The time had come for them to pass through the portal. It was hard to determine how long they stayed. There were suggestions that this world was already combined with others, and it felt like this was what Mesu’s world would look like if Liam succeeded. They dared not explore as there was no telling what existed outside the area they knew.
Mesu was the third to go through. Russ ran in first. Tai followed him, and then it was her turn. She couldn’t think of a reason to stay behind, so she went through.
The noise of battle hit Mesu as soon as she entered the caverns again. Her eyes took time to adjust to the low light, and she wished she were more useful at the moment. A party was waiting for them to come through that consisted of goblins and more. Mesu rushed forward into the fray as Anna entered behind her. They had to clear the cave and then find a way to take out the portal. There was no telling how long the first part of the plan would take. Mesu couldn’t see the end of the horde.
Zoe was finally through and joined in the battle. The chattering, grunting, and clanking of weapons and armor made for a strange orchestra. Mesu had lost count of how many goblins she had taken out. A deep rumbling was audible, approaching slowly. It came from all over the chamber. Mesu saw that everyone else was taking note of the sound. It was something that she feared they had encountered before.
“I’m not surprised you’re all back.” The fighting slowed to a stall as Liam emerged from a tunnel. The only sound was that of a lumbering beast as it made its way to the chamber. Mesu looked around the room and wondered how all the carnage fit into the small area. “You do know that you won’t be able to stop this from here. The worlds have already started to merge. All the items and creatures that were dormant have started to take on a new life. It’s a grand thing.”
“Why are you doing this?” Mesu didn’t expect the thought to come out of her mouth. It was an instinct that she noted to try to stop if they survived this.
“Revenge, mainly. Your world is the reason my father was removed from the pantheon. Specifically, it was Enya who had done this to him. There were other ways to complete this, to make your world suffer. I chose the way I did so that it would be directly related to Enya, and her blood.”
“All of this because of one person?”
“Not just a person. You know the stories. She has risen to be one of the most well-known and loved Gods around. Even if people don’t know about her ascension, they still look at her and feel inspired. This will help tear her down. Claiming your life wasn’t part of the original plan. You were just a pawn. This does make the whole scheme more satisfying.” Liam’s smile was genuine. He had been enjoying the thought of this and wasn’t going to stop. Mesu had heard enough and knew that the plan to destroy it from here wasn’t going to work.
The rumbling intensified until the ogre showed itself. The goblins had surrounded the portal again, forming a circle around the group to keep them in the middle. Liam and the ogre approached as Zoe lashed out, striking and taking down a few goblins. The fight was back on. Mesu evaded a couple of goblins as they flung themselves at her. She started carving a path towards the portal that branched off from everyone else. She could see Liam keeping his eyes on her. It wasn’t something she planned for, but she knew it would be inevitable.
Mesu used her increased speed to bypass a few more goblins, and she leaped into the portal. It took hold of her. She was being teleported again. The sensation on her skin felt more like a tingle this time and made her want to giggle. The purple sky hung above her as she moved back to the portal made of stones and dug her short sword in. The rock began to loosen.