It was Dorvin who reacted first. The silver dragon released his magic and raced forward in human form. He hopped between the fleshy strands, swinging his sword. An instant later, Tanin followed, then Laira, and soon many others were leaping between the strands. As humans, they were all armed with spears and blades, and they carried shields of wood and bronze. They cried out for Requiem as they ran toward the Demon King.

Issari still hovered as a white dragon, staring through the web at her father. He met her eyes across the distance and smiled.

May the stars protect me, Issari thought, landed on the floor, and released her magic. Unlike the others, she carried no shield, wore no armor; her faith would be her armor. Armed with only a dagger, she raced forward, moving between the strands; each was as thick as her wrist. Whenever she brushed against the dangling veins, they smeared her with sticky ooze. The other Vir Requis all raced around her, weapons raised, and more kept joining from the tunnel. They raised spears, swords, and shields. Tanin ran ahead, clad in bronze plates, holding shield and sword before him. The strands dangled madly whenever they bumped into them, and even swords could not break them.

"Stay with me, Issari!" Tanin shouted, running by her side. "We'll slay him together. We'll—"

A gasp swallowed his words. Issari stared ahead and felt the blood drain from her face.

Standing before his throne, Raem was shifting into a dragon.

The King of the Abyss ballooned in size, stretching like a boil, looking ready to burst. Black scales rose across him, clattering like a suit of armor. Horns grew from his head, fangs from his mouth, and fire burned in his gullet. His demon limbs too stretched out, the tentacle growing large as a tree, the hoof and talon kicking, the claw snapping like another set of jaws. The demonic dragon soared above the throne.

"Yes, weredragons!" Raem boomed. "I too am cursed with your disease. Now your own curse will be your undoing."

Issari paled and tried to shift too. She began to grow into a dragon, only for the clammy web to slam against her growing body, shoving her back into human form. Throughout the web, other Vir Requis too were trying to shift, but they had no room; the strands kept them humans.

"Tanin, your shield!" she screamed . . . and then the fire engulfed them.

Raem blasted out his flames. It was a massive jet of black fire, larger than any a dragon of Requiem could blow. Here was dragonfire tainted with a demonic curse, fire that danced like demons, cackled, and shone with many red eyes. The inferno slammed through the web, roaring, shrieking, cackling, a demon fire to burn all flesh.