Tyco drew his sword and advanced towards Eve. "I've wanted to do this for some time. Let's see what you've got you filthy cat."

Max raised his swords. "I'm not going to sit idly by while you hurt my friends."

Tyco stopped. "You would actually draw against me to protect that thing."

"You and anyone else who would try to harm her."

"Very well, Max. I'll teach you one final lesson."

Tyco charged while Max readied himself for the attack. A blur flew by Max, barreling into Tyco and knocking him onto his back. Eve stood at Tyco's feet, her tail flicking fiercely back and forth.

"It is I who have something to teach you." Eve extended her claws and waited for Tyco to stand.

Max saw a glint of fear in Tyco's eyes as he regained his footing. "You see, Max, they are born predators."

Max paused to take in the creature before him. Her red, cropped hair was a mess, her ears were laid flat and her waving tail made approaching from behind a risky prospect.

Tyco is right, she is a wild beast, always has been. It's the reason why we had such crazy adventures. But, what's wrong with that?

The memory of Eve crouched on his chest, purring, in Mrs. Ta.s.si's storeroom flashed in Max's mind.

Yes, she's wild, but there's so much more.

A big grin formed on Max's face.

"You know very little about Eve, Tyco. She is a good and loving friend to me and many others. You are right; however, about how she was born a wild beast designed to protect herself and others. I'm glad I'm the one she's chosen to protect. Good luck, Tyco. You're going to need it."

Eve launched herself at Tyco and the two became entangled. From the right, Alexandra and Callie rushed Lord Avram throwing him into a panic.

"Guards!"

Captain Leander moved to intercept Callie and Alexandra. Lysander and Max tried to resume the charge themselves only to have Captains Thanos and Agamemnon block them. Melody ran to take her position on the path with Ca.s.sia hot on her heels and Effie, Lalita and Anemone engaging the remaining guards. At that point, Max lost sight of the surrounding battle as the mighty form of Captain Thanos filled his view.

Thanos advanced with slow, strong swings of his sword. Max met Thanos's forceful blows accurately, but each one left him stunned for the briefest of moments. He recovered only in enough time to block the next one. This continued for several minutes until a final blow knocked Max to the ground. A crooked smile appeared on Thanos's face.

Lysander stepped over Max. "I think this one's a little big for you, Max. Let me play with him while you go help the others."

Thanos and Lysander took a powerful swing at each other, their swords meeting in a deafening clang. Max rolled left to get out of the way and found Captain Agamemnon lying on the ground. He was either unconscious or dead, but, at this moment, Max didn't care which.

Max's training with Tyco had not prepared him for the surrounding chaos of an-all out fight. To his left, Melody struggled to block the path leading down to the plateau with her barrier. Behind Melody, Effie fought to keep a pair of guards from reaching her. To his front right, Callie still engaged Captain Leander while Alexandra searched for a way past them.

He could hear the rest of the battle raging on behind him and hoped Eve still stood among those fighting. Knowing he couldn't take the time to check on her, he dodged around Lysander and Thanos to make his way towards Lord Avram. He had a brief glimpse of him standing at the edge of the plateau. He gripped the head of the lacarnian girl with one hand and held the Lifestone with the other. Before he could contemplate what Lord Avram was trying to do, two guards stepped in front of him, raising their weapons to attack.

A loud scream from behind the guards froze everyone. Other screams from around the plateau joined the first, Eve's among them. To his right, Callie fell to her knees in agony.

Max shook off the shock, and stabbed at the guard to his left, striking him below his chest plate. The movement brought the second guard back to the fight. He took a swing that Max blocked with one sword while pulling his other out of the first guard. The guard swung again. This time Max dodged around to his side, striking the back of the guard's leg. As the guard fell, Max spun, taking a step towards Lord Avram before a painful impact to his back knocked him to the ground. From where he fell he saw Spook scurry across the ground towards Lord Avram.

A hard kick sent Max rolling onto his back. Above him stood Tyco, breathing heavily and wavering a bit. Claw marks gouged his armor and the left side of his face. Blood flowed from where his ear and eye had once been. With both hands wrapped around the hilt, Tyco raised his sword above his head.

A yell of pain rose from Lord Avram. "You accursed rodent!"

Tyco hesitated. "Lord Avram!"

Tyco's body jerked then stiffened. He hung there, sword high above his head, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he went limp, the sword falling from his grip. Max used the last of his strength to deflect it inches from his face. Tyco's body was tugged from behind and fell, leaving Eve standing in clear view. She retracted her b.l.o.o.d.y, broken claws then stumbled forward, dropping to her knees beside Max. Struggling to talk, she lay her head down gently on his chest.

"Hi, Maxy."

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE.

Max lifted his head. Eve had several cuts, bruises and a small tuft of hair missing, but otherwise seemed okay. He lowered his head.

"Just once, Eve, would you let me save you?"

"Nope."

Lysander's voice rang out. "Drop your weapons and stay where you are!"

Max tried to move. "What's going on?"

Struggling, Eve pushed herself to a seated position. "Lysander has a knife to Lord Avram's throat"

Melody arrived at Eve's side. "You two are a mess." Melody checked Eve's cuts. "Nothing serious. Eve, help me sit Max up."

Together Eve and Melody pulled Max upright. He cringed in pain.

"My back."

Melody checked his back and gasped. "This needs immediate attention. Alexandra!"

"In my pack there are some salves. Do what you can with those. I cannot use any of my strength to help. Callie, untie the girl and use the rope on Lord Avram."

Melody ran to retrieve Alexandra's pack. Max tapped Eve on the shoulder.

"Can you spin me around so I can see what is happening?"

Once Eve had him turned the right direction, Max could see Lysander standing behind Lord Avram with a knife next to his throat. In front of them, Callie untied the lacarnian girl and used the rope to bind Lord Avram so tightly that he could barely breathe. Max saw fear in his eyes as he spoke between constricted breaths.

"This is pointless. My Protectors will not let you leave here alive."

Alexandra approached Lord Avram. "They will not be your Protectors for much longer."

Melody returned with a jar of salve. Tearing the back of Max's shirt, she smeared the cool gel over his wound.

"I'll do what I can, Max, but, as I've said before, healing is not my strong point."

Max felt Melody's hand on his back and the pain slowly lessoned.

"There, Max, I've stopped the bleeding. Hopefully, Alexandra will take care of the rest. Otherwise, you will have to wait until we get back to Moenia."

"What about everyone else?"

Tears filled Melody's eyes. "We lost Lalita." She wiped the tears away. "The others have various injuries, but nothing life threatening. They're helping guard the path onto the plateau."

Eve's head swiveled back and forth frantically. "What about Spook? She ran off while I was fighting Tyco."

Max nodded at Lord Avram. "I saw her running his direction after I fell."

Melody gave a strained laugh. "Yeah, she bit Lord Avram, stopping whatever he was doing to the girl. It also let Lysander slip in behind him."

Eve looked at Melody expectantly. "Well, where is she now?"

Melody started to sniffle, but stopped herself. "Lysander flung her back towards the mountainside."

Eve tried to stand. "Where?"

Melody held Eve down. "I'll go look for her. You stay here."

As Melody left, Max focused on the events at the edge of the plateau. Alexandra had calmed the lacarnian girl Lord Avram had brought and now studied the girl's collar.

"What is your name?"

"Han...Hannah."

"Well, Hannah, I think it is time we got rid of these blasted stones."

Lord Avram struggled to free himself. "No, you can't do that! The lacarna will slaughter us if you remove those stones. Guards!"

A few of the close Protectors started to move. Lysander inched his knife closer to Lord Avram's throat. "Stay where you're at."

Alexandra shook her head as she smiled at the girl. "The lacarna will not harm the humans."

Lord Avram carefully turned his head to face Max. "Maxwell, you have just seen what these beasts are capable of, don't make the same mistake as your father. You must not let her do this."

"My father did what he thought was right and so do I." Max smiled at Eve. "I know there is much more to them than their animal side."

Alexandra picked up the Lifestone from where Lord Avram had dropped it. With her other hand, she clasped the stone in Hannah's collar.

Max looked at her curiously. "What are you doing?"

"The Lifestone feeds on life and creates it. Lord Avram used it to create the controller stones as living ent.i.ties; it can also destroy them. Do not worry Max, she is in no danger."

Alexandra closed her eyes. A slight glow appeared in the center of the Lifestone. When Alexandra let go of Hannah's collar, the stone was gone.

"There, that is better."

Max starred at the collar. "It's gone." Max shook his head. "But how are you going to get all of them?"

Remember, the stones were created from one ma.s.s and share a link. Destroying one with the Lifestone, destroyed them all.

"You mean..." Max looked at Eve's collar, the stone had vanished. Eve, seeing his stare, felt for herself. Her eyes widened.

"They're all gone?"

Lord Avram shouted hysterically. "You've doomed us all! The lacarna will not live peacefully with us after what we have done to them. I'm sure they have already started slaughtering humans."

Alexandra faced him. "You are right."

Max and Lysander's jaws dropped. "What?"

"They will live in a place free of humans, but not one brought about from human blood. It will be a new place made solely for them."

Lord Avram looked at her nervously. "What do you mean a new place?"

"I guess it is not really new, I am, after all, only restoring what you took away many years ago."

Lord Avram's brow furrowed. Max shared his confusion, but beside him a wave of excitement washed over Melody. "You mean, you're going to recreate the forest Avram destroyed, don't you?"

"Yes."

Lord Avram shook his head. "Impossible. That would take more power than you or anyone else has. How are you...?" Horror filled Lord Avram's face. "Maxwell, you must stop her, she is going to sacrifice the lives of the Protectors to...to create plants!"

Alexandra's face flashed red. "No, I am not like you. I will not use the lives of others so carelessly." Alexandra fixed her eyes on Max. "I promised your father I would not, nor do I want to."

Lord Avram quieted. "Please, Maxwell, do not trust her. The lives of the Protectors are the only way to supply the stone with so much power."

Alexandra voice softened. "Maxwell, I am of the original line of humans, the ones unaffected by the disease. I have much more for the Lifestone to feed on." Her eyes grew cold and hardness entered her voice. "Thanks to Avram's treachery, I also learned how to channel the energy from others too, namely his."

All color drained from Lord Avram's face, he struggled to speak. "Never! I won't help you."

Alexandra walked over to him. "You have little choice."

"My guards will not let this happen."

The Protectors on the path began to move forward. Ca.s.sia and the others readied to fend them off.

No, I can't let them fight. Max raised his arm. "Melody, help me."

Melody pulled Max to his feet, keeping an arm around his waist to help steady him.

"Move me to the edge."

Melody helped him walk to where Lord Avram sat bound. Clearing his throat, Max spoke as loud as he could.