Swept

As soon as they knew the location all skirmishes stopped and the guard and Anis' group moved to the Sibba continent as one.

They appeared high above Sibba. The siblings stood together along with the guard commanders and Struns and Rebecca.

"There is a new sacred place on this continent?" Confusion laced Anis' voice.

Rebecca looked toward the government building that once bound the previous Milana.

"The Milana purified your grandmother and the location she was bound to purified as well. The vines are the same as the ones that grow where her soul weapons are."

They all knew their grandmother's corrupt form had been purified by Rachel but this was a bit much. There had not been a new sacred site in over two thousand years. And sacred sites were believed to form when many people were killed or when the realm had to heal itself. Was the battle that severe that the realm needed to heal?

"We will begin setting up the formation." Yanira looked to Rebecca. "Do you have spirits that can help?"

Rebecca nodded and four forms materialize behind her. "I have experience with formations as well if you need more than four."

Yanira nodded. "Please come with us Lady Rebecca. The more help we have the quicker we can complete the formation."

A wide door opened and the group of seven walked through. The door swung shut with a loud sound of metal on metal.

They worked on the formation with ten others from the guard high above the center of the Sibba continent. Streams of magic flowed forward from all fourteen to create eight magic circles.

Runic symbols seemed to swim in the air in uniform patterns to form intricate circles of power.

There was a large magic circle above the continent and the formation circles moved to sit at its center. Magics wove into these and then extended out moving around and through the continent. They swirled around the crystal beneath the continent and down into the Abyss towards the coin monument.

The strands of magic went into the eight point star shaped hole, without leaving, sending strands to each point and out through the outer edge, down to the alter directly below the monument and finally into the alter within the hill.

The magics coalesced and strengthened on the alters. Afterwards they dispersed to six other locations, within the abyss of their own accord.

Ten of the the group working on the formation fed a steady stream of magic into the magic circles. The cirlces pulsed as the magic flowed through them. When the circles were saturated the formation solidified and the formation flared to life. The seven others tethered the circles to points that would feed them more magic as needed.

When all was done the circles and strands shimmered and disappeared.

With the formation complete and tethered they set up camp on a string of clouds. They moved the clouds together so that they formed a large cloud mass and then set up tents.

They set up watch over the camp, over Sibba, and over the diamond formation.

Rachel's voice flitted through the minds of her siblings, Rebecca, and Struns. 'Good job on the formation. It's strong. Now you need to enter the abyss.

'Struns and Rebecca have entered the abyss with me many times and they can lead you. Leave the bulk of the guard above with two commanders. If anything happens on Sibba we need to know immediately. Rebecca lead those going into the Abyss to the location. There is a hill there. You will need to protect it as I attack the being that has entered our realm.'

'And what about you?' Anis could not wait any longer and the questions burst froth from her.

'Struns will come to me.' Anis and Struns nodded at the same time. 'Rest as much as you can. You have eight hours'

'I will come to you now Rachel.'

It took several breaths before she spoke. 'If you are rested enough.'

"I am.' Struns looked at Rebecca significantly. She nodded to him and he pulled the tether that connected him to Rachel.

Rachel's wounds were healed. She was still walking in profound darkness, seemingly aimlessly.

One breath two breaths. She was seeking a thing that truly defied explanation. Something that was ancient, devious, malicious, and capable of devouring every realm she knew.

Three breaths four breaths five breaths. Struns was beside her. His steps matching hers without hesitation. He didn't speak in any way. He had no questions within him. He simply prepared himself mentally.

Rachel was a relatively young Milana and she only had two Antrunie. Hence Struns was used to fighting with only her and Rebecca, or alone. They had fought in other realms and in places within Trannisa that he found unimaginable and utterly fantastic. And this with his own dimension being so drastically different from Trannisa and vice versa.

He was always ready for whatever. Granted he still found himself surprised from time to time and he was surprised now, even though he had been to the abyss before. For one thing he was surprised how easily he was navigating through the abyss. Secondly he was surprised by the terrain.

It seemed like he was walking across a planet like in his realm. Not continents that seemed to be put together by the ingenuity of some sophisticated race.

It felt more solid here, more natural. It didn't feel like there was floor beneath his feet only endless terra firma.

And still he was surprised when he understood what they were walking towards. His heart beat a little faster and a little harder as his mind registered what the rolling "hills" before them actually was.

At first he thought it was a trick of the eye. He dismissed the idea of subtle motion and maybe even respiration. How could it have been possible.

But there was no denying it when one of the hills moved dramatically and changed its position. At that point it was 'okay. One of these hills is not a hill.' But when all five realigned he had no words. His mind was blank.

The fifth "hill" rose high in the air. It was the head of fanged demon with four horns, two rising straight in the center and one on either side, one curving left and one curving right.

The pools of blackness between the hills were its snake like body with the remaining four hills being gruesome swellings along its length as if it were digesting multiple meals.

As the head continued rising above them, Struns swallowed hard and suddenly he felt Rachel's power reach into him and his senses became sealed and a protective power swirled into his soul well.

He looked to Rachel. She never did such things without a lengthy explanation and then his permission. To enact magic on him without his explicit permission caused apprehension to flow through him.

As his thoughts began to clear he realized he was gripping two long bladed daggers.

The demon head swung toward them and he suddenly wished Rachel had sealed his vision as well. The demon had the clearest, most tranquil sea green eyes he had ever seen. They called to him and drew him in and for a moment he jolted with fear thinking he would not be able to resist. But suddenly the swirling magic in his soul well surged out and flooded his body.

He was forcefully snatched from the grip of those eyes and his head swam as he gripped his daggers all the tighter.

He no longer looked directly into those eyes but peripherally and as he watched he saw viscous black blood drip from them.

"Milana. I would never harm what is yours." Its mouth opened wide in a dramatic yawn. Three rows of sharp teeth looked menacing in the muted ethereal light.

"I do not seek to cause problems. I will leave your realm and never return. Allow me to take the babies that you did not destroy and let there be peace between us."

Somehow Struns was hearing it speak second hand, in real time, through Rachel. He didn't question it. Rachel was capable of too many things. What made is spine shiver was the mention of babies. His attention half slid over the swellings that he took for hills earlier and his body stiffened.

"Leave?" "…Let there be peace between them?" Struns' eyes fell on Rachel. If she allowed this creature to leave would it destroy other dimensions. Would it destroy his dimension?

He felt peace overtake his thoughts as if he heard Rachel tell him to calm down. She stepped forward and he instantly knew what he needed to do.