Book One: Fate
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Chapter Twenty Two: Fall of a Hero
Arrows continued to rain down onto the undead filling the first courtyard of Tentra city’s northern gates. They were proving as ill effective as before simply temporarily knocking the weaker ones down before they got straight back up and continued to claw at the walls and second set of gates.
Two plagued undead had already begun firing on the second set of gates, coating them potent acid fired directly from their mouths. Knights rushed around on the other side of the melting gates, piling up carts and grates to help block the gates to try and slow down the onslaught.
Amongst the crowd of undead filling the courtyard some plagued dead stood still, looking up at the battlements surrounding them. Archers peered over the edge taking aim and firing arrows over and over. Some were hesitant, all too aware of the danger of the acid balls that the plagued dead could fire upwards at them. It had burned through wood, stone, armor, and skin.
As the archers expended their supply of arrows they left the battlements and retreated back to the city to help with the blockade until they received new orders. Twenty two archers now remained firing down on the courtyard and Joel was amongst them.
Four plagued dead suddenly began to spout green gas from their throats, the tell tale sign that they were getting ready to fire. As expected, the first barrage of acidic balls fired upwards towards the battlement and the archers beyond them. The balls fired from further away fell short, melting the rock half way down the wall of the center battlement directly above the second gate.
Another ball shot high over the archers, but was quickly knocked back by an invisible force. It bounced back into the courtyard and burst as it came in contact with an undead. Immediately, the content of the ball was spread over the undead and a few surrounding it instantly melting their reaming skin and bones and any arrows extruding from them. The undead hissed with pain as they came in contact with the slime, pulling away from it as best they could, but the courtyard was so full that there was little room to move.
A third ball shot up, this time slightly left of the main wall, but as it reached its peak height it began to bend backwards as if it was being stabbed from the front. The back of it burst open, pouring the innards of it down onto the undead below.
Tylor and Karen stood with hands outstretched breathing hard. It was a tremendous physical strain to exert the power needed to either bounce back the acidic balls without bursting them or to burst them over the undead and not on any archers. The Knight Captain near them cried that another barrage was on the way. Steadying themselves, they readied their arms out in front of them once more.
Joel took another arrow from his quiver. He had wasted six already, trying to drop some undead permanently, but they continued to get back up. Another plagued dead in his line of sight began to bellow green gas, readying another acid ball.
Moments ago he had watched when Karen and Tylor knocked the balls back, coating some of the undead in the acid. The acid had burned them to nothing, even their bones evaporated. That, at least, was a weakness and if they really were of low intelligence then they would hopefully not catch on and cease firing.
It was then that he thought of something to try.
Pulling the arrow’s end right on the bow’s string, Joel took careful aim at the closest plagued dead that he could see was spouting the green smog. Just as its mouth was opening, Joel released his arrow. It sped through the air and made contact with the green ball just as it filled the plagued dead mouth. The arrow began to melt on contact, but not before piercing the ball’s outer shell spilling the content out into the throat of the undead. Its body began to melt from the inside out as his limbs burnt away into nothing. Fountains of green liquid shot from holes burned through his body spraying onto surrounded undead, melting them as well.
After that shot no more green acidic balls were fired at the archers. They had figured out what they were doing and changed tactics. He cursed to himself. The plagued dead nearest the gates continued to fire, still attempting to break through the second gate, but made no attempt to hit the remaining archers.
“Cease fire!” cried a knight.
The archers stopped and fell back from the battlement. Joel had joined Karen and Tylor as they returned to Leon and Commander Xeno. The knight that Xeno had sent to meet with the wizards had returned. Xeno ordered the knight to speak of what he had learned.
“The wizards called those plagued dead Seradin. They are empowered and controlled by the Necromancer and are imbued with more intelligence and authority than the others. The tell tale sign of a Seradin is the ability to spit acidic spheres of liquid. Touching the liquid will result in death, but the only other way to be infected is to receive a cut or bite from the undead else we are free to attack, remembering to avoid the acidic balls of course, but that will not be an easy feat,” the knight reported.
“My knights should be protected from the normal undead then, our plate mail is not easily pierced,” Xeno said with confidence. “Good, if they should break through at least we have some hope, but they still outnumber us greatly and so far the only effective weapon against them has been their own attack.”
“The wizards also said,” the knight said, cutting in, “that removing the head from the bodies’ shoulders should sever the Necromancers hold, or burning them to dust also works. …But given the current weather conditions, I believe we must use the beheading method.”
The second set of gates rocked again as another set of acidic balls struck it, burning holes into it with disturbing ease. The knights on the opposite side of the gate pulled back from the pile they had made to help hold the doors up as liquid began seeping through the holes. The carts and grates would not hold them long, it would be simply more things for the plagued dead to melt away. Xeno looked over the opposite side of the battlement above the second gate at the knights backing away. He shouted down commands to retreat behind the third gates and begin blocking them as well. The archers were called back to the battlements above the third gates as well.
“Send the knights to the nearby shops around the city with orders to collect as many fire spheres as possible. Regardless of the weather, we will burn as many as we can before they break through the third gate. After that we will have no choice but to meet them head on!” Commander Xeno shouted as his troops dispersed to carry out his orders.
A scout with a large gapping cut down his left arm appeared, running along the third gate walls down from the east in distress. He saluted Commander Xeno and reported that there was an emergency which required immediate attention. Some of the undead and plagued dead had been sighted within the city walls in the east district some distance from the gates. People were fleeing from their homes and the knights already in the area were directing them to the southern district.
“How did they get into the city?” Xeno cried.
The scout had no answer for him. Xeno acted quickly and immediately began climbing down a ladder propped up against the last wall before the city. Leon, Tylor, Joel, and Karen followed closely behind. On the ground, Xeno called for any able man to line up before him. Archers who had been unable to fight atop the battlements and other knights who only carried short swords began lining up in the street before the group.
In less than two minutes fifty people had appeared. They could not leave the gate unattended as it would only be a matter of time before the main attack force broke through, but they could not ignore a group already within the city. Xeno selected ten of the knights and told them to come with him to the east district. Leon turned to Tylor and asked that they come with him to assist his friend. They agreed and followed swiftly after the old knight and the others who went with him as they disappeared down a side street. The Knight Captain was left in charge of the gate. Xeno simply said that their orders were to hold the gate for as long as they could and that they would send any additional knights they found straight there to assist. Once the knights sent to find fire spheres returned they were ordered to use those against the undead and coat the area between the second and third gates in flame.
Tylor tripped as he ran through the snow that had collected in the streets of Tentra. The weather had not let up and a lot of snow had fallen over the last week. They had already taken three detours because of blocked passages filled with hills of frozen snow. He could not help but wonder, as he ran, how some of the undead managed to get into the city. The wounded scout was vague on details and did not even say how many were there. For all the group knew they could be running into a group of five hundred.
The others did not seem to share his concern or, at least, they did not show it on their faces. Joel ran along side him stumbling as he went as well. Karen ran up ahead with Leon, who was quickly following Xeno as the large knight stomped through the snow (his heavily weighted armor prevented him from sliding). Behind all of them the ten knights followed and all of them had already drawn their swords.
After covering considerable distance the group finally entered the eastern district of Tentra. They had past more knights on the way and Xeno had ordered them to help protect the north gates. No sooner had they traveled a few meters into the district did the presence of something evil become apparent. People were running from their homes, some dragged children along side and others carried bags of belongings placed under their arms.
At the end of the street the party had found their way through they heard a scream followed by the sound of a battle. They found a knight fighting off two undead. The knight’s sword was being waved wildly in front of him. Three knights from the ten that Xeno had gathered ran up beside the knight and went on the offensive, slashing at the heads of the undead.
“Behead them!” Xeno shouted, drawing his huge sword from his back. “Be weary of the green poison that the plagued ones can spit!”
With that the knights and Commander Xeno split into pairs and began searching streets. Any survivors that they found they hurried on and any knights they found in combat they assisted. There did not seem to be that many undead yet, but the mystery of how they managed to get into the city without breaching a gate still escaped them. Joel moved up next to Tylor and drew an arrow from his quiver.
“Are we staying or moving?” he asked, not taking his gaze off the streets around them.
“Safety in numbers, stay with the group!” Leon called as he ran forwards and in the process drew Raziel from his back and into both his hands.
The others followed hastily.
Falling behind slightly, Tylor slowed and noticed two dark figures wandering out of the shadows to his left. He quickly stopped and drew Pesmega from its scabbard sat across his back. Two undead hobbled from the darkness and immediately lunged forwards. Their mouths hung open and saliva dripped from them as they groped at Tylor, trying to bite him. A slash upwards knocked the first back and then a horizontal slash took the head clean off the second. Its headless body fell in on itself as its legs gave way. Stepping to the side of the one which he had only slashed, Tylor pulled Pesmega back into the air and swung hard onto the snow covered ground, beheading the second.
A fleeting sound preceded him feeling the wind past his left ear wail as an arrow flew past. It shot into the darkness from which the two undead he had just killed came from. There was a loud popping sound followed by a vial hissing as green acid covered the narrow walls of the passage way and the remains of a plagued dead fell to the ground. Tylor turned to see Joel standing next to him with another arrow already drawn.
“Lucky that I saw that one!” he pointed out with glee. “Leave the Seradin ones to me; it’s about all I can kill with the bow. You handle the others!”
The confidence his young friend displayed continued to amaze him.
Further up the street, Karen stepped sideways dodging a lunging undead before twisting her body around and slashing across the back of its head. As it raised its fragile form its head tipped forwards and fell into a deep pile of snow. The body crumpled and fell on top of it. Another three appeared in front of her coming from an ally beyond the house she now stood before. She pushed her hands forwards and knocked all three of them over before pointing at the wall above them and, while calling out, denting a section of stone above which immediately collapsed and crushed the three struggling bodies below.
Tylor and Joel caught up with her then all three continued to follow Leon and the others. Leon twisted the center of his staff and revealed the blades at either end. A line of three undead had crawled from a corner after Xeno and the knights had past and were walking slowly behind trying to catch up. As he reached them he kicked the first in the back knocking it face first into the snow, as he did he dropped onto one knee and span Razial above his head in a circular fashion. As it spun the blades at either end caught the necks of the other two undead immediately beheading them. Calmly, he then beheaded the remaining undead lying on the ground by dragging one end of Raziel across the ground.
The others caught up with him.
“Leon, here, take back your crossbow while we fight these, the safest way to take out those Seradin is at long range!” Joel cried, reaching to his side.
The Hunter gladly accepted the crossbow, its leg strap, and the pouch of darts.
Commander Xeno swung his mighty blade around his head before brining if down on an unsuspecting undead with such force that could split a mountain in two. The undead body jerked uneasily before splitting down the middle spilling dust and dried blood onto the snow. Without stopping he then swung the huge long blade to his right horizontally to catch three more heads. A knight to his left cried for help and pointed to a hissing undead walking round the corner of the street. Its mouth began to fill with green gas. An arrow shot past Xeno and struck the plagued dead in the throat, directly where the green ball had made it to, and burst it within its body. It fell to the ground with a hiss as the vile smell of the acid filled the air.
The others regrouped with Xeno, as did the knights that had spread out during battle and the others they had found as they went. They had already collected twelve more since entering the eastern district, but did not send them back without first assessing how many more undead remained.
“So far there have been no problems, the creatures that made it into the city do not number many,” Xeno said confidently. “We should hurry and clean up any more and then return to the north gates.”
“Something isn’t right,” Leon said, clearly disturbed at something. “There are too few and how did they get in? They all seem to be lurking in corners and down alleys. It is almost like they want us to push forwards.”
A knight piped up, “Commander Xeno, there were roughly seventy knights in this district before the alarm went up at the north gate. There must be others around here to find. They may be trapped or still fighting.”
“I see. We must search for survivors,” Xeno said after a moments thought. “The wizards said that these creatures have no intellect, so do not worry Leon. Come, let us continue on! We must find the other knights quickly; I doubt the second gate will last much longer.”
After traveling deeper into the eastern district, and dispatching a number of undead en route, the group found five more knights and two archers in a defensive position around a small fountain in a square to which four adjoining streets attached. One amongst them showed markings of a Knight Lieutenant; his medals lay across his armor just similar to the Knight Captain at the north gate.
The soldiers were relieved to see Commander Xeno as they lined up and saluted him. The Knight Lieutenant explained that they stayed behind to help evacuate peasants from the area and were using the fountain as a meeting point for any surviving knights. He then added that he had sent out a few groups of three to scope the surrounding area and that they would be returning shortly.
The group took this as an opportunity to take some rest and waited at the fountain. Tylor looked up to the whitewashed sky, trying to guess the time. The day had past so quickly that it was hard to guess, but it seemed as though it was early evening. Although snow still filled the air the sky behind was already becoming a soft dark blue.
Wiping a gauntlet across his brow he looked round to the group to see how they were doing. Leon stood vigilant by Xeno’s side as they spoke with the Knight Lieutenant. Karen was leaning against the fountain in the center of the square, not caring that the snow on top of it dirtied the back of her armor. Joel was talking with the archers, but he could not hear what they were saying.
Since the siege had begun Joel had not moaned once, nor had he complained or showed fear. He had been very confident throughout. Tylor was not sure what spurred the change, but it could have been a collation of a lot of things. After discovering that Joel was a Destined as well he had certainly shown more determination. He woke bright and early every day and took everything to do with training seriously. He fought without regret now as well, almost as if mimicking Leon’s approach to battle. Tylor was happy for his friend, but could not help but worry for his well being.
The promise that they had made so long ago in Wrathe had long since fallen apart.
A violent and blood gurgling scream filled the blustery air. Everyone stood to attention while attempting to locate the source of the sound. It seemed to be coming from slightly further east past a tall gravel colored house. The group rallied and quickly located the source. A dead woman lay on the floor with two undead on their knees beside her ripping into her sides with their hands and pulling flesh from bones. Fresh warm blood soaked into the snow as one lifted up a large chunk of meat and ploughed it into its mouth and then began chewing contently on it.
Although disgusted, the group charged and dispatched the savage cannibals. Down the same street they found two more knights and with them were four peasants carrying packs and storage bags. Xeno allowed one knight to carry on with them to ensure they got out safely, but ordered the other knights to continue on with them to find more survivors. The knight reported that a large group of peasants and soldiers were pinned down at the square near the aqueduct passages. It was then that Commander Xeno came to a sudden and chilling realization.
“…They are using the aqueducts and sewers. That is how they are getting into the city, from the hole to the east into the sewer and out into the street through the maintenance stairs in the square northeast from here! We must hurry and seal those stairs! There are other hatches throughout the city, but I doubt they are able to climb the ladders. The exit at the square is the only walk-in entrance in the entire city. Come, we must make haste!”
Tai crept silently towards an open doorway before him. The building was one of the last standing in Tillsen and had previously been the newly elected mayor’s home. Most of it lay in ruin; the east wing had completely collapsed and small fires burnt in some of the rooms.
He had noticed Kass sneak away after the last of the inhabitants of Tillsen fell and had followed her into the mansion and then to the second floor and a room situated right at the back. He could hear her talking to someone and dared not look around the edge of the doorway in case she noticed him there. He assumed it was Kain that she spoke with, via a communication spell evoked by their master. Kass had claimed that it was now too hard to do when he had questioned her about it at Noctern. Needless to say, he was more than curious why Kain would speak directly to Kass and yet now ignored him. The conversation in the room next to him continued as he stood in silence hearing every single word.
“…Yes all are dead. The Necromancers have begun their enchanting and we will have more to send against Tentra shortly. They estimate two hundred at the very least will be willing to become Lesser Seradin and they have the power to turn at least twenty of those into Seradin,” Kass reported with a proud tone.
“What of Tai?” a dark voice questioned.
“Continually questioning orders and showing corruption and is, in my humble opinion, lost from all sane thought. He has been driven mad by his defeat in Noctern and will soon try to oppose you, even though he must be aware at how futile that would be,” she explained.
Tai gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to dive into the room and rip Kass’ throat out to take the smug grin she must have plastered across her face off. She had convinced Kain that he could no longer be left to his own devices, that he was dangerous. He had no choice but to act quickly and find the power that Tylor had used before Kain took steps to stop him. He would not let anyone (even his own creator) stop him attaining a new level of power. And then with that power he would strike down Tylor, Kass, Kain, and all the other vermin.
“You have the crystal?” the dark voice asked slowly.
“I do and the Necromancers instructed me on its use. If you are sure that this is the best method, I will entrap Tai once Tentra has fallen.”
Crystal?
He knew not of what they spoke. They talked of entrapping him. The crystal could be some kind of sealing sphere forged by Kain’s dark magic. He would need to keep clear of such a thing, but without adequate knowledge on its ability he would be at constant risk. Kass had said that the Necromancers instructed her on its use and that would be useful information to have.
Silently, Tai crept out of the mansion and quickly ran through the streets of Tillsen. Houses lay in ruin and fires still shined bright despite the falling snow. Corpses lay every way, lying in pools of their own blood with looks of pure agony on their faces. The most desecrated corpses had been killed by the violent Scythe beast they had flown to Tillsen on. The mighty beast could slash out with its long neck and teeth and take down three full sized men at a time. Its teeth easily turned bone to bristle.
Eventually he found a Necromancer standing before a collected pile of corpses. There had to be at least twenty bodies strewn about before him. Slowly, Tai walked behind the Necromancer and then pulled his arm round his throat and dragged him kicking and choking into the nearest dark ally.
“Tell me of the crystal that Kass has been given by Kain and how it works!” Tai demanded, tightening his hold on the Necromancer’s throat.
At first the Necromancer tried to ask why Tai was acting in such a way, but then he tried to shout out for help when he saw the crazed look in his dark eyes. Though forged from the evils of the west, the Necromancer was just as susceptible to feelings of fear and the glorious look connected to that emotion was soon on his lizard like face.
“…It can seal both...soul and body…once trapped escape is almost impossible… at the whim of its holder it can seal one…and then transfer itself…Yggdrasil…he forged the first, to seal… his son…” the Necromancer spluttered and hissed as salvia dripped from his mouth.
Tai twisted his elbow sideways with a hard jerk, shattering the neck bone of the Necromancer instantly. He then dragged the body by the dropped head out into the opposite end of the street and tossed it onto a strong fire burning within the remains of a house. Tai sat and watched the body burn, in deep thought, trying to work out what his next step should be. And then, he decided.
“I will have my power,” he muttered to himself. “I will get it, now!”
It was then that he noticed the Scythe watching him with sly eyes from the darkness. The beast made a low growling sound as Tai neared and stroked the upper part of its head. Its wings spread and stretched as he did as if the beast was content. It murmured again as Tai walked round it to face its eyes.
“So, you long for battle as well? I saw it in you as we ransacked this pathetic town. You deserve to be on the battlefield, not simply being used to travel from place to place like a common mule. I ask that you take just one more passenger, me, to Tentra. There I will free you from your harness and allow you to do whatever you please,” Tai said in a soothing, uncharacteristic voice.
The Scythe moaned contently and lowered its body fully down to the ground and shifted its wings to allow Tai access to the straps and harnesses on its back. With a satisfied smile under his mask, Tai mounted the beast and it took to the skies.
Pesmega cleaved another head as Tylor and the others continued to push through the streets, now with a new destination and plan in mind. They had to find the entrance to the sewers which ran throughout the whole of the city and seal the walk-in entrance which the undead were using to enter Tentra freely.
Resistance had been minimal; the group had run in to no more than twenty or thirty undead since moving from their last position and easily dispatched them with no causalities.
At the top of the next street there was a battle between knights and undead. It was hard to tell the number of knights as they were swarmed by the monsters, but there had to be at least ten or twelve. They were slowly being pushed back down the street by the undead and were losing numbers as they did. Xeno’s war cry was a welcomed sound when they saw the group charge up the street towards them. The knights they had found pulled away from combat and ran to the middle of the street to meet with Xeno. The undead slowly but surly pursued at an uneasy pace.
“Commander Xeno, there are hundreds of them - all the way up the street… They are filling the side passage ways. We can’t hold them and there are still people trapped in homes!” a knight cried frantically.
True enough the top of the street where they had seen the knights fighting began to fill with undead. They were creeping towards the group with their hands outstretched and clawing at the air hoping to strike them into some warm meat.
“Dear god, there are so many!” Xeno exclaimed “We must seek backup, fall back for now and then we will make another push once we have a large enough force!”
“Xeno!” Leon cried. “We cannot go back, look!”
The opposite end of the street had filled as well. The undead were crawling from every recess, corner, and alley completely surrounding the group on three sides. Beside them were some houses connected together which had no side streets or alleyways so no undead wandered from there.
The group had been lured into a clever trap.
The little resistance they had met was to lure them into a false sense of security and brought them deeper and deeper within the areas swarming with undead. Then, when they were in the perfect position, the undead moved to surround their pray. They were horribly outnumbered, but would have stood a good chance of victory had it just been the simple minded brainless undead after meat, however, amongst them were Seradin and they would prove far more dangerous.
“How can beings of supposed low intellects lure us into such a bind?” Xeno cursed.
“Xeno, where is this entrance that they are using?” Karen asked suddenly.
Commander Xeno pointed past the houses directly behind them and said that they were very close, no more than one or two blocks, but there was no way they could fight through so many in that time. Karen walked over to Tylor and pulled him next to the closest home. Pulling his hands down into a cup shape at his waist Karen told him to stand still while carefully balancing a foot on them.
“Help me reach the roof Tylor, then send Joel as we. We will find and block the sewer entrance, hold them here until we do. We will return and escape with you as soon as we’re done.”
Tylor knew that there was no time to argue, as did Joel (who already stood beside them ready to be thrown up). Karen grabbed onto Tylor’s shoulders and lifted herself from the ground. With amazing upper body strength he shoved his clasped hands into the air throwing Karen up onto the roof of the house directly before them. She landed on her knees with a huff. She peered over the edge and waved to signal that she was okay. Joel then did the same and caught onto Karen as he landed for balance.
Worried, he sighed as both their heads disappeared from the edge of the building and hoped he would live to see them again. The undead had gotten very close to the group now and some plagued dead had already begun spewing green gas. Xeno arranged the group so that he, the knights, Tylor, and Leon stood in a circle guarding the remaining archers within. The archers were told to shoot the plagued dead before they had a chance to fire. Tylor would have to knock back any acid ball that was fired, but considering how many now looked at them all; it would be no easy task. The first undead reached the first knight who immediately struck out with his sword, casting it to the ground.
Karen jumped to another adjacent roof with Joel closely following. They had to be careful; one false step on the snow covered slating would send them hurtling back down to the ground (which was now swarming with the undead).
After two more jumps they saw the location that the monsters were entering Tentra from. It was a reasonably large stone doorway which leads under the ground with an entrance no thicker than two or three meters. Surrounding it was many undead, too many to count, and more were coming from the sewer passage every minute. The top of the entrance arched over and looked perfect to block the door. If broken just a few centimeters back the top half would crumble and block the door, denying the undead access from the sewers beneath the city.
While she continued to get closer Joel stayed one roof away, perched with Samilo in hand and an arrow ready to fire. Karen proceeded across two more snow covered roofs and then leaped off it straight onto the sewer entrance.
Immediately the attention of the crowd surrounding the sewer entrance was on her. Plagued dead began spewing gas and took aim at her as she pointed her arms to her feet and began denting the rock with an invisible force. Joel fired an arrow which pierced the back of the neck of the first plagued dead to fire, spilling the acid balls content on the undead littered around him. He reached for a second arrow and did the same to another on her right. As he reached for a third he grasped at nothing but air. He turned with a sudden jerk and saw that he had exhausted his supply of arrows.
“Karen! No arrows! Hurry!” he shouted from the rooftop.
Though she had heard the kid calling she did not look up and instead struck at the rock again. The dent was getting bigger, but was no closer to completely separating the top arch from the rest of the wall. She cursed out loud and struck the dent with her fist as hard as she could. A large crack spread from where she struck as the arch broke away from her and fell to the floor with a loud crash. The undead directly below her coming from the sewer entrance were crushed and those still trying to get out were blocked by the rock. The whole entrance had not shattered, but the rubble that had fallen would be enough to hold them for a little while. The plagued dead could melt away the rock if left to their own devices eventually, but there was nothing else that could be done.
She looked over to Joel who was waving his hands and yelling something else at her. Suddenly, a green acidic ball came into view heading straight for her head. Karen tipped her upper body backwards and dodged the ball, which fell behind her and began burning away the rest of the rock above the entrance. Waving her hands at her sides for something to grab onto, she slipped and toppled backwards down onto the street as she lost her point of balance.
Joel panicked as he watched Karen fall and was already leaping to the next roof to get closer. She was swarmed by undead and he could hear struggling. Suddenly all the undead closest to her were knocked into the air and away from her as they were all struck by an invisible force. Karen stood arms outstretched and unscathed, but was sweating badly. Constant use of their new found powers were a terrible drain on their body’s stamina and made them very fatigued. Joel reached the roof next to Karen and bent over the edge. Stretching his arm out, he told her to grab hold.
She ignored him and turned to the sewer entrance and shoved at it again shattering more of the remaining rock which crumbled in on it. By now the undead were nearing her again. She had no choice but to listen to him and left it at that. He hoped it was enough to hold them back.
Pulling a crate under Joel, she stood upon it then jumped up and caught Joel’s arm. He struggled but managed to pull her up onto the roof grunting and complaining about her weight as he did.
“That will have to do… It will hold them for a while….” Karen said, panting. “Let’s get back to the others and help them!”
Tylor pushed back another acid ball as it shot through the air. It dropped onto another pile of undead that began to melt and scream in vile torment as their bones turned to nothing. Commander Xeno was behind him, back-to-back, swinging his mighty sword in sideswipes cleaving three heads a time. They had lost four knights already, but they were still holding their position. The archers in the middle had almost expended their arrows and they would soon find it very hard to defend against plagued dead. Tylor was already feeling more tired than he should be from shoving back the acid balls. In between swipes, Leon detached his small crossbow and pouch of darts that Joel had returned and tossed it to the first archer who ran out of arrows and told him to continue firing.
From the rooftop above them Karen and Joel returned. They leapt down and landed on the ground without injury. Joel immediately drew his metal short sword and struck at some undead fighting with one of the surviving knights. Karen rested her back against the house wall and breathed deeply. As she rested she heard something approaching. Opening her eyes she saw that an undead had broken through the line the knights had formed and was reaching out at her. As she stared at its unblinking eyes she thought she saw something she knew. The face was too similar to be a coincidence; the round cheekbones, drooping eyes, and small mouth. It was someone she knew from Noctern, a close friend of her fathers that she used to call uncle.
As it grew closer to Karen it dropped its upper body forwards grabbing her shoulders and knocked her off her feet with the weight of its full body. Karen’s back knocked off the ground and with a huff she pushed her hands against the undead shoulders, trying to hold it back. She did not want to hurt her uncle, it was someone who had known her as a child, talked about how big she had gotten whenever he visited, and brought her presents.
A horrid thought crossed her mind; what if her mother or father had become one of the undead? Would they really want revenge against Tentra that much? She whimpered and continued trying to push the undead from atop her.
“Help…get off me,” she moaned weakly.
Tylor twisted around and caught the head off another undead, but as he turned he saw Karen on the floor struggling with one of the creatures on top of her. Its gaping mouth was open and dripping dust onto her chest. She was trying to push it back, but was not using her full strength. Tylor threw Pesmega up into the air and caught it by the handle so that the blade was facing in front of him like a spear. He threw as hard as he could and sent the blade soaring through the air straight into the head of the undead.
The grip on Karen’s shoulders was loosened straight away as the lifeless body fell to her side, dust leaking from the large wound in the side of its head where Pesmega had pierced. Tylor ran over to her and took Pesmega from the head of the undead before pulling her to her feet. As he did, she pushed him away and looked at the body on the floor.
“Why did you have to do that!” she shouted. “I knew him… he was like family to me and now look at him!”
Taken aback by her word, Tylor looked at her with deep concern as she wept into her hands.
“What if my parents are here? What if they were turned into those things? What about my friends and the other children? I hate the ones that did this!”
Stood in silence, he embraced her as she cried weakly to herself. He looked round and saw everyone else was still fighting, but there was no end to the undead crawling from corners and coming down the street. He shouted to Commander Xeno that they should retreat. After taking another huge swipe with his sword Xeno turned and looked at them all.
“Retreat!” he shouted after a moment of silence. “Push through the left, head into the side streets and through to the adjacent road!”
No sooner had he finished talking did he slam his sword down, cutting two bodies in half, and then rammed another four and disappeared down a side street. Three knights followed behind and made sure the way was temporarily clear. Leon cleaved another three undead blocking another ally and then pulled knights into it. Tylor pulled Karen along with Joel’s help. As they ran a knight was knocked over and undead from all around began falling on top of him and tearing at his armor. Leon took a look at him, as did he, but they knew that they could not save him. Reluctantly, they all ran into the ally and followed swiftly behind the group as they headed deeper into the city.
They headed back to the north gates.
Much to their relief, they found the third set of gates still stood. Xeno spoke with the Knight Captain and found that they had used the fire spheres they had collected to burn most of the undead within the gates and now their burning bodies were halting the advance of the other undead still outside the city, but this would not last long as eventually the wind and snow would put out the flames as the magical essence used to conjure them grew weaker. The Knight Captain also said that they had exhausted their supply of fire spheres and he had sent runners to find more, but so far they had not found any.
“Sir!” a knight cried as he ran up to the group, “A runner from the west arrived and he brings disturbing news from the border.” He handed a scroll to Xeno, “Also, he saw Tillsen aflame as he past and from its gates came what he called ‘the walking dead’, around two hundred by his count.”
Commander Xeno opened the scroll and read it aloud.
“A large force from L’Carn has attacked our border. They are knights draped in black and bring with them strange beasts and demons which seem to serve them. We can spare no man at this moment for fear of losing our position. We will force back the enemy within the coming night and then will send reinforcements if we can. Until then I pray your force can defend the city and our king. Do not open the gates and wait for us.”
All were silent.
“Very well… Captain, send three hundred of our remaining troops to finish off the undead in the eastern district. The rest will remain here and continue to burn any of them which attempt to attack the third gate. I will seek the king’s council on this matter for I fear we are slowly running out of options.”
Tylor, Karen, Joel and Leon followed closely behind Xeno as they moved through the city to the castle. They headed straight to the throne room where King and Queen Nega sat on their beautiful thrones and Prince Nega sat on his to his mother’s side. They bowed, but were told to stand and speak of what was happening. Commander Xeno read out the note from the west and then spoke of the eastern districts plight and of the condition of the northern gates.
“We are too few in number to fight them, sire. We are barely able to defend against them,” Xeno said with a large sigh.
“What of the reinforcements from the forces coming from the other towns?” the king asked while running his hand along his beard.
“They will rally at Wex no doubt, but will not number enough to allow us to attack. They will march up to the south gate once they have reached their maximum within a few hours,” Xeno replied.
An ear shattering screech sounded through the huge hall as the king was about to speak again. It sounded like it was coming from above the roof. Tylor looked around trying to tell where or what the sound was coming from and was sure he caught a glimpse of a huge shadow swooping past a side window.
Suddenly a small section of roof above them blew inwards on itself and fell to the floor, narrowly missing Joel’s head. From it descended a sight that struck fear into all those who knew the strangers name.
It was Tai.
He landed on the ground as smoothly as a feather with arms folder across his chest and no doubt a large grin beneath his mask. Tai scanned the room and looked round at all those near him. The group had already drawn their weapons and stood poised to strike.
“Fate has deemed me the Bringer of Death,” Tai said while outstretching his arms. “Come, and let me give it to you!”
Leon leaped forwards and began striking at Tai, who dodged all of his blows before finding an opening and striking Leon across the face knocking him across the length of the hall. Tai then held out his left hand and summoned his dark sword ready to parry Tylor’s slash. They exchanged blows at blistering speed, but Tai still had an advantage over him. Joel joined in and struck at Tai at the same time, but he was able to defend against both of their attacks. He ducked their blows and then, as he rose back to his feet, elbowed Tylor in the chin, which knocked him back onto the floor. An outstretched arm then sent Joel flying into Karen, who was charging forwards.
Tai quickly sidestepped as Xeno’s huge sword crashed down onto the floor where he had been, shattering the slabs of stone below and sending pebbles of rock into the air. Xeno followed up with a sideways swipe, but Tai was able to hold the strength of the blow with his own sword using inhuman power. Leon joined in again but was quickly dispatched with another blow, this time from the hilt of Tai’s sword. The Sect tried to follow up with a slash from his blade, but Xeno’s sword caught it and knocked it from his hand. As Xeno prepared another large slash, Tai outstretched both his hands and caught the sides of Xeno’s blade mid attack. He tilted his head and stared at the old knight and laughed from under his mask.
Moving swiftly, Tylor appeared next to them and attacked Tai, who vanished and then reappeared some distance away. Tylor ran after him and struck out with Pesmega, but Tai vanished again before reappearing just a few centimeters to the side. He grabbed Tylor’s neck and pushed him up off the floor.
“You are lucky that I want you alive, boy,” Tai hissed.
With that, he took his free hand and punched hard into Tylor’s chest, who instantly tried to cry out in pain. Tai then pulled Tylor’s body back and threw it across the room. He landed on the opposite side of the hall, crashing through a wooden table and chair. He disappeared amongst the debris and there he lay, gripping his stomach and coughing violently.
Laughing, Tai pushed his hand up against Xeno’s chest as the old knight attacked again. A dent formed in the knights plate armor and began to crack all along his chest piece as his body was cast backwards, crashing into the main doors of the hall. Karen regrouped beside Joel as they both approached Tai, who still laughed hysterically. But then he stopped and looked lopsided at Joel.
“So… You are one? …But you are not Luther’s double… Interesting,” Tai said, while facing the young boy.
Karen and Joel attacked together, with dagger and sword, but Tai caught both their attacking arms in each of his hands then pulled them together knocking Karen and Joel into one another hard. Their grips loosened on their weapons as Tai spun them around. He let go of Joel as he reached a full circle, knocking the young boy across the throne room floor and coming to an abrupt halt as he struck one of the pillars with his back.
“My dear little kitten,” Tai said in a sick voice while looking at Karen (who was struggling to get free of his grip). “How does it feel to see the people of Noctern alive once again? You must be so happy!” he exclaimed with glee.
“…You… bastard…!” Karen shouted as she kicked and punched at him, trying to make him let go.
At last she screamed again and shoved her free hand forward as if punching Tai in the chest. The Sect released his grip and took a few steps backwards, winded. But he recovered straight away and quickly punched Karen across the face, casting her to the floor.
Suddenly, a blinding light filled the room as a glowing ball of energy shot towards Tai. The Sect turned quickly and knocked the ball with the side of his gauntlet sending it flying through a nearby window, shattering the beautiful design. The king stood tall and proud in front of his wife and child with his hand outstretched.
“You have been hiding here all along?” Tai questioned, amused by what had happened. “You learned to hide your power just as Zan had… Are you a coward as well?”
The king said nothing and fired another blast from his hand, but Tai easily deflected it.
“You suffer from the same problem as Zan did; you hid your power for so long that you have forgotten how to use it,” Tai muttered. “I will show you all true power, power that you will never have!”
Tai raised one of his hands into the air as a dark purple light surrounded his body tearing up the ground around him with a horrific sound. From just above his raised hand, a large purple ball appeared which swirled around and cast purple light through the entire room. Tai began to call out as the light around him and the ball above became more intense as he summoned more of the seemingly endless Aura.
“This is Thousand Daggers. Feel my power and then face the reaper!” Tai shouted as his image vanished.
The purple ball remained and still drew in light from around it. The whole room was now engulfed in its dark shade. Everyone stared at it, not knowing what would happen. From the ball a long dart shaped piece of energy shot out, narrowly missing Karen as she got up and stood in the center of the room. Another fired out behind the ball, striking the far wall and causing cracks to spread from the point of impact. More fired out, seemingly in random directions, then more and more, the number increasing steadily.
“Find cover!” Karen cried as she darted behind a pillar.
Joel crawled behind the pillar he had been thrown into and sat with his head in his knees quietly whispering to himself that it would be okay. Tylor did not move, he was in to much pain, but was shielded by the wooden table that shattered when he struck it. He looked up just as one of the purple darts struck inches through the wood just a few inches in front of his face.
Commander Xeno had taken cover behind the main door and peered round into the room. The king had pulled his wife and son off to the corner of the room and was sheltering them, but there was nothing to hide behind. He knew that he could not let the king die and without a second thought ran into the room towards the royal family.
As he ran he saw Leon’s body on the floor not moving, directly in the open and in the path of the energy darts. One had already nearly hit him, sitting only inches from his sprawled out leg.
“Damn!” Xeno cried, stopping to pick up Leon.
He turned to return to the entrance of the throne room. He planned to drop Leon there and then do the same for the king and his family. However, as he moved as fast as he could through the room he felt a sharp pain in his back as a dart pierced through his armor like it was nothing but cloth. He stumbled slightly, but continued to move, trying to ignore the pain as he felt blood drip down his back within his armor.
Another sharp pain, this time in the back of his upper shoulder, toppled the mighty knight. He rolled to a stop on the floor throwing Leon down just in front of him in the process. Xeno tried to stand up again, but another two darts struck him, this time directly in the back. He felt blood drip from his mouth as he slowly pulled his body in front of Leon. His larger mass shielded the Demon Hunter from the energy darts.
Leon slowly opened his eyes and saw Xeno looking at him. The old knight was smiling, but blood stained his lower mouth. He sat up with a jolt and grabbed his friend.
“Xeno!” he cried out. “Get up you old fool, move!”
Almost like he saw it coming in his mind, Leon looked up just in time to see a dart fly towards him. It flew past his face grazing his right cheek as it went. The force of the dart caught him unawares and sent him back down onto the floor. Weakly, he ran his hand across his cheek then pulled it back to see it was covered in blood. Leon’s vision became clouded again and he felt light headed.
Xeno lowered his head slowly and closed his eyes. He knew his time was up, but at least he had been able to save one person, but now who would protect the king and his family? The smile vanished as Xeno felt the pain leave him. After one last long sigh the old knight gave up his life and drifted into death.
As Leon fell into unconsciousness he heard a cry followed by a scream and then the wailing of a young boy.
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