Titans of Chaos

A wash of fluid, a small lake, heavier and denser than anything made of matter, flooded intoexistence around me. Laestrygonians and Atlanteans were swept backwards. The hull underfootgave way. Everything around me collapsed. Beneath was roaring sea, into which men andsplinters were falling, tons of earth, upturned flowerbeds. »

I pushed most of my mass into the fourth dimension, and Colin put an arm made of flame aroundme.

A cloud of dark air, containing the internal nature of Quentin, swept up around us. He breathed.

Magic and oxygen were force-fed into Colin, who blazed brighter and hotter, fiercer and wilder.

Quentin said, "My body's turned to stone and I cannot get back into it. Victor and Vanity are bothstone, too. Wounded, but frozen. We need to get to them."

Colin said, "Thanks for including me in that spell. When it broke for you, it broke for me. Or didTrismegistus do that by accident by making us all the same for all?"

Mulciber, still crouched over the trembling statue of Trismegistus, called out, "Stop! I can stillhave my Taloi get you! Gun crew! Stand ready!"

Gun turrets rotated to cover us. A mass of riflemen came out of hatches on the neck, and stoodformed into ranges along the epaulettes of the metal giant, field guns and rifles at the ready.

Quentin said, "Colin, can you break the deck between Mulciber's feet where he is standing, if youhad to? Get ready."

From the column of Colin, an arm of white-hot fire drew back, and a mass of flame shaped like apinwheel, turning, began to glow on the end of it, intolerably bright.

Mulciber said, "Oh, come on! Fire doesn't hurt me. I am the god of volcanoes. I piss lava."

Colin said, "Burns decks, though. You might drop your prisoner."

Quentin said, "Sir, we mean no disrespect, but we cannot allow you to imprison us. I amsupposing the god of iron and stone is diminished in resources when plunged into deep ocean?

Can you make the same boast Mavors made, and tell us you can maim us without killing us withthe huge guns on your machine?"

Mulciber took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "This is not a good day. Should've stayed inbed. Hey! Miss Windrose! You in that mess of flames somewhere?"

I called back, "I am very well, thank you, Lord Talbot. I mean, Mulciber. This fire doesn't hurtme."