Deathstalker 03 - Deathstalker War

Flynn came to add their swords, and Poogie and Bruin Bear left their fire fighting and came to help with savage claws and vicious jaws. And even in the midst of the war, the Bear still had time to be appalled at how easy it was becoming for him to fight and kill. And Halloweenie, the Li'l Skeleton Boy, picked up a fallen sword and threw away the last of his innocence to join the battle, too.
    They fought together, human and toy, not knowing who they fought or why, against an army of toys fired by Shub's imperatives, while flames roared around them.
    The ship was screaming constantly now. The bridge exploded as it took a direct hit, and the lifeless body of the Captain was thrown through a window, his blackened form hitting the deck hard, to lie still and smoking and unnoticed.
    The ship began to drift off course, heading for the left-hand bank.
    Finlay found himself fighting back-to-back with Giles. Their swords had scattered dead toys across the deck, around them and underfoot, but still more pressed forward from every side. The air was full of almost human screams and bestial roaring from the attackers. The Campbell and the Deathstalker were fighting at the peak of their abilities, and nothing could get near them, but they both knew they couldn't hold out indefinitely against such overwhelming odds.
    "Things look bad," said Giles casually, over his shoulder.
    "More than bad," Finlay said breathlessly, as he cut down a slavering wolf in a woodsman's uniform. "We'll need a miracle to get out of this one."
    "My thoughts entirely," said Giles. "The same miracle I used to save us last time."
    It only took a moment for Finlay to understand. "No! Not again! It would kill him!"

    There was a sharp crack of thunder behind him, and a clap of air rushing in to fill the space where the Deathstalker had been. Finlay knew where he'd teleported to. He fought his way through the crush to reach Julian's cabin. He kicked the door in and rushed in. Giles had dragged Julian to his feet, and was holding the esper up with one hand, while he used the other to fend off Evangeline. Finlay drew his disrupter and pointed it at Giles.
    "Not again, Deathstalker. Not again."
    "Either he calls up a psistorm, or we're all dead," said Giles reasonably.
    "Which is more important—one already dying esper, or our lives and our mission?"
    They all staggered a moment as another explosion shook the ship. Giles smiled humorlessly. "Make up your mind, Campbell. We're running out of time."
    "He's my friend," said Finlay. "I didn't rescue him from Hell just to let you kill him. I'll kill you first, Giles." The gun was very steady in his hand.
    "You've got power, Giles," Evangeline said desperately. "The Maze made you different, stronger, powerful. Use that power to save us."
    "I can't," said Giles. "I could teleport myself out of here, but I couldn't take any of you with me. And without the ship, how could we even reach the Forest?"
    "You need power?" said Julian thickly. "I'll give you power, Deathstalker."
    The esper grabbed his captor by the chin, and turned his head around so they were staring into each other's eyes. Power surged up in Julian as he called on all his reserves. He could feel things breaking and tearing inside him, and didn't care. His mouth stretched in a mirthless grin, and blood seeped between his teeth and dripped off his chin. Julian Skye focused his esp and hammered it right into Giles's head. For a moment Giles thought he was staring into the sun, brilliant and overpowering. Julian's strength was fueled by his last dying
    energies, and he used it all to reach out and meld his power with that of Giles, slamming them together so that they mixed and merged. Giles and Julian screamed together, and then Giles teleported, and took the whole ship with him.
    Air rushed in to fill the great gap where the paddle steamer had been, and then there was only the River, burning here and there, with dead toys floating facedown in it. The toys forgot the ship and returned to the war, and the slaughter went on as always.
    The Merry Mrs. Trusspot reappeared about half a mile farther up the River. Great waves splashed up on either side of her as she settled, drenching half her fires and putting them out. Giles and Julian and Finlay came storming out of the cabin and tore into the remaining enemy toys, cutting them down in hardly any time at all. They threw the bodies overboard, and for the first time a silence fell across the deck. Toby lowered his