The thunderous voice in her mind was accompanied by a wave of compulsion that made what Archmaster Belegra had done look like friendly persuasion. This voice sought to obliterate all thought but its own, and it hammered at her as the collective will of tens of thousands joined in. Then something occurred to Catrin: If the feral dragons were so powerful, why did they need humans?
This thought must have been betrayed to Seethe as Catrin heard pounding laughter in her head. You are but tools to me, implements designed to achieve my will. I wouldn't bother keeping you around at all, but you do have such delicate fingers. But if you prove too troublesome, you are something we can certainly do without. Seethe then flooded Catrin's mind with the vision of the death of mankind. Perhaps he'd meant to frighten her, but she'd seen it before.
You underestimate the power of a single will, Catrin thought with all her might, and despite the singularity of her statement, she felt the wills of others backing her. The world around her was suddenly filled with light; flaming dragons surrounded her and reinforced her will. One in particular caught Catrin's attention as it bore a rider, and Catrin nearly shouted in glee when she recognized Halmsa of the Wind clan, who looked as if he would burst with pride, but moreover he looked ready to die for Catrin. Somehow he thought that Catrin had fulfilled her promise to him and taught him to fly dragons, though she knew not how she had done any such thing. Still, she could feel his gratitude as he sent it toward her; it bolstered her soul.
It was a proud and brief moment. Then the world exploded. Both sides released the full extent of their might and fury, holding nothing back. The heavens shook and the pillars of Godsland trembled. Catrin felt the energy of the planet surging through mighty keystones-six of them. One of which was within the Grove of the Elders, another at the great shallows. Catrin did not know exactly where the others were, only that they existed. Anyone who controlled them would control the world. Catrin tried to bury that thought lest the dragons find out-that is, if they did not already know.
The vision of the Grove of the Elders persisted in Catrin's consciousness, like spots left by the sun. There she saw the mighty greatoaks as they had once been, and at the center of the grove stood the Staff of Life, blooming. It was an anachronistic vision, true, but it felt real to Catrin, who had planted the staff there. She'd been a fool to leave it there. Chase must have been right when he'd said the staff had given her acorns to replenish the grove and no more; it must have fulfilled its purpose. He'd begged her to bring the staff back to Dragonhold rather than leaving it in lands controlled by Master Edling. Now the staff rested in the hands of Thorakis, a once great man now subverted by Seethe. Thus, it rested within the feral's grasp-all that power, his to command. It was a frightening thought, and it was painful to feel its bite.
Koe reached out to her and left claw marks through her psyche. A creature of her own creation, she was defenseless against it, and Catrin cried out to Kyrien to retreat. Instead, the regents responded, throwing themselves onto Thorakis's attacks, and by their sheer numbers, they broke through and sent Thorakis tumbling into the darkness. Seethe bellowed and exacted a costly price for the victory, and Catrin felt the light dimming around her. Despite their heroic efforts, the darkness was still winning.
Though despair threatened, Catrin looked around her and found that she was far closer to the Godfist than she had been at the start of the battle. They had taken great losses, but their progress was more than the ferals would have them believe. Much of their power was in deception, and Catrin was now fully aware of this.
Seethe's voice was now quieter in her mind. Your son is about to die.
Doing what he did best, Sinjin ran. Slowly the demons recovered themselves, and Sinjin dodged their sluggish movements as he wove his way toward where he'd last seen Strom. The scene ahead was a blur, and when he broke free of the demons and into the open, he saw them: his father, Strom, and Durin, all laid out on the grass. Sinjin's knees went weak, and he thought he might fall; only the need to keep Trinda safe kept him from giving in. Kendra and Khenna were among the few still standing, and Sinjin realized how hopeless his situation was. He had left Brother Vaughn behind, something he now regretted deeply. The demons outnumbered them hundreds to one, and they were quickly thawing. Trinda clung to him. He knew she was already overexerted, and he didn't expect much help from her.
Seeing Brother Vaughn standing alone, between them a mass of angry demons, Sinjin abandoned fear. "Dad!" he shouted as he ran, and his thoughts turned momentarily to his mother. "Mother! Please help!"
Kendra came into view, and Sinjin angled away from her. Khenna stood nearby, looking ready to defend Strom, Prios, and Durin, all of whom remained unconscious. Sinjin had no time to check on their conditions as the demons resumed their attack. He wanted to drag his father and friends to safety, but he was left with no choice but to defend their unmoving bodies. After quickly putting Trinda down next to his father, Sinjin turned to face the demons with fury and desperation in his eyes. With the herald globe gleaming before him, Sinjin thought he saw another bright light. Not knowing its source, he threw the herald globe into the midst of the demons. Before the globe struck, he saw Brother Vaughn trapped on the shoreline of the turbulent river waters. A flash of light drove the demons back, and Brother Vaughn dived into the depths. Sinjin would have cried out, but an instant before the herald globe erupted, something slammed into the back of his skull, and the world went dark.
Breaking free from Thorakis, Catrin's spirit raced toward where she sensed her son and husband; their life forces dim yet calling to her. Below her, fields of amber crystal beckoned, and she burst through like rays of sunlight, only a thousand times brighter. Immediately she was faced with an amazing yet terrifying sight. The underground cavern was beyond images from even her wildest fantasy. Never before had she considered that an entire ecosystem might have survived underground for ages undisturbed. The stain of darkness and evil despoiled the view.
Catrin first saw Brother Vaughn alone, trapped by demons on one side and dangerous-looking waters on the other. Not knowing what else to do, Catrin cast her light into the demons. Somehow amplified by the crystals and with an amber tint, her beams sent demons tumbling backward. Others moved in to replace those, but Brother Vaughn took control of his own destiny and slipped into the churning water. Catrin could only pray that he would survive. After losing sight of him, she knew she could no longer protect him, and she began looking for Sinjin and Prios.
Her soul cried out when she found them, both laid out on the lush grasses along with Strom, Durin, and others. Khenna and Kendra alone remained standing, and they appeared to be fighting. Catrin did not understand what could possibly be happening. Confusion and anxiety overwhelmed her as she moved closer. Kendra looked angrier than Catrin had ever seen her, and she moved in to swipe her own mother's knees. Khenna, though older and not as nimble, had a great deal more experience and anticipated the move. With a simple sidestep, she gained the advantage on her now off-balance daughter. A single punch sent Kendra to the turf.
"Get her out of here," Khenna shouted, and a demon lifted Kendra's limp form in its arms. Catrin nearly retched. Then the woman turned back to Catrin's husband and son. "That boy comes with us. Kill the rest."