It took her a moment to realise it wasn't only the Gods that had come; others had also come to wreak havoc however they could, and she felt a sudden burst of hope.
Lifting her scythe from the ground, she straightened, and her wings stretched out behind her, flexing in the new hope. Epharis read the determination in her face, and his grin was wicked as he leapt into action. She set off for the gateway, her work considerably easier with so many around her. They were quick to get out of her way as she went.
Those she passed stopped to watch her or bowed to her, and she was very aware of those who bowed, a sense of their allegiance pulling at her even as she moved. It confused her at first, but she quickly realised why. They were Winter. They were hers.
Approaching the gateway, she cut down those who set foot through it and those showed signs of shock and even fear as they saw her. She didn't have time to consider why, as she extended her hand to the gateway and grinned as the air rippled. The air on the other side of the veil was so much warmer.
They had allowed the gate to go both ways, the idiots.
As the next person stepped through, she simply threw them back and then followed, her skin tingling as she stepped through into a large cavern filled with a mass of terrified-looking people, but they weren't what she was looking for.
Turning her head slowly, she looked back and down at the petrified little man that was holding the gateway open. He was young, with green skin, light grey eyes, and black hair. Turning to him, he whimpered and shrank back from her. But he was only able to lean back as far as his arms extended to keep the gateway open.
Reaching down for him, her long fingers curled around his throat. Lifting him, the gateway buckling but it didn't close. There was a second gatekeeper.
His feet dangled and kicked as he flailed to get free, but it had no effect, and she was fascinated to see that where he kicked, her body only became black mist before reforming. As it turned out, she was not entirely solid in that state.
"So, my little green friend. Who's in charge here?" she asked, his eyes popping and fingers clawing at her wrist, which was perfectly solid.
He didn't speak, but his eyes turned and hers followed him to a group of perhaps twenty men. They were looking back at her with wide eyes and pale faces.
Like those in the field through the portal, the only thing that connected them was the fact that they were male, and she immediately knew why she was able to do things they could not. She was a woman, capable of creating and holding life while they could not. That was what they had been missing in their attempts to create a perfect world. They were lacking a womb.
Her lips pulled up into a slow smile and her fingers clenched, the loud snap announcing to them all that she had crushed his spinal cord in her hand, making them jump at the sound.
Turning on them, she started forward, but a movement had her throwing herself back just as a sword came down.
The intruder was pale, with blond hair and grey eyes, wearing a long black skirt that touched the ground and bundled at his waist with a series of cords. Two black, long, curved swords would be hung at his waist had he not been holding one. He was unusual in the fact that he had two sets of black horns reaching back behind his head, something she didn't recall ever seeing before.
Across his chest and hanging off his left shoulder was a gauzy black, sheer fabric that, while it looked quite pretty, wasn't overly practical in a fight.
"You'll have to forgive me for not knowing your name," she said slowly, her eyes moving past him to the group of men who, much to her irritation, were looking smug.
"Alez," he said in a voice that was deep enough to make her eardrums vibrate.
"Alez? Never heard of you," she said, taking in the distance between herself and the men. She didn't know for sure that bringing them down would solve her problems, but she was eager to give it a go.
Perhaps she should tap into Winter?
"Alez Dracshageph," he said, making her frown as her eyes turned back to him, his horns in particular.
"Dragon?" she asked, and he nodded once, his face set and grim. "Don't suppose you're just going to go away, are you?"
His dark lips twisted up into a grim smile and she let out a slow breath.
"Fine," she said as she turned to him fully, her scythe swinging out at her side.
His having two weapons and being somewhat smaller than her meant he would be faster, and she had to wonder why the size change had been necessary. But that question would have to wait for later.
He drew the second sword, and she made a silent note of his professional stance and how his muscles moved. Shaking her head at her silent admiration of his muscular chest, she made a quick, experimental swipe for him, but his body was all grace and poise. He was no novice when it came to fighting. He didn't attack her back, however, and she narrowed her eyes in thought.
Why wouldn't he counterattack? That was the golden question that she had no answer for.
Her second swipe was met with the same reaction, dodging her, and stepping back a fraction before settling into a defensive stance.
He was trying to draw her away from the gate, that was clear, but she refused to move away from it. That didn't explain why he was refusing to attack, or even to really defend. He was simply dodging and avoiding her.
A thought came to light in the back of her head, and she cocked her head to the side as she drew the thought to its natural conclusion. She darted for the group of men, only to be forced to defend herself from him as his sword struck out at her side, deflected by the handle of her scythe.
She had the right conclusion; he was to keep her busy and distracted to keep her from reaching the Creators.
Smiling grimly in her knowledge, he bowed his head in a slight hint in agreement of her thoughts. He would not allow her to get closer to them.
"Why are you willing to protect them, Alez? Surely you know what will happen if the human world is brought down?"
He nodded slowly, eyes hard and jaw set in a stubborn line. "I am a servant, I do what is demanded of me," he said.
Etani snorted. "You mean you are their pet dragon? That's cute," she taunted, but it seemed to have no effect on him at all. She was wasting time, and she looked past him to the Creators once more, their expressions no longer quite as smug.
"How can you go against the queen of Winter?" she asked, the men exchanging a nervous glance.
"We do what is best for Faerie," one said, making her laugh gently.
"You are going to kill half of Faerie with your stupidity."
She had been about to say something else nasty when that same feeling of rending hit her, and she sucked in a breath, her body swaying.
The world around her shifted, and she cursed silently as she felt herself changing. Her connection to the underworld and the spirit world severed, the energy fading out of her to leave her panting and dizzy.
He took advantage of her confusion and his body slammed into hers, throwing her backwards. She rolled, nails digging into the ground as she skidded to a slow stop in a crouch.
Her shoulder was burning, and she looked down to see a large graze where she had clipped the edge of the gateway as he threw her back through it.
He followed after her, grim and determined, but he was not her primary focus in that moment. It was those around her who were screaming.