Eight Gods on a Windowsill

A'grappa stood tall, square-backed, and covered in amber-gold scales. The lower half of his face bore more lizard-like features. A flat nostril nose and wide jaw full of long spindly fangs. His eyes were somehow even more brightly shining than before. Scales covered the sides of his face and worked their way down his neck. His shoulders were broader, and more muscular. His chest looked like you could bounce a quarter off it. His arms were the size of cannons, ending in big hands with long serrated claws. His legs were thick. His tail swished through the air; the sound of which made an audible noise. It ended in a large club of spikes.

"Looks like you are the only one that is easy pickings, child of Rammel." He cooed. "It was so nice of you to offer yourself up as my snack."

I wasted no time. I'm using that again. I felt my body shift and grow, like before, this time only quicker. Once more my body became covered in fur and scales. Large horns sprouted from my head. Mechanical arms emerged from my back. Each hand took the position of some Buddhist seal. My height tripled. I summoned my macuahuitl. If he's going to attempt to get stronger by transforming, I am not giving him the chance to best me at any point.

"She looks like Tara Buddha." Nesbeth said in shock.

"Unending Gates of Yggdrasil." My voice came calm, as large gates manifested above A'grappa. As they came down on him, they shrunk to bind his movements. Each one was controlled by one of my mechanical hands.

"Fire Giant." Abryi once more took the form of the burning man that marked his transformation. As he grew, Rammel lowered his barrier. Malda grew in size along with Abryi, making it easier for him to wield.

"Ten Ton Man!" Campbell bellowed as he burst forth from Rammel's barrier. It was like no amount of damage could hurt him, no matter what the ability did. Almost like Achilles. No, exactly like Achilles, which was probably why he wore the shin guards.

"Lupus Maxim." Gaian, Grey, and Baen shifted into a wolf-like form that they took when they needed more speed and strength. It also increased their size. Which made it harder to judge just how fast they were moving.

Lightning began to surge around Rygol. The barrier he was behind went completely white before exploding from the force of the lightning. "Rajin." This was the first time I had ever seen a Sung'mallyan transform into anything. His form remained very similar to what he was like before, but blindingly white and surging electric discharge. It wasn't until he moved that I realized what his form actually did. In the time it took for me to blink, he moved from one end of the space to the other, leaving behind afterimages as he bounced from edge to edge.

"Blind Man's Dice." Ashitaka walked right through Rammel's barrier. Each step he took forward, he replicated. He was a one-man army.

A'grappa's eyes grew wide with glee. "What a challenge you have brought for me." I could tell he was only too ready to take on the eight of us.

Campbell ran up to A'grappa, causing the ground to shake with each step he took. As he jumped into the air, Rygol took his chance to fire off several bolts of concentrated lightning. Abryi swung Malda with such force that the blade lit ablaze and sent out a projectile of black flames so fast that it caught up with the lightning and merged into a black lightning bolt. As the lightning struck, Campbell came down upon the middle of A'grappa's back, breaking all of the gates that I had placed around A'grappa and forcing him into the air. Gaian, Grey, and Baen wasted no time in using A'grappa like a volleyball with Ashitaka and his clones in the center, slicing through as he passed by.

With such little time together, they managed to find a way to coordinate their attacks. A'grappa couldn't even get himself in the right position to attack. I saw the opening I needed. I wasted no time at all.

I summoned in Yrh'danyr and the Fratali. Along with her, she brought Abryi's cousins, Dhel, the commander of the elite city guard of Ashe'gard, and his son, Thoren. She also, much to my surprise, brought along Hagnr and Zoldya. I had given them the chance to go home and not have to take part in this battle.

The Fratali began to attack the same way that the other mortals did, from afar. I doubted that they were doing much but, anything to keep A'grappa on his toes was worth it. And, even though A'grappa managed to get in a few strikes on the other Fractions, he wasn't doing very much. I could tell imparting my soul to them made their defenses even stronger.

"So, that's how we're playing?" Dhel said with a large grin. He looked over to his son and without saying anything to him the both of them began to transform. "Fire Giant." They took on the same form as Abryi.

Hagnr smiled. "Eighth Step, Red Dragon Scales." He took the same form as A'grappa, showing that he truly descended from that Great One. I found it ironic that he was going to use A'grappa's own abilities against him.

"Flash Drive." Zoldya closed her eyes. "I'm counting on you to take care of me, brother." And, she was gone in a zap of lightning and sonic boom. Both she and Rygol immediately began pressing A'grappa with lightning. In unison, they shouted, "Brannigan's Bolt!" Everything went white. There was so much concentrated lightning in one place that I was sure the only people who could survive such an attack were Campbell and A'grappa. 

When the attack dissipated, I noticed everyone had moved out of Zoldya and Rygol's range. Perhaps they had been anticipating it. A'grappa was smoking. Literally. His skin was wafting black plumes of smoke like he was one big cigar. Suddenly, before anyone could do anything more, A'grappa shook himself like a dog, dispelling the fumes. Somehow, his smile was even wider.

What is wrong with him?

There was no answer in my head. None. I doubted anyone truly had an answer for me.

Then, without warning, a sudden knocking came at one end of the Dead Space, like someone was rapping on a door. A head poked through, followed by the rest of the body. A black panther felid, grizzled by age. His weight was supported by a gnarled spruce cane, steadying an obvious limp. His left eye was scarred shut. I immediately recognized the Mizokath before me. Adrian Galfor, Emperor of Mawryana.

"Oh, you can just walk right in."

Now casting soul to remaining ally. One locking signature.

I watched as Adrian's limp began to disappear. His fur began to smoothen. He stretched his muscles and set down his cane, cracking all his joints as he readied himself. "I feel so much lighter." His smile was full of drunken bloodlust. "I see you must be the interloper that they warned me about." He said, staring down A'grappa. "I recognize the rest of these fine Fractions." He turned to me and winked before he turned back to A'grappa. "I'm sorry, I can probably only do this once. I'm sure you'll indulge this old man." Adrian instantly went into a fighting stance. "It's been six hundred years since my last good fight."

"You do realize I am much, much older than you, Fraction?" A'grappa contested. But, he objected to no one. Adrian was gone from his sight.

Adrian appeared behind A'grappa. "Ten Paces, Jackfruit Strike." He put his fingers together on both hands and flicked A'grappa away, appearing on the opposite side of him as he neared the edge of Harvey's Dead Space, only to swat him away like he was shooing a fly. He once more took a fighting stance as A'grappa hit the dirt. 

As A'grappa once more returned to his feet, I covered him in ash and Nesbeth covered him in vines. I wasn't about to take any chances of him moving about again. I wanted every attack to hit.

Adrian appeared behind A'grappa once more. "Dynamo." He slapped A'grappa so hard he began to spin in place. The others took their chance to attack A'grappa themselves. Adrian just barely dodged out of the way. "Such feisty young people." He turned to me with a large smile on his face. "Who exactly is this lizard of a man?"

I wanted to fall over from shock. Adrian had started to fight without even knowing why we were fighting here. Well, I suppose, he was doing his job as the Emperor and protecting his people, which was more than enough for me. But, it also made me wonder just how much other Fractions knew of the Great Ones. Were the ones on my planet just so different?

"A'grappa the Dragon."