fresh tears filled the golden orbs of his eyes, making small trails of Light down his face.  His tears mixed with the sweat covering his skin.

          Lane looked through Albrecht’s eyes from across the planet and suddenly Lane & Bryan were standing in the parking lot of the Waffle House on Buford Drive.

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          Lane & Bryan appeared silently.   Bryan masked their Auras, so The Master would not feel them.  Aaron knew through Albrecht as soon as his sons appeared, and it renewed his Hope.  He pushed The Master all the harder, keeping him occupied, aided by Cavall.  As the Curse healed The Master, Cavall continually tore and sundered his flesh.

          Lane & Bryan saw the White Vortex of animal Spirits, and felt them dissipating as they gave all of themselves towards the defense of Loy and their Brothers.  Albrecht brought all his own Power to bear on the Shroud at the same point as the Spirits, but the Shroud was unaffected.

          Seeing their Brothers laid out and unconscious, and Ken laying with them, his neck broken and his Soul floating over his body, pushed both of them over the edge.  They were soldiers, but they were men, and the bonds between them were stronger than anything.  They embraced all of the Rage that came with Leroy’s Fire over what they saw and the unconditional love of the men that were so much a part of them.

          Just as The Master was driven near to the point of insanity, Bryan & Lane were as well.  It wasn’t an insanity such as with The Master, but it was a breaking point in both men.  Albrecht and the doctor felt it.

          The image of Leroy formed around Bryan and Lane; their golden slitted eyes glowed bright, and the full force of Leroy’s fire was unleashed for the second time that day.  Aaron diverted his own strength, adding it to Albrecht’s.

          Cavall howled, and between the hound, Aaron & Albrecht, the Spirits emptied from the Spiritual Realm, Lane & Bryan, and Leroy, the Shroud shattered. 

          Even though Lane & Bryan’s Auras were masked, The Master felt the buildup of everyone else and he spun, witnessing Leroy’s form in the Fire as it obliterated the Shroud of the Curse over his enemies.  The New Warriors of the Order were free again.

          Dragon Fire flowed through all the men, restoring them.  The Healing flows Lane sent through them were harsh, as it had been with him and Bryan moments before, but it was unavoidable. 

          Their eyes opened but all of them felt the gaping hole inside them were Ken should be.  Brad could barely breathe as he saw Ken’s handsome face, staring blankly back at him – his neck and body at odd angles and his Soul floating gently over his chest.

          The fear that hit Brad was crushing, and it ran through all of them.

<><  Waffle House, Buford Drive, Buford, GA – the Nexus of Events ><>

          Ken watched, along with Richard, Miss Lula, and the Dove.  Frank seemed oblivious, and went about his various tasks of cleaning the grill, moping the floor, and restocking the egg tray.

          Ken’s emotions were a rollercoaster, and Richard was with his brother the entire time.  The scene outside started moving again, and Ken witnessed it all.

          He felt relief when he saw Tag & Olive alive, only to see Uriel appear and accept the sacrifice of their Souls.  He knew how painful that decision must have been for his Mentors, and in the middle of his own pain, his heart ached for them as well.

          He stood, stoic, through it all, but his throat was closed tightly, and tears ran down his cheeks in a constant flow.  His throat had never hurt for so long or as painfully as his emotions ran the full gamut.  He wondered once just how far their capacity for pain had grown, and he was finding out.  Seeing his Brothers, and Tag & Olive… the sacrifices and effort, the blood and the sweat they all put in, the Souls lost forever – it tore at him, wrenching his Heart.  The absence of Brad and his Brothers made it worse because he bore the pain on his own.

          Rich soon stopped talking and stood beside his brother, a hand on his shoulder, simply being with him in his time of trial and pain.

          The overwhelming desire and urge to be out fighting The Master was unbearable.  He watched everyone sacrificing and fighting with everything they had in them against impossible odds, fighting to delay and occupy The Master so he wouldn’t turn his thoughts inwards against Henry & Drew.

          Ken had no idea what transpired in the Valley, but his heart leapt in his chest as he saw Bryan & Lane appear, alive, bathed in Dragon Fire.

          He heard Rich’s intense outburst, “Fuck, yeah!”

          A second later, Rich realized that Ken was gone, and he smiled.  It was the same little kid grin that Ken often got that melted Brad’s heart to see. 

          “Kick that hairy ape’s ass, little bro.  Fuck his shit up like there’s no tomorrow.”

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          For the first time in his life, Brad was stunned and debilitated to the point where he didn’t know what to do.  The other half of his Soul was floating in the air a few feet from him, outside the dead body of his husband.

          Brad knew Uriel would not be able to convey Ken’s Soul to Heaven without the half that resided in himself.  That left the part he could see vulnerable to The Master, and if it was destroyed – or consumed – Brad would never see Ken again in any form of existence.  That thought was unimaginable.

          He stared at Ken’s face first, and then his eyes roamed down over his neck and shoulders, taking in every detail.  His short brown hair was plastered against his head from sweat, and his face was dirty from smudges.  His five o’clock shadow was already at ten.  Brad could smell him; the musk of his sweaty Kevlar mixed with the cologne he wore because it was Brad’s favorite.  He pulled the image of Ken’s little kid grin from his perfect memory, but he couldn’t hold it.  The image was too painful, as much as he wanted to see it.

          Brad wasn’t sure how long he stared at Ken.  It might have been a second, but it felt like years –  and it might have been, so deep inside his own Mind.  He gave himself the luxury of his pain as long as he could.  But, everything that made him Brad, everything that Ken loved about his husband, started asserting itself.  The soldier in Brad – his Intellect near equal to the doctor’s – and his powerful Mind refused the emotional pain.  A wall built inside Brad that would not accept what he saw before him.

His Avatar flared as brightly as it ever had; so bright it was visible through his Kevlar suit.  His Intellect, already formidable, was boosted by the Avatars of his Brothers.  In Lane’s memory, Brad saw the Darkness that surrounded the wounds of Bryan & Lane when the Black Vortex impaled them.  Ken was killed by The Master, when the Curse was Unveiled, and he made it impossible for Ken’s wounds to be Healed.  He drove the Light out of Ken, damaging him both physically and spiritually.  Just as when Ken had fallen under the Blood Curse, their Healing powers had no effect.

          Lane’s eyes flashed white for the briefest of seconds, and his eyes went wide.  He wasn’t sure if Remiel sent him his Vision, or if it was Creation itself pushing towards Balance.  Lane’s Vision went back in Time to the day The Master killed his brother; the murder that started the entire chain of events that led up to the moments they were in – his Avatar spanned the eighty-thousand-year gap, connecting it to the present.  He saw the Stone in the young Master’s hand.  He saw it rise, and strike Drew’s first self.  Once… twice… and the third time that drove the life out of him.  Lane felt the Thunder that rumbled with each blow, and the tears of Creation as the rain fell.  He felt the rip throughout everything as the Curse was called into being.  He felt it all as it happened again in The Master’s Mind, although he didn’t realize it.  He thought he was seeing the past.

          He watched as the young Master saw the Stone smoking in his hand.  Lane watched as the boy fled to the cave of the Water of Life as he tried to wash the blood from his hands that would not come off.  He saw the young Master throw the Stone into the Water of Life, trying to rid himself of the guilt of his action.  And then Lane saw the Water of Life infuse the Stone with even more Power, altering and strengthening the Curse into what it now was. 

          Realization and Understanding hit Lane – the Water of Life did not birth the Curse, but it altered it and made it stronger.  If it was that powerful, it might save Ken.  It might weaken what the Curse did to him enough for their Healing to work and save him.

He knew Ken only had one chance, but it would take seconds they didn’t have.

          Lane’s Vision, his journey through Time, took no Time in the present, and the knowledge of what he saw was inside him, and therefore inside his Brothers.  Renewed Hope ran through all of them.  It was only a chance, but it was something they didn’t have a moment before.

          Bryan:  Go Lane.  Take Ken & Brad.  I’ll stay with these Fuckers, and we’ll hold on until you get back.  You and Brad are the only ones who can save him if it’s doable.

          The look of desperation and Hope on Brad’s face was all Lane needed to see to make his decision.

          Every one of them, Kevin & Bill, Pat & Darren, and Rick & Loy, fanned the flame of Hope inside Brad, infusing his belief that Ken could be saved.  The parts of their Avatars that came from Ken filled all of them with Conviction.  This time it was their arms over his shoulders, pushing their Will, Conviction, and Hope into him.

          They would persevere, and be what they needed to be, to hold The Master at bay, while Lane and Brad took Ken to the Valley.

          We’ll be right back fellas.  Hold tight, and don’t go lifting your skirts and screaming like little girls, at least not until we get back.

          Despite the seriousness of the situation, their handsome faces broke into grins and smirks at Lane’s comment.  Their bravery never wavered, and the Hope running through them gave them the resolve to do what needed to be done.  They were doing it for their Brother Ken, and the World, but Ken definitely came first in their Hearts.

          Darren synchronized their Avatars, and Lane and Brad, with Ken in his arms, disappeared back to the Valley.  Darren used the clear picture of Leroy’s cave in their Minds; the Dragon was still with them through Bryan.

          While Brad held Ken, and Lane received his Vision, they all felt the same buildup as before.  The Master, harassed by Aaron & Albrecht (empowered by the sacrifice of Tag & Olive, and aided by Cavall – the hound of King Arthur whose silver eyes saw everything) went berserk.  He expected to bowl all of them over, and the resistance he received was unimaginable to him.

          Kevin & Bill, Pat & Darren, Rick & Loy, and Bryan all stood tall.  They were once again pillars of Light, recovered and ready.  Their handsome faces dirty and sweaty, their eyes red with tears over the losses already incurred in the fight, were grim.  However, there was a new Light in their eyes.  Their resolve was just as strong as it was before, but now there was an anger… part of it was the Rage from Leroy that came with his Fire, but mostly it came from the loss of their loved ones, and their Captain.  The hole in them where Ken should be filled them with rage and determination.

          Even with everything going on, their Minds and Hearts were with Henry & Drew.  They were soldiers, trained for a life of Battle and hardships, but Henry & Drew were not.  They could not imagine what their Brother and adoptive Nephew were going through in their own part of the fight.

          This time when The Master unleashed the full Power of the Curse, they withstood his attack.  They dug deeper because they had to, for Ken, but Leroy’s Fire backed up their resolve, and the added Power of Aaron & Albrecht made the difference.

          All the sources of their Power were clearly visible.  Once they were conscious again, the Tree appeared, and all the Spirits that Loy had called to their defense were present, and the other Mentalists Listened and fluttered their Souls back and forth across the Veil.

          Their Light met the Curse and this time held it at bay.  It wasn’t easy.  In fact it was the hardest thing they had ever done in all their trials.  The pain that hit them, down to their Souls, was numbing – but they held.  Their Avatars shone bright through their Kevlar.  They were a Wall, as their Brother Henry taught them to be.

          If The Master’s eyes had been visible the men would have seem them widen in surprise.  What he witnessed was unfathomable to him. 

          <><  The Valley of the Tree – Leroy’s Cave ><>

          As Brad and Lane appeared they were met by the fully Awakened form of Leroy.  The cave was immense, yet it barely contained his head and part of his neck.  The heat was nearly unbearable, and both men broke out into a fresh sweat immediately.

          Lane was able to use Leroy’s eyes, through Bryan, to teleport back to the cave.  They were visible for a fraction of a second, only long enough for Brad to turn his head to the cave mouth that lead up to the Roots of the Tree.  They had to have a visual image of where they wanted to go, and Brad coordinated his Avatar with Lane’s and they jumped by sight, traversing what would have taken them nearly an hour by foot in a matter of seconds.

          They were still merged with Darren; his Primary Avatar boosted theirs, and Ken’s body weight was not an issue.

          The blistering heat of Leroy’s cave was replaced immediately by the icy cold dampness of the cavern containing the Water of Life.  The sounds of the water cascading over the massive roots of the Tree would have been pleasant if not for the urgency.

          The two men jumped into the silvery water, glowing with the potency of the Magic contained within it.  They felt the clash of Powers as Brad submersed Ken into the Water.  Brad held Ken’s body, feeling the weight of his husband in his arms.  He forced his anxiety down – God this had to work!  Please let this work!  His cry went out to God, or the Universe… pleading to whatever Powers might be Listening; his desperation empowering his cry.

          Miss Lula, Frank, and the Dove heard him.

He situated Ken’s body so his Head was just above the Water, and Lane gently scooped some into his mouth.

          Lane Listened to the two halves of Brad’s Soul, using that Music, knowing the significance it would have to Ken, and he thrust the strongest, thickest Thread of Healing Energy he ever generated into Ken’s body.

          Similar to when Ken was under the Blood Curse, his Healing energy simply dissipated before it even reached him.  He expected that, and his handsome brow furrowed in concentration.  His own love for Ken was no less than Brad’s, and he pushed harder.  He reached deep inside himself and reached out to Brad – there was no margin for error on what he wanted to do.  He opened his mouth and intoned the Rune of Healing from the Book of Loagaeth.  With Leroy’s Fire still in them, and their own Love of Ken driving their efforts they empowered the Rune with just the two of them.  The Rune took shape in the air before them, hovering over the Water as their own Avatars had in their final Awakening.

The two brothers pushed until their bodies ached with the Power they channeled.    It was almost imperceptible, but Lane soon felt resistance as the influence of the Water of Life made itself felt. 

          Eighty thousand years prior, mere feet from where they were, the Stone had been altered by the Water of Life after the young Master cast it into the depths of the Water, trying to rid himself of it.  The Water touched the Curse originally, empowering and altering it, and it was strong enough to alter it again. 

          As the Water made its way through Ken’s body, his Nephilim Heritage absorbed its ambient magic, Lane felt the Curse become more and more perceptible, and it gave them something to push against.  Once the Curse was finally tangible, he and Brad attacked it with a vengeance. 

          None of the men could imagine their lives without Ken; he was their leader and their Brother, their Soul mate.  The emotions running through Lane and Brad both were harsh and powerful –  anger at the situation, and not a little fear – but they let all of it fuel their Centering Flame.

          Still One with their Brothers in Atlanta, they all felt the gamut of emotions, and they held each other up as always, supporting one another, making each other strong.  Inside their Souls, their arms were around each-other’s shoulders just as Ken’s would be, holding that place until he returned to them.

          The rugged individualism of each of the men – their tenacity, their intense love for one another as Brothers and men – it all gave them what they needed to become more than equal to the task.  Images and emotions from their past, the jokes, the shit talking, the highest highs and the lowest lows of their lives were clear and present, making them who they were.

          The skies over the Valley once again filled with seething clouds, and fresh lightning filled them as Brad and Lane called unimaginable Power down against the Curse, driving it out of Ken.

          Brad hugged Ken against him, their heads together, and he brushed Ken’s short hair back off his forehead.  He pushed with all the love he had for Ken, and Lane could do no less for his Brothers.  The two men, their Avatars fully functional again, drawing on all the sources of their Power, augmented by Dragon Fire and the Water of Life, healed Ken.  His Soul sank back into his chest, and with Lane’s Healing he started to breathe on his own.  They used their Minds, backed by Darren in Atlanta, to set all his broken bones before they knitted back together.

          Brad’s heart leapt in his chest as he felt Ken’s body twitch, and then he bucked from the strength of the Healing flow running through his powerful frame.  The control he had over his physical body was perfect and he settled his muscles, not wanting to hurt Brad unintentionally.  His eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was Brad, crying uncontrollably.  Ken’s arms reached up, grabbing his husband, and they delved into one-another in the special place-where-their-Souls-were-One.

<><> 

          Oh God, Ken, I really thought you were gone this time!  I didn’t know what I was going to do!

          I’m here, B.  You guys did it!  I knew you would! 

          Inside themselves, where-their-Souls-were-One, they were naked.  The dirt and the sweat were gone, but not the tears.  Brad still had Ken’s muscular body cradled against him in his arms.  He pulled Ken’s face against his chest, squeezing with all his strength.  He became ‘that guy’ Mentally and Spiritually, holding Ken as tightly as he possibly could as he sobbed like a baby.

          Ken couldn’t talk either, and they laughed, as his arms went around Brad squeezing back.  They reveled in the close intimacy of their intertwined Souls and Bodies.  After a few minutes, Ken repositioned them so they were sitting up with Brad between his legs, his arms wrapped around Brad’s waist, resting his chin on Brad’s heavy shoulder.  They rested inside each other in silence, until the reality that they were both alive and still together was real to both of them.

          Time wasn’t moving, but they knew their Brothers were holding The Master at bay, and their training asserted itself.

          Lane’s voice piped into their Minds:  If you two lovebirds are finished, there’s a fight going on, in case you forgot!  You can make out like rabbits later.

          Ken’s face broke into that little kid grin and he said:  Damn straight.  When we’re done, I’m gonna light you up like never before.  I’m so horned up for you I can barely stand it.  Do you know how hard it’s gonna be to kick The Master’s ass with a raging hardon?

          Brad reached down and felt exactly how hard Ken was for him, and it started his own fire.  He grinned and said:  I can’t wait.

          Lane:  OK I’m about to dump a bucket of this ice cold Water on you two studs.  You selfish bastards are NOT going to make out in the middle of this!

          Brad took them back into their bodies, still in the pool of Water.

<><> 

          Lane’s eyes had just as many tears as theirs, and Ken embraced his Brother as tightly as he had Brad just a moment ago. 

          Thanks, Lane. 

          All the words Ken wanted to say were expressed through his Heart and Mind as he hugged his Brother.  They both laughed as they clapped each other on the back, because even Ken’s Mental voice sounded choked up.

          Lane, making light of the situation, replied:  I know how much Kevin hates stepping up to the plate when you aren’t around.  We’re like a herd of cats.  I just didn’t want to listen to him whine.  It was easier to have you back.

          Ken ruffled his hair and they both smiled.  Everything Ken wanted and needed to say to Lane was in his eyes and his Heart; they were One and both of them felt everything inside the other.

          Alright fellas, let’s get back in the fight. 

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          The Master continued to hammer at their Shields.  He was out of control and continued to throw attack after attack at them in an animalistic rage.  Even with Leroy’s Fire backing them up, the blows hurt.  The Black Aura of The Master, fueled by the Curse, burned around them constantly.

          Most of them were down on one knee, bracing themselves, arms were over the shoulder of whoever was closest, supporting and encouraging each other. Their powerful bodies heaved and strained, exhibiting the effort they put forth both physically and spiritually.  Their assault suits were soaked through and began to chafe; the swelling of their muscled bodies began to pull the Velcro straps apart and over time all of the guys pulled off the arm and lower legging pieces, trying to lessen their discomfort. 

          Every piece of exposed skin was slick with sweat and shone with the effort.  Veins showed in their strong arms, and their Avatars shone brightly on the big balls of their muscled shoulders.  Their conditioning was evident, they breathed heavy, and they hurt – their bodies ached from the blows against them – yet they persevered and pushed on.  They continued taunting The Master, driving his rage as he continued his relentless assault.

          It seemed like forever since Brad and Lane vanished.  They were all One, and the men in Atlanta felt Ken’s presence when he was finally made whole.  He flooded into their Hearts, Minds, Souls… even their Bodies.  They felt his Will and Conviction inside them, his personal strength that made him their leader.  The relief inside them was immense – none of them could begin to imagine a life without all of them together.  Even if they failed and survived, it was unthinkable to continue without all of them inside one-another.

          As his presence filled them, every one of Ken’s Brothers felt his arms around them, on their backs, ruffling their hair, whispering encouragement in their Minds, Hearts, and Souls.  Whatever they needed to hear, he knew, because he was their Brother and their Leader, and he knew them intimately.  He had a knack for knowing people better than they knew themselves, and he used it for their benefit.

As soon as he was with them again, their backs straightened, pushing up from their knees, and their Light brightened even more.  There were red eyes and some tears from the fact that Ken was with them again, but there was even greater joy when Ken appeared, along with Brad and Lane. 

          The tears in the doctors’ eyes showed how much it meant to have his son back.  Ken sent the doctor & Albrecht his own private greeting, hugging both men in his Mind and Heart.

          The Master’s face was still shrouded in Darkness, but his body posture showed his shock when Ken appeared back with them alive and well.

          “You can’t get ridda me that easy asshole.  Not when these fuckers got my back!”

          After the initial shock, The Master’s rage lessened slightly when he saw Ken.  The surprise of seeing the abomination he had killed, driving the Curse into him, proved how powerful his opponents truly were, and he needed to change his tactics. He had let his rage drive him, thinking he could simply overpower them, but the hybrid Nephilim were far more resilient and Powerful than he ever thought they could be.  There was still no doubt of his victory, but they were going to make him work for it.

          He paused for a moment, breathing heavily.  Sweat covered his grotesquely muscular body under all the hair, and he stank.  The Bodies in particular, smelled him.  Many of them found male scents a turn on, but the smell coming off the Master turned their stomachs.

He wondered at their resilience and what they hoped to gain.  Even though The Master had a volatile primitive rage inside him from his origins, he was extremely intelligent.  He wondered why they continued to fight him when they knew there was no chance or hope of victory.  He wondered at his Brother being inside his Mind, and how that was accomplished.  Yet even with those thoughts it never crossed his mind that there was a way to break the Curse.  The Dark One told him it was all-powerful and Eternal, with no way to break it. 

The Master came up with another idea.  He enjoyed seeing them in pain – their pain and suffering made him stronger; seeing their tears brought him pleasure.  He knew they wanted to protect mankind – the fools!  They couldn’t understand that under the Curse, humans would never choose the Light over the Dark!

The idea of them killing the very humans they wanted to protect was enticing. His lips pulled back into a smile over his crooked yellow teeth as he turned and sent out a wave of Darkness.  The Black wave of Power came off him, rolling outward, continuing, gaining in speed as it spread over the Earth.  It washed over their Shields and didn’t affect them, but they felt its purpose.

          As the wave touched the unconscious people Brad Compelled to go to sleep, they woke up, and The Master Commanded them to attack the New Warriors of The Order first, and if not them, each other.  He knew the humans couldn’t hurt the Warriors, but it would occupy them while he devised another plan to destroy them, and the deaths of so many would add to the pain they already felt.

          Brad’s eyes flashed white, and he unleashed the same Compulsion as before, but this time it didn’t work.

          Brad:  Fuck!  Their Minds are shielded by the Curse!  We can’t break through, and there are going to be too many here to deal with in a little while.

          Ken:  Until they get there, keep the pressure up on big ugly here.  We have to keep him occupied and not focused on Henry & Drew.  We’ll have to figure out somethin once they start showin up.

          Ken glanced at the window of the Waffle House and saw Miss Lula and Drew’s Birdman watching.  The humans inside the building seemed unaffected by The Master’s Command, and he was grateful for that.

          Suddenly their vision blurred for a brief second.  They were familiar with the distortion effect of Eschphene magic.  They were surprised to see Németh, but they were even more surprised to see the young soldiers from the Australia Base along with Craig and his father Kent, wearing full combat assault suits and loaded down with gear and weapons from the Australian Lab.

          Jacob called out, “We thought you could use a little backup, so we hitched a ride!”

          Ken raised his eyebrows, and every one of the men had a questioning look on their faces.

          Jacob admitted, “OK, he came to pick us up.  He said we needed to be here.”

          Ken grinned and thought:  B, Link ’em up.

          Already on it.

          Ken:  You’re timin is perfect guys.  Big ugly here just woke all the normals up, and they’re headed this way.  They’re under a Compulsion to attack and kill us.  You need to keep ’em away so we can focus.  Think Zombie apocalypse, and you’ll be close.

          After the experiences the young soldiers had been through, and Albrecht’s training and teachings, none of them batted an eye at Ken’s ‘zombie’ reference.  They took it in stride and looked ready for whatever might come their way.  They survived coming face to face with the Demon Azaziel and witnessed his restoration to an Angel – dealing with possessed humans would be a walk in the park!

          All the while, in their discussion, the fight with The Master continued.  Darren’s form flitted around, the Bodies attacked and grappled, and the Mentalists sent out  White ropes of Power.

          Brad:  Don’t attack The Master guys!  You don’t want his attention on you, believe me.  We’ll Shield you from him, so stay focused on the humans.  Do everything you can to slow them down without seriously hurting them.  If you have to take lives, make it clean.  Do what you have to do.  You know what’s at stake here, and we have to win. 

          Ken:  Protect each other, and watch your backs.

          Jacob winked and made the hand signals for the unit to fan out, “Alright you heard the man.  We have a job to do.”

          He glanced back at Ken, and with a sharp salute said, “You can count on us, sir.”

          The same thought ran though the Team – they were grateful for the presence of the young soldiers, but they would be devastated if anything happened to them all the same.  Still, they were in a war and needed soldiers.

          Ken glanced at Németh:  Thanks for bringing ’em.  I don’t like puttin ’em at risk, but we need ’em.  How did you know?

          Németh:  All things related to the Balance are my Province.  From the Temple, I saw their threads, and they were needed.  Every power involved in the Conflict is now in motion, and victory or failure rests in your hands.  Restore the Balance, Nephilim.  Do not fail.

          Németh vanished with the same distortion of the area.

          While Ken conversed with Jacob and Németh, the rest of the Team pressed The Master, and the comments started flying as Ken turned to rejoin the fight.

          Nice of you join us, buttercup!

          Are you all nice and rested now?

          Wait, you had hash browns?  While we were out here getting our asses handed to us, you ate breakfast?

          Unlike the first part of the fight, the banter and shit talk flowed as they fought.  They hung shit on one-another, and the bonds and support between them carried them forward.  The strain was incredible, even with the extra power of the Dragon Fire, yet they were One again and more Powerful for it.

          The Master would occasionally attack one of the young soldiers, but the Mentalists were ready and Shielded the young men, diverting the attack back to themselves.

          Ken, Brad, and their Brothers were the pillars of Light mankind needed.  They were a defense against the Darkness and held firm. All of them together, their Souls One, defied everything The Master threw at them.  They had never been as hard-pressed for such a long time, but they held because they had to.  It sounded so simple, but it was a profound lesson Henry taught them.

          The doctor, Albrecht, and Cavall fought alongside them, adding their knowledge, skill, and Power to the fight.  Every one of the Team was wide-eyed at some point seeing their Mentors fight as One.  It was apparent how both of them survived against The Enemy for the thousands of years they did.  The doctor rarely used his abilities overtly, but filled with the extra Power from the sacrifice of Tag & Olive, he fought alongside his adoptive sons as fiercely as any of them.

          The hurt inside them all at the loss of their dear friends was another force that drove them and kept them from giving up.  They would not dishonor Tag & Olive’s sacrifice by failing.

          The fight continued, and every second felt like an eternity as they dug inside themselves, keeping the image of Drew & Henry foremost in their thoughts and Hearts, but praying for them to hurry at the same time.

          Finally, the doctor and Albrecht started to fade.  They exhausted everything they received from Tag & Olive.  At the same time, more and more normals were showing up from the Mall and the surrounding area, and the young soldiers were hard-pressed to maintain the perimeter around the Team.

          Ken:  Doc! Albrecht!  Fall back and help Jacob and the others! 

          Without question, their two mentors fell back. 

          The fight was still unwinnable; the best they could hope for was a stalemate, and pray for Drew & Henry to be successful.

          Eventually, they started to falter.  Their attacks slowed, and weakened, and their defenses became erratic.  Red Fire ignited around them, sucking oxygen into their Core Energy Centers to fuel their bodies.  The flow of Power through them was taking its toll, and the Healing flows Lane kept up started taking more and more energy, diverting it away from their offense.

          Unexpectedly, The Master started fighting erratically.  He shouted, “HOW CAN YOU BE HERE?” startling everyone.  They assumed he was talking about Drew and they renewed their attacks, throwing White ropes of Power at The Master, burning him and pulling him back into the Physical Realm.  He seemed to be struggling, fighting on two fronts.  They took advantage and pressed their attack, until they utterly exhausted themselves.

          Their Hearts were aching inside; they weren’t enough after all.  BUT THEY HAD TO BE!  They gritted their teeth, sweat pouring off them, their bodies trembling with fatigue.  Blinding pain shot through the Minds of the Mentalists.

          Loy & Rick had been there before, when they were trapped in Augusta fighting the Master’s Amalgam.  The Creature pummeled them beyond their ability, and if not for their Brothers, they would have perished.  There was no one else this time.  Németh said all the forces were in play.

          They heard the fighting of the soldiers and the doctor & Albrecht, who were finally being overrun by the mob that had been steadily building over the last minutes.

          Every one of them gave everything they had for Drew.  They fought the Curse, and it was simply too Powerful.

          The Master saw and felt their waning strength and knew he was finally on the brink of victory.  He would destroy The Order first and then deal with the Betrayer and his brother inside his Mind.

<><  Henry in the Valley ><>

          Henry waited until the young Master started to move away.  He was sure the boy couldn’t see Luke, but with his Mind Open he might see or sense Henry’s use of Power.

          Henry slowed down his perception of time, not fully, but enough to be precise when the right moment came.  As soon as the boy was out of sight, Luke dropped from his perch in a nearby Tree and started after him.

          When Henry saw his chance, he lashed out, sending a rope of White Power out to lasso Luke and hold him. 

          His maneuver seemed to work perfectly until Luke transformed into black smoke, escaping Henry’s rope.  The cloud quickly reformed, but rather than Luke the smoke grew much larger and solidified into The Master of the present!  Henry felt the cold aura of his strength and knew it was The Master from the Physical Realm – the shade of Luke was a trap, one that alerted him to anyone tampering in his deepest memory!

Immediately, Henry noticed that the Black nimbus over The Master’s face was barely visible, and he realized that inside The Master’s Mind he couldn’t hide who he was, and in that place his true self was evident.  He didn’t feel sorry for The Master, but it was tragic that anyone could go through life, especially immortal life, despising themselves so completely.

The Master saw him, and his deep voice rasped, “How you came to be here Betrayer, I do not know.  I will discover whatever magics you employed to do this! What is it about the boy and this memory you seek to accomplish?  Why are you here!?”

Henry felt a twinge of fear, not for himself but for Drew.  Henry’s sole purpose was to Protect Drew and distract The Master.  He learned from Ken about pissing your opponent off to make them act irrationally, and Henry knew The Master was sensitive about his appearance.  As powerful as he was it was a strange character flaw, and one he never would have guessed at.

He needed The Master focused on him completely, so even though it was silly high school type humor, he hoped it would work.

          “I’m not telling you shit, furball.  Fuck, now I know why you hide your ugly mug!  If my dog looked like you, I’d shave his butt and teach him to walk backwards!”

          Faster than Henry thought possible, before he could slow down his perception of time and react, The Master moved forward and had a clawed hand around his throat, picking him up.

          Henry’s training kicked in, and on instinct he threw all his Power into his Shields and they flared bright White against The Master.  The lock of hair on Henry’s head flared just as White, and it burned The Master’s hand.

          Henry managed to choke out, “OK, sorry about the ugly joke!”

          The Master moved his face right up to Henry’s.  His horrid-smelling hot breath blew the hair back off Henry’s forehead as he spit out, “I am invincible!  The leader of The New Order lies dead at my feet, and the rest of them are about to die!  Tell me why you are here!  What is it you hope to accomplish?”

Henry was turning purple with the strain of the pressure on his Shields, and the effort of tensing his neck.   He used every bit of Physical and Spiritual strength he had in his enhanced body to prevent The Master from snapping his neck.

Unexpectedly, The Master screamed in pain and his clawed hand released Henry, dropping him to the ground.  White ropes of Power appeared around The Master and he vanished.  Henry cheered in his Mind – someone up top was still fighting, forcing him to pay attention to them rather than Henry & Drew!

Henry dropped to the ground holding his neck, and thought: Fuck me!  I didn’t expect him to show up in person!

Before Henry recovered, The Master reappeared.  Henry rolled away and leapt to his feet before The Master could reorient himself.  Henry needed to give Drew as much time as possible, and he knew he was no match for The Master one-on-one, so his plan was to delay him as long as possible and stay alive doing it.

Henry shot a spear of Mental Energy, hoping to piss The Master off enough that he would follow, and he took off as fast he could run.  He heard The Master’s bellow of rage and the cracking of trees as he knocked them out of the way to follow.

When the noise stopped, Henry knew The Master was gone again.  The fight up top was still ongoing!  During his slight reprieve, it finally registered what The Master said about the leader of The Order being dead.  God, not Ken?  Or the doctor?

His anxiety spiked at The Master’s words.  God, what if Ken were dead?  What would that mean to Brad?  His Mind raced and his chest felt tight, but the lock of hair on his head gleamed in the sun, and he calmed somewhat.  The Master might have been bragging or lying, and Henry didn’t know for sure that anyone was dead yet.  He also, no matter what was happening in the Physical Realm, had to focus on Drew and enabling him to be successful.  The fate of all mankind rested on his son, and Ken and his Brothers instilled the same drive in Henry to see that mission accomplished.   Until he knew anything for certain, he couldn’t let his Mind race with ‘what if’s’ and weaken his resolve or concentration.

Henry stopped and waited, and when The Master reappeared Henry would attack, and run, until he disappeared again.  He could tell The Master was really getting worked up – fighting inside his Mind and in the Physical Realm at the same time was pissing him off. 

Henry, unfamiliar with the Valley, was soon lost.  His driving need was to draw The Master further away from Drew and to give him time.  He knew he fucked up when he ran into a dead end, and as he turned to run The Master appeared once again blocking his only way out.

Henry knew what was coming and he braced himself, his arms crossed before him and his Shields bright.  A Black Talon of Energy shot out of The Master’s hand, hitting Henry’s crossed forearms.  The blow threw Henry back against the nearby rock wall, but his shields held.  He slowed down time as he flew back, positioning his body so he could smack his arms out and absorb most of the impact.  The maneuver didn’t work as well against rock as it did on the mats in the gym, but it kept him from being seriously hurt.

He remembered Christmas night the year before at the Atlanta Symphony, the night Brad’s friend Tony died.  The Master tried to kill Henry that night, but he survived a direct attack.  It knocked him cross-eyed, but he survived.  He survived because he had to, for Drew.  Taking the blow he just did reminded Henry how much stronger he was than he used to be.

The attack hurt, it hurt down to his Soul, but it didn’t come close to killing him.  The problem was The Master had him pinned, and if he couldn’t figure out a way to get by, he wouldn’t last long.  The thought came back to his Mind – he would hold out as long as he needed to so Drew could be successful at his task.  He would be the Wall, no matter the cost.

The Master looked on Henry’s form as he attacked.  Henry was soaked in sweat, his body fully pumped; he didn’t have the angelic heritage his Brothers did, but he was an incredibly handsome and virile man.  The Master’s own servants created Henry’s body to be in the shape it was.  Seeing Henry’s physical perfection angered him nearly as much as the Nephilim abominations.

The Master wondered how Henry had become so powerful.  He started out as a Protector of The Enemy, and that in its own right made him strong.  Yet since his interactions with Aaron Thomas, Albrecht, and the Nephilim abominations he had grown into something The Master had never seen before. 

“I am curious, Betrayer, how you have grown to be so powerful.  It is a secret I wish to learn, so my underlings will be more potent as well.  I will rip the knowledge from your Mind before I destroy you.”

The Master unleashed a savage flurry of attacks on Henry.  He fended off the first couple, but once a few of them landed they took their toll, and soon The Master had him held against the rock wall, pounding him. 

Henry was nearly unconscious, his handsome face bloody, while The Master held him pinned to the rock wall.  Henry’s feet dangled a few feet off the ground, and his strength was fading fast.  He needed some kind of respite, however brief, to recover and get away.  He had to be the Wall and delay The Master as long as he could.

          Henry gathered what strength he had left, hoping to hit The Master hard enough to drop him.  His Mind was foggy from the beating and at first, he wasn’t sure what he heard.  Before launching his attack, he heard a deep growl from behind The Master. 

          The Master turned and screamed, “HOW CAN YOU BE HERE?”

          The Wolf-Spirit, her form grown to be larger than The Master, attacked him.  Behind her, Henry saw the thousands upon thousands of Soul-fragments from Drew.  His last command had been for them to save her, as the countless shades from The Master’s memories rushed to destroy her.

          I live Evil One, because the cub saved me.  He is far more powerful than you imagine, and he will be your undoing.

          Her fangs dug deep into his flesh, and as he struggled to grapple with her, the incarnations swarmed over him.   Individually they weren’t strong, but there were so many The Master was temporarily overwhelmed, and he vanished, driven back to the Physical Realm.

Almost as if her words were prophetic, the sky started turning dark, and a loud crack of thunder echoed throughout the Valley.  The wind picked up quickly, and Henry clearly heard laughter in it.

Henry looked up at the darkening sky and another crack of Thunder rippled across it.  It was far louder than it possibly should have been, and it echoed out and beyond The Master’s Mind.

          Henry felt himself pulled by the Wolf-Spirit.  She took them to Drew, and what he saw struck him a blow he was totally unprepared for.

Thunder and Lightning filled the skies.  Rain poured as the Heavens wept.  Creation groaned, and the laughter of the Dark One echoed throughout the Valley.

Drew lay cradled in the arms of his brother, his head crushed in to where he was almost unrecognizable.  There was blood everywhere, and the Stone, still in the young Master’s hand, smoked.

At first Henry couldn’t even make a sound.  The pain was so unexpected and all-consuming he couldn’t move.  His eyes were wide in shock, and already filling with tears.

Henry felt as if a part of his Soul died, and he rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside the boys.  The young Master looked at Henry, his eyes wide and terrified.  His face was a mask of desperation, as if he was pleading for help.

Henry chocked out, “Drew, what did you do baby?!  Oh, God, no!  You can’t be dead!  You can’t be!”

Henry was so overcome with grief his mind went numb.  He reached out towards Drew, his hands shaking uncontrollably.  He wanted to touch Drew, but there was so much damage he was afraid of doing even more.  He knew Drew was gone, but he still couldn’t bear the thought of hurting him even more.  Drew felt pain most of his life and Henry couldn’t bear the thought of adding to it, even in death.

The young Master saw the devastation on Henry’s face and the tears filling his eyes.  He cried as well and he tried to say something, but had no words or language of the tongue.  He held Drew’s body out towards Henry as if begging Henry to fix him.  Loud guttural noises that sounded like hoots and hollers came from the young Master’s mouth, but his Mind and the intent behind his shouts clearly expressed:

Brother, forgive me!  I didn’t mean it!  Come back to me!

With those thoughts, a ripping sound started.  At first it sounded like thunder, but it was continuous.  The sound became louder and louder and everything started to shake.  The sound was the Curse shredding into non-existence, and it was heard and felt throughout everything!

The young Master looked at the Stone, smoking in his hand, evidence of his actions.  He couldn’t take it back, but he wanted to.  He felt shame and embarrassment – the Voice lied to him!  It promised he would feel powerful!  He let Drew go, and his body rolled onto the ground.   He turned and fled, down into the cave where the Water of Life resided…

…but this time the memory was different.  Drew’s presence, and his last words to his brother, changed everything.  The young Master, his first version, asked forgiveness from his dead brother.  Drew couldn’t answer, but it didn’t matter, because in his Heart he forgave his brother long before his death.  When he ran away, and was on his own, he thought about his brother’s plight.

The Compassion in him, magnified by his dad and his uncles, gave him the capacity to forgive his brother.

Henry lifted him up, shaking so hard with sobs he couldn’t speak. He sucked in air as the rain fell, holding Drew against him and, cradling his limp body and rocking him slowly.  Henry raised his face to the Heavens, his neck thickening with grief, and he wailed and cried out his pain.

Images of Drew ran through Henry’s Mind, and he remembered all the indifferent looks recently.  They weren’t looks of indifference; they were resignation, and Henry realized that Drew planned his death all along, and that made his pain all the worse.  His son, not even seven years old, sacrificed himself to save everyone.  

Henry also realized why the Birdman didn’t want Henry with Drew at the end.  His words to Drew at the wedding were prophetic of course, and Drew kept his promise, but it was still clear that Henry’s presence could hamper Drew’s success.  If Henry had been present, he would not have let him sacrifice himself, even if it meant failure.

“Oh God, baby, why?  Why did you do this?”  The pain in Henry was excruciating.  He cried so hard he could barely breathe, and he moaned his grief, raging at God for what his son was forced to do.

The Wolf-Spirit howled her own grief, and as her cry faded all the incarnations, the tortured, broken fragments of Drew’s Soul, faded.

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          They were all on their last leg, exhausted, pushing everything they had into their Shields.  The Master sensed their weakening and gathered his strength for an attack that would destroy all of them.

          Lane heard it first; a Sound, mixed in with all the thunder and lightning, but different.  It was thunder, but it reverberated beyond Earth and out into the Heavens.

<  Lane’s Vision >

          As the sound of the Curse over The Master breaking was heard throughout Creation, Lane’s eyes, and the eyes of all his Brothers, flashed white.

          The words to the first Song he ever Dreamt came into his thoughts, and this time images accompanied the words.

          Braved the forests, braved the Stone followed the image of Drew, bloody and beaten by his brother, braved the icy winds and fire followed images of Darren in the freezing cold of Thomin’s Vault and Bryan bathed in Leroy’s Fire.  I’ve faced the quakes, the winds, the fire followed images of Ken in the Construct of the Valley while dying under the Blood Curse, I’ve conquered country, crown, and throne showed images of their time as soldiers in Syria as SEALS and the times of their former lives that lead them to be the men they were.  It’ll take a lot more than rage and muscle showed their fight and intestinal fortitude to drive beyond being equal in all their fights, to push their Avatars beyond equal to become what they needed to be to succeed. He saw Henry fighting the Eschphene Leader and dying in the Temple.  The hands of the many must join as One… showed the ten of them together, along with Henry, as One being.  And together we’ll cross the River… it showed them how together, united, with the unbreakable bonds between them, they could carry Mankind across the River and beyond the nature of the Curse – or not.  They saw the freedom to choose the direction of Mankind and the blank slate yet to be written depending on their actions.  The fate of mankind truly rested on their shoulders and wisdom.

          The Prophetic meaning of the lyrics given to Lane by Istariel, and given to Istariel by his Father the Dove, the words that opened their Nephilim Heritage, became clear to them.

<><> 

          The Master stopped, deathly still.  He knew that sound echoing through the Physical Realm; he suppressed it for eighty thousand years!  He had it locked away, in the darkest and deepest well inside his Mind.  But Henry tore the lid off that well, and the connection to his present Mind was made.  There was no longer any barrier.

          The doctor knew, and had explained to them all at one point, the danger of bottling up emotions.  Emotions had a way of magnifying when they were suppressed, and often came out much stronger, and sometimes in other forms, when they finally found their way back out.

          The agony, the pain, and the guilt that The Master felt in the seconds after he killed his brother resided inside that well over the long span of millennia.  Occasionally the emotions tried to break free, and The Master would Dream and hear his brother’s screams, but he was Powerful and pushed them down behind the chains and locks, into the darkest corner of his Mind and Heart.

          The second crack of Thunder filled the skies, and The Master’s huge body flinched as though struck.  He was paralyzed with emotion, unlike anything he had ever felt.  He fought it, but the dam inside of him was already broken and opening wider as the emotions from eighty thousand years ago rushed forward through time and into the present.

          He felt the Stone in his hand again.  He looked down and it was there, smoking.  The weight and the smell of it drove the memories into him.

          The last crack of thunder hit and he heard The Dark One’s laughter in his memory, but it echoed through the skies in the present as well. 

          Henry appeared, holding Drew’s body, cradling his son, wailing his pain and agony out.

          The Master saw Drew in his original form and not as Drew.  His Mind transported back through the centuries.  He was a boy again, only nine years old, deceived by The Dark One into killing his only brother.  He loved his brother; their Minds and Hearts were bound together, but The Dark One planted the seeds of jealousy and nurtured them until they took hold, and in a premeditated attack he struck his brother with the Stone; once, twice, three times, caving in his skull until his face was unrecognizable.

          As a boy he didn’t have speech of the tongue.  His Heart wailed over his deed.  When he saw his brother’s lifeless body he innately sensed the finality of his act.  He wanted to take it back, but he couldn’t, and he cried.  He cried with the purity of a young boy who didn’t realize the consequences of his actions beforehand, only to have them thrust upon him mercilessly.

As the first memory of The Master wailed and howled the meaning: Brother, forgive me!  I didn’t mean it!  Come back to me! The Master in the present voiced the words, echoing the thoughts of his first self.  His eyes, which hadn’t shed a tear in eighty thousand years, spilled tears over his ruddy rough cheeks, and the words escaped his lips, mirroring what was happening inside his Mind.

The words themselves were barely a whisper, but he spoke them, and they were heard throughout Creation.

“Brother, forgive me!”

Henry & Drew bridged The Master’s past with his present self and the emotions were real and powerful and all-consuming.  He was caught off-guard and had no defense against his own memories – the Curse was powerless against them.

The sincerity of the emotions, coupled with the words, started not just a ripple, but a tsunami.  In the Eschphene High Temple, Németh’s heart leap inside his massive body as he heard the words uttered across all the Realms.

The Team Listened and Heard the ripping sound as the Curse ripped out of The Master and they Understood the meaning.  Drew did it!  Drew & Henry did it!

Their Hearts would have leapt for joy except they saw, even as they were bent over in utter exhaustion and closer to failure than they had ever been, Henry appear with Drew’s tiny body, bathed in blood and lifeless in his arms.  Drew was cradled against Henry’s big chest, his powerful arms holding him tight, yet everything about his posture made it clear how much pain he was in.

As Henry appeared, they threw themselves inside him, and the depth of his grief ripped into their Hearts.  The suddenness of it, the shock, took them by surprise.  The Wolf-Spirit was with them, and she howled for her beloved cub, the charge she had come to love as one of her own.  Cavall mirrored her and the two wolves sang the song of the broken pack.

Henry was soaked from the rain falling over his bare upper body, his neck thickened as his face looked to the Heavens.  Veins showed in his neck and all over his shoulders from the strain; his body was almost purple from the pain and turmoil that filled him.

As soon as Henry appeared, Drew’s Soul floated gently out of his chest.  It was beautiful, containing the thousands of fragments of his other lives.  It was the most beautifully complex Soul that had ever existed.

Everything stopped, and became deathly still.

The Curse was gone from The Master, who stood still as stone, stunned and unable to comprehend what happened.  For the time being, the Curse was still in effect over Mankind, but The Master was no longer protected from Death by its Power, and the Team would now be able to remove it over Man if they wished.

Any active spells or Commands Powered by the Curse broke.  People stopped, shaking their heads as if waking up from a bad dream.  The young soldiers collapsed on the ground in exhaustion as all the civilians they had been defending against stopped their mindless assault.

          Aaron & Albrecht, tears flowing freely, heard Henry’s wail of grief, and they knew instantly that Drew was dead.  Henry & Drew were victorious, but the cost was high, and one they never expected to pay.

          All of the men, inside their Minds and Hearts where-their-Souls-were-One, cried out their pain over what they witnessed.  They pulled Henry back into them as soon as he appeared, holding Henry tight to their Hearts, trying to soften his pain and their own.  No words were spoken as they shared everything with one another.

          As the silence fell, Uriel appeared in a flash of Light, his white wings fluttering softly, holding him aloft.  He shone brightly in his full armor.

          Henry looked up at him when he realized Uriel was there. He begged, “No!  Please!  You can’t take him!”  The desperation in his voice was heart-wrenching.

          Uriel’s eyes shone with stars and the depth of time.  His voice was compassionate as he started to say, “Henry Ross, I…”

          A shout from Ken and every man on the Team covered up whatever Uriel was going to say.  They vanished and physically appeared around Henry, encircling him.

          As soon as The Master stopped his attack, all their Power that went to their defense went back into them; they were once again filled with Power.  Everything happened simultaneously – Lane and the Mentalists sent a thick rope of Healing energy through all of them, restoring them. 

          Leroy’s Fire faded, leaving them; and they stood on their own, towering pinnacles of Light and strength, Warriors of the Order.

          Uriel calmly watched them as Ken said, “You’re not takin him.  He’s been through too much for it to end like this.  He did his job, but we’re gonna Heal him.  He did everythin asked of him and more.  He’s a fuckin hero and he saved everybody!  He’s comin home with his dad, and us, and you aren’t gonna stop that from happenin.”

          Ken stood tall, facing Uriel, backed by all his Brothers and his husband.  They all noted, especially Brad, how much like Michael he looked in the moment. Ken’s voice had an edge to it they had rarely heard; and his Avatar flared, filling his words with Conviction.

          Henry begged them, “Please guys.  Fix him.  Bring him back!”  His voice was so thick he could barely talk.  The pleading note in the voice of their Brother tore at their Hearts, while Henry continued rocking Drew as if he was still alive, kissing the top of his head and whispering soothing words into his ears.  He used Drew’s t-shirt and kept wiping the blood away, but with the damage it was impossible.

          Uriel looked up to the Heavens and his Voice echoed out, “Brothers!  I need you!”

          The other nine Archangels appeared behind him.  The assumption was that Uriel was calling them to back him up, and they were about to have to fight their angelic grandfathers.

          Ken looked at Michael and said, “Don’t make us fight you on this Grandfather.”

          Michael looked sad.  All the Archangels did.  The changes inside them, interacting with their Nephilim offspring, were farther-reaching than they realized.  Maybe it was part of God’s plan all along, and Ken & Brad and the others were his way of introducing changes to his Creation.  God said they were Random and Unfettered, and if that were true, then he wasn’t controlling them or guiding their actions.  It was almost as if he shook the cosmic birdcage to see what would happen when everything settled down.

          The conflict in Uriel’s face was apparent, bordering on confusion.

          Raphael moved forward and put a hand on Uriel’s armored shoulder.  When he did, all their eyes went white, and it was apparent they were communing with one another.

          Ken nodded to Lane:  Do it, while they’re distracted.  Guys get ready.  There’s no tellin how they’re gonna react.

          They were all One and in agreement.  Lane sent a White rope of Healing into Drew, but it vanished before it touched him, just as it had with Ken under the Blood Curse.

          Fuck!

          Henry’s eyes went wide with Hope, but when the Healing flow dissipated, his Heart broke completely.

          The eyes of the Archangels dimmed and Uriel’s wings fluttered slightly as his feet touched the ground.  Uriel walked forward, but Bryan intervened, blocking him..

          “Grandfather, no.”

          Uriel looked at Bryan, his grandson, so alike yet different – handsome solid Bryan, the gentlest of them all with the fiercest loyalty.

          Bryan’s eyes widened slightly as he saw the Light trails of tears spilling down Uriel’s cheeks.  All the Archangels had them, and none of the men were sure what it meant. 

          Uriel’s deep voice was gentle, and he slowly reached up and put a gauntleted hand on Bryan’s shoulder.  He cupped Bryan’s thick neck and part of his jaw and asked, “Do you trust me Bryan?”

          Bryan looked into Uriel’s Ageless eyes.  He looked deep, into the stars, staring for a moment.  He found what he was looking for, and his own deep gravelly voice said, “I do,” as he stepped back.

          What Bryan sensed in Uriel was shared with all of them; they were One in the moment.  

          Uriel knelt and reaching out he cupped the Soul floating over Drew’s chest.  He lifted it up and looked at it, and then held it aloft.

          The other Archangels wrapped their wings around their Brother and a hot wind started to blow.  It felt soothing over the sweaty skin of the Team; it felt wholesome and dried their tears.  A feeling of euphoria hit them, and their chests caught with the sudden intake of breath.

          Small sparks started shooting out of the Soul Uriel held aloft.  At first it was one, then a few more, and after a few seconds thousands of them started streaming out, swirling around the beautiful orb in Uriel’s hand like fireflies.  At first glance they were beautiful, like small golden snowflakes, but their enhanced vision, along with their Understanding, saw the flaws in them.  The tiny crystalline sparks put off the Light of a human Soul, but they were misshapen and broken.

          The Archangels were pulling the tortured Soul fragments out of Drew.  Brad realized what they were first and then everyone through him.  They recognized the versions they met while Drew was learning to control his abilities; Rhavi, Ferguson, and the first version of Drew that had no name.  Those were a few of his incarnations that were sane; so many of the others were broken to the point where they weren’t.

          Uriel and his Brothers separated over eleven thousand of the fragments, leaving Drew’s Soul pure and intact.  When they were done, Uriel wrapped the incarnations all up in the comfort of his Wings.

          “Rest now little ones.  Find the peace you should have had long ago.  There is a special place in Heaven for all of you, and you will be happy and whole there, I promise you.”

          Gabriel stepped forward and took Drew’s Soul from Uriel, cupping it reverently. 

          Gabriel’s Voice, the Herald of God, spoke loud and clear, “I hold the Soul of the Redeemer.  The child whose bravery and compassion are unparalleled among Mankind.  There are many humans who are heroic; all of you here today are among them. Drew Ross holds his place among you, and all the fallen heroes, with no shame, as an equal.  Mankind will never know the gratitude they owe this child, yet we honor him, and he will always have a place waiting at Home when his time finally comes to leave the Physical Realm.”

          The other Archangels went down on bended knee, paying homage to Drew and his selfless act.

          Raphael looked at Brad and said, “It will mean more to all of you to Heal the child yourselves, than if we did it.”

          The tears were thick on all their faces, and the smiles.  Henry finally grasped what was about to happen and just whispered, his voice trembling and barely audible, “Please!  I can’t stand seeing him this way!”

          Three powerful thick ropes of Azure, Crimson, and Gold came out of each of Drew’s Uncles.  Lane pulled from Henry as well, and he wove them into an intricate and delicate Healing flow that would be gentle.  Darren’s brow concentrated and with the Understanding of all of them, the bones in Drew’s skull reformed into their proper shapes and positions.  They cleaned the blood away at the same time, and the Healing flow went into Drew’s small body.  In a matter of seconds he was fully restored.

          Gabriel held Drew’s Soul out and Uriel blew gently on it, “Return and live once more, Drew Ross.”

          The Soul bobbed gently over and sank into Drew’s chest.  It only took a second, and his eyes fluttered open. 

          He was cradled against his father’s bare chest and powerful arms.  Henry was still covered in dirt and sweat.  The first thing Drew felt when he woke up was his father’s warm strength wrapping him up, and the smell he found so comforting; his sweat and aftershave, and his tears falling on his face.

          Henry broke down in relief, pressing his face against Drew.

          Drew sounded sleepy, “Hi, Daddy.  Why are you crying?”

          Henry pulled back, pushing the hair off Drew’s forehead and looking into his eyes.  It took him a second to talk, and he had to swallow a few times, “I’m just glad you’re OK, Tiger!”

          Drew’s next question surprised all of them, “Daddy, where’s my brother?”

          All eyes turned to The Master, who stood alone and apart, looking confused and out of place.  He noticed their stares, and realized they could see his face.  His eyes met Drew’s, and they were the same color. 

          The Black nimbus returned as they saw his lips pull back.  His Dark Shields flared around him.  He was still the First Soul, and Powerful, but without the Curse he was now vulnerable.

          Ken saw it immediately in The Master’s body language; his cockiness and supreme confidence were gone.  There was an air of wariness now that wasn’t present before.

          Drew stood up and he took Henry’s hand.  Henry was still shirtless, wearing only the leggings and feet of his Kevlar.  Drew was bare-chested as well; his jeans were rolled up and he still wore his sneakers.  His red hoodie was tied around his waist.  He was dirty.  The blood was gone, but the dirt and dried sweat from the humidity in the valley still covered father and son.

          The Master’s posture was defensive, and he looked to Ken as if he was about to turn and run.  None of them knew what Drew’s intent was as he approached his brother.  He stopped far enough away not to be within arm’s reach with Henry beside him.

          He looked so small and pale compared to the muscular grotesque giant.  Henry, One with the Team, had his Shields over Drew.

          Drew said, “I know you were tricked by the bad man.  I saw him with you.”

          The Master practically hissed, “You know nothing!”

          Drew was in adult-mode and said, “I’m sorry.”

          “I do not want your pity.  I wish nothing from you but your death.  You won, brother.  The Order has won.  The Dark One is not finished with you, any of you.  The Battle will continue as it always has.”

          The unmistakable sound of metal sliding through a body was heard and The Master’s body unexpectedly arched up, his feet leaving the ground.

          Luke appeared behind The Master, one arm around his throat and the other driving the knife through his torso from behind, “You are so right… but without you.  I wished for your failure so I can deal with these abominations myself.  Lucky me, my wish came true.”

          Henry’s reflexes were blindingly fast, and he grabbed Drew, but before he could move any further Darren had grabbed them both and teleported them behind the Team. 

          The air was filled with the sound of blades being pulled as the Archangels spun, drawing their weapons at Luke’s sudden appearance.

          The skies darkened once again, and fresh lightning and thunder filled the clouds.  A sudden chill filled the area and when the men glanced up, the sky was filled with the wings and cloven hooves of Luke’s army.

          Luke smiled, “Yes, with his failure, the Oathstone’s binding is gone, and I am free from its influence.”

          A Black Talon shot through The Master’s body, consuming him to nothing, and Luke stepped back in a defensive posture looking cool and confident.

          Brad noted that the weapon Luke held was the dagger crafted by Orophir and left in his cave.

          “You did well keeping the knowledge of how to defeat The Master from me.  I am impressed that you managed to pull it off.  I know the cost you paid.  Father is so good at pulling the cost out of his pawns.  I am beginning to think he is just a cruel old codger, who enjoys watching others suffer.”

          Before Michael replied, Ken stepped forward and asked, “Do you really want to push things now?”

          “Do not think, Ken, that because you managed to trick me once that I cannot annihilate you all.  My army is here, along with the stragglers of The Master’s servants that came back with their tails between their hooves.  Putting the Dragon into play was a brilliant move, but premature.  His Fire is spent for now, and you cannot use him against me.  You are still ignorant and playing with toys that are far beyond your scope.”

          Raphael, “Brite One, stop all this.”

          Raphael apparently pushed a button and he shouted, “NEVER call me that again!”

          “Things are changing Luke.”

          “You are so right, Brother.”  The way he said ‘Brother’ was in insult.

          Ken:  Dar get Drew, Henry, the doc, Albrecht, Jacob and his crew to the Lab.  I gotta feelin things’re about to get ugly.

          There was a slight pause and Darren thought:  No can do, boss man.  Transporters are down.         

          Luke grinned and said, “No one is going anywhere.  In fact, I was waiting until everyone arrived.  Now that I’m sure everyone is here we can begin.  Show yourself, Orophir!”

          Much to the surprise of everyone, Orophir appeared as he took off the ring he used to cloak himself.  The Archangels were still as stone, watching and waiting as events unfolded.  They knew a confrontation with Luke and his Army could escalate out of control.  The Powers unleashed in such a confrontation would rip a hole in Reality.

          Istariel, Ruviel, and Telcharan appeared beside Orophir.

          “Ahhhh, I see you made some new friends!  I’m surprised they didn’t destroy you, knowing you’re my son.”

          “They accept me as I am father.  You kept me ignorant to control me.  I will never be your puppet again.”

          “You were wise to hide from me.  You are to blame for my plans coming to ruin here.  I know it was you who revealed the location of Thomin to Michael.  If not for you, the Vault and all its treasures would have been mine.  By now, all of the Physical and Spiritual Realms would have been under my Rule.”

          “I am done hiding, father.  I am here to stop you.  These Nephilim are my friends.  They gave me Sanctuary when I had nowhere else to go.  You will not harm any of them and you will leave here, never to come back.”

          Luke smiled, retorting, “I was counting on your being here. You see, I am not here to destroy them.”  He pointed to Ken and the Team and continued, “At least not today.  No, today I am here to take my vengeance on you.”

          Black Talons shot out of Luke’s hands and hit a Shield around Orophir.  Istariel, Ruviel, and Telcharan drew their weapons, but backed off.

          The Team started to move forward, but Istariel’s voice filled their Minds:  Do not interfere!

          Michael and the other Archangels did not try to intervene.  Michael had doubts about Orophir from the beginning and wanted him destroyed.   Raphael convinced all of his Brothers that Orophir had a part to play in events, and they needed to leave him be.  They communed with one another and decided to let events play out.  At the very least, Luke would be weakened after his fight with the Nephilim and they could confront him after.

          Orophir prepared himself well.  His mastery of the Runes was exemplary and he outfitted himself specifically against his father.  Luke’s initial attacks were all ineffective.

          Drew cried, not understanding why no one was helping his friend Orophir.  Henry held him, turning his face away so he wouldn’t see what was going on.

          The Team channeled and pulled from all their Sources of Power, and Brad Shielded them all tightly.  The forces around them were escalating as Orophir went on the offensive, throwing Powerful attacks back at his father.  His skill was remarkable, and his use of the Runes ingenious.  The doctor saw everything and learned much from what Orophir managed to accomplish.

          For a moment, Orophir had Luke on the defensive.  His attacks were Powerful and well planned, but ultimately, he fought The Dark One, and it seemed as though he underestimated just how Powerful his father was.  It wasn’t long before Luke closed the gap between them, breaking through Orophir’s Shields. 

“Did you really think your trinkets would make you a match for me?”

          The dagger Luke used to kill The Master was still in his hand.

          “You left me this gift in your cave.  I will now kill you with it and every last vestige of your existence will be gone. It will be as if you never were.  I admit I made a mistake in siring you, and I now correct that mistake.”

          Orophir struggled but without his items and matrices of Runes he had no chance against Luke.  He was convincing in his struggle, making his efforts appear real.  He had every intention of dying that day, by his father’s hand.

          The dagger was the most complex item he had ever crafted, folding Runes in on themselves multiple times in layer after layer of deception and Power.  He built a weapon specifically designed to kill his father.  Unbeknownst to Luke, the blade was still unfinished, needing one last component to activate it.  Pure Nephilim didn’t have Souls – not in the sense that humans did.  Ken and the others were Original Men first and their Souls were as God intended them to be, untouched by the Curse and uncorrupted.

          As Luke stabbed the dagger into Orophir’s chest, the dull lifeless gem in the pommel came to life, drawing on Orophir’s energy.  Orophir created a type of Blood Curse against his father, but rather than blood he used his own Life force.  Being a direct descendant of Luke’s, it was targeted at his father, and there were no other offspring to effect a ‘cure.’

          The gem in the pommel exploded with Light, and Luke staggered back.  Orophir screamed as his essence was sucked into the gem, empowering its Magic.

          Luke’s eyes went wide and he whispered to himself, “What have you done?”

          He bent over in pain and fell to the ground.  When Ken and the Team trapped Luke inside the Four Corners they heard him scream.  Lane caused him extreme pain, and they remembered that sound.  Luke was in real agony.

          His form started to fragment and break apart, as if he was a mirror breaking up.  His scream turned to anger as he exerted all his might, fighting off whatever it was Orophir did to him.

          Whatever Power was attacking Luke, he matched it.  He was one of the first beings created, before Time; he was an Archangel of the Highest Order, and even after his Fall he was one of the strongest beings in existence.  Few could match his strength, and those that could stood by watching, stunned at what they witnessed.

          The other Archangels felt the Power escalating and knew they had to act.  One of their primary roles was to Protect Reality and keep forces of their Battle in check, lest they unravel Reality.  Michael ordered them, and their Wings spread, forming a circle around Luke.

          The tear in the fabric of Reality they feared happened, and they had to contain it.  They heard the ripping sound as it got larger. 

          Where the Archangels and everyone else saw nothing but blackness through the tear, Lane and Loy saw something.  There should be nothing there… it was the ‘nothing’ that existed before Creation… yet they now knew there was a previous Creation.  One unknown and undetectable to the Higher Order of this Creation.

          Lane:  Guys there’s something there!

          Loy:  I see it too! 

          No one else saw anything, but Loy and Lane not only saw it, they Listened and heard something coming from the other side of the tear!

          Luke screamed one last time, and he was sucked into the tear, and it closed!

          The sudden silence was deafening.

          No one said anything for a moment, and it was Lane who spoke first, “Is he gone?”

          The Archangels looked stoic, their expressions grim.

          Raphael’s voice sounded sad when he answered, “We do not know, Lane.  We have never witnessed such a occurrence.  There should not have been anyplace for him to go.  He is most likely destroyed.”

          Raphael looked directly at Brad, and his eyes had questions.  The Team agreed not to bring up Allenor and the knowledge of a previous Creation to their angelic relatives.  The way Raphael looked at him, he knew Brad knew something.

          Brad replied, “I’m sorry if he’s gone.  I know he wasn’t always like he is now.  I was hoping maybe we could find a way to bring him back.”

          Raphael sent a private thought to Brad:  Perhaps you still will.  I will come to you soon to discuss this in private.  You know something, but now is not the time.

          Brad nodded almost imperceptibly, and Raphael turned away.

          Henry said, “Guys, I need to get Drew back to the Lab.  We need to clean up, eat, and then I know a little boy who needs a nap.”

          Drew was practically asleep on Henry’s big shoulder already.  The excitement, once it stopped, had worn him out.  Cavall and the Wolf-Spirit were both by Henry’s side, staying as close to Drew as possible.

          Henry still had tears in his eyes.  His emotions wouldn’t settle.  The enormity of events were still inside of him, and even though Drew was in his arms, safe and sound, he had died.

          Michael abruptly announced, “We must go.”

          He walked over to Ken, and put his gauntleted hands on his grandson’s heavy shoulders, shaking him slightly.

          His ageless eyes misted over, and he said in his deep voice, “I thought I lost you again, yet here you are.”

          Ken chuckled, “Yeah, well I had to stick around a while longer.  Someone has to keep these ladies in line.”  Ken’s throat thickened in reaction to Michael’s emotions.

          Michael whispered in his ear, “I am glad you made it.  I can no longer imagine my existence without you.  Be well, Ken.”

          Each of the Archangels said their farewells to their respective grandson.  Emotions were high, from the events of the day and from the expressions of true love and gratitude towards each other.

          Istariel, Ruviel, and Telcharan left unobtrusively.  Everyone thought their behavior odd and wondered at it.  They would have to call Istariel next time they were on ZEUS and find out if something was wrong.

<><  Ken and Brad as One – private thoughts ><>

          Naked, Ken grabbed ahold of Brad, pulling him into their signature full body hug. After all the stress of the day, their bodies felt perfect against each other.  Each man needed the comfort of the other, and they both gave and received it in equal measure. Resting their chins in the crux of each other’s heavy shoulders, they held each-other while their hands roamed over each-other’s shoulders and back.

          It took them some time to run through all the emotions in each of them.  The impact of all the sacrifices hit them hard, and the emotional rollercoaster of events exhausted them.

          After a time, when they were calmer, Brad asked: Fuck, Ken.  Where do we go from here?

          Ken:  I don’t know B.  The sun will come up tomorrow like always.  We’ll get up, have hot sex, eat, maybe have more hot sex, and then do our PT, get all sweaty, have more hot sex.  You know the drill.  Life will go on.

          Brad grinned:  I like the hot sex parts… can we just do that for a day or two?

          Ken laughed:  How about we declare next week, ‘hot sex week.’  Everybody needs a break after all this.

          Brad chuckled:  I think you should.  It’s going to happen anyways after all this, so why not make it official?

          Ken got that little kid grin on his face:  Fuck, that’s a great idea.

          Brad:  Yeah, that’s why I thought of it, and you didn’t.

          Ken laughed and hugged Brad tighter:  You fucker.

          After a short pause, Ken continued:  I just needed to hold you for a while to settle myself.  You know you’re my rock. 

          After a short pause, Brad started to tear up:  I lost you today, Ken.  I really thought you were gone this time.

          Ken felt the renewed spike of emotion in his husband, and they both teared up.  Ken hugged Brad even tighter and thought: I’m not B.  I’m right here.  You guys brought me back.

          Brad sniffled and stifled his emotions:  We can work through that later tonight.  As long as we’re together we can sort it out.

          Ken:  The rest of the guys should be ready.  I know they’re all doin the same thing we are.

          Brad:  Yeah… we need to have a quick pow-wow and decide what to do next.

          Ken:  Fuck, you’re a buzzkill sometimes.

Ken got that little kid grin on his face and thought:  Just one more thing.

          Brad felt Ken’s hands slip down and cup his solid ass cheeks, giving them a firm squeeze.

          Brad:  Don’t start something we can’t finish!

          Ken:  Sorry, I just had to be sure.

          Brad:  Sure of what?  My ass?

          Ken’s grin became even more impish:  Well, yeah.  You pulled the biggest win ever out of your ass, and I want to make sure it’s still firm and solid. Somethin that big might have left you all loose and flabby.  So, you know… I want to make sure it’s in top shape for later tonight.

          Brad saw the grin on Ken’s face and he melted inside.  He knew why Ken said what he did… Ken always did things like that to make Brad feel better or pull his thoughts out of a dark direction.  Fuck, he loved his husband so much.  As intended, Ken’s smile drove off Brad’s thoughts of almost losing him, and his own smile in return warmed Ken in the same way.

          As Brad took them back up to themselves, he pulled them together one last time in a tight hug, and both men relished the feel of their bodies together and the emotions they felt for one another.

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          Ken was about to holler out, but he saw Drew sleeping on Henry’s shoulder.

          B, pull everybody but Drew down into a Construct of the Conference Room.

          Everyone appeared; the soldiers along with Craig and Kent, the doctor, Albrecht, Henry, and the rest of the Team.  Brad expanded the room and had enough chairs for everyone.  The Team wore their Kevlar Assault suits, the soldiers in their combat fatigues, and the doctor & Albrecht in their normal attire.

          Ken stood at the lectern with a huge smile on his handsome face.

          “Sorry in advance doc… but we Fuckin did it!”

          His grin was infectious, and even the doctor smiled back.

          Ken continued, “Henry I know you wanna get Drew back.  No time is passin, but I’ll still make this quick.  I want your input.  We need to make a few big decisions and then the rest can wait until later.”

          His face went more serious, “Doc I’m lookin to you and Albrecht mostly on this, but I want everybody’s opinion.  How are we gonna handle cleanup on this?  Brad put the entire world ta sleep, and The Master woke ’em all back up like a zombie apocalypse.  It would be an effort, but we can make ’em all forget everythin, or we can let it be a wakeup call that change is clear and present.”

          He went around the room and let everyone speak, including the soldiers, saving the doc & Albrecht for last.

          Ken knew what everyone on the Team would say, including Henry.  He knew them as well as they knew themselves.  The young soldiers had their own opinions as to why, but they all concurred to not cover events up.

          When it came to the doctor, he simply said, “I have heard your wisdom, and it is sound.  The old ways did not always work.  Sometimes secrecy is necessary, however in this case I think you are all correct.  I will only say… the more time that passes the more difficult it will be to tamper with memories.  We should monitor the news all over the globe and adjust our reactions if necessary.”

          Albrecht concurred with the doctor.

          As Ken was about to wrap things up, Bryan felt Leroy in his Mind:  ABBA.  SLEEP COMES.

          Bryan looked anxious so Ken said, “OK Bry, you and Lane go take care of Leroy.  Dar can get everyone back home where they need to be.  Everybody sleep in and we’ll gather tomorrow afternoon to do a full debriefing.”

          Brad took them all back to their bodies in the parking lot at Waffle House.

          Ken looked, but Miss Lula was not there, and he didn’t see Frank or the Birdman. 

          Bryan pulled Henry aside, “Hey Henry, I know Drew is zoned out but do you want to bring him with me and Lane to see Leroy?”

          Lane piped in, “It’s not every day you get to meet a Dragon.”

          Henry gently shook Drew awake and he lifted his head, his eyes squinted.

          “Hey, Tiger.  I’m sorry to wake you up, but Uncle Bryan and Uncle Lane want to know if you want to meet Leroy?  He’s going back to sleep.”

          The idea of meeting a Dragon woke him up and he said, “Yes, Daddy!”

          Henry passed Drew off to Bryan, and he vanished in a flash of Emerald Green Power.  As soon as Lane saw through Bryan’s eyes, he took himself and Henry to the Cave.

<><  Leroy’s Cave ><>

          They appeared in Leroy’s Cave, and the immense Dragon was still awake.  His huge golden eyes looking at them. 

          The cave was sweltering, but Henry & Drew were still shirtless. 

          Bryan and Lane took off most of their Kevlar leaving on the shorts and leggings and feet. 

          I MUST SLEEP NOW, ABBA. 

          Bryan saw with his Understanding that Leroy was exhausted.  They pulled so heavily, his Fire was low and he needed to essentially recharge.  Sleep was the only way.

          Bryan, with Drew on his hip, moved forward, “Leroy, this is Drew!  I wanted him to meet you while you’re awake.”

          Drew’s eyes were as round as saucers, “Hello, Mister Leroy!  You’re big!”

          Leroy didn’t respond, but he lowered his face, stopping within a foot of Drew.

          Bryan had to reassure him, “You’re safe, Tiger.  This is his way of saying hello.  Reach out and touch him.  He’s very soft.”

          Drew tentatively reached out and rubbed the soft hide of Leroy’s snout.  One of his teeth was larger than Bryan and Drew together, but Drew felt no danger.  He whipped his head around with a huge smile, “Daddy, I petted a Dragon!”

          Henry grinned, “Wow!  Not many little boys ever get to do that!”

          Henry moved forward and touched Leroy in the same manner.  He was shocked at how soft his hide was.

          The huge golden orbs of Leroy’s eyes were starting to droop so Bryan said, “OK, Leroy.  Time to rest.  You’re were amazing today!  We couldn’t have done it without you!  I love you, you big fucker.”

          WILL YOU SING TO ME UNTIL I FALL ASLEEP?

          Lane’s guitar coalesced out of nothing, and he started gently strumming.  His Avatar glowed softly, and the sounds he made reverberated through the immense chamber.

          He sang a gentle lullaby, as Leroy put his head down and closed his eyes.  By the second stanza he was purring and sound asleep.

          Lane raised his eyebrows, “Well that didn’t take long. We really tired him out!”

          Lane sent his own silent thanks to the great beast, who saved him and his husband, and the rest of his Brothers.  He wondered what effect having Leroy awake might have – something in the creature changed since they interacted with him.  His rage didn’t seem as bad – he hoped that wasn’t a bad thing, but only time would tell.

<><  The Physical Realm – Waffle House Parking Lot ><>

          As Bryan & Lane disappeared with Henry & Drew, Loy heard a barking sound, immediately followed by a loud groan.  He ran over to the overturned panel truck that Tag & Olive drove into The Master. 

          He climbed up and saw Bullet, the dog he got for Tag & Olive, and his eyes teared up again at the thought of his friends.  He recognized the man in the cab as Raphael, one of the young gang members that Loy & Rick ran into the morning they met Henry.  Raph was in a gang an Enemy ‘suit’ had hired to keep people from asking questions about Tag, and Henry was one of the Protectors.

          Loy’s voice was filled with confusion, “Raph?”

          “Loy!  Damn!  You’re OK?  Did we make it in time? I must have fallen asleep!”

          Loy lowered his hand and pulled Raph up and out through the door.

          As soon as Loy grabbed Raph’s bare hand he Read the young man, and knew everything about his life since the last time they met a few years prior.  Everything about his journey with Tag & Olive was there too.

          “Where’s Tag & Olive?  They said we had to get here, or something bad was going to happen to you and Rick and your buddies.”

          The look on Loy’s face indicated bad news and Raph said, “Are they OK?”

          Loy lowered his head, “No Raph.  They didn’t make it.  They gave their lives to save ours.”

          Raph looked stunned, “Damn.  I only just met them.  All this shit… I don’t know what to think.”

          “You did the world a favor Raph.  If you hadn’t helped them, all of us would be dead, and the bad guys would have won.  You’re a hero.”

          “I don’t even know what to say.  You changed my life years ago… then I meet this old couple, and we figure out our connection to you… and now they’re dead.  I believed everything they told me about you guys.  The Order, the Enemy… the way things really are.”  Raph was looking overwhelmed.  His eyes were red and he sniffed.

          Loy nodded, “It’s all true, Raph.  After today the world will be more aware of all that.  You can help be a voice of reason in the craziness that’s going to follow.”

          “I don’t know what I can do.”

          “Just tell the truth.  We have to go, but if things get too rough, just remember that morning back when we first met, and you’ll know how to reach me.  You’re a good man, Raph.  I knew it then, and you proved me right.”

          Loy held out his hand and Raph took it warmly and firmly, and Loy pulled him into a hug. 

          Bullet was still down in the cab of the truck, and he barked at Loy clearly saying, “Don’t forget me!”

          Raph nearly jumped out of his skin when Bullet appeared in Loy’s arms out of thin air.  Loy winked at him and turned away to rejoin the others, who were waiting on him.

          Raph stood by the overturned panel truck, looking a bit lost.  Not knowing what else to do, he reached for his cell phone.  He hoped that an Uber driver was working and could come give him a ride.

          When he turned around to look the parking lot was empty.  All the men were gone, and it was eerily silent.  Unconscious people lay everywhere, where the soldiers either incapacitated them, or in a few extreme cases killed them.

          He moved over and started checking on people, helping to wake them up, trying to figure out what he was going to tell them.  Loy said the truth…

<><><> 

          In the next few minutes, the young soldiers were back in Uluru, Australia.  Kelli was relieved to see them all safe, especially Jacob.  They all hit the showers, trying to work through the events of the day.  Albrecht promised he would be there later in the evening.

<><><> 

          The rest of the Team appeared in the Lab, with Henry, Drew, the doctor, and Albrecht.  All of them were subdued after the chaotic and adrenalin-filled day. Emotional undercurrents were still strong in all of them – relief, joy, guilt, and sorrow not the least among them over their losses.  They were still all together as One, each supporting the others in their own unique way.

          As soon as they materialized in the Lab, Sally rushed to hug everybody, wanting to know everything that happened.  Rather than telling her they won, Ken asked her if she could wait for the debriefing the next afternoon.  They were all exhausted and wanted to clean up and be with their partners to rest.

          Henry, with Drew in his arms, immediately went to the showers to get his son cleaned up and changed.  Drew was exhausted and kept falling asleep on his feet.  Henry had to literally hold him up to wash him.  Brad kept them all Linked, and even as Henry washed Drew, he rested in the presence of his Brothers.  Drew was in the Link as well, but so tired he was only aware of their presence surrounding him and making him feel safe.

          Their intense love for him, their relief that he was alive and well, and their pride at his success wrapped him up.  He floated in the liquid golden Light of their Souls, resting in them and feeling their presence.  Each man held him and kissed him on his forehead, or cheek, or the top of his head as they told him how much he meant to them and how proud they were of him.

          Henry lay down with Drew, who was out like a light, but he lay awake, exhausted, and unable to sleep.  His Mind was still spinning and running over everything that had happened.  Fresh tears came that he couldn’t hold back.

          As badly as he wanted some alone time with Brad, Ken wanted himself and Brad to sleep in the Lab that night.  In fact, all the guys wanted to… they wanted to be close to Henry & Drew.  As tired as they all were, none of them could sleep.  Most of them were horny; the adrenaline of the day charged their libidos, and they wanted to work off the excess energy together, but after their private time, they felt the need to be close with each other, and be there for Henry & Drew.

          They had all matured so much in the last four years.  Sex was, and always would be, an important part of their relationships.  It fueled many aspects of their abilities so it would always play a big role.  However, the intimate bonds between them, they had come to realize, were what really drove them.  The fulfillment and closeness, both physically and emotionally, was more important – the trust between them in every aspect of their lives… trust not to be judged, or hurt, at least not intentionally, and if so the trust to work things out.  The knowledge that no matter what, they always had each-other was a deep and profound foundation of their lives.

          Brad cast his Mind out and everyone was still awake.  After the events of the day, everything they worked towards for years, Henry & Drew breaking the Curse over The Master, The Master’s demise, Ken dying, Drew dying, Tag & Olive’s sacrifice… the grueling punishment everyone took… the culmination of it all was hard to wrap their heads around – and it was all over, or at least the first part.  It was anticlimactic and a bit of a letdown.   They were familiar with the psychological and emotional aftermath that often occurred after a vital mission, it used to happen when they ran missions in Syria, and it never went away… this time, however, the stakes were so much bigger.  Mankind now had a chance!

          Brad pulled everyone down deep; Ten, Five, One, plus Henry.  They appeared naked to one another.  Brad filled the area with comfortable cushions; it wasn’t a Construct, but he made Constructed items inside of that space.  They formed a big circle, lounging together, their legs either intertwined or arms over shoulders, so they could talk.

          The freedom of being naked, emotionally and physically, and having their bodies pressed against one another, soothed them.  Henry was in the middle of it and they let him talk.  They saw everything he and Drew went through, and they let him cry his heart out again over seeing Drew so brutally killed; they cried with him, and their pain was just as deep.  The idea of a seven-year-old having the wherewithal to understand the concept of self-sacrifice on such a scale was mind boggling.

          As Henry cried each of them held him, giving him comfort as only a Brother could.  They understood his pain, felt it with him, walking with him through it all.  They ruffled his hair, or hugged him tight, rubbing his back or shoulders.  They were One and it happened individually and yet all simultaneously in that place where they were One.

          They wondered how Drew would be effected by what Uriel did – at no longer carrying the incarnations inside him.  Only time would tell, and they would all be there for him.  Henry was sure Drew would be back to normal soon enough – kids were resilient, and he had Henry, and all the guys to watch over him and love him as only they could. 

          Bill & Kevin had Tommy and Brett with them in their bed, wanting their new sons to know their dads were alive and well.  The boys were upset the entire time the Team was gone, and Sally had to constantly reassure them that everything was going to turn out alright, all the while hoping herself that it would.

          They talked and worked through the strong emotions of the day and the past four years.  They knew more trials lay ahead of them, but with Luke being gone, at least for a time, they were given a reprieve.  They hung shit on one-another, and occasionally ganged up on each-other as Brothers do.  They rested in one-another in the amazingly special way that only they could.  None of them wanted to leave – just as when they were One with their partners and in each other’s Hearts, they wanted to be together in that place where time stood still.

          Eventually their conversation turned towards what they were going to do moving forward.  Were they going to try and remove the Curse over mankind, or give things a few years without The Master driving things and see how they did?  No decisions were made, but thoughts and ideas were shared and bandied about.

          The Power vacuum of The Master’s absence would send the surviving Enemy Agents into a tailspin.  There would be massive power grabs, and the Team would be busy for years to come dealing with them, regardless of what direction they decided to go in.

          They were sure Luke wasn’t gone; with Loy and Lane seeing something through the rift… it had to be related to Allenor.  They had no idea how long it would take in the Physical Realm, but they were sure Luke would return, and they knew he would want vengeance.  They had to prepare themselves – work on getting the additional bases up and running, and start to work on finding the other Gifts.  They would need all the Power they could muster to deal with Luke once he resurfaced.

Ken’s words to Luke, telling him their goal was not to destroy him but to return him Home, echoed in their Minds.

Kevin, who was on the other side of Ken from Brad, lightly smacked Ken on the back of his head: Why the hell did you say that?

          Ken:  I don’t know.  I was feelin studly, and it sounded like a badass thing to say.

          Bryan: You fucker!  That was a dumbass thing to say!

          Ken:  What would you have said?

          Loy: I don’t know, but not that!

The shit talk continued for a few minutes, and everyone got a good laugh out of it; yet at the same time, Ken’s words were serious, and they knew Luke’s redemption was their real goal, and not his destruction.  It was a daunting task, but again, they would take it one step at a time and stay grounded in one another, and together they would succeed.

          Their conversation continued when the laughter finally stopped, and Ken recounted his weird foray in the Waffle House while he was dead.

          Ken:  Fuck I knew Frank’s hash browns were always good, but now it all makes sense.  They were ‘divine’.

          Immediately the shit talk started flying again, and in a few minutes, there were fresh tears in most of their eyes from laughing so hard.

          Eventually they quieted again; the warmth and comfort of their bodies touching, arms over shoulders, or legs intertwined, relaxed them and they started to get sleepy. 

          For the night, they played rock, paper, scissors, and Ken & Brad ended up crawling into bed with Henry & Drew.  Ken spooned Henry with Brad on the far side and Drew in the middle.  Ken felt Henry needed the closeness after events of the day, and Henry didn’t refuse.  He loved his Brothers and accepted their efforts and care in the way they were intended.  In fact, he was getting used to it and would miss it when everyone started sleeping back in their houses again.

          True to his word, Ken & Brad woke up early, made their way to their bed down the hall, and had their morning sex.  Later that day they had afternoon sex, and then again before dinner.  They felt everyone doing the same thing, and Henry was able to be with Sally.  The next night Rick & Loy stayed with Henry & Drew…

          And so, life continued for the Team and their routines went back to normal.  Well, as normal as life was for ten half-angels, a former Protector of The Enemy – now voted dad of the year –  and the little boy who broke the Curse over his eighty-thousand-year-old brother and opened the door for the redemption of mankind.

          Just another day in the life of The New Order.

<><  Epilogue One ><>

          Mankind now had a second chance, thanks to the courage and sacrifice of a young boy named Drew Ross. The Master was defeated and dead.  Luke, the Dark One, vowed his revenge on those responsible for his downfall – Drew, his father Henry, and the hybrid Nephilim Abominations, and their mentors Aaron Thomas & Albrecht.  The young soldiers in Australia were now on Luke’s radar, as well as Sally and Kelli.

          It would be years, if then, before the world learned of the heroes that battled on their behalf, and those that sacrificed themselves selflessly.  The hybrid Nephilim would have to think long and hard about the direction they wanted to take Mankind.  The decision not to cover up the world events would be a wakeup call to humans, and the heroes would watch and wait and see how events would unfold. But first, they had the matter of The Dark One to resolve.

          As Powerful as the Nephilim hybrids were, they would need to become even stronger to defeat The Dark One.  Aspects of their Avatars created by Allenor, the last survivor of the previous Creation, were still hidden.  At God’s behest, Allenor forged Ten Gifts that would augment and expand the Avatars of the hybrid Nephilim.  Two of the Gifts had been discovered, one by Lane, and one by Loy.  The remaining eight were waiting to be found, and they had no idea where any of them were located.

<><  Epilogue Two ><>

          Miss Lula, Frank, and the Birdman all watched the results as the First Reality started moving again.  The pause was over as events resolved themselves, and immediately new branches and Rivers presented themselves.  Creation still groaned under the weight of the Curse, but now at least there was a mechanism in place to remove it once and for all.  That decision, however, was out of God’s hands.  He had faith in his newest children.  Their wisdom would grow as they matured, and he would trust in whatever decision they made.

          The incarnations of the Triune God smiled at the thought of His newest children; his Third.  First the Angels, then Mankind, and now his newest…. The Nephilim Hybrid who were also Original Men.  There was Power and significance in threes – such things mattered.

          There was joy, but also sadness in their victory; so many sacrifices were made.  But they were made willingly, freely and that made all the difference.  Unconditional love, between His Third children, and the ones they touched, carried through even in the face of what seemed unsurmountable odds. 

          Their smiles didn’t last long as they looked forward from outside of Time and saw the trials and losses that lay ahead among the new Rivers.  Once again, the Hope of Creation would rest in the hands of their Free and Unfettered children… ten men, brothers, five couples, yet One, plus their Brother Henry Ross… a Paradox.

<><  Epilogue Three ><>

          In the void between the two Creations, in the blackness of nothing, something appeared.  Two small specs of yellow light came into existence in a place that didn’t exist.

          There was no sound, or light, or warmth, or cold, yet two voices accompanied the two Souls.

          Momma?  Is you there?  Is you wit me?

          I’m here Papa.  Where are we?  We aren’t supposed ta be.

          The old couple heard a voice all around them and they thought it was God.

          Allenor spoke, “I have need of you…”

          Németh wondered at the oddity of what he saw in Tag’s & Olive’s threads as he stood in the Nexis of Events in his Temple.  It was the energy of the First Creation, put there by the Angel that rescued them, through Allenor.

          Origin had not answered him, and His silence left the creature from the First Creation no other choice but to take action on his own.

<><><  Author’s Note ><><>

          Well I hope you enjoyed this story arc of The Order.  It took a long time, nearly five years!  I will admit there was one long pause early on when I lost interest in the story and almost let it go.  I’m glad I didn’t.

          I want to thank everyone who has emailed me throughout the journey of the guys, especially those of you who stuck with it from the beginning.  I’m sure as long as it took between chapters that many gave up on it.  I wish I could write full time, and I probably will if I am ever able to retire.

          The guys all live in my mind, and I can’t tell you how much I think about them.  In the new direction my life has taken, I think about how their abilities could be applied to what I’m training to do, or if I see an animal on the side of the road, I think of what Loy would do.  As our world seems to be pulling further and further apart, it seems we need something like the guys to pull us all back together.  I wish there was, and I wish they were more than fictional characters in my mind.

          I will also say if I’m having a bad day, I imagine some of the shit talk conversations between the guys, and it always makes me laugh.

          I specifically wish to thank Stephen, who became my editor a little past halfway through the story.  I lost my first editor in one of the long pauses, and I’ve never heard from him again – I worry about him because his personal situation was not going well, and then I stopped hearing from him altogether.  Stephen, though, is around and immensely helpful.  He really gets my ideas and has been a huge help; and I very much appreciate his presence, friendship, humor, and support.

          For now, I’m going to have to take a break from writing while I finish school.  Pushing through to get the story finished definitely had its effect on my grades and study time.  Once I am gainfully employed again in my new field as a Cardio Vascular Technologist, my first plan is to give The Order a major overhaul/edit.  I have a master copy that is already highly edited (with Stephen’s help!) as far as tense and grammar, and a lot of dialogue tightened up.  I don’t plan on making any major changes to any character or event, but I have some ideas that I think will make it better and more palatable to a wider audience.  At that point I will decide if I want to try and publish it or not.  Also, once I get to that point, I will start on the sequel – ‘The Gifts.’

          I’m not sure how long our journey with Ken & Brad and the rest of ‘the guys’ will continue.  As long as I have ideas that are fresh I will continue with them.  The moment the story becomes stale or forced, I will bring it to a close, but I hope that time is far off.

          In the meantime, I hope to keep in touch with many of you. I’ve made some great pen-pals on this journey, and I don’t want any of you to disappear from my life.   If you are a new reader and wish to write and ask questions or make comments I would love to hear from you as well.

          For now, dear friends, I will not say goodbye, but I will say ‘see you soon.’

Much love to all of you,

Brad

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