The black aura gathered inside the Dullahan, then shot out from the open head and into the stormy sky, gathering in a slowly tightening sphere.  Sheba didn't know what was about to happen, but she had to stop it somehow.  Her eyes darted back and forth between Felix, the Dullahan, and the gathering sphere.

         And suddenly, she knew.

         Sheba flew to Felix's side and bent to whisper in his ear.

         "The book!"

         *               *               *               *               *               *

         The black sphere was slowly growing in size, and Felix knew that he had lost.  He'd unleashed this demon upon the world, killed his friends, and now he would pay the price.  The black aura flowing through the Dullahan was pulsing again, mocking him as he prepared for the end.

         A sudden wind drifted through the clearing, surrounding Felix and blowing through his hair.  He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt at peace.

         A bright flash drew his attention to the sky.  The black sphere had grown to enormous size, and flashing rings of light were beginning to surround it.  The wind's intensity picked up, and suddenly, Felix thought he heard a whisper.

         "The book!"

         Felix's attention snapped to the Tomegathericon.  Its pages continued to flutter as it exuded the black aura.  And suddenly, he knew what he had to do

         The Venus adept half-crawled, half-dragged himself over to his sword, wrenching it out of the ground.  The Tomegathericon hovered in his vision, drifting through its demonic dance.

         With the last of his strength, Felix hurled his sword at the tome.

         The blade lodged itself in its pages, and a spurt of black ooze sprayed from the book.  The Dullahan gave a horrid cry and dropped suddenly to its knees, convulsing as its life bled out of the Tomegathericon.  The stream of black aura from the Tomegathericon flickered and erupted into flame.  The fire greedily consumed the darkness as it spread upwards.  When it reached the Dullahan, the demon's screams intensified as the armor melted away to nothingness.  Felix watched as the fire rose to the sky, dissipating the black sphere. 

A flash of red drew his attention to the Tomegathericon.  The black spurts had increased, and flashes of red light began to melt through the pages.  As the wind howled around him, the Tomegathericon exploded, knocking him backwards.  His sword clattered to the ground.

The remaining scraps of the evil tome floated away on the wind.

Felix looked around as the air lightened and the clouds parted.  The Dullahan was gone, the Tomegathericon destroyed.

He was alone.

The Venus adept crawled over to Sheba's body, cradling her in his good arm.  The realization of what he'd done finally overtook him, and he rocked back and forth, weeping as he held Sheba tightly.

He remained like that, his tears dripping onto Sheba's pale face as the wind blew gently around them.

*               *               *               *               *               *

         A great relief washed over Sheba.  Felix had done it, he'd destroyed the Tomegathericon.  She watched as he crawled over to her body and began to cry.  Sheba felt a great sadness overtake her, knowing that Felix would never be able to forgive himself.  She began to cry as well, ethereal tears that blended with the mists and the wind.

         Above her, the pale yellow light grew in intensity.  Sheba raised her face to the heavens, feeling the call of the skies.  Her time here had ended.

         She took one last look at Felix, as he cradled her body, hair ruffling in the breeze.  A torn piece of paper fluttered along the ground and pressed itself against his arm.  Sorrowfully, she turned away from the Venus adept and glanced towards the sky.  She closed her eyes and felt herself lose contact with the earth.

         As she gave herself to the light, she thought she heard Felix's voice, one last time.

         *               *               *               *               *               *

         As Felix wept, Sheba dead in his arms, a small piece of paper brushed against his arm.  He glanced at the tattered page, recognizing the script from the Tomegathericon.  A strange feeling came over him as he read the only distinguishable word on the sheet.

         "Holalo…" he muttered.

         Turning back to Sheba, he was surprised to see a pale light on her face.  He looked up to see a golden light shining down from the skies.  The light surrounded Sheba and enveloped her.  A golden aura shone brightly around the wind mage, then faded abruptly.  After a moment, Sheba's eyes fluttered open.

         Felix's heart skipped a beat.  She was alive!  "Sheba?" he asked, incredulous.

         The wind mage's eyes moved over until they met his.  "Felix?"

         "You're…you're alive!" he breathed.

         Sheba smiled at him, and Felix enfolded her in his embrace.  "I thought I'd lost you."

         Sheba pulled back and smiled through the tears in her eyes.  "It was so strange, Felix… I saw this golden light, and it was calling to me.  I'd given myself to it, but I thought I heard your voice.  The next thing I knew," she said, glancing down, "I was looking at you."

         Felix stood up, helping Sheba to her feet.  He looked at the scrap of paper clenched in his hand, then back at Sheba.

         "Felix!" she started, noticing his arm.  "You're hurt!"

         "No, Sheba," he shook his head, smiling.  "I've been healed.  Because you're alive."

         He looked into her deep, hazel eyes.

         "I love you, Sheba."

         Sheba's tears spilled onto her face as her smile widened.

         "I love you too."

         The wind swirled around them triumphantly as they kissed.

         *               *               *               *               *               *

         Felix breathed in deeply, enjoying the still night air.  The sounds of the dinner went on behind him.  Jenna was complaining about the food, how it wasn't spicy enough for her.  Kraden began to admonish her, but Jenna continued her tirade, taking out her ire on the old scholar.  Felix smiled to himself.  Jenna had been crankier than usual ever since they'd arrived safely in Madra.  The group was enjoying one last good dinner before setting out on their sea voyage.

         It had been fitting, Felix thought, that the book that had taken his friends from him had, in the end, restored them as well.  The first night they'd arrived in Madra, Felix had made a fire in his room.  He held the last scrap of the Tomegathericon in his hand, then gazed back at the flickering fire.  Without a last thought, he'd tossed the scrap in.  It did not burn, but rather sizzled and bubbled until it melted into the ashes.  The curtains ruffled slightly in the breeze, then settled into stillness.  It was over.