Bob woke me just before dawn. He shook my shoulder and then slapped me across the cheek so that I came awake quickly and just short of killing him.
"Get ready," he ordered. "It's time."
"You need to tell me your plan now?" I demanded. I changed clothes with a bit of magic just to get this over with.
"We are already well into the plan," he replied. "Get moving, or we are going to miss it all."
Somewhere not too far away (and probably far too close), I could hear people's surprised voices. I sensed little magic in the air, so whatever was going on must be in the hands of the humans. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I have mentioned they are chaotic, right? I soon learned that "chaotic" was a mild description of what humans can do when turned loose.
I stayed at a cottage near the Archive Tower, well away from the city's usual trouble spots. I dreaded walking to find the battle. That turned out not to be a problem. A portal stood in the courtyard before the tower. It was already spitting out some of Sylsan's allies, which appeared to include most of the humans. This just didn't look good, and I turned to Bob, hoping for a reasonable answer.
He let out a battle scream, charged forward, and kicked the gremlin back through the portal. That seemed to be the sign for everyone else to go a little crazy. I know I did, even though I did not know what was really going on.
Neither, apparently, did anyone else, including Sylsan. That was my only hope. I saw him looking around with growing dread as he tried to grab one of the humans. No, I did not want him to take that human back through the portal and out of our reach. Bob must've felt the same way. He leapt like he had when he attacked the gremlins, but this time, he aimed at Sylsan.
I shouted a warning and leaped toward him. Adon appeared at my side and grabbed my arm, holding me back. Gold kept going, and when Sylsan noticed the giant cat, he lost all interest in Bob.
"Stay here," Adon ordered and then gave me a strange smile. "We only brought you along because we thought you'd like to see what kind of madness humans are really capable of creating."
I watched as the humans with Sylsan surged out around him, as though they couldn't wait for the battle. A few startled fae came running and watched in shock. Then Bob got close enough to Sylsan to trip him.
That is when the fireworks started.
Literally, fireworks.
I yelped as blue stars exploded in the portal. Sylsan yelled and waved his arms, apparently trying to use magic to disperse the attack that he didn't understand. Humans surged at him from all sides, and I feared his fear and rage would trigger a magic explosion that would destroy us all.
The phase demons grabbed his arms and carried him off into the pulsating portal, and none of us could see or track where they went. Flashes of blue and green lights poured out of the dying portal. Then the world fell silent, except for Gold's protest since he hadn't gotten to join in the fun.
I sat down on the steps while the others celebrated, a few at a time until they were all laughing and talking. Fae and human. I thought it was a good sign because now we had to figure out what to do with our new friends.
By the next day, I had a plan.
We couldn't turn back time or hold it long enough to make a difference. Instead, we created an agency for the interaction of humans and fae. Small groups of humans and Fae visited various human lands and show them what help they can be in times of disaster. Adon, Gold, Bob, and I are often the team and visit the most inaccessible spots that humans have ever found. They are also the places most likely to believe in magic.
I can see that within a year there will be more acceptance on both sides. Unfortunately, we are still finding signs of Sylsan, and I expect him to strike again. This time we will expect it. I don't know that it will help. I already sense some human and even Fae groups who are more inclined to listen to him than to us.
Humans and Fae are far too much alike. It is going to be a long war.
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