Nyota appeared at the end of the line of archers, holding one of the medusan bows. Its steel construction stand out amongst the row of wooden longbows. A suitably unique weapon for a catgirl in a maid outfit. Men chuckled at the odd recurve. Though their awkward teasing did nothing more than confirm their fear.


    Do all maids know how to shoot bows? Hmm… Nyota, what other secrets are you hiding? Viscount Alexander Blackwood would never teach his maids how to wield weapons, so... who in the world taught you? Thought Liam, once again reminded that Nyota was probably far older than he. Didn''t Rhendal mention the Eclipsiarchs were immortal?


    All the while, the portal continued to flatten, stretching open far beyond anything Liam had witnessed. It swallowed more than a dozen feet of airspace, spinning smoothly in the wind. Unlike others this portal luminesced blue, giving it the feel of a disk made from clouds. Or a hot tub in the sky.


    Its immense size gave Liam a front row seat through a foggy porthole. The edge curled, lip forming. In one grand inhale the portal surged open, tripling in size. Instantly clarifying the vision of another world. Blue skies stretched beyond, interrupted by two golden eyes. Each burning with luminous power like two suns. A scaled snout pushed through the portal, covered in iridescent white scales. Sunlight reflected off them, scattering a prismatic spray across Petra.


    Liam fought the primordial urge to flee, suppressing his terror with enthralled fascination as the creature emerged. The triangular head of a pit viper followed, tasting air with its forked tongue. One golden eye peered down at the militia, dismissing them without a second thought. Roving past them in the same way an arboreal viper would ignore the leaves of a tree.


    Oh, my, god, we are less than scenery to this thing!


    The white snake swam through the portal, gaining altitude as it moved. Golden feathers sprang into being along a spinal ridge, lengthening in tune with the creature’s girth. A full twenty feet of the serpent had entered their world uncontested.


    “Archers loose!” Ordered Eldred.


    Six arrows flew through the air. An unlucky undulation of the creature’s slither caused the darts to err, missing the feathered serpent by inches. Bowstrings twang, echoing through the village as the arrows passed by the serpent, creating a sense of scale. White scales against a blue background had deceived their eyes, and now they saw that the winged serpent was far wider than their projectiles. A supreme creature of divine power who made nature itself stop breathing.


    With a deep inhale, one last archer drew arrow to jaw, the taut bowstring creaking in protest. Sighting down a wooden shaft. Her target, the snake’s unyielding gaze. One slit pupil starred into another vertical pupil. Nyota adjusted her aim, heart pounding in her chest, and released the arrow with a silent prayer to Perun Taloc. The arrow streaked toward the serpent, destined for the ominous eye.


    It blinked.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Eyelid deflected the arrowpoint like an errant eyelash, sending the shaft plummeting harmlessly to the dirt road below. Though it had been an excellent shot. One that the serpent did not let go unchallenged. It rose high into the air, ascending the void as easily as Liam drew breath. Golden feathers splayed from its body, forming two golden wings. It beat them once, the downdraft hurling it into the heavens above. Fully emerged from the portal Liam recognized the creature. Quetzalcoatl, an American god of serpents and heaven.


    Isn’t that supposed to be an Aztec god? Can these portals summon gods? Hey now, Thats… uhm, really not fair! That’s straight up cheating!


    Electricity charged the air. Liam’s newfound powers making him keenly aware of another lightning wielder. Two golden eyes focused on Nyota, watching as she fearlessly set another arrow to the string of her steel bow.


    “No!” Cried Liam, fear giving him the strength to run.


    Mana swirled around golden feathers, gathering near ivory fangs. Liam felt it, clear as dawn. Could sense its confusion at being summoned into this new world. Disorientation slowed its mind, giving Liam a half second to gather his own strength. Thunder rumbled.


    A bolt of lightning flew from the god, arcing for Nyota’s chest. Liam jumped, intercepting the bolt of lightning with his outstretched hand.


    Lightning flowed into his body, taking the path of least resistance to the ground. With his mana manipulation skill, Liam guided the raw electrical power through himself, picturing it flowing into his hand, through his arm, into his shoulder, then across his chest to his other shoulder, through his arm and finally into his second hand which shot the bolt into the ground. Simple, or so he thought, attempting to channel the strike as he would channel his own mana.


    [Mana manipulation] increased to level 9


    His hand burned and split, palm bursting apart between his ring and middle fingers. Arm erupting in flames skin boiling instantly. Then it was over. The lightning passing harmlessly through the rest of his body and into the dirt.


    Quetzalcoatl cocked it’s head, turning sideways so it could behold the mortal who had intercepted its lightning with one golden eye. Unblinkingly the creature watched him. Golden wings holding it aloft without moving.


    HELLO YOUNG SON OF PERUN TALOC.


    The thought exploded in the minds of every soul present. As loudly as if the serpent god had shouted in their ears. None could mistake the origin, nor would they have dared question the beast.


    [Lightning] increased to level 15


    Liam held his splintered hand, tears streaming down his face as he wrestled with the agony of his destroyed arm and the dizzying volume of the god’s thoughts. Around him the militia collapsed, mortal minds overwhelmed by an echo of Quetzalcoatl’s words.


    "Ah, why are you here? If you''re intelligent-" Gasped Liam, unable to complete his thought as the serpent spoke into the sealed oubliette of his skull.


    SERVE YOUR KING.


    TO AWAKEN.


    DAUGHTER OF LIGHTNING.


    Quetzalcoatl spoke a second time, shocking the militia into abject stupefaction with the force of its thoughts. Those who could move covered their ears in a futile attempt at quietting the deity’s speech. Fewer still saw the narrow beam of lightning shoot from its eye, piercing Nyota’s heart.


    Liam was one of the few, he watched her fall, collapsing like a puppet with strings cut. Crumpling in a limp mass of fur and cloth. Her silver gray hair contrasting darkly sharply with the black maids outfit. Then the second narrow bolt of lightning entered his skull, channeling through his heart, and robbing him of all conscious thought.


    Forever linking the trio.