The mages assembled in the chamber, awaiting the arrival of the Lords Toleranth and Auren, and Queen Ellianthe. Their soldiers and mages arrived in a steady stream and were escorted into the empty sections of Esperanza’s massive palace. Unbeknownst to the Demon Lord, who was currently in the process of punishing his minions for their failure to recapture Shavas. Finally the nobles arrived along with the last of their company. Mages of the lowest rank bowed and escorted the Ladies and children into Queen Jadira’s former suite. Toleranth, Ellianthe, and Auren entered the chamber and stoically took their places at the fore of the chamber. Toleranth held Pandora’s box under his arm. When her companions took their seats, Shavas got to her feet. “I have asked you all to stay because one person in this room is key in our efforts to overthrow Laos. A collective gasp when up from those gathered. Shavas held up the box she had taken from Toleranth and held it before her for all to see. “I now ask that you all form a single file line and approach me to place a hand on this box. Hopefully when our savior draws near we will receive some sign as to their identity. Else wise we’re all looking foreword to an eternity in Hell.” Her students, shaken though they were complied as they were taught and immediately obeyed. Each student, upon placing their hand upon Pandora’s box was allowed to leave through the side exit and return to their rooms to prepare. It seemed as though they had been there for hours, and even Shavas was losing her composure. She snapped at those attending her and sagged with fatigue. They were down to the last dozen or so, and Shavas was about to scream with frustration when a snip of a girl stepped foreword the box’s excited pulsing increased with each step. It fluttered in her palms like the heart of a child, and began to glow when the terrified young woman placed her hand upon the box’s jewel encrusted cover. “What is your name child?” Shavas managed to compose herself, but under her skirts she was bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“Kara.” Replied the girl with a shaky smile. “The rest of you may leave now, it appears Kara and I have a few things to discuss for tomorrow.” The others exited with haste.
Kara and the other conspirators talked late into the night and slowly, a tentative plan began to unravel. There was no choice, the attack would take place that afternoon, if Laos wasn’t defeated by then, his grip on their dimension would be too strong for them to break.

-XXXXXXX-

Lord Toleranth stood at the head of his army. They were a good two thousand strong. He also commanded a company of harpies, and Auren had dispatched a squad of wyverns to serve as a bodyguard. Everyone’s nerves were stretched thin, but they were reasonably quite for such a large group of men. He could scarcely make out their accompanying armies through the gloom conjured by Shavas’s most skilled workers. Her mages were also scattered throughout his ranks to provide magical protection, although most had gone along with the troops who were to storm the castle. It unnerved him to know that the fate of the world rested in the hands of so few. All it took was one good swing aimed at Kara to doom everyone.
He shook his head with frustration; he had to be ready to provide an adequate distraction, not waste time worrying about what might happen. At least he knew Yami and the children were safe back at the resistance headquarters with Alhana and the other soldier’s families. After a long night of discussion they had decided if would be safer for them there. A horn blew in the distance, and Lord Toleranth placed his helmet upon his head.
“Move out!”

-XXXXXXX-

Shavas led her group through the winding stone passages of the labyrinth. Somehow she managed to remember each twist and turn; it was as though her dangerous journey was burned into her memory. Mages on either side maintained the silencing spells and spells to provide just enough light to avoid falling into the roaring river off to their right. They reached the winding staircase that led up into the fortress; she recognized this passage only because the scant light allowed her to make out the blood smears against the slimy stone. They ascended the stairway and somehow reached the main floor without encountering even a single demon. She had known that most would be sent out to combat Auren and the others, but she hadn’t thought Laos careless enough to leave even one possible entrance unguarded. Motioning for the others to stay behind and guard Kara she tiptoed to the main entrance along with a squad of her best footmen and her two most talented mages. They dispatched the five guards there without a sound and threw open the huge doors. Their ears were assaulted with the sounds of battle; she sent word down the line to where the main group lay in hiding and sent the majority of them out into the fray to fight their way to the gate. She surveyed the rest of her severely dwindled number with a grim smile and continued on down the corridor. They skirted the throne room, Shavas’s back prickled unpleasantly as they passed, and ascended yet another staircase.
They had another quick tussle right in front of Laos’s chamber, Shavas’s heart pounded in her throat throughout the whole thing, but her mages knew what they were doing and not a sound escaped the threads of their enchantment. Three of their number were among the bodies littering the floor. Their was no point in putting it off so she threw open the doors and motioned for the rest to follow.

-XXXXXXX-

Lord Auren and his Wyverns were right in front of the gate as it swung open. As soon as the way was clear he launched himself into the midst of a pitched battle. Laos’s troops were defiantly dominating on this side of the massive wall. The Troops storming the castle had only managed to get one of four massive gated open. Personally Auren was surprised they had managed the one. They were being systematically slaughtered and devoured. One man wailed with pain against the wall, Auren averted his eyes quickly; a horse faced demon was devouring Junai, the captain of Queen Marta's guard even as he screamed. His entire lower half was nothing but a bloody mess. His heart ached to deliver the man from his tormentor but the soldier was as good as dead and those gates had to be opened if he were to save everyone else. He screamed for his wyverns to fly high and pull them open. Slowly but surely each of the gates was open and their troops were flooding the massive courtyard.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lyric and Asuka teaming up against one massive demon with bat like wings. He winced as the creature knocked Lyric out of the way. Her violet hair streamed as she flew through the air to collide with the wall and collapse in an unmoving heap. His stomach heaved as the monstrosity wrapped his meaty fist around Asuka’ head. The sickening crunch that followed nearly drove him to his knees. Auren was a seasoned warrior but even he had seen nothing as horrible as this battle. His sword cleaved through demon flesh as easily as a hot knife slicing butter. All around him people he knew, people he admired were cut down.
Ankhe was in a heated battle with one demon, the thing stumbled and gasped for breath. Her face flashed a victorious smile in Auren's direction as she went in for the kill. Her silver dagger flashing. Auren smiled back, but his grin faded as another demon sidled up behind her. His throat pinched shut, and his cry of warning came out more as a croak. The newcomer wrapped his arm around Ankhe's forehead, his bicep flexing to hold her still as she squirmed. Auren ran towards them with a wild cry, knowing that he would be too late. The demon sliced through Ankhe's windpipe with a wild bellow and she dropped to the ground as limp as a rag doll. Nadira was fencing with an evil looking man with white hair, she slid her sword through his chest with a triumphant cry and stumbled over Ankhe's crumpled form. The minute she hit the ground another man stood above her brandishing a sword. There was a sickening thump, and Nadira's head rolled across the trampled ground.
A savage looking group of demons skipped across the courtyard playing catch with the King of Pearle's severed head.
Zaroe, and Haloe were being devoured in a corner by a group of demons who seemed largely unaware of present circumstances. Kado screamed as a savage Jadira alighted on his back and ripped into his throat with her teeth.

-XXXXXXX-

Laos's back was to them as they entered, he was facing the tattered remains of a body that had once been Arkayid Shiro. Shavas immediately caught him with the most powerful binding spell she knew. As soon as he felt the delicate strands of her spell settle over his shoulder he fought with the ferocity of a caged animal. His teeth gnashed and his muscles bulged and strained. Shavas gasped with pain, almost all of her energy had been sapped the minute he began fighting. Quickly her companions placed their hands on her shoulders and fed her their strength through their mutual bond. "Kara now!" Shavas screamed.

Kara stepped forward and faced Laos with all the confidence she could muster. Slowly, the sorceresses and sorcerer's surrounding her began to topple to the ground with exhaustion. Shavas's eyes were frantic as she mouthed "Open the box!"
Kara obeyed.
She was consumed in a vortex of swirling golden light, it spun faster and faster, and expanded until its edges were far beyond her vision, and yet she could sense its location. Eerie wails rebounded off the walls. . Everything was happening in slow motion, she watched Shavas's eyes roll back into her skull and slump to the floor with a sigh of defeat, and she watched Laos break free of his bonds with a roar. "Now your mine you little wench!" He screamed with the fervor of insane blood lust. Kara squeezed her eyes shut with fear and waited to feel her body being crushed like a bug. The sensation never came, Slowly, she opened her eyes. To her astonishment, Laos was on his knees before her, whimpering.
She looked down at the open box in her hands. Twin rings of gold sat within its velvet confines. She knew what to do instinctively it seemed, for she immediately slid the first on to her own ring finger and the second onto Laos's with trembling fingers.
The golden light retracted and formed a shimmering sphere in the center of the box. Kara smiled and shut its lid firmly. As soon as it shut, she whited out.

-Several days later-

Loas was defeated, but not without cost. Over half of their number had died. There had been no time for grieving or ceremony when the battle had been over. Everything was in chaos. The golden light of Pandora's power had demolished; Tonahari, Hanamaraku, Tsukuhi, Buhinadeir, Faretka, Kesshi, Tique, Pearle, Inthe, and over half of Esperanza. Auren had used his hell spell on Laos's fortress to clear a space large enough to dig all the graves. Priests had spent two days purifying the grounds and then they proceeded digging over ten thousand graves. The bodies of demon's were doused with oil and burned. Every live demon had been sent back to Tartarus the moment their master's power had been bound. All except for Queen Jadira who knelt weeping in between the graves of Nadira, and Kado. Angry red welts lined the insides of her forearms, and she was thin as a rail for lack of eating. She had refused to put on her crown and demanded to be executed immediately for her crimes. Lately she had been kept locked in Shavas's chamber. The sorceress seemed to have a calming effect on the girl who was practically family. The sorceress herself was laying on a portable cot near the others, propped up with pillows. Her waist length hair was braided and tossed out of the way, and she still wore a lacy white nightgown. She was far to weak to move by herself. The only adornment she wore was the freshly polished dragons tear that har been recovered from Nadira after her death.
Jareth stood near bye also, his expression solemn. He had been appointed regent of Esperanza by the rebellion's leaders and had been doing wonderfully over the last week. Laos was in chains back in Esperanza under constant guard by kara who had appointed herself as his keeper of a sorts; And as kara sat nestled in the corner of Laos's cell she smiled. Things were beginning to look brighter.

-XXXXXXX-

Tsuki strolled through the remains of Laos's citadel. She limped noticeably, favoring her left leg. Lyra, Queen of Houka, supported her on that side. The Queen herself had a bruise in the shape of a hand print that wrapped around her neck in stark relief to her sallow skin. Marta held Tuski's other hand as if her life depended on it. Tears coursed down her ruddy cheeks. The tears were not so much for her husband, the king whom she had barely known as they were for her poor kingdom. As they rounded a bend, Lyra motioned for silence and crouched low. The others followed suit.
Lumos and Lycra stood near the ruins . Lycra was unusually quiet. Her small hands folded in front of her meekly as she gazed at the wreckage. Lumos wrapped one strong arm around Lycra's waist and whispered softly into her ear. Her grim expression softened a bit and to everyones surprise she leaned over and planted a kiss on Lumos's softly glowing cheek.
The couple turned and looked directly at their watchers and smiled brilliantly. The nimbus of light surrounding them expanded and then contracted. The gods were gone, in their place was slightty smoldering roll of parchment. Tsuki limped over and opened it. The scroll contained clear instructions on how to repair each of the god's respective stones, and how to use them once they were repaired. The shadow mage smiled and surrendered the parchment to Lyra and Marta, who managed a genuine smile through her tears. Somewhere back near the entrance a pure soprano voice lifted above the sound of screams and wails. A single tear rolled down Tsuki's cheek as they began the long trek back through the wreckage.

Welcome to a new beginning