Swearing, I tensed, trying to protect the stasis shields. They needed to stay up, needed to remain intact to keep the realm in place. Rhaelgyr came through, the dimensional walls rippling at his passage, disturbing my work.
The cracks widened.
Humans screamed, both at the dragon and the gaping wound in the sky. Rhaelgyr growled, wings flared, hovering just behind me. ~What in all the bloody hells is that?~
I could barely finish the link, could barely form the thoughts to speak to him. ~A dimension's falling apart.~ My vision dimmed, my grip on the stasis faltering.
Rhaelgyr gave a cry as the crack widened. The ground trembled here, people screaming from farther away. Wind screamed, tearing at trees and crops. The dragon landed behind me, forepaws on either side, creating a shelter against the physical tumult. ~What can I do for you?~ The link between us pulsed.
~Don't know.~ Holding slipping walls and incoming destruction was harder than gathering raging energy. ~Must stop it.~
Rumbling, bowing his head to blow hot breath across me, Rhaelgyr joined his power to mine. The stasis field was bolstered, holding temporarily, but the damage was done.
Walls were going to tear.
My body felt like it was going to tear with it. Heart raced, lungs pumped like bellows, and head throbbed. Physical senses were retreating in, attempting to protect me. As vision dimmer, I beheld my father and my friend fighting.
Besedie was wounded, blood pouring down his side, face blanched. Swarmed by Chaos beasts, he barely remained standing as power lanced Steven. Both of them were on their last legs, fading, dying. It didn't seem likely either would survive even if the dimension weren't collapsing.
Beasts swarmed over Besedie, pulling him down. I couldn't tell if he were dead or not, but his shields suddenly disappeared. I gasped, nearly collapsing under the pressure of holding the realm all by myself.
Rhaelgyr supported me mentally, physically bracing me with a heavy claw. ~We've got to go. This place is done for.~
I moaned, shaking my head, nearly blind, unable to hear the screams of the terrified humans or the dying world. ~We've got to save them~
~Morgan-~
I cut him off, done with being selfish. All the people in the hamlet had suffered because of me. I wouldn't make the rest of this world suffer because of me. Unable to form the words, I passed my intentions to the dragon.
~You're a difficult woman.~ He sighed and held me closer.
~You could leave,~ I mumbled. The strain was becoming worse. Of course, the weight of an entire world was on my shoulders.
Rhaelgyr chuckled, and I gasped as some of the weight lifted me. ~I don't want to leave you.~ A welling of love crossed the link, and I smiled.
At least if I failed, I wouldn't be alone.
