“What? When? How?” Eli demanded, looking at his elven princess.
Even while completely exhausted and wearing clothes that were dirty from the battle and subsequent evacuation of Olympus, Aria Hightower was still stunningly beautiful. Her long blonde hair fell in waves behind her shoulders, and her brilliant blue eyes stared directly into Eli’s golden ones. She released him from her tight embrace reluctantly, holding both of his hands before speaking again.
“While we were gone, a virus began to spread across Earth. The first symptoms were very mild, to the point where for the first day or two people didn’t even know that they had it. It got worse quickly though, and by day 3 of the virus people were dying.” She paused, her already-fair skin paling. “It’s very contagious. It transmits through contact, through the air, and through bodily fluids.”
“That’s not necessarily a Titan attack though.” Eli countered, holding onto hope.
The silence hung in the Hightower family’s private portal room for a moment. His eyes darted across the forms of each of his bond mates before the wood door leading out of the light grey stone room opened. An apologetic-looking elven guard took one look at the group of them before his eyes went wide and his face paled. He stammered a soft apology before closing the door again, prompting Aria to answer his question.
“Not by itself, no. Governments the world over instituted curfews, shut down air travel – all in the name of trying to limit the spread. The problem is that every time they seemed to have things under control, clouds of green gas would appear somewhere else in the world and more people would start getting infected.”
“No.” Eli whispered, horrified.
Zee was the next to speak up. “Then last night, videos like this appeared.”
He looked away from his elven princess for a moment, glancing over at his desert elven girlfriend. She wore what looked like a mix between medieval plate armour and modern military gear, with swords and guns still strapped to her. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail and her olive skin seemed to glow in the light from her phone’s screen as she tapped it before turning it around to show it to him.
In front of him was a view that most humans would instantly recognize: the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. Swarming around the sign itself were tens of thousands of ratkin soldiers, supported by dozens of war machines, hulking ratkin mutants, powerful 4-armed Orryx commanders, and monsters of every description. Just behind the sign stood what looked like a dozen ratkin spellcasters channeling their power into keeping a swirling green portal open – through which poured yet more reinforcements.
“Fuck.” Eli swore before Zee turned the phone away. “How bad is it?”
Zee shook her head. “Eli, it’s…it’s bad. I’ve managed sporadic contact with some folks I know in the US military. By their estimates, about 30% of the world’s population is already dead, and another 50-60% is in an advanced stage of infection.”
Eli blinked several times as he did the math. “That’s… billions.” He said slowly.
“With that many dead, it’s basically become a free-for-all. There’s no society left to go back to – just isolated pockets of survivors.” Zee said. “And with the ratkin invading, I don’t think they’re going to last much longer.”
“Is it contagious to elves? Or other magical races?” Eli asked.
“No. This looks like it’s targeted to humans.” Zee replied.
Eli took a deep breath. “Alright. Nyxie’s investigating the Titan lab where the original strain was developed, but she won’t be at our meeting spot for a few more days. Until then we need to stabilize the situation on the ground, take the fight to them. Let me get changed into a fresh set of armour and I’ll-”
“Eli, no.” Aria said, releasing one of his hands and pressing her palm to his chest. “We are going to take care of this. You can’t go back to Earth until we figure out a cure or vaccine.”
In that moment, Eli wanted so badly to argue with her. His morals and personality demanded action of some sort, not sitting back while the people he cared about put themselves in danger. The look on Aria’s face gave him pause though, making him slow down long enough to ask a question.
“I take it this isn’t just a run-of-the-mill biological virus that can be cured with healing magic or a potion.”
“Our portal guards already tried. Nothing worked.” She paused for a second. “Eli, I think this is a refined version of what they used on Athena. That ‘poison’ was never really a poison – it was a virus.”
Several memories of Ares flashed across Eli’s mind, causing the puzzle pieces to fall together. “They’ve been one step ahead of us the entire time.”
“What do you mean?” Zee asked.
“The Titans knew they couldn’t attack Earth with magic directly.” He started, his voice flat. “Doing so would risk awakening more Royal Bloods. So instead they developed something that could kill both humans and Royal Bloods – a plague. The problem was that they needed a live Royal Blood to test on.” He paused for a second. “I don’t know whether they sacrificed a Titan to knock Ares out or if he managed to kill one in their attempt to capture him, but he gave them exactly what they needed.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” Aria said. “Why wouldn’t they just infect Ares and send him back to us then?”
“Too many variables.” Lilly said, moving closer to him. “What if the plague didn’t work? What if the plague killed people too quickly? Then all that work would be for nothing.” She shook her head. “They learned what they needed from Ares, but then they used what they learned on Athena. If the gas hadn’t worked, then they would have just done more tests on Ares then come up with another version to try later.”
“Doesn’t that mean the lab is in the same realm as the prison then?” Aria asked.
“Not necessarily.” Lilly countered. “They could have tested him in one realm, then moved him to the prison for holding.”
He took a moment to look at his dryad girlfriend for the first time since returning from Olympus. She’d covered her lithe frame in strategically placed leaves and vines, but most of her vibrant green skin was still fully on display. Her dark brown hair fell loosely down her back, and her brown eyes locked onto his as she interwove her fingers with his and squeezed his hand in support.
“Lilly’s right.” Eli agreed. “When we found Ares he was completely drained of mana, and unconscious. He wasn’t a threat to them anymore, unless someone was dumb enough to let themselves be drained by him. They could keep him there and just send someone from another realm to draw blood or do whatever tests they want with impunity.” He chuckled darkly. “Their own personal lab rat.”
Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably at his comparison, the weight of the realization falling on them. Eli closed his eyes and took a deep breath, centering himself. Refusing to let the grim situation paralyze him, he spoke again without opening them.
“I understand your concerns about me going back to Earth. I trust in each of you.” He opened his eyes. “I also hope you can appreciate that I can’t just sit back and do nothing though.”
“That’s why we’ve been keeping very busy since we found out.” Freya said, speaking up for the first time. “I hope you don’t mind that we’ve been tossing your name around a lot.”
Eli furrowed his brow at the coldheart phoenix woman in her human-like form. She was built similarly to Aria – blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes – but shorter and somehow even curvier. In most other circumstances her hourglass frame was filled with a bubbly, happy energy but the fact that she seemed entirely serious caught Eli off guard more than anything.
“What do you mean?”
“I reached out to Coldwater. A lot of the civilian citizens have retreated already, leaving mostly guards and anyone willing to fight. I’ve asked that they start taking in human refugees where they can, quarantining them, then sending them through portals to safe realms once we know they’re uninfected. I may have implied that it was a request coming from you, which helped get the ball rolling.”
“The lizardkin and naga have already volunteered to house as many humans as they can in Serapenthra once they know they’re uninfected.” Aria added.
“They…have?” Eli asked, somewhat confused.
“Yes. Apparently you made quite the impression with Seline.” She confirmed, referring to the lizardkin-naga hybrid. “She’s already wielding her influence, and she’s got quite the following.”
“Remind me to thank her.” Eli said.
“That’s not all we’ve been up to.” Naz interjected.
He looked at his orcish girlfriend. Sometime after returning from Olympus she’d found a new set of armour – a bulletproof vest paired with shoulder pauldrons, greaves, and vambraces. She flexed her muscular green frame as she grinned a toothy smile at him, tying her black hair into a ponytail.
“Your orc tribe stands ready to help. As an orcish chieftain, you also have the right to call for an election of a warchief during times of extreme strife – something I’ve already done on your behalf.”
A glimmer of hope sparked within Eli. “You think the other tribes will answer the call?”
She barked a laugh. “You really think the other clans are going to miss the opportunity to throw down in the biggest fight in the universe? Azrak has already put his name forward to lead the orcs on your behalf.”
“Fair point.” Eli admitted, his hope growing. “We’re going to need a way to close those portals though. As much as I’d take 100 orcs over 10,000 ratkin, they’ve got a lot of ratkin to fight through before we get to their spellcasters.”
“That’s where my forces come in.” Aratessa announced. “My elves can move under the cover of darkness, kill the spellcasters and negate their magic.”
For a moment, he just took in the spider queen in awe. Her ebony skin, white hair, and red eyes were typical for a dark elf, but her mouth-wateringly curvy frame was decidedly not. She wore a tight black bodysuit made of spider silk paired with a set of black high heels and a look on her face that he’d never seen before – a mask of pure, unadulterated rage.
“That’s going to put some elves in the firing line.” He warned.
“My Lord Consort.” She said, locking eyes with him. “Even if they’d stop at Earth and leave us alone – which they won’t, and you know it – they attacked you. The Hero of Purgatory. Their regent protector. I’d barely gotten the words out of my mouth before people were volunteering for a counterattack.”
“And not just elves either.” Vespera added.
He glanced to the right of Aratessa at his succubus girlfriend – the newest of his bond mates. She had all the classic hallmarks of a demon: red skin, black hair, black curved horns on her head, and a whiplike tail that ended in a blade. Despite her aptitude for mental control and manipulation she was dressed like a barbarian warrior – a simple black wrap covered her perky breasts, and a short skirt hung low around her waist.
“The demons are ready to back us?” Eli asked.
“It’ll take some convincing, but I think we can get at least some of them on side. We’ll have to be careful when and how we use them, but… I wouldn’t mind unleashing Wrath’s demons on them.” She said, referring to the demonic embodiment of anger.
He considered it for a moment before looking over at his other new bond mate: Minerva. She curved her white angelic wings around her deceptively sexy body – a classic hourglass frame that she often covered underneath modest grey dresses and shirts. She brushed a stray strand of her red hair away from her eyes before biting her lip, waiting for him to speak.
“Any chance we can get some angels in there too?” Eli asked. “At this point, I’d even consider death magic users if it helped even the scales.”
“I’m sorry Eli.” She replied, her shoulders slumping. “I…they’re not fond of you.”
“Understatement of the year.” Vespera muttered.
“It’s okay.” Eli assured her. “We’ll make it work.”
“There’s something else you should know.” Lilly said, taking the pressure of the room off Minerva. “Talaedra and I have reached out to every life magic user worth a damn. They’re mostly wood elves and dryads, and they’re all on their way here. Talaedra is coordinating setting up a camp in the forests outside the city.” She squeezed his hand again. “It’s the greatest gathering of potion masters in several generations. We’re going to work together and create a cure for this virus. Then we’re going to make sure our armies are fully stocked with enough mana potions to keep all our mana reserves high even while we’re on Earth.”
“That’s amazing.” He replied, the ghost of a smile creeping onto his face.
“I wouldn’t count the humans out entirely either.” Zee added. “I’ve been calling every contact in my book to see who’s still alive. It looks like there’s a few isolated military bases out there that are still functional. I’m sure they’d be willing to help us get our hands on whatever we need – guns, supplies, vehicles-”
“Tanks? Helicopters? Jets?” Eli interrupted.
She paused before replying. “Those things require a long supply chain to be effective – everything from fuel to ammo. But if we’re willing to go down that road, I think we can make it happen.”
“We might have to.” Eli said.
“There’s one more thing.” Aria said, bringing his attention back to her. “I need you here tomorrow. My father has invited the heads of the other high elven kingdoms here, for an emergency summit. We’re going to ask for their support in a military alliance to help retake Earth, and I want you to speak.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Eli asked. “I’m sure there’s still some anti-human sentiment left over in Avallonè, and maybe even some here.”
“I have complete faith in you.” She replied quickly.
He kissed her forehead. “Then I’ll do it.”
“Good.”
His eyes swept across the room. “Words can’t express how grateful I am to each of you. I don’t even know how to begin to-”
“There’s one thing you can do for us.” Lilly interrupted him.
“What’s that?” Eli asked.
“Rest. You need to get out of that burnt armour, have a shower, and get a few hours of sleep. I promise there’ll still be plenty of war to fight when you wake up.”
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to sleep.” He countered.
“Then just lay down and rest.” Lilly insisted. “Please? You’re probably still in shock from your fight with Ares and everything that’s happening on Earth. You need at least a few hours until that wears off.”
“I will accompany you.” Isla declared in a tone that brokered no argument.
Every set of eyes looked over at the last woman in the room to speak. Her ginger hair and pale skin contrasted with the white dress she wore – one which was cut in a way to show off a considerable amount of her enormous cleavage. Her wide hips, ample ass, and thick thighs completed the image of a woman who looked like some sort of Greek fertility goddess.
The only difference was that she could transform into a 50-foot long, red scaled, fire-breathing dragon.
“You will?” Eli asked.
She strode through the crowd before taking hold of him by the wrist and looking him in the eye. “My mate. I have no armies to offer, no magical cures, and nowhere to house or feed refugees. All I have to offer is myself.” The look on her face turned into something almost pleading. “Please. Allow me to take care of you as if you were the most valuable treasure in my hoard.”
The stunned silence that filled the room after her declaration spoke volumes. Eli nodded at her, feeling the stunned despair of the situation lift from his shoulders temporarily. With a plan in front of him and the love of his bond mates behind him, he broke into a wry grin before opening his mouth to respond.
Then the ring on his hand glowed bright white and he passed out.
