Logan's heart beat hard in his chest. He couldn't believe he had done that. He could have stayed down. It would have been a coward's death, but it would also be quick, without struggle. On another day, he might have.

  "I don't want to kill you." Logan found himself saying it without thinking. "You are my friend, even now, but I will stop you."

  "You don't have the right," Joshua said. "You think you can call me friend? We journeyed for a time together, nothing more. Neither you nor that woman were ever my friends."

  Logan narrowed his eyes. Joshua was lying; he knew it. They may not talk a lot to each other. They may not always get along, but they were friends. That wasn't meaningless. Joshua could try to maintain his charade, but Logan could see it in his eyes.

  "We're beyond talking about this then," Logan said and stepped forward.

  "Do you really think you can beat me?" Thousands of writhing strings extended out behind Joshua's back. "You should run now, I might let you live."

  "You're right," Logan said. "I should run."

  He ran forward, his sword held ready to thrust. There was a flash of surprise on Joshua's face. He hadn't expected that. Logan didn't grin. He couldn't take any joy out of this battle. At the end of it, one of them would die.

  His blade skittered past as it struck against one of the black lines. The surprise hadn't been enough. A flurry of strikes pushed Logan back as Joshua focused on him. Logan was a decent enough fighter, but he couldn't dodge them all.

  He cried out as one pierced his shoulder. Hot blood dribbled out in tiny gushing drops. Logan fell back on his knee, clutching at his shoulder.

  The magic was there already, sealing the wound with a sickening thump. Logan rose up unsteadily as the blood stopped its flow. It was a reminder to him that Talan was there, even if she couldn't speak.

  There wasn't a renewed strength in it. Logan grimaced. The magic wasn't doing nearly as much now. Either what Joshua said about the seal's stranglehold on magic was true, or Talan couldn't do much more than keep him patched up with the power in his soul.

  He wouldn't be able to rely on it to win.

  Logan barely dodged the staff strike. Joshua's robes billowed as he charged Logan. He thrust with it again and again. Logan jumped back. The mage was surprisingly swift. He summoned up his will, and a thin shadow of magic covered his blade.

  Logan slashed down in the middle of Joshua's charge. The staff sailed by his head as his sword bit down into Joshua's shoulder. Cloth shredded and a dark liquid shot into the air. Logan wasn't sure that it had done any damage, because Joshua didn't stop.

  A plume of green-black flame bit into his leg. Logan gritted his teeth to stifle his scream. The skin boiled in a single breath. Bile rushed to Logan's teeth, but he held it in. No darkness rushed to cover the wound.

  Logan ripped his first knife from his belt and punched it into Joshua's heart. They were close enough that he couldn't miss. It plunged in with the sharpened aid of the magic. Joshua fell to the ground, clutching at the hilt in silent agony.

  "Finally got you," Logan said with a heavy breath.

  There wasn't a response from Joshua. He lay on the cold stone unmoving. Logan kneeled down with a wince, reaching down to Joshua's shoulder. The flesh was cold to the touch, but he had to be sure.

  A black claw caught him in the chest, and a bestial roar erupted from the mage. Joshua wasn't fighting like a mage anymore. Claws replaced spells and ferocity replaced strategy. He was fighting like a monster.

  Logan caught the second strike with his sword. The blade bit deeply, but couldn't cut all the way. Already, the faint glimmer of magic on his sword was nearly invisible. It slid off without any resistance.

  The second claw came up from under him, a giant mass of black attached to Joshua's arm. It stretched and careened towards Logan's uninjured leg. A single tug ripped him into the air. Logan couldn't tell what was up and what was down. Blood rushed to his head as his sword slipped out of his hand.

  With a surreal laugh, Joshua let go of his leg. Air rushed past Logan as he flew through the air, but it ended abruptly. Logan hit the wall hard, bones cracking through his ears as darkness threatened to overwhelm him.

  He couldn't do it. His breath was ragged, and his chest burned with each breath of the cold air. He grasped a cold stone in his hand as Joshua descended on him. His hands numbly gripped the ice-cold stone.

  The claws pulled him up from the ground, piercing into his shoulders in an iron grip. Logan's vision blurred as he tried to focus on Joshua's face. There was nothing left of the mage in the gaze. Only two glaring red eyes stared out from the dark cowl.

  Logan swung the stone as hard as he could. A hard crack split the air and the impact shook through Logan's hand. The ache vibrated through his hand. It was as if he had struck stone against stone. Joshua's head refused to budge.

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  "Did you really think that would let you win?" Joshua asked.

  "No," Logan said, a copper taste filling his mouth.

  "Are you ready for your death?" The tendrils erupted from Joshua's back again.

  Logan couldn't answer. Fear gripped his heart tight. He couldn't run this time; there was nowhere to go. He would die by Joshua's hands. Richard would die. Elaine would die. Adrian would die. The Crows would die.

  Logan fought back the tears that rose to his eyes. He should at least accept his death now, he shouldn't cry for others. That was the best a coward like he deserved. Cold wet drops stained his cheeks.

  'Are you just going to lie down and die like a dog?'

  The voice was a pained faint whisper, hidden deep within his soul. It was Talan's voice, of that much was sure. He didn't know how to respond. His tongue swelled in his mouth. He couldn't even talk.

  'It’s sad.’ Her voice cracked. 'I thought you might be able to make it.'

  Logan blinked away the tears. This wasn't a time for him to feel sorry for his path. He had to find a way to fight, no matter what the cost was.

  'Good, reach deeper,' Talan said. 'We will need your entire soul if you want to live.'

  Logan reached deep within himself, searching his heart and grasping hold of his soul with his entire all his might. He pulled it out and offered it to Talan. He would not die. The magic enveloped him.

  Dark claws, bright eyes, a skin as black as night covered him. He was just like a savod now. He should have shivered at the thought, but he embraced it. It was the only way. He willingly let the magic encase his entire form.

  Claws clashed together in a flurry. Two monsters now fought. Their roars mingled together as they rolled across the stone floor. All but the moment lay forgotten. All that mattered was that one would have his throat torn out at the end.

  Logan struck at Joshua's head again and again. Each time a shard of magic splintered and shattered. It wasn't Joshua's shell that broke. Logan’s shell split, ravines like those of the plains cracking across it.

  Even as the magic shattered and only his arms remained, he kept punching Joshua. Blood streamed down his hands as he struck at the magic. Sharp stings struck down his arms, but he refused to stop until there was no magic left.

  The black claws grabbed his throat.

  “Pitiful.” Joshua held him aloft and pushed him against the nearest object.

  The hard line of the crystal poked into Logan’s back as Joshua leaned on him. The tight grip on his throat refused to relent. Logan did his best to focus on Joshua’s glowing eyes. Where he once saw anger, he only saw sadness.

  “Joshua.” He was barely able to speak as he struggled to breath.

  “What?” Joshua laughed. “Do you have some final words to say? You cannot change my mind now, I already made my decision.”

  “No.” Logan smiled, his hand going to his belt and drawing his knife.

  “You cannot stop me with just a knife,” Joshua said. “Your sword was useless. Your magic was useless, and you are useless Logan. There is nothing you can do to stop me.”

  Logan raised the knife high, pointing it into the air. He then brought it down hard, slamming the hilt into the crystal with a solid crack. Joshua shuddered. Logan raised the knife again and slammed it back down harder.

  Joshua let go of him as a scream of agony pierced Logan’s ears. Logan caught himself on his feet unsteadily. He couldn’t let the advantage go by. He turned and struck at the crystal again. With all his strength, he slammed down the knife.

  With that final hit, he cracked the entire crystal open. It crumpled and shattered as a surge of shadows erupted out of the crystal and flew through the room. They fled up the stairs and out of sight in an instant and the crystal’s remnants fell to the ground and shattered.

  A great gust of wind erupted from the portal as the green magic that surrounded it expanded with a sudden stretch. Joshua still lay on the floor, breathing in ragged breaths, and Richard sat near the entrance, watching in awe.

  The wind reversed. It sucked in like a giant beast drawing in a deep breath. Logan numbly took hold of the nearest stone as it pulled him towards it. He could only watch as a wave of shadow came back from the stairs and twirled through the room.

  ‘They no longer have a tie to Nelim,’ Talan said. ‘They can only go back beyond the Veil.’

  In moments, it was over. In a surge of darkness, all the shadows returned through the portal. Yet, the portal wasn’t ready to finish its last gasp. Logan saw Joshua as he floated toward the portal. The mage was limp as he floated through the air.

  “Joshua!” he yelled as he let himself fly toward the mage.

  He grasped hold of the mage’s hand and held on tight with his numb fingers. He could only hope that the portal would take away all of the savod’s influence on his friend. Perhaps he could still save Joshua.

  “This is your fault.” Joshua’s voice was barely loud enough to hear over the wind. “Never forget that, I name you now as betrayer.”

  A sharp jagged edge pierced Logan’s hand and he let go. It happened too fast for him to think, too fast for him to stop. Joshua withdrew the jagged dark edge as he floated again toward the portal. In a blink, he was gone.

  With that, the portal closed, and the wind vanished in an instant. A thick layer of dust permeated the air, and the smaller rocks fell back to the stone floor. Logan coughed as he pushed himself back up.

  It was over; they had won.

  “It’s not over yet,” Talan whispered as if she read his mind.

  Logan wanted to demand to know why she had hid from him. He wanted to yell at her until she explained it all, but in truth, he was just happy to see her material form again. He didn’t have to worry any longer.

  “I still have my own path to finish,” she said, turning and regarding Logan with her feral green eyes. “We have to part now.”

  “Wait.” Logan jumped forward, but lost his footing, as if the strings that had been holding him up broke. “Talan.”

  “The magic is a part of you now. Your body will heal with time.” Talan said, smiling with her sharp teeth. “I’m glad that you were able to bring me here in the end. Thank you, Logan.”

  She turned her back on him and walked to the seal. Her tiny form stood at the center of the circle. Logan could only watch as she stretched out her arms and whispered impossible words. In a brilliant flash of white, she disappeared into the circle. The magic circle pulsed with power for just an instant and then even that was gone.

  Logan’s heart lurched. Talan was gone.

  “Amazing.” Richard spoke for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. “She used her life to power the spell to reseal the savod. The cracks are closed.”

  He rose up from the floor and walked unsteadily over to the seal. He knelt beside it and ran his finger across the engraved circle. Logan shuffled across the floor until he was beside the mage. He ignored the tears that streamed down from the man’s face as much as Richard ignored his own.

  “We should leave soon,” Logan whispered after his eyes had dried out. “Elaine must be waiting on us.”

  He didn’t know if he believed the words, in fact she should have come down once the seal reclaimed the savod. Together, he and Richard stood and started towards the stairs. Neither looked back to the seal.