"Good morning," Verin said as her eyes fluttered open and the morning light peaked through the window. She closed them again and snuggled in his arms as she whispered, "Verin."

He petted her hair. "You do know that is not my name," he teased.

She laughed. "Ah but it is didn't you hear my grandpa? He said, 'Vifctif, who shell hence forth, be known as Verin Nylander Axium.' So your name is indeed now Verin, and my last name is still Axium," she said with a smile.

"Oh I guess your right he did didn't he?" He gave a small laugh and lifted her chin and kissed her.

Suddenly a knock sounded at the door and Neo's voice said, "It's time king Brokon and the coalitions' army have assembled at Terra's border. War is upon us."

***

XRenia and Verin stepped through their portal and there high in the sky on one side of Terra's border hovered her parents and grandparents and there other side at the same height King Brokon and the coalition's army hundreds of thousands strong sat perched on the mountain's plateau; right where her grandma guessed they would be.

She flew out and took her place beside her mother and Verin joined her as the entire Axium bloodline stared down the armies assembled to kill them.

King Brokon wearing a full body gold and white mechanical suit rose in the sky and flew right up to the edge of the border. "Royal family of Terra the seven nation coalition of world peace has come to make its demands. And I King Brokon am it's emissary."

"Coalition of world peace? Is that what you're calling this insanity?" Someone using a powerful voice amplifying spell called from far below.

XRenia glanced down to see thousands of Terra's citizens, gathered at the edge of her father's shield, that she hadn't notice before. Two young men stood above the rest on a raised platform made of a weird combination of earth and multicolored shields.

"Oh, somehow I think that's fitting brother. And the ultimate irony!" from what she could tell the older of the two young men shouted. "Especially seeing as how they are the ones gathered at our border and threatening our beloved Royal family even after we built this shield wall to protect ourselves from them!"

"Silence!" King Brokon shouted.

"Oh shut up you bloated cow," the younger of the two shouted back. "We all know the true reason you're here is because XRenia didn't choose you."

Terra's citizen roared in approval of the young man statement. And goaded on by the crowd around him the lad continued, "I hope Mathis rips your head clean off."

King Brokon jaw twitched and his blocky face became beet red.

Her grandfather turned to her father and raised an eyebrow.

Malthus nodded and waved his hand at the golden shield far below. A second thin shield parted from it and slowly started to roll across the land forcing Terra's citizens to disperse and retreat farther back into Terra's territory.

King Brokon watched as the two troublemakers jumped off their platform and disappeared into the crowd then turned his attention back to them. "Forget formalities," he spat. "The coalition demands that the warmongering shedog known as XRenia and her bond mate be exiled from earth and that the royal family of Terra never give birth to another offspring."

The air around them rose in temperature as XRenia's father's temper flared, but despite his anger he didn't move from his spot beside her mother.

Her grandfather the supreme ruler over all of Terra on the other hand floated through the sky till he was mere inches away from King Brokon's face. "Darrell I have known you since you were conceived I have watched over you defended your honor and given you aid in your time of need," her grandfather said in a low barely audible voice. "But today with your insults and pride you have disgraced yourself before my eyes; you and your people will remove yourself from our border or you will fill the full wrath of the Axium bloodline."

Suddenly the air became several thousand times heavier in magnitude and XRenia found herself starting to fall out of the air. Verin reached out to her and their magics entwined stopping their dissent but even with the combined might they slowly sank lower.

Then her grandmothers and parents magic joined theirs and with all of their powers united they stabilized their position.

King Brokon on the other hand had no such support against her grandfather's might and his mechanical suit whirled and werred as the thrusters on his feet and back burn bright red but despite the mechanical contraption he sank ever lower. His face twitched with anger as his head fell below her grandfather's feet and Terra's ruler stared down at the King with disapproval in his eyes.

Fine war it is then!" The king declared and flew off back towards his army.

XRenia watched as the king glided into a giant mechanical mech carrying a large lance weapon of some sort. "I bet he's foolish enough to believe he is a match for us in that thing," she scoffed.

"Don't underestimate him sweetie that Mech is nuclear powered and that lance of his alone has over five hundred pounds of refined uranium in it dramatically increasing his magical power output. If one of us were to be hit with such a weapon we would not survive."

So much for sanctions, she thought to herself as her grandma said, "Then I suggest we start before he has time to power it up." She turned to them and asked, "Ready?"

XRenia and Verin nodded along with her parents.

"Then on the count of three."

XRenia raised her arms and the mountains surged with energy.

"One."

"Two."

Suddenly a massive rift opened half a mile away right in the middle of the border, disrupting their spell. A gigantic tentacle pushed its way through opening the rift even wider then a gargantuan brown worm exploded forth from it. The beast plummeted from the sky where it had entered and crashed down on her father's border shield shattering it.

"What in the world?" XRenia breathed as she gaped at the monstrous creature half the size of a mountain.

The creature seemed to hear her and it snapped its bald eyeless brown head in her direction.

Her breath caught in her lungs as its head rose higher in the sky and it's back curled while its entire attention affixed itself straight on her.

Verin grabbed her and pushed her behind him and even her grandfather reacted by flying in front of all of them and pushing them all back with his magic.

However just when it looked like the creature was about to launch itself straight at them a blue beam rent the heavens as King Brokon lowered his lance and shot it straight at the monstrous creature.

The continuous beam of energy slammed into the worm's side plowing straight through it and a massive cloud of steam billowed forth from its hidehigh.

But instead of falling over dead the creature turned towards King Brokon and opened its mouth a mouth that was half the size of its own head.

The beam flowing forth from the lance's tip tripled in size and XRenia covered her eyes as its brilliance grew to rival that of the sun's.

A black swirling vortex formed in the giant worm's mouth swallowing the beam as it plowed into it. Far from being hurt the creature seemed to swell with power and energy as it continued to gobble down King Brokon's attacks.

Then before she even realized what was happening the creature launched itself traveling almost a mile in a mere second it slammed down on King Brokon swallowing him, a large portion of the mountain and thousands of his men in one bite.

Her grandfather grabbed them all with his magic and shot away as fast as he possibly could fly.

Her grandmother placed her hand on her mouth as they were pulled along and whispered, "it can't be."

"It is," Her grandfather said. "I don't know who the fool was but someone re-created the Devourer."

"The Devourer?" Her father blurted. "We can't let something like that run loose we have to go back and destroy it."

"We can't," her grandfather answered as he continued to fly away from the border. "It feeds on magic we would only make it stronger there's not a single person alive who can defeat that thing. It is as the prophecies say the earth is doomed."

XRenia's teeth jarred and her body shook as her father brought his magic power to bear forcing them to all halt. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we have precious little time before that thing finishes off the coalition's army and comes after us. It was already eyeing up your daughter, it will not soon forget the smell of her powerful magic."

The grip of her father's magic loosened its hold on them as what his father was saying hit home.

"He's right dear," her mother said placing her hand on his shoulder. "The instant Brokon's attack hit it I realized he had unwittingly saved are lives. Without him we would all be dead right now and there is no defeating that thing."

"I noticed that to," Verin agreed. "But what I don't understand is why King Brokon attacked it."

The last of her father's magic grip faded away and her grandfather once again started pull them along as he raced towards the palace. "To him it looked like we were controlling the creature and he thought it was our weapon," he said answering Verin's question. "A foolish mistake on his part."

One he didn't live to regret, XRenia thought with a shudder.

"All right," her father said. "What's the plan then?"

"I'm going to release the Dragon and sick it on the devourer. It will be no match for it but their fight should buy us some time. Once the Dragon has left its chamber you and Tara will use the chamber and the blueprints your daughter sent your wife the other night to build a spacecraft while Keira, XRenia and Verin gather as many people as they can save. Then.." Her grandfather swallowed hard. "We must leave this planet behind."

***

All six of them stood in the endless black room in front of the pulsating black door.

"All right once the doors open we will use our combined strength to open a rift, large enough for the Dragon to fit through, to several miles away from where the Devourer is. I will then prodded it towards the beast and provoke a fight between them. Once the chamber is empty it should provide a safe place for you to work without drawling the Devourer attention."

Her grandmother wrapped her arms around her grandfather and kissed him. "Be careful."

"I will," he said placing his hand on the door.

The magically sealed archway hummed and the door vanished revealing the massive blue and gold Dragon curled around itself. XRenia's breath caught as she looked up at the majestic creature before her and stepped into the magical chamber.

"A single one of its scales is bigger than my hand," she whispered in awe at that the size of the creature before her. "And the way they shine it's almost as if I'm looking into a sea of a glass."

"Yes it is a magnificent beast but is also a deadly one even to you and me," her grandfather said as he resealed the door behind them. He reached his hand up and near the ceiling far above the creature a small rift opened up. "All right help me expand it."

She and the others push their energy into the rift expanding it until its circular mouth touch the edges of the room and sunlight poured in through it.

Her grandfather flew into the air and motion for them to step back as he formed a wind spell.

The powerful gust of wind raked across the dragons face causing its mustache like whiskers to lay back against its horns. The Dragon stirred and slowly opened one eye. It eyed her grandfather as one might eye an annoying fly disturbing their rest.

"It is time for you to get up," her grandfather told the beast.

It blew a puff of smoke at him then turned its head once again closing its eyes.

Suddenly the air filled with a heartrending roar and through the rift above her XRenia could see a cloud of smoke and debris as the wormlike devourer noticed their presence and started to race across the land in their direction.

The frills along the dragon's neck stood up much like cat's ears do when they hear something interesting.

"Yes you hear that?" Her grandfather shouted. "Another beast has trespassed on your land and you must defend it. NOW GET UP!" Mathis the supreme ruler of Terra roared bringing his full magical might to bear on the creature sleeping before him.

The dragons head shot up and he snapped at her grandfather its deadly jaws barely missing him.

"Yes! Now follow me," Mathis commanded as he shot up through the rift.

The Dragon uncoiled itself and launched into the sky after him.

The rift closed leaving the five of them alone in the massive black dark chamber.

"Be safe, Father," XRenia's father said then turn to them. "All right let's make use of the time they are buying us."

Her grandmother nodded opened a rift to somewhere and started pulling out thousands of pounds worth of resources. "Keira you and the kids evacuate our people and bring them here."

"What about the other nations?" her mother asked.

"Someone ells will have to see to them. Our magical powers are like a beacon to that thing if any of us besides you and Verin use our magic out of this chamber it will instantly come after us so we have to leave as soon as possible," her grandma answered.

Her mother nodded in understanding. "I see."

Verin frowned. "I don't. Are you saying we are leaving all the other nations to fend for them self's?"

Her grandma reached out and gently stroked Verin's face. "You have a big heart sweetie, but right now you need to understand that that, thing locks on to the most powerful magical energy force and chases it down to it devours it. At this moment that energy is the dragon and Mathis but my husband can hide his signature to some extant so the devour's attention is on the dragon but once it falls all six of us will be its main target unless we get off this planet we will not survive to see another day."

Blue outlines flooded the room as XRenia's father laid out a hastily constructed blueprint and glanced back at Verin. "Don't worry too much son once we and Terra's citizens are gone the empty cities will be the most powerful energy signals and the beast will take some time consuming them. If the leaders of the other nations have any brains they will use that time to leave as well."

Verin's heart sank within him and he nodded in understanding as well but she could feel him talking silently to his God as he did.

She had never been much of a worldwide people herself but the ideal of leaving thousands upon thousands to be mercilessly devoured didn't sit well with her either, all they could do though was hope her dad was right and the leaders after the slaughter of their armies that just happened would have enough intelligence to get everyone off the planet.

Her mom tapped her on the shoulder as she opened a rift motioning for her and Verin to follow her.

***

They appeared in the sky above Coriander one of the largest cities in Terra and her mother raced down towards it activating the evacuation alarms and the evacuation systems XRenia's grandfather had in place for all of the cities.

As XRenia started to follow her mother down to the city Verin grabbed her hand. She looked back at him and he said, "I know this is going to sound strange but do you remember that lake we seen in Thaxium?"

"The one you told me not to go into?"

"Yes that's the one. We have to go there right now!"

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. We just need to."

She frowned at him, "Is this another one of those God things?"

"Yes. The Holy Spirit is telling me we have to go there right now," he said opening himself up to her and tried to push the unstoppable urge he felt at her.

She pulled back as a sinless presence touched her mind and the realization of how wicked and selfish she was slammed into her like a sledgehammer. The world spun and Verin's magic caught her as she started to fall from the sky. "I'm sorry," he said racing down toward her, closing himself off and once again grabbing her hand.

"What was that," she gasped.

"God," he answered. "We need to go," he urged.

Well there was no denying what she had just felt, she thought as she recovered, and there was no way she was going to argue with it either.

"All right we'll go." She looked down at her mom who was configuring the evacuation spells to lead to the antechamber in front of the dragon's cage. "Mom I'm going to go get my people, okay."

Her mom glanced up at her and nodded, "Just don't use your magic, I don't know if that thing can open a rift or not but if it detects you and comes after you there is nothing we can do to stop it!"

"Okay Mom Verin will do all the heavy lifting. We will be right back."

Her mom nodded and portable way to another city.

Verin tightened his grasp on her hand and pushed open a rift.