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MineZ Zenith Rising

Discussion in 'Roleplay' started by InquisitorEslaf, Aug 30, 2015.

MineZ - Zenith Rising
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What aspects of my fiction writing should be improved on? (please comment to explain)

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  1. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Secrets discovered that should have been left alone. Darkness incarnate long hidden in the light of deception. Knowledge and curiosity unfolding a most terrible of fates. A day to come when the power of magic eclipses the pantheon, when Zenith makes his mark. Suffering. Madness. Ambition. Humanity never took advantage of reality, and he knows that now, but he shall not make the same mistake.

    This story is a sequel to both Descent to Madness and Last Orders. It is not mandatory to read these stories first because I will recap any important connection in this story. However, if you would like to read about the past more in depth, by all means read these stories in any particular order. The links to those stories are below.
    Descent to Madness: https://shotbow.net/forum/threads/descent-to-madness-refined.322840/
    Last Orders: https://shotbow.net/forum/threads/last-orders-story-thread.58825/
    This story is also connected to Pyrosfyre's An Uncalculated Mistake: https://shotbow.net/forum/threads/an-uncalculated-mistake.18994/

    **Disclaimer: Zenith Rising and other stories in the series do not follow the official MineZ lore**

    The story will be ongoing, but I have already outlined everything, so I already made room for the twenty chapters and epilogue. My plan is to update every day except Tuesday and Thursday. Comments can be posted on this thread (BEWARE OF SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS). Remember to be respectful to both me and others. Feedback would be much appreciated.

    *****

    Prologue - Evan

    He was hit in the face. Even after experiencing many bar fights, that punch was the hardest he felt yet. His nose made an unsettling noise as if the pain was not enough to indicate the damage to his face. He felt blood seep from his nostrils, trickling into his mustache and lips. Looking up, he faced the only other man in the office.

    Vincent Sefton. A well built man in his late thirties. His reputation was was not as great as the shipbuilding company owner, his boss. In fact, many of the people who knew him hated his cruelty to the underlings under his command.

    Evan Stewart was one of said workers. He was just called into Sefton's office. Although for some reason, he could not recall why. Nonetheless, his boss was quite angry.

    "You think you're bigger than the other menials?" he spat in Evan's face. "You're just another number among the masses. If you die by some accident, I can replace you. I can replace you right now if I wanted to. This is your first warning. Now get out of my office!"

    Sefton shoved Evan out the doorway behind him. There was a sudden transition. Evan was no longer in the cramped, evenly lit office of his boss. Now, the room he entered was much darker. He landed on a long, blood stained hardwood table. The only light source was an oil lamp hanging from the ceiling.

    He tried to get up, but he found his ankles, wrists, and neck bonded to the table by rope. A cold, leather glove touched his exposed belly. His eyes followed the arm to a short, hairy man.

    Another memory pooled in. He had just been captured by bandits. They were a paranoid bunch, thinking that Evan was a member of a rival clan. The man who stood before him was their interrogator. His facial hair was so thick, that his lips were no longer visible. Before the outbreak, he could have been mistaken as a beggar. Now, he was something for Evan to fear.

    "It don't have to be like this, pal," the interrogated said as he lifted a red hot branding iron. "Just tell me where your friends're at and this don't have to continue no more."
    Evan tried to open his mouth. His vocal cords vibrated but no sound emanated from his mouth.

    "Nah?" continued the interrogator. He shrugged. "Suit yo'self. You ain't the first man we'll break and you ain't gunna be the last. You'ze just like the rest of us."

    The branding iron pressed against Evan's exposed chest. White hot pain erupted all over his upper body. All he could do was squirm and scream.

    Suddenly, the table broke beneath him. The agony from his chest faded immediately but new pain shot across his spine as his back hit wooden plank floors.

    A new memory cascaded into his mind. He just led his group to take a naval class ship. It was one of the last intact ones on the coast. A daring feat of leadership and dauntless action on Evan's part. This was the greatest day of his life. He had been called a hero.

    There they stood. Kevin Stewart: the only family in the world that Evan had left. He knew how to defend himself, but was not the best fighter around. He shared so many features with his brother that they would be identical twins if they were not two years apart of age. Gabriela Santos: the woman that Evan had fallen in love with two months after the outbreak. Her long blonde hair had been cut short to become less of a setback in this post-apocalyptic world. Carter Jackson: his best friend even though they were quite the opposite kinds of people. He was a scrawny lad, but was agile on his feet.

    Suddenly, his three companions stopped smiling. This was not right. All three of them smiled the whole day. Then, he watched helplessly as his close comrades slowly turned into dust. It began with their chests and then their bodies disintegrated outwards. A harsh gale smacked into Evan's. It blew the dust in the same direction. Once the three closest people he had in the world were gone, the entire world around him began to grind into airborne particles.

    He heard them. Their hungry growls came first. Then, he felt their claws. He looked down. Evan was sinking into a sea of zombies. Every one of their faces looked up at him. Each one had a bloody visage, long rotted away. Their pitch black eyes blinked with malice. Their soiled finger nails drove into his heels. The excruciating sensation of being torn apart was something no human should ever experience. Here, Evan felt every waking moment of it as his body lowered down a vertical tunnel of scratching claws and gnashing teeth.

    Then, there was void. Evan hung in mid air as though there was a noose around his neck. The emptiness around him was pitch black and ice cold. He could not move at all. What was worse though was that he could see his own body. Not a scrap of flesh remained. He was just bones, and yet he remained conscious.

    He suddenly felt something new. Something slithered around his skeletal structure. It was not long until he saw what it was. Vines. As they touched more parts of his body, he could see his own flesh reform. Evan would have smiled had he not been immobile.
    Suddenly, a flood of water rushed up to him. It came from nowhere. The water felt weird and wrong on his skin. In fact, it stung very hard. He opened his mouth and howled in agony. His arms and legs flailed as he tried to swim. Realization struck after he felt it. He could move again. With that, the water drained away as suddenly as it arrived.

    Evan was on his hands and feet. Looking at his arms and legs, he noticed he was not completely back to normal. While much of his flesh had returned, some still had rotted away. It was as if....

    He looked up. There they were again. Kevin, Gabriela, and Carter. This time, they were on their knees. Their arms were bound behind their backs. Their heads were lowered. They weeped.

    A sudden gust smashed into Evan's face. It was much more powerful than the last. He felt himself knocked back. Evan started floating upwards. No, wait. He looked down. His body was left behind, still on hands and knees.

    Evan stopped rising. There was a force pulling at his leg like an anchor on a ship. He had to watch. Somehow, he knew what was going to happen next.

    Fires burst all around his soulless body. The flames licked his arms and legs first. Then, they entered his body through his chest and eyes. Suddenly, the flames were gone. The body of Evan snapped its head up. He could see his own eyes, now pitch black. Then, to broke into a sprint. It growled and roared with a familiar hungry intent behind it. Evan tried to stop it, but he could do nothing but struggle in this spirit form.

    He watched. He watched as the zombie form landed on top of Gabriela first. Its claws and teeth dug into her skin, making her bleed more than he had seen her bleed before. Never had he heard a truer scream from her. Then, it turned to Carter and did the exact same thing. As his best friend yowled, Evan struggled ever harder. Finally, with to corpses on the ground, twitching as they too were about to elevate into undeath, the zombie form of Evan looked at the brother. Kevin's yelling was the last thing Evan heard.

    *****

    He woke up. The first thing he felt was something real. Real fabric of his hammock. Real water dripping from the planked ceiling. Real gravity shifting and pulling him as the ship rocked back and forth. Reality returned to his mind. At the same time, much of what he just dreamt had become a blur. However, it was not enough to get the feeling of horror out of his mind.

    Evan lowered his feet into a pair of poorly made, slip-on leather shoes. He slowly stood up, a creaking of the floorboards beneath him beckoning at his movement. It was really cold.

    He stepped outside. Layers upon layers of clouds cascaded in all directions. The moon and stars were not visible. A faint red light streaked across the eastern horizon. Darkness encompassed the rest. Looking up, he could barely see the crow's nest on the mast. It was silent. Well, silent in terms of voices. The flapping of the sails and the crashing of waves against the hull were forceful indeed.

    "You too?" a familiar voice spoke in monotone behind him.

    Evan spun around, suddenly alert. There Carter stood right next to where the door hinged. His best friend was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His face looked grim.

    "No, my dreams were wonderful," Evan said sarcastically, flapping his arms outward.

    Carter did not reply to that. He simply turned his head towards the dawning of a new day.

    "In my dream," his best friend said after a moment of silence, "it ended in a sky with both with a sunrise and sunset. It could've been beautiful if it weren't for what happened."

    "Let's get some more sleep, lad," Evan said, putting a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "We've got a big day coming."

    Carter faked a smile before it became real. The two friends walked through the door back into the crew habitation again.
    mrnutty12 likes this.

  2. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 1 - Hero

    I was weak. So weak. Most would have given up, forever living with such disadvantages. Humiliated. Helpless. Needy. However, my studies gave me an opportunity to finally relieve myself of this. With simple magic, I was remade. I finally stand toe to toe with others. Whether it was a lucky window of opportunity or the sole persistence of my ambitious self, I discovered that the possibilities of magic were limitless. There must be more to it.
    - Zenith

    He was honored to lead the Valor Brigade. He was honored to name it. He was honored to equip it with all the horses that remained as well as the best of flintlock rifles available. He was honored to be Commander Evan Stewart. He was honored to be a hero.

    Hooves rapidly stomped in disorder. A full ten soldiers rode their steeds into battle. Men and women who were once just survivors now reborn as heroic soldiers to bring the fight to the undead. For over three months, the zombie hordes had kept humanity underground. The men and women of the Valor Brigade were here to change that today.

    Evan Stewart was determined to make their arrival to this new land go off with a bang. He was determined to hunt a giant.

    He rode on a beautiful black horse with pristinely polished iron plating. The iron armour he wore was not forged from his homeland, but he liked it. His helmet curtained the sides and back of his head while a narrow nose guard (which was the only annoyance) hung low from the forehead covering. A single spike was sticking out of the top and center. The body armour he wore was carved to mimic a well built bare chested body. It made him feel herculean. Hanging from his belt were two sheathed weapons: a cutlass and a flintlock pistol. On his back was a rope that could extend up to seventy yards in length. It was cumbersome indeed, but it was necessary.

    All around him were armoured and armed soldiers of the Valor Brigade. They wore various fashions of iron armour, some of which matched the cultural backgrounds of the ones who wore them. Strapped to their backs, every one of them carried a musket. Today, these would be used to kill regular zombies. However, Evan gave the order to not kill any zombies until the giant had fallen. He wanted to be sure that the first thing they killed on this new continent was a legendary undead titan.

    The other half of Valor Brigade were set ahead on foot. Among them were a few trackers tasked to locate a giant and several teams to operate cannons. Once their trackers had found a giant close to the canyons, the cavalry had launched. Now, Evan and his horsemen had the other unit in their sights as well as the giant.

    It was huge and ugly. Even from a distance, Evan’s nose revolted at the putrid odor of the rotting dead. The giant bellowed angrily like some feral god. After slowly stepping towards the patient artillery unit of the Valor Brigade, it stopped. Turning its head, pitch black orbs gazed towards the incoming cavalry.

    “Carter!” Evan called out at the top of his lungs. He was surprised that his best friend could hear him over the violent gallop of nearly a dozen horses.

    No further words were needed. Carter rode nearer on his brown steed. When he was close enough, Evan reached for the rope on his back. He tossed it to his friend while still gripping onto one end. Meanwhile, Carter held tightly onto the other end and started to ride further ahead. As he did, the rope unraveled right between the zombie giant and the artillery unit.

    A faint command was heard in the distance as the cannons fired. Great booms accompanied the shelling. Blasts bursted across the monster’s bare chest. Fragments fell and formed into human sized zombies. As they landed, the eight other members of the cavalry unit taunted them loudly. There was a mix of sounds and the banging of metal armour. Once they distracted them from Carter and Evan, the horses were commanded to slowly back away in order to gingerly lure the undead.

    Meanwhile, the two others at the forefront rode on opposite flanks of the giant with the rope strung taut in between them. Riding forwards, they pressed the rope against the behemoth’s ankles. The monster tried to lift a foot. Once he felt the great tug on the rope, Evan pulled it more tightly. The rope nearly slid from his hands, causing his palms to burn from friction. His legs hugged his horse’s abdomen while he started to grip the rope with both hands.

    Another series of booms. The cannon fire ripped through flesh as it forced the giant back. This released a lot of pressure off of the rope, making it easier for Evan and his companion to press forward. He smiled as he heard the titanic ghoul roar in pain and anger (or at least that was what it sounded like).

    Beyond him was the edge of a cliff. A great fissure as thick as a major city was just a few dozen yards away. It may have seemed like a short distance on a horse alone, but with the giant being forced to come along, it felt like a thousand leagues. Even though he could not see the floor of the canyon yet, it already looked deep enough for the giant to make a hard landing.

    Distracted by the scene, one of his hands slipped off of the rope. Evan’s focus quickly reverted back to the task at hand. His fallen hand swiftly grasped back onto his end of the rope tightly. This tug felt much harder than the last. The giant must have known what was going to happen to it.

    More cannon fire made it stumble back. Evan and Carter made one final push. His fingers finally gave in. It was still enough though.

    The giant staggered back as cumbersome as its size. Rock crumbled beneath its feet. Its arms waved in the air to restore balance. Another boom of cannon fire, ending the monster’s attempts. It let out one last deafening roar as its immense form plummeted towards the canyon floor below.

    Evan got off of his horse and walked to the cliff edge to see. The beast was falling with all four limbs waving above its body. Once it hit the dry grass ground, the bellowing cut off abruptly. The commander’s smirk widened as he watched the body of the giant swiftly deform into an indistinguishable pile of rotten flesh. He noticed several whole zombies walk out of that mound. To him, they looked like ants. In this world, they might as well be.

    Carter rode closer to his companion. The thrashing of hooves on soil broke Evan’s thoughts. No matter. As much as he wanted to revel in his heroic moment, there was still much work to be done. Many zombies still annoyed the rest of Valor Brigade. He drew his cutlass after returning to his mount.

    “Let’s join the battle, lad!” he told Carter, who simply nodded in return. Evan was wondering what was wrong with the boy. He planned to talk about it later when they set up camp.

    The two of them rode back to regroup with the rest of the cavalry and to fight the remaining zombie pests.

    *

    Night had fallen. For the rest of the day prior, the Valor Brigade traveled towards the west. They found a small, man-made settlement to camp in.

    Tonight was a night of celebration. Together, the Valor Brigade succeeded in slaying a giant as they made their mark in this new world. Here, in this foreign land, would they turn the tables against the tide of the hordes. It would be here that the reconstruction of civilization would begin.

    They were all staying at a place called Knoxmoor Inn. A single decorated well stood at the center of it all. Redstone conducting lamp posts (a relatively primitive lighting source) scattered about the open area, with only half of them still lit. A guard house stood at the northeastern corner of the settlement. Carter was one of the people taking watch for the night on top of that tower. The other watcher was a woman of the Valor Brigade that Evan wanted his friend to hook up with in order to lift his lately sinking spirit. Opposite of the guard barracks was the inn building itself. It was a worn out thing with broken floorboards, holed rooftop, and torn down stone walls. It was obvious that this place knew a lot of human conflict. He was told though that the previously existing bandit clans were now disbanded, so any human threat would not be too much for them to handle. The inn was still a suitable shelter for the rest of the brigade to sleep in for the night. Finally, there was a small graveyard on the west side. The team already checked the graves to find any active zombie. All precautions were made to have a safe night.

    There was music in the main room. One of the women brought an old guitar and one of the men beat on a small, makeshift drum. The two of them led the lyrics of a victory song they wrote on the boat ride over here. Everyone else clapped in unison with the drum beat; a second long interval. Many of them sang along with the chorus, including Evan.

    “And so the hordes pilin’ ‘neath our feet,
    we stride to war, marching with the beat!
    Remember our losses!
    Avenge them!
    Look out for your brothers!
    Protect them!
    Beware of the undead!
    (rest beat). Slay them!
    Today the giant, tomorrow the world!
    Today the giant, tomorrow the world!”

    Evan’s eyes gravitated towards Gabriela. She was sitting on the staircase just outside the circle of people. Her mail hood was down, revealing not only her cut blonde hair but also the only unsmiling face. Her lips did not move coherently with the other singers. Even her clapping was weak and slightly off beat.

    He decided to go and sit next to her. Carefully, he tried not to agitate any of the others in this cramped space. Finally, he was free to walk without worry of stepping on someone's hand. After taking his seat, she did not acknowledge him. It took a few moments before he could think of something to say.

    “You… you did good out there today,” he said, stammering a little. She looked at him as he spoke. “I mean, I… I didn’t see the whole thing, but I saw the end of it. You commanded the cannon team well.”

    “Why didn’t you give me a horse?” she asked, her voice filled with a strong poison.

    Evan’s heart suddenly sank. “Why didn’t you speak up?” he replied.

    “It was by your direct orders that I was to lead the artillery and tracker teams,” she said.

    Evan opened his mouth. He wanted to tell her the same story, that he wanted a good leader for that half of the group. No words came out. He could not help himself to lie to the woman he loved.

    “Look, I know you’re trying to protect me,” she continued. “I can handle myself. You know that, right? I managed to evade and fight those bandits. Don’t you remember? The very same bandits who took you and made you into the hard core survivor you are.”

    “They tortured me,” Evan interrupted coldly. “Sure, they trained me to fight afterwards, but don’t make it seem like my encounter with them was a good thing.”

    “You’dve been dead if it weren't for them.”

    “What’s your point?”

    Gabriela sighed, which made Evan’s heart sink deeper. “My point is that I too was trained to survive just like you. Not by those bandits, mind you, but the group I was with. Actual soldiers who protected us and taught us all how to survive.”

    “But what if I lost you under the shadow of that monster?” Evan argued.

    “Nobody died today.”

    “That doesn’t mean that you couldn’t have.”

    “We had that giant. Everything was planned to ensure the survival of us all. We all took risks today. You fought that giant up close while I risked my life fending off the zombies that you absurdly ordered us to not kill until the zombie was dead.”

    “I…!” Evan paused. He realized he was standing up. Some of the others glanced at him. He felt embarrassed. More quietly, he continued. “I wanted to make sure our quest in saving the world started with a bang.”

    “Who said we’re saving the world?” Gabriela replied.

    “Listen to the chorus,” Evan indicated.

    “Today the giant, tomorrow the world!
    Today the giant, tomorrow the world!”

    “We’re the heroes,” he continued. “We’re meant to save the day. We’re meant to save humanity. We’re meant to save the world.”

    “You’ve had nothing but heroics on your mind ever since we took that boat,” Gabriela said. “I think it’s blinded you. You try too hard to be the hero. And I know that you want to be my hero.” Evan tried to respond, but she continued talking. “I don’t need a hero, Evan. I don’t need a hero out of you. I’m just here to help fight and I might as damn well have a horse for tomorrow so I feel like I am contributing more.”

    Evan sighed. “Alright then. I’ll ask Carter to lead the secondary group tomorrow. You can have his horse if he is alright with that.”

    She tilted her head. “You didn’t ask me when you wanted me to lead the secondary group,” she said. “You just flat out commanded me.”

    “How about a simple thank you?”

    Gabriela smiled warmly. “Of course. Thanks. I also want you to have full confidence in me. And I understand and forgive you for keeping me back from the thicker fight. You don’t want to lose me.”

    Evan smiled back. “Enough said, lass. Let’s join the others for one final song.”

    *****

    Miles and miles of gravel flatland extended out with no obstacle in the way. Evan stood barefoot in it. He felt the thousands of tiny pebbles slipping between his toes. It was like his feet were slowly sinking into the ground, much like standing on a beach where the waves reached and retracted. It felt really serene alongside the morning and evening sunshine.

    “Hey,” spoke a familiar honeyed voice behind him. “You promised me that ride.”

    Evan turned to meet Gabriela’s lovely cyan eyes. “Of course,” he said. Both of them smiled more. “Take my horse.”

    He felt his left hand grip onto the bridle of the horse. Evan gently pulled it closer and guided it to Gabriela. Its hooves lightly dug into the gravel ground with each step. The horse emitted friendly noises as it approached her. She raised an arm out towards the black face of majestic creature. Her grin only increases as the horse got closer. Evan let go, allowing the steed to continue walking in the direction of the future rider.

    Suddenly, the horse lashed out its jaw over her hand. Gabriela shrieked. Blood ran out of her hand and down the horse’s chin. Her face was in total shock and dread, much like Evan’s expression

    “No!” he shouted in defiance.

    He quickly approached the horse to pull it back. Once within arms reach, the horse let go and turned around. Its eyes were now a deep, menacing blue. Sharp teeth and fangs of some predatory beast were soaked with his lover’s blood. It let out a roar, much akin to a zombie, which scared Evan off his feet. As he stumbled back, he saw Gabriela fall to the ground with her intact hand gripping the other arm. The horse turned back and started to feast on her body. Blood pooled out fast as she screamed horribly. Her body spasmodically flinched with every bite.

    Evan tried to stand up, but something forced him not to. It was as though shock and fear took a heavy physical form and pressed against his body. All he could do was watch as his lover’s body became motionless. A terrible smell, worse than rot, assailed his nostrils as a thick fog of dark green gas exhaled from her dying mouth.

    Then, he heard a distant shouting. It was a familiar voice from the Valor Brigade. With shock and terror in the voice, he heard it coming closer. It repeated a single word.
    mrnutty12 likes this.
  3. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 2 - Savior

    What really inspires me the most is the construction in Grimdale. Dozens of workers labor day and night to construct a wall around our fair city. Thanks to the funding of my family estate, the project is running smoothly. Unfortunately, when my brother invited me to work with him, I found it less appealing to be a part of it. We had a talk the other day about my future (and now that I am no longer a cripple, the horizon of my potential has greatly widened). Becoming a part of the labor force is obviously not my thing. Pursuing a business, military, or theological career is not up my alley either. I absolutely despise the dregs and scum of the gangs and black markets, so my family can breathe easy in that sense. The answer is simple. With all the magical potential at my fingertips, I think I should join a mage guild. When I told my family this, they supported this idea, especially my brother. Since he also had just as much potential as me, I asked my brother to join me. He preferred to stay, leading the construction of the wall. If you ask me, I think he just does not want to move away from his girlfriend. Nonetheless, I go down my own path, so I will speak to the mage guild representatives of Grimdale tomorrow.
    • Zenith

    "Giants! Giants!"

    He awoke to terrible screaming followed by sudden tremors. His hands desperately fumbled around the floor for his belt with his sheathed armaments. Fortunately, he was sleeping with his iron armour on as usual. Finally, his fingers snatched the leathery snake that was his belt. Before he could even drag it closer to him, another tremor rocked the inn. The floor crumbled below him.Evan stared up at the unimaginable horror he faced. Within a single field of vision, he counted three giants. He was sure there were more of them. The quadrupedal structure over the well was no more than a pile of rubble now. The same had gone for the guardhouse. His heart sank as he remembered that his best friend was in there, and he put him there."Carter!" he shouted, ignoring the rest of the Valor Brigade.Big mistake. One of the giants turned towards the sound of his voice. Its eyes were a deep blue rather than the pitch black that normal zombies had. Jagged teeth showed from its malefic grin (did zombies grin?). While Evan tried to draw his weapons, the monster's foot raised high above him. Quickly, he rolled to the side. It saved him, but only just. Upon impact, a seismic shockwave sent him reeling into the ruin of the inn. His body hit what remained of the stone wall hard. A wave of agony shot all over his body from his back. A forced inhalation caused a lot of dust from the rubble to cascade into his mouth, forcing him to cough painfully many times.

    He noticed the that the belt had fallen out of his hand. The giant’s foot lifted. Evan saw the scorched wound. His pistol must have blown up beneath the monster’s foot when it stomped. It seemed to recoil in slow motion as it stumbled back. Now was Evan’s chance to escape its wrath.

    All he could do was crawl at first. His arms and legs shook with physical shock, still numb from crashing into the rubble. He peeked through a gap in the wall. The expanse of the forest could be seen, along with his comrades just barely able to wrestle normal sized zombies. His knees kicked wooden plank fragments, forcing more dust into his mouth and nostrils. He wormed his way through the small gap in the wall. Just a short distance ahead of him was a fallen musket. Even if it was not loaded, it was something to swing with. As soon as he was out of the ruin, he clumsily ran to pick up the weapon. Once it was in his hands, he looked around at all the others.

    “Hey!” he shouted. “Into the woods!”

    Everyone heard him and started to sprint towards the trees. The undead hordes were not far behind. A few of the soldiers swung the butts of their weapon at any zombie in their way. Two of them were caught by their legs. Evan did not want to see what happened to them next.

    “To the southern coast!” he continued. “We’ll rendezvous there!”

    To his luck, he saw one of the horses still alive. It was running fast. A trio of zombies were in close pursuit. He never knew they could run so fast. At least they were not just as quick as the horse. Swiftly, Evan had to act. He ran in the path of the horse. Once it was close enough, he jumped. His fingers snatched its reins and his body managed to land on the horse’s back, although not too gracefully. With a single kick, he made the horse accelerate.

    To the north, he saw a figure. It was someone from the Valor Brigade. Whoever it was, the soldier must have not heard him. Quickly, he rode his steed towards the person.

    “Take my hand!” he shouted.

    A zombie was coming up close behind the soldier. The person let out a hand. With a split second before the foe could strike, Evan caught the soldier’s hand. He heard a crunch; probably the sound of the soldier’s boots kicking the zombie. Then, he felt the one he saved adjust to the horse seat behind him. The saddle was never meant for two people.

    “Thanks for the ride,” spoke a familiar feminine voice.

    Evan turned his head to meet face to face with Gabriella. Her cyan blue eyes beautifully matched the smile of gratitude on her face. His heart throbbed in his chest, just happy to know she was alive. He wanted to kiss her then, but did not when he stared past her.

    The distant rubble behind them was swarming with zombies. Towering giants wandered about, no longer aware of the human presence. Something else was there that disturbed him more. It was a fat undead thing, larger than a regular zombie but only up to the height of a giant’s knee. At the end of one of its fat arms was a large, two-handed blade of diamond. Such a thing was purely impossible, but that was not the most disturbing part. Beneath the many chins that made up this particular zombie’s neck was a large, spherical cage that made up much of its body. Within it was a single human with chains attached to his wrists, ankles, and head. He looked worn out, as though drained of all strength. The other ends of the chains seemed to stick deep into the fiend’s flesh.

    It raised its sword, using it to point at Evan and Gabriella. Was this monster… commanding the undead?

    “We need to get out of here,” Evan said as he turned away.

    “South?” Gabriella asked.

    “Yes, but… but not yet,” he said. “If the hordes are chasing after us, we can draw them away from the others. We’re going east. Then, we’ll head back south. We’ll probably all meet at the Pravus sanctuary.” His voice lowered to a mumbling whisper. “How could this happen?”

    “Focus!” Gabriella said. “Turn! Trees!”

    Evan returned his focus to the real world. The forest curved up in front of them. Its branches were too low for the horse to ride through. He steered the horse towards the right. They started to head northwards.

    “This is bad,” Evan said. “Gab I… I just want to say….”

    “You’re bringing this up now?!” she shouted. “I already know.”

    “I just wanted to formally speak my mind,” he continued. “In case anything happens….”

    “Nothing will happen! You’re going to save us. If it makes you feel better, I think you’re great too. If you get us out of here, we could both live happily ever after.”

    Suddenly, he heard an unfamiliar zombie noise. This one sounded like a mix of a painting and a growling. There was another percussion of horse hooves as well, out of beat with those of his own horse. Worse, it sounded like a faster tempo. It was immediately followed by Gabriella’s screams. He turned his head to see a pair of zombie claws digging into her arms. She was pulled away from the horse.

    “No!” Evan screamed in defiance as he jumped off of the horse.

    His shoulders hit the ground hard. As he tried to get up, he could see what Gabriella was wrestling. A zombie’s torso was fused with the body and legs of a black horse. It was like an undead centaur!

    Its lunged down for her, but she drove both feet into the human face. As it recoiled, she pulled removed her musket from her back. Her legs kicked dirt as she tried to keep her distance. The centaur tried clawing at her again, but she reacted by swinging the butt of the gun at its hand. Her victory was short lived however as her opponent kicked with its front hooves into her chest.

    From a short distance, Evan heard the painful noise of bones breaking. Furious now, he raised his own musket and took aim. It was too late. He froze as he saw the horror before him.

    With Gabriella weakened on the ground, the centaur zombie lashed out at her with tooth and claw. For the third time, she screamed like never before, and for real this time. The noise alone made Evan’s heart sink so low that he wanted to vomit it out. Her eyes were already open and dead. Black pupils expanded over her cyan colors and conquering the white and red beyond. She had turned. No going back.

    Evan ran. He ran as fast as he could into the forest. His arms and legs pumped harder than ever before. Their soreness struck fast, but he did not care. Twigs, leaves, and webs struck his face and invaded his eyes. He did not care. Tears ran down his eyes, stinging the scratches all over his face. He did not care. Pain erupted from his worn body from the battles of today and yesterday. He did not care.

    The would-be savior eventually slowed his pace. His mind wanted him to run harder, not even for survival sake anymore. It was as though he wanted to punish himself with fatigue. Nonetheless, his body overstepped its limits. He finally stopped.

    Gabriella. Perhaps Carter. Maybe even the rest of the Valor Brigade. All of it swept away from beneath him. Before the outbreak, he was a loner. No family to contact and no friends at all. He was just one of many workers at a shipbuilding company. When the zombies overran civilization, he lost his old life, but never did he lose anyone he cared about. Now, he never felt so alone.

    It was his fault for failing. He did not try hard enough to save Gabriella. If only he gained his footing faster. If only he fired before it killed her. Ever since he met her, he vowed that, no matter if they were together or not, that she would never die young. That vow was broken now. He failed. If only he….

    Evan kicked the tree next to him. He felt his toes crushed on such a forceful impact. Ignoring the pain, he kicked harder. It hurt so bad, but he payed no heed. His anger boiled higher with each strike. Then, he started using both legs and even his fists. He threw his iron gauntlets into the snow just so he could have his knuckles bleed with each punch. The bark had bit back hard, but he cared not. With both hands on the trees, he started bashing his forehead. He repeated with quicker intervals every time. Each time his vision blurred even more. He felt blood mixing with his tears as he collapsed to the ground. His face buried in a cold, white sea.

    *****

    “I can help you,” spoke an unfamiliar male voice.

    “Need a hand buddy?” asked another unrecognizable voice, female this time.

    Evan looked up from the snowbed. There stood two tall figures. The sunlight illuminating behind them kept their faces dark with the shadows they casted. Their silhouettes blended with the trees. Not a single feature could be distinguished.

    “What’s this?” he asked. “Who are you two?”

    “Answer me this first,” the male stranger said as he kneeled. The garish light of the sun now shined where the man’s head once was. Evan had to block the sunlight with his hand, but he was listening. Even in the shadows, he could tell the man pointed at him as he spoke. “Who are you.”

    “I’m….” he began. “I’m… Suffering.”

    “Suffering?” the man replied. “Nice to meet you, Suffering. I am Desperation.” He let out a hand. When Evan took the hand, he felt that the grip was really flimsy.

    “And my name is Hope,” the woman said.

    “You and I have similar interests,” Desperation said. “Hope here is going to help us recover.” He leaned in closer. Evan noticed a glint of blonde hair. “You and I will work together for Hope so that she may complete the restoration.”

    “Well….” Evan tried to speak, but was lost for words. “What do you need me to do?”

    “Simple,” Hope said. “You will lower yourself into the pit that you hang from.”

    Evan looked down and realized that half of his body was hanging over a perfect circular fissure in the earth. His legs were nowhere to be seen, lost in a sea of darkness. For some reason, with his hand gripping onto the stranger’s hand, he felt totally safe and not at all worried.

    “I’ll lower you down,” said Desperation.

    “Find your way through the darkness,” said Hope. “You will find what you need.”

    It was then when Evan realized something. As he was lowered down deeper and deeper, he noticed the narrow cord between Desperation’s hand and his arm. It was a rope. Eventually, he was too deep to see the light of day again. The strangers’ voices were still as clear as they were when he was beside them.

    “Now listen,” came Hope’s voice. “Desperation will let go. Trust that you will land where you need to be.”

    Evan nodded, although no one could see it. Then, he felt Desperation’s fingers retract. A rush of wind came up from beneath him. He fell.
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  4. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 3 - Courier

    It has been two years since I first joined the mage guild of the Tower. They were promising at first, but all their rules and restrictions kept me from true magic. Hypocritical. I am on my own now. I am too afraid to tell my family, especially my brother. I will just disappear. As a freelance mage, I now am free of the shackles of standardized schooling, narrow-minded restrictions, and one-dimensional paths. Two years of a wasted life. I will not make that same mistake again.
    • Zenith

    “Nice armour,” were the first words he heard when he woke up.

    Ice cold snow stung his bare back. He still wore his armour (except for the helmet he left behind and the gauntlets he threw to the ground), but the snow had seeped in while he was unconscious. There was heat though. It beamed on the left side of his face. It was dark outside. The night sky was right above him. It was just darkness beyond the snow-tipped canopy. There was light, again, coming from his left. He turned his head in that direction. There was a campfire in a small, dug-up pit. Shortly beyond that were two, cross-legged figures. He noticed that one of them wore a mail chausses while the other simply had black leather pants.

    As he raised himself off of the ground, he felt very dizzy. Evan put his hand on his forehead. A bandage was wrapped around it. It stung when his fingers pressed against it. After removing his hand, he could see the features of the two strangers before him. One was a man in mail armour. The hood was over his head, but Evan noticed the short blond hair prickling out from beneath it. Next to him was a woman in leather armour as black as her long hair.

    Long hair. It all started coming back to him. Gabriela, the undead centaur, the giants attacking the Valor Brigade, and that bloated cage-zombie. His cut up fingers clenched tightly. He shut his eyes as he felt tears build up.

    The other two seemed relatively unmoved by his awakening. They simply glanced at each other before attempting dialogue.

    “I’m sorry,” the man said, “for your loss.”

    Evan looked up at him. His gaze met the blue eyes of the stranger. “How did you know I lost someone?”

    “It’s easy to tell,” the woman said. “I saw the same thing in him not too long ago.” She pointed as the man with her thumb.

    “You too?” Evan talked to the man.

    “I’ll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours,” he replied.

    Evan took a deep, crisp breath before talking. Restating his recent loss returned the tears in his eyes. He only told them about the giant attack and onward. That part did not seem to surprise them. It was not until he talked about the centaur zombie when they raised their eyebrows.

    “A centaur zombie?” the man chuckled a little.

    Boiled with rage, Evan straightened his posture before he spoke. “You listen to me. Don’t you dare think that what killed my dear Gabriela doesn’t exist!”

    “It’s fine,” the woman said, with an arm raised to Evan’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him. “We never said we didn’t believe you. We just never heard of such a thing. That’s all.”

    Evan lowered himself again. “Sorry I overreacted,” he said.

    “I’ve been there too, you know,” the man said.

    “Alright, so I told you about my loss. Let’s hear about yours.”

    The stranger adjusted his seating position before talking. “It all started when the outbreak hit. I was a lumberjack at the Yawpton logging camp. When we heard about the fall of the northern towns, me and my parents were packing to head south to Grimdale. As we were heading out the door, these soldiers from Devil’s Castle came strolling in. We thought they were going to escort us, but no. I watched as they started killing everyone in the town, including,” he wiped a tear from his eye, “my parents. They must have thought we were all sick or something, but I don’t know. I ran so fast.”

    “I’m sorry to hear that,” Evan said. “I never knew what it was like to lose someone I cared about even during the outbreak. It wasn’t until yesterday when I learned.”

    “There’s more though,” the man continued. “The despair turned into anger and then into hate. I became a bandit on my own, and then joined a clan who promised me retribution. When we raided a military fort down south, another group intervened and sent my team running. I was taken prisoner at first, but they offered to let me go. I wanted to stay with them.

    “It was then when I met a woman named Jenni. She was the medical soldier of the outpost. All of her friends were dead and it was my fault. I never felt so ashamed of myself in my life. She forgave me though. I told her of the loss of my family. Thanks to her, my mourning was cast aside. Since then, I vowed to protect her with my life. I owed her that after what I have done.” More tears ran down his eyes. “But then, she was bit. We needed to find antidote, but were getting chased by that same bandit clan. When we made our stand, she died. All of a sudden, all my loses and guilt returned to me. I wanted to kill myself. I almost did by her grave. But then,” he turned to the woman beside him, “she found me. Her name is Amia, and she knows a way of returning human souls to their bodies. Jenni can be restored. My family can be restored.”

    “And I am willing to extend that offer to you,” Amia said to Evan. “It’s your only hope of reviving Gabriela.”

    Evan’s heart never lifted so high. Such a miracle to exist in a time when all was lost. It was too good to be true.

    “What’s the catch?” he asked. “You two are obviously in need of something.”

    The two strangers glanced at each other. They smiled.

    “Have you heard talk of the Spirit Vessel?” Amia asked. After Evan shook his head, she continued speaking. “This ghastly ship has been rumored to hold the souls of the dead ever since the outbreak. It appears in numerous places, almost chaotically. Unpredictable. However, I managed to pinpoint its next location: the Pravus Sanctuary. From there, we could retrieve the souls of Jenni and Gabriela. We will also need to find your lover’s body and bring it to the ritual room. Once there, I can perform the rites of Calypso’s Spell Tome to restore them both.”

    “Can you imagine it?” the man enthusiastically spoke. “We can bring back everyone we ever lost. Isn’t it amazing?”

    “It definitely is, mister….” Evan snapped his fingers as he stumbled over the other stranger’s name.

    “Just call me Joshua,” he replied. “Anyways, us two will go find your precious Gabriela. You should head south to the Pravus Sanctuary and await us there. For now, just get a good night’s sleep.” He patted Evan on the shoulder plate.

    The two of them stood up and picked up their packs. They gave glanced smiles and waved as they walked off. Evan waved back. Once they were gone, he stared back at the fire. The heat never felt so warm and welcoming.

    As the thoughts of what the strangers discussed circulated in his head, a smile was forced upon his face. It progressively widened. Then, he started to laugh. What began as a simple chuckle slowly transitioned into a hysterical bawl of laughter. Tears streamed down his eyes. This time, they were tears of joy. “Yes! Yes!” he shouted into the heavens. “I’ll find you again, Gabriela!”

    He could not remember the moment he began to calm down before he fell fast asleep.

    *

    Evan woke up again. This time, it was to the growl of zombies. He stared up at the sky. The stars were still out, but there was some lighting to the blue shade above. It must have been dawn. He felt cold all around him. There was no more campfire.

    He got up, swiftly feeling stress build up in his body as he recognized the familiar sound of danger. His eyes scanned the dense trees around him. No man-made architecture was in sight. His face caught the force of brisk wind for a brief moment as he spun around.

    Eventually, his vision spotted a green blur. He quickly turned back to what he glanced at. There it was: a sickly humanoid figure aimlessly stumble-walking around an oak tree. It hissed as though it were angry at the tree. When its face came around, Evan noticed that its eyes were pitch black, unlike the undead that destroyed Knoxmoor Inn.

    He knelt silently to grab his musket. His eyes were still trained on the dormant zombie. The natives never took the gun. Either they did not know how to use it or it was another sign of their trustworthiness. Nevertheless, he had it now. Without the means to reload the weapon, he only had one round, if it was not already empty. As such, he would use the blunt end to swing with. If only he had a bayonet too. He had to make do with what he got.

    As Evan approached the zombie, he held his breath. Small amounts of exhalation came out of his nose every second. His footsteps crunched in the snow. He kept on his toes to reduce the noise. Both his hands held the gun barrel firmly. With each step forwards, he readied his arms for the swing.

    Then, a crunch. It was not his own footstep. In fact, it sounded like it came from the left. He jerked his head. A split second of sight, but he caught a long enough glimpse to recognize the danger. A hidden archer fired his bow. Evan jumped back. As he landed in the snow, he heard the zombie startled zombie growls. No, not from one zombie. More than one.

    Looking back up, he saw the archer who ambushed him. It was another zombie. They knew how to use bows?

    Evan kicked the snow behind him as he ran. He heard another arrow whizzed right by him. The noise it made when it hit bark sounded pretty distant. Maybe these zombies were not as skilled with archery. Or at least not yet. His imagination only dreaded him more.

    Once he reached a certain distance, the arrow fire ceased. His pace slowed and his breath was catching up with him. The adrenaline was beginning to ease. It was then, at the moment of near respite, that he heard something new. It sounded like wolves. By the noise of their footsteps, they sounded close behind. Without risking a glance back, he broke into a sprint again.

    It was easy to tell that it was no use. Their rapid footsteps were getting close very fast. Their hideous snarls were swelling with excitement as they drew nearer.

    Suddenly, a gunshot. Evan dove into the snow once again. He heard one of the wolves grunt in pain. It must have been hit. Turning his head back, he saw the other beast that was chasing him. Indeed it was a wolf, but it was undead. Instead of pitch black or deep blue, its eyes were a deep crimson red.

    The undead wolf was already running in the direction of where the gunshot came from. Swiftly, Evan gracelessly swung the butt of his gun over the wolf. He heard a bone-crunch on impact. It roared at the pain as its body went limp. The beast still ‘lived’ but could no longer run. Evan positioned himself for the perfect blow. With four repeated swings, he crushed the undead wolf’s head, finally slaying it.

    Looking away from the bile-blood stained snow, he raised his head. The other wolf lay dead a short distance away. Its death was a lot less messy. Evan turned to the direction to where the gunshot came from. He could see an armoured figure from Valor Company carrying a flintlock rifle. He was very glad to see that, but his excitement rocketed out of the sky when he recognized the face.

    “Carter!” he cried out.

    The two of them ran into each other. Their armour clanked as they embraced. They laughed in joy. Their hands patted each other on their backs. Unlike Evan, Carter still wore his iron gauntlets. Once they finished hugging, the conversation began.

    “I thought you died when I saw the tower in ruins,” Evan said. “I’m very sorry I put you in there.”

    “It’s fine,” Carter replied. “I lived. But I saw you ride off with Gabriela, so I followed you. Where is she?”

    Evan looked down. “She’s dead.” He told him about what happened before he passed out in the woods.

    “I’m very sorry for your loss,” Carter said. “You still have me and your brother.”

    “Not all is lost,” Evan said, staring back up at his friend with a big smile on his face.

    “Oh?”

    Evan told Carter about Joshua and Amia and their plan to revive Gabriela. He did so with more enthusiasm than when he told the Valor Brigade about his plan to hunt a giant. Disappointment seeped in once his friend replied with concern.

    “Do you realize how ridiculous this sounds?” he said. “Some ghost ark to bring back the souls of the dead. Magic tomes to put the spirits back in their bodies. Did they have any proof?”

    “They seemed pretty convincing to me,” Evan answered.

    “I’m not sure you should trust them,” argued Carter.

    “It’s the only chance we’ve got to bring back Gabriela. And so what if they’re lying. If they mean us harm, we’ll be prepared for whatever tricks they pull. Think about it Carter, what could they do that the zombies have no potential to do?”

    His best friend scratched his chin for a moment before speaking again. “I can agree with one thing: we need to get to Pravus. You did order the Valor Brigade to meet up over there after all.”

    “Then I guess everything will fall into place,” Evan replied as the two of them began to walk southwards.

    “You’re talking about destiny again as if you’re some kind of star-fated hero to save your star-crossed lover.”

    “I never said I was born a hero. Heroes are made. That’s why I formed the Valor Brigade. We are the heroes of the future of civilization. It is we that will be remembered in history as the tip of the spear that slew the undead once and for all.”

    “Not to be pessimistic, but that future doesn’t look to bright any more.”

    “My point is, heroes are built upon heroic deeds, not some prophesy scrawled in the constellations you were born under. I was just using the Valor Company as an example. But there is one more heroic deed we could inscribe in our own personal history: the day we brought back those we lost. Not as undead, but as their living selves.”

    “Whatever you say, Evan,” Carter said as he patted his friend on the back. “Just be careful with who you trust.”

    “You know what I don’t trust?” Evan said with a more pompous tone. “All this snow.” He spun around with his arms out. “How in the name of Agni does something like this happen?”

    “Well, there is the local legend that the God and Goddess of Agni had their bodies frozen in this land by a powerful spell conjured by the mortals during the divine struggle,” Carter said.

    “Kevin told me the same thing back with the fleet,” Evan replied with his arms crossed. “I still find this all hard to believe.”

    “Let’s just hope that we get out of this snow soon enough.”

    *****

    The sun rose and set at the same time. Between the two great red balls of light, a single man stood on a raised platform. Surrounding him were thousands upon thousands of people as far as the eye could see. The entirety of the land was flat, but every square inch was covered by the feet of the crowd. Somewhere among the crowd, very close to the figure in the middle, was Evan.

    He could hear only two phrases in a chant. Everyone pumped their fists in the air with the first syllable of each word. Their voices in unison made Evan feel more uneasy than ever before. With the exception of him, they all shouted.

    “Valdon apart! Valdon together! Valdon apart! Valdon together! Valdon apart! Valdon together!” They kept repeating this over and over again. It almost made Evan’s very ears bleed.

    Suddenly, the figure in the middle started to emanate a bright, white light. It illuminated from his eyes, mouth, ears, and the tattoos all over his skin. The skin-art seemed to form ghosts and spirits. They began to move across his flesh, closing in on his bare chest. As this happened, the chanting amplified.

    From his cloak, Evan drew a pistol. It felt almost lightless in his hands. Deep inside him, the reason for his next action was not because of any emotion at all. There was just some rational cold sense of duty. The specifics were all a blur. All that was clear to him was that it was for some greater good.

    He raised the barrel and aimed for the chest. Nobody seemed to notice. They were too busy chanting and staring with awe at the most garish of hot white light illuminating from the middle of the target’s chest. Evan’s finger pulled the trigger. A loud bang rang in his ears.
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  5. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 4 - Visitor

    What were people making of their lives? That is the question that spawns from my travels across the region. From thugs to travelers, from prostitutes to politicians, from bandits clans to business powers. Meaningless. Useless. There is more to the universe than such material pursuits. That is what I am trying to find. Magic holds such godlike potential, and I have the most of it. If there is just a better reason for me to utilize it than what every mage guild sees as ‘proper use’, then maybe I can be of some true significance to this world. Constructing architecture benefits towns and cities. It is a physical progression of civilization. Magic, however, is something different. It is the mastery of reality itself. Only when I construct my abilities to affect the universe shall I truly hone their use.
    • Zenith

    It had been a few days since Evan and Carter first reunited. They had been traveling down south for so much time. Overnight, they slept at Paluster and Yawpton. Fortunately, there were no other surprises that the zombies had. There were only the regular humanoid undead around. On the way down, Evan found himself some leather gloves (gods that feels warm), a mail hood, and an iron sword to replace his lost gear. They also got enough food to last their journey for the couple of days before reaching the desert.

    The garish sunlight struck their faces as soon as they walked out from beneath the canopy. They shielded their faces in order to see what was ahead. A river split the soil and sand. Not many structures were seen. There was a small collection of abandoned buildings just ahead of them. Far beyond that were what appeared to be a few tents. Atop a massive dune stood a cylindrical watchtower. It too looked abandoned.

    A loud thud suddenly came from behind them. Both of them jumped back with drawn swords. They would have swung if it were not for a human standing behind them. Their blades were still unsheathed. It was unknown whether this stranger was a friend or foe.

    The person just stood there unmoved by the threat of two armed and armoured men. This newcomer was as cold and still as a statue. A heavy black cloak wrapped around his whole body, which was further armoured by black leather. The face was completely concealed by a hood. Everything about the stranger made Evan feel uneasy to the extent to the same feeling he would have if he were disarmed. Perhaps the very silent presence of this person was disarming in itself.

    “I see you carry guns,” spoke a male voice through the cowl. “Are you two from the Oceanic Sanctuary?”

    “Yes,” Evan said. “My name is Evan Stewart and this is Carter Jackson. We were from Valor Company fighting zombies in the north. Something happened and the team was split. Have any of them arrived at Pravus….?

    “If that is where you’re from,” Carter interrupted.

    “No one has entered the desert for weeks,” the figure replied. “You two are the first I’ve seen. And yes, I am from the Pravus Sanctuary.”

    It was impossible to tell which person the stranger was staring at. The hood over his head made him almost faceless. Chills constantly ran down Evan’s spine.

    “I guess we’d best be off over there and wait for the others,” Evan said.

    “I will escort you,” the hooded man said. In the mean time, would you like to tell me what happened up north?”

    As they crossed the river and traveled into the desert, Evan told the man about the giant hunt and the attack on Knoxmoor Inn.

    “Three giants?” the man responded skeptically. “At least? At Knoxmoor?”

    “That’s not even the worst of it,” Evan mumbled. Something told him that the stranger heard what he said.

    “I never seen more than one giant at one place, and one a little further south than usual,” the man admitted. “But I will believe you both. You’re safe here now.”

    “A lot of open desert but not a single zombie in sight,” Carter noted.

    “Right,” the stranger replied. “Even shortly after the outbreak, the deserts were all but vacant of undead. For the past month, while building Pravus, our survivors cleared out the remaining undead of this biome. That way, we have a pair of watchmen accessing each lookout point with relative safety.”

    “What do you need watchmen for if there are no zombies out here?” Evan asked.

    “Maybe they’re worried about any wandering into the desert,” Carter suggested.

    “Yes and no,” the man answered. “We are especially careful of humans, who are ironically the more dangerous ones out here. A little over a month ago, a hostile clan called Equilibrium was disbanded near here. Their leader’s death was not confirmed. If he is still alive, he could be out for vengeance. Even with the clans long gone, there are still people out there who could do us harm.”

    “But you trust us?” Evan asked. His heart beat a little faster when the cloaked man did not reply.

    They all suddenly stopped in their tracks. Evan and Carter noticed that the hood was slightly raised. That meant the stranger was looking upwards. In front of them was that large sandy hill with the tower on top. The afternoon sun was just half eclipsed by the battlements. While shielding his eyes, Evan noticed that the tower looked abandoned. Something about it seemed to disturb their new friend.

    Then, the stranger made a sprint up the hill. Evan and Carter glanced at each other before silently agreeing to follow. Their feet kicked sand behind them as they struggled to catch up to the cloaked man. As soon as they were up there, the man pressed his back against the wall. The running had pulled the hood back slightly. Evan could see the chin and lower lips of the stranger. A narrow scar ran through the left side. His index finger pressed against the midpoint of his mouth. After Evan nodded in compliance, the stranger unsheathed a pair of slick daggers.

    There was a few seconds of suspense. Evan pressed his ear against the wall. An unidentifiable noise came from within the tower. His hand gripped the haft of his sheathed blade. The thoughts ran through his head that the stranger probably also had. This tower was one of the watchmen posts. If no one could be seen from it, then that meant they were dead inside. Probably by zombies or humans… or worse. He bit his lip at the thought.

    After the seemingly eternal wait, they followed their stranger through a breach in the walls. Evan saw what was really happening. A sigh of relief came from his mouth, but his cheeks tingled as they turned red for running into an awkward situation.

    Right by the staircase that led up to the second floor, there was a young man and woman kissing excessively. They immediately parted when they heard the three others walk in. The man panted a little, trying to catch his breath after the make out session. He looked just as embarrassed as the woman, who pulled her black hair from her face. They both laughed a little at the surprise.

    “I think you two will have plenty of time for that after your shifts are over,” the cloaked man said. “In the mean time, please try and stay focused.”

    “Sorry about that,” he said. “It’s just that we haven't seen anything forever, so Arla had the idea….”

    “No, Stud, you had the idea,” she said pointing at him.

    “Alright, enough,” Carter said.

    Evan smiled at the whole situation. He knew Carter would say that. His best friend always said something like that when he pulled Evan away from flirting with Gabriela. Suddenly, his smile disappeared once the image of his lover’s death reentered his mind.

    “So who are these strangers?” Stud asked.

    “My name is Evan and this is Carter,” Evan replied. “We’re from the Oceanic Sanctuary and were hoping to hold out in Pravus for a while.”

    “Did you guys arrive from the boat?” Arla asked.

    “You mean from the fleet?” Carter replied.

    “I mean… the boat that just arrived at Pravus this morning.”

    “Here? Now?” Evan said. “Are they still there?”

    “Should be,” Arla answered.

    Evan excitedly grabbed Carter by the arm. “Come on, let’s meet them down there.”

    “Not so fast,” the cloaked man said. “I am still escorting you. If you really are from the Oceanic Sanctuary, the visitors down there would recognize you.”

    “I’m sure they will, but we’ll wait for you anyways,” Carter replied.

    As the three of them walked out of the breach, Stud spoke up again. “Oh, and Pyros,” he said. “Your ranger buddy said he wanted to train you in using guns.”

    “I don’t need guns,” the hooded man replied.

    “Splinterlance talked to Vos, who also agreed,” Stud argued.

    There was a seemingly long pause before Pyros replied. “We’ll see.”

    As they exited the tower, Evan once again met the full force of the garish desert sun. He looked down the hill to avoid the light. A gravel road divided the sands of the great dune. It ran from east to west. Beyond that was the oceanic shoreline. He knew that further beyond the horizon was the fleet of ships from around the world. It reminded him that it was here on this continent that human civilization would rise from the ashes.

    “What are you smiling about?” Pyros asked suddenly. Evan had forgotten that the heroic thoughts that ran through his head made him smile all the time.

    “It’s just that looking out and beyond the shoreline reminds me of our purpose,” he said.

    “And that purpose is?”

    “To rebuild civilization, of course!”

    Pyros did not reply to that. For some reason, he fell grimly silent. Although his face was hidden, Evan could tell that he had a look of discontent.

    “Do you not agree?” Evan asked.

    “This way to Pravus,” the man guided them towards the west along the road.

    “Pyros!” Evan made the man freeze upon shouting. “That is your name, right? You did not seem as excited as I was when I mentioned rebuilding our world.”

    “No, of course I am excited!” he said as he proceeded forwards. “Civilization. Unity. Peace and contentment. All great things.”

    There was a tone in Pyros’s voice that did not sound convincing. Evan wondered if something scared that man’s past.

    “Let him go,” Carter said with a hand on his shoulder. “There’s no way you can tell what he’s thinking with that hood over his head.”

    “It’s just his tone of voice and…”

    “Evan. Let him go.”

    Carter was disappointingly most persistent at not proceeding in anything. It did not annoy Evan at all. Otherwise, they would not have been friends. It just seemed kind of sad. He knew Carter’s past well and nothing explained what could make him think this way. Nevertheless, he was right about letting Pyros go. Just this once, Evan agreed to keep himself from persisting.

    Just up ahead was the town of Pravus. It was definitely a freshly built town. He could eye out which buildings were the oldest knowing that the original structures were made from non-intact ships. Most notably was the tower that was once a mast. There were many other buildings too that were quite obviously not made from boat remains. There were clusters of unused logs at different parts of the town. He assumed that lumberjacks cut the trees of the forest in order to build the majority of the buildings here. Many of these buildings did not have a second floor. Nonetheless, the town did look well done for it to have been constructed over the course of a month.

    He could see the docks from here. Just right by, there was a small vessel anchored just by the end of the peer. Evan’s heart raced when he recognized the lion symbol on the mast. It was the icon of the university that his brother went to back home. This was the ship they took when they left their continent. With excitement coursing through his veins, he ran into the town. He did not care about leaving Pyros and Carter behind.

    As he entered the town, he noticed a crowd of people at a gravel road intersection between a few small buildings. Beneath the black, redstone-lit lamppost was a group of people from the Oceanic Sanctuary. With them was a large wagon filled with guns. The people of the town were picking their choice of arms. Some were even being taught to aim and fire. No sound came because no actual ammunition was used.

    Evan ignored all this as he shoved his way through the crowd. “Kevin?!” He called out. “Kevin?!”

    “Evan?!” came a familiar voice from within the crowd.

    As Evan waited, he heard a few “excuse me” and “pardon me” phrases coming from that same voice. He saw the crowd part as the people made way for his brother.

    “Evan!” Kevin shouted.

    The two of them crashed into each other. They locked a long embrace.

    *****

    He was underwater. Deep underwater. Breath did not matter for no logic existed here. His clothes were gone. Every part of his skin felt the viscous wetness of the water wrapping around him. Evan did not know how he got here. One thing was for certain, it made sense for some strange reason.

    High above him was twinkling garish light. The sun’s illumination scattered across the surface of the ocean. Underwater dust of fragmented soil from the seabed were all illuminated by the light. It looked so distance. Down below was quite the contrary. It was an endless darkness. A void. He felt as though he could sink into an endless drown if he were to go any deeper.

    A sudden wave of dread rushed through his whole body. Even though it was too dark to see anything, he began to notice shifting shapes. At first, they were dispersed and fragmented. Then, they became seemingly whole. Tremors shook, making the water vibrate. A load, whale-like moan sounded like it came from all around him. And yet, somehow he knew that it came from something beneath his dangling, kicking feet.

    Then he saw it. From some undersea colossus of unknown horror, a hot white eye opened. It was some great distance beyond, but it was large enough to fill over half his vision. His heart raced beyond control and his mind broke. The sight of some seismic kraken beneath him was far too terrifying for his mind to comprehend, especially when he was alone.

    He was not the only body, but was the only soul beneath the water. To his left, he saw a figure sinking very slowly towards the darkness below. It was a woman with shortly cut blond hair. Her body was mangled and bloodied to point of near indistinguishable from another corpse. However, Evan recognized her. It was Gabriela.
    Evan tried to reach out for her. As she was sinking head first, the closest part of her body to him was her leg. His arm reached out as he swam with cumbersome effort. He wrapped his fingers around her ankle. Suddenly, her body slipped through his hand. Something had pulled her down far too fast for his eyes to read. His heart stopped with absolute fear.

    Then he started to kick his legs fast. His arms frantically paddled as he tried to swim to the surface. Directly above him were another two slowly sinking corpses. He payed no attention to them as he swam for his life. And yet, somehow, he already knew who they were: Carter and Kevin.

    That behemoth that lurked within the void of the depths moaned once again. This time however, it sounded like it formed a single word. It was almost impossible to make out what that word was, but in Evan’s ears, it was as clear as it was thunderous.

    Zenith
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  6. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

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    118,505xp
    Chapter 5 - Defender

    They will not accept me. Who do they think they are to think me a monster? Why do they fear freelancing mages? Do they not trust my control over the magical arts? I am left to fend myself away from civilization. I do not need their comfort and support. My powers provide all that I need to survive and pursue the magical arts. This leads me to one of my discoveries outside the guilds. Using the power of alchemy and flesh magics, I can theoretically sustain myself indefinitely. In other words, I have just unlocked the keys to immortality.
    • Zenith

    “So what exactly happened up there?” Kevin asked after taking a sip of ale.

    The two of them sat in what appeared to be a barn. Bales of hay were piled up at the end of it. Kevin pointed out earlier that some of the cargo for the other two Sanctuaries were hay for the horses. They both sat on the wooden plank floors. The people of the town allowed them to have a small portion of Elliom ale they had stored in their inventory. For having to recollect the events of the northlands, Evan needed a drink.

    He told his brother about the giant hunt and how successful that was. Then, he talked about the attack in the morning. While traveling, he only gave summaries to Carter, Joshua, Amia, and Pyros. Now that he was sitting and under a roof, he went through every detail, from the fat cage zombie to the centaur zombie to the archer and hound trap. Evan was careful not to mention Joshua or Amia and their plan. He did not want to look insane in front of his brother like he almost did with Carter. It turned out that even mentioning the new zombie mutations made him look crazy just rambling about it.

    “I kind of find that hard to believe,” Kevin said. “Sure, I’ve heard the tales of giants and exploders from the natives, but centaur zombies and sentient ones. That just seems too ridiculous.”

    “I saw what I saw when I saw it,” Evan argued. “That centaur zombie even killed Gabriela. How else did you think she died?”

    “Maybe your brain is a little messed up from all the trauma,” his brother added.

    “I’m not messed up!” Evan yelled as his fist hit the floor.

    Kevin raised his hands. “Alright, the centaur zombie is possible, but I still can’t believe there is some leader zombie giving orders to them.” Evan opened his mouth to speak, but his brother continued. “Look, I had a friend who studied some necromancy lore at the university. What I learned from him were the two big rules of thumb. The second of these rules is that all zombies are feral in nature and possess no sentient will of their own.”

    “Unless the necromancer who raised them has them under their thrall,” said a harsh voice from the entrance.

    The two of them turned around to see a man leaning back against a wall. He wore an assassin’s leather armour. A sheathed dagger hung from his hip and a bow with a quiver of arrows was strapped to his back. His arms were crossed but his face had a careless expression.

    “How rude of you to just interrupt our conversation like that,” Kevin said. “And not to mention eavesdropping.”

    “I couldn’t help but overhear the talk of super zombies,” he said. He walked over to the other two people and sat cross legged. “Name’s Shade. Sorry to hear about all the northern sh….”

    “So could it be,” Evan interrupted, “that the fat zombie was the one who raised the others and commands them?”

    “Not likely,” Shade said. “Zombies can’t raise themselves. But if they are acting so coordinated, then there must be a necromancer behind them.”

    “One we haven’t seen,” Evan mumbled to himself.

    “How do you know all this?” Kevin asked Shade.

    “I studied under Professor Calypso in Necromancy 101,” he replied. “Just ask Pyros and Splinterlance.”

    “Wait, wait,” Evan said. “Calypso?”

    “Yes, the witch alchemist and necromancer of Tristitia,” he said. “Not a professor from Consilo at all. I was just joking there. But she did teach me and those two rangers a lot about necromancy a month back. Why, does her name sound familiar to you?”

    Evan had to be careful. He remembered being told about Calypso’s spellbook which Amia was going to use to restore the soul of Gabriela. Such a subject should not be shared with them.

    “No, of course not,” Evan said. “Never heard of her. I was just wondering who she was.”

    “Well then,” Shade clasped his hands together loudly. “I best be off to leave you two be.” He gracefully stood up and walked casually out of the building.

    Evan turned back to his brother. “Look, you must see that even if that fat zombie is not leading the others, someone is. For what reason, I don’t know. But you have to believe me. Whoever it is, they intend us harm. And you are not safe here.”

    “Evan….” Kevin tried to speak, but was interrupted again.

    “Look, I already lost the love of my life today,” Evan continued. “I can’t lose you too. You’re the only family I’ve got left.”

    “Evan, my son is here!” Kevin finally shouted. Evan was completely stunned. “I brought him here to show the foundations of a new civilization, like we always talked about. But now, after everything I heard, what the hell do I tell him?” Tears rolled down his eyes.

    Evan put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Look, I’m no father, so I don’t know what to tell you. Just keep him protected until we find the necromancer and kill him.”

    “Or you could just tell your son to beat it,” came Shade’s voice again.

    Kevin slammed the floor with both hands as he stood up angrily. He stomped towards Shade at the entrance, who did not lean in a relaxed posture like the first time.

    “How very dare you….!” Kevin sneered with a pointed finger.

    “No, no, just look outside,” Shade said with raised hands of surrender.

    The three of them walked out of the building and onto the gravel road. They faced north, where a small, raised dune stretched from east to west. Only a few buildings stood there. However, it was not the architecture that caught their eye. Standing in rank and file formation across the hilltop was an army of undead. Many of them were armed and/or armoured in different ways. Some had swords while others had bows. Every single one of them had a pair of deep crimson red eyes.

    “Well Evan, your theory was correct,” Shade said. “When a necromancer controls them, their eyes glow a certain color as well as the eyes of the one who controls them. In this case, it’s red.”

    Carter suddenly ran up to join them. Evan turned and noticed that he held a zombie’s severed head by the hair.

    “What’s that for?!” he said.

    “I found this in the water,” his best friend replied. “It smelled worse than rot. I recognized that smell from when the giant’s attacked Knoxmoor. In the ruins of the tower, there was also a severed head like this. I think these are pheromone beacons to attract the zombies.”

    “And you think someone put them there?” Kevin said worriedly.

    “It’s too late to worry about that now,” Evan said. “We need to gather the others in order to defend the town.”

    “It looks like the zombies are just doing nothing,” Shade said.

    “Waiting for something?” Evan suggested.

    “But what?”

    “I don’t want to wait to find out. We need to get everyone out here ready to fight.”

    “And my son?” Kevin asked.

    “Find shelter,” Evan said. “Get him on the boat and sail off. I don’t know, just get you and your son out of here.”

    No arguments from his brother this time. Kevin simply nodded and ran off.

    “Looks like the others already noticed this too,” Carter said turned away from the horde.

    Evan looked to see the people of the town coming out of their shelters. Every single one of them was armed and armoured. Many of them looked like true survivors and fighters. All of them mumbled to each other about what they were seeing in the horizon. A woman was going around and giving one healing potion to each person.

    “Sorry about the lack of potions,” she said as handed Evan and a few others potions. “Many of them are going bad faster than they used to.” At least no one was complaining about it.

    Evan glanced around at all the different defenders of the town. One was a large man in a neon colored knight’s armour. Another was a more scrawny man with a pair of woodcutter’s axes. There was a masked man with very peculiar looking armour standing by the side of a red-haired woman with fire flickering from her fingertips. There was just a great variety of people, all who looked like they came from different backgrounds, but are united as more than just neighbors. They united as family.

    “Listen up,” Evan felt himself speak up. He had forgotten that he was no longer leading the Valor Brigade. Quickly, he had to improvise his speech. “You may not know me, but I know you all are the hardcore survivors of this hell of a world. Up there, a horde of zombies approaches. They look coordinated, I know. That means someone, or something, is guiding them. Slay as many of the undead as you can, but if a leader shows his face, do not hesitate to kill him. It will all be over once that happens.

    “Archers and gunmen, fire at will. Swordsmen, wait until they approach. United we stand, divided we fall.”

    “You heard the man!” shouted a swordsman among the crowd. He raised his weapon. “Let’s send these monsters back to the hellish entity that raised them!”

    “Down with Crimson!” the others shouted back.

    Evan had no idea what they were talking about. Did they already know who was raising these things? Did it have something to do with the red eyes? It did not matter right now. What mattered was defending Pravus.

    Gunfire rang from left and right and behind. Evan watched as several zombies were pelted by a storm of gunfire. Some of them even fell dead. Smoke emitting from the guns made the air hazy and forced him to cough a little. Hopefully, this was not going to hinder them too greatly. At the same time, arrows whizzed towards the undead, killing more of them. Another volley of arrows came from the archers since they reloaded faster than the muskets.

    It was after the initial attack when the undead made their first move. Evan heard the barks and snarls first. Then, he saw the hounds. Dozens of them ran down from the hills ahead of the zombie horde.

    “Close quarter fighters, with me!” Evan cried. “Keep those dogs off of our fire support.”

    “Stand back,” said the man with both axes.

    Before Evan could argue, the man ran past the rest of the defense. The hounds were attracted by his movement and converged on him. He raised his axe in the air, not even bothering to place his blow. Then, it thrusted into the ground and what happened made Evan breathless. A seismic shockwave blasted out from the impact point. It forces heaps of sand into the air, some getting into Evan’s jaw-dropped mouth. The wave of force blew all of the hounds back.

    “What was that?!” he heard Kevin shout.

    “A long lost relic of the gods, I think,” the man said panting.

    A thousand questions were cast aside as the zombie horde began to advance rather fast. The man with the axes began to back into the crowd of defenders again. More of them kept falling to arrows and gunfire. Those zombies armed with bows fired back. Every target from the initial volley was hit with only one fatality.

    “Toss explosives!” the neon armoured warrior called out.

    In response, almost every fighter threw a sack with a lit fuse at the end. Evan assumed them to contain gunpowder. They all landed in front of the zombie horde. For a moment, the undead seemed to recoil. It happened all in unison, unnaturally coherent. Someone was guiding these things. As the thought ran through Evan’s mind, the explosives went off. Many of the undead were torn apart as a result. Immediately afterwards, the undead continued to charge. There were still many more.

    Then, everyone saw what the undead were waiting for. The zombies started to widen their rank and file formations, allowing room for something through. Coming through these gaps were red-skinned, bloated zombies.

    “Exploders!” someone shouted.

    “Pull back!” Evan cried. “Split the horde up!”

    Everyone silently obeyed as they made a run for the town. A few of them fired back with range weapons once they found cover. Evan noticed the red-haired woman unleash a storm of fire at a large number of the incoming zombies. One of the exploder’s caught in the blaze bursted open in a shower of gore, tearing up some of the nearby zombies.

    Evan found himself a raised platform to fire from. The wagon of firearms was also there. Carter joined him, along with two other people. One of the strangers was the man with strangely plated armour and a mask. The other was a ranger with his hood down, revealing a grey haired head. It was not Pyros because there was no scar.

    “Pyros,” Evan said in realization. “Where is he? And Stud and Arla.”

    “Pyros can take care of himself easily,” the strangely armoured man said. “I sure hope the young couple are not dead though. Where were they?”

    “In the tower over there,” Carter pointed. “It looks like a group of zombies are heading over there, so they must be still alive….”

    Suddenly, the masked man was gone. He vanished into thin air. The air suddenly tasted electric.

    “What the fu….” Evan began.

    “Teleportation magic,” the grey-haired ranger said. “Long story.” He pulled back his bow and fired at one of the zombies.

    “This continent is full of surprises,” Evan muttered to himself as he aimed with his musket.

    The three of them fired at their own will, ignoring the others as they focussed on killing the zombies incoming. They particularly aimed for the exploders and any surviving hounds. The horde was getting real close real fast. All the zombies were spaced out so they did not have to push and shove through narrow gaps like they normally did.

    “We need to abandon this place,” Carter said.

    “I agree,” Evan said. “The platform will be overrun. I say we blow up the weapon stash and head for the docks.”

    “No, I meant we should abandon the town!”

    Evan took a longer moment to respond. “You’re right.”

    “I’ll set off the explosive from afar,” the ranger said. “A well placed arrow will set a spark off to create a chain reaction in order to….”

    “You do that,” Carter interrupted. “I’m out of here.”

    He was the first to leave the platform. Then, it was the grey-haired man. Before Evan followed behind, he saw something at the docks. It was a vessel, but it looked slightly transparent. Green and white fog emanated from the surface of the water. That must have been the Spirit Vessel.

    “Come on, Evan!” he heard Carter shout.

    Without responding, Evan broke out in a sprint to the docks. As he ran down the staircases, there were zombies already flanking his side. His muscles ached as he pressed forwards with every ounce of will he had left. An image of a restored Gabriela came into his mind.

    An loud bang came from behind. It was followed by an overwhelming force that sent him reeling face first into the sandy ground. His arms wobbled as he pushed himself up. He regurgitated some sand that shoveled into his jaw. The ringing in his ears eventually faded as it was replaced by the many growls of zombies.

    Suddenly, alert, he felt something grab his arm. Evan swung the butt of his musket at the target. It was caught by a hand. When he looked, he saw the face of Joshua under a mail hood.

    “Come on,” he said as he pulled Evan off of the ground. “I’ll get Jenni’s soul, you get Gabriela’s soul.”

    The two of them ran towards the docks. Once they reached the docks, Joshua stood in front of the ship while Evan checked the shoreline for any incoming zombies. Plumes of smoke rose from burning buildings. The townsfolk were running westward. For some reason, the hordes of zombies were no longer interested in them. Instead, they seemed to be ransacking the place for other survivors. In time, they will reach the docks too.

    “Alright, your turn,” Joshua shouted from behind.

    “What?” Evan asked turning. It seemed like nothing happened.

    “Amia says that the soul will harbor your body if you stank close to the ship’s hull for a good amount of time,” Joshua replied.

    Then, Evan heard a scream. It was the scream of a child. He turned back to the shoreline. There was a little boy in one of the buildings. It must have been Kevin’s son. But where was Kevin?

    “Evan,” Joshua shouted. “If you want Gabriela back, you need to get her soul now!”

    “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. It was not to Joshua. “I can’t lose again.”

    He kicked the floorboards of the peer as he sprinted back to the land. As he ran, he saw the zombies trying to break inside the building. Evan drew his sword. Once he reached the building, he cut down the first two zombies he encountered. His sword and armour was splattered with blood. Hopefully, the child would not be frightened by it.

    “Frederick!” he called the boy’s name. “Come out the window!”

    Glancing back through the window briefly, he saw the body looking at him with a tear soaked face. Terror spread all across his face. It reminded Evan of his brother when he was young and frightened, but not at this level.

    Suddenly, the door broke. The zombie horde started pouring in.

    “Fred!” Evan shouted again.

    He was suddenly occupied as a few more zombies came around the sides. They were more interested in him than the boy. Evan swung the cumbersome weapon across the faces of two of them.

    Then, he heard an impale noise behind him. Turning around, he saw Fred on the windowsill. He had a dagger puncture through a zombie’s eye that was behind Evan. A child just saved his life.

    “Come on,” he said as he picked up the boy.

    Looking left and right, the zombies were coming from both flanks. There was no direct route out of Pravus. His head turned back to the dock. The ghost ship was gone and so was Joshua. With no other choice, he ran to the water. His legs stung with agony as he surged forwards. He tried his best to not let Fred slip from his arm.

    Once he reached the end of the peer, he glanced a look at the boy. Fred nodded, knowing what had to be done. Evan jumped.

    *****

    Evan sat at one end of the table fumbling with his fingers. He felt nervous. Sweat beaded down his face as he felt heat and tension swell within him. To ventilate his body, he tugged the collar of his suit and fanned himself with his free hand.

    Then, a gentle hand pressed his shoulder. He noticed that it was a woman’s hand. Her nails were pristinely done. His body eased.

    “Don’t be nervous,” her honeyed voice spoke in the ear opposite of the shoulder the hand was on.

    The woman walked around the table. It as Gabriela. She wore a lovely dress of green that sparkled as if it were sown with the stars themselves. Her hair was freshly cut, but was well combed. She sat down in the chair at the opposite end of the square table. Her motions were silent. Her fingers clasped onto each other.

    “I’m sorry,” Evan finally said. “I just can’t lose again.”

    “A hero never loses,” Gabriela replied.

    “But I am no hero,” he argued. “I failed to save you twice.”

    “But you saved Fred.” She grabbed his hands. “You saved someone still alive. That makes you a hero again.”

    “And you? Are you fine?”

    “I am suffering.” This made Evan’s heard sink. “All I can feel is the pain and cold of rot. All I can see is the monster I have become. All I can do is tear flesh. All I am is a hungry undead husk. All I dream is what I now hunger for.”

    “So you are not fine.”

    “No, no,” Gabriela said as she tightened her grip on his hands. “I’m very much fine. Do you want to know why?” When Evan nodded, she leaned forwards. “You did a heroic deed out of kindness rather than trying to be a hero.” There was a pause where Gabriela was avoiding eye contact as though she was trying to find the words to her next sentence. “If we… if we had children,” she looked back into his eyes, “you would have made a great father.”

    Evan was just lost for words. Gabriela never had been so close to him before, both emotionally and physically. Finally, he spoke.

    “I want you to come back,” he said. “Not for me, but for you. To suffer such an existence as a zombie is a horrible thought….”

    “Shhh,” she said, pressing a finger against his lips. “Don’t worry about me. Just be a good man.”

    With those final words, Gabriela leaned forwards even more. Evan felt her lips press against his. The sensation that washed over him was a shocking chill at first. Then, it quickly eased into a state of happiness and contentment. He kissed back, wishing it would last forever.
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  7. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

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    118,505xp
    Chapter 6 - Protector

    I just payed my brother a visit. He did not notice me because I kept myself hidden. As an outcast, this was unfortunate. It was a big day for him: his wedding day. Nonsense. This event birthed realization of a great tragedy in humankind. We believe ourselves to grow and mature and, dare I say, excel as we proceed with our lives. The truth, however, is quite the opposite. For anyone who discovers this book for some reason, allow me to explain, using my brother as an example. He was born under a wealthy roof with capabilities physical, intellectual, and magical. However, every choice he made in his life made him lesser rather than greater. He joined the labor force to work, which not only lowered his social status but also dropped his level of significance in the universe by only applying physical and intellectual assets (nothing magical!) to benefit one single human settlement. Furthermore, he fell in love with a woman. As a result of a romantic pursuit, he made himself even more lesser by following an even more worthless ambition. Now, he gets married to that woman. This ridiculous bond of love and companionship only serves to restrict his life ever more, thus making him even more lesser. Soon, he will have children, spend wasted money on the offspring who will become just as worthless as him, and grow old and tired in the process, all of which making him ever more lesser. Finally, he will die, accomplishing so little in life, the ultimate form of uselessness. All who loved him will mourn for him, believing in their naive minds that if he lived just a little longer, he could have done something else great. In truth, death simply ends the humiliating descent into worthlessness before it gets too painfully low. In conclusion, every human is at their greatest at the moment they are born. Every second onward is a step towards becoming lesser. I shall not fall down that same route. As such, I will have no time to mourn for my brother once death relieves him of his lesser descent.
    • Zenith

    Evan awoke. His body sunk into a bed of wet sand. Water lapped against his legs. The sun beamed down from high in the sky. He had to squint his eyes as soon as he opened them. The first limb raised was his arm, carrying his hand over his face. He was dripping wet. A tingling sensation hit his face as the very air licked his soaked cheeks and forehead. His other arm helped push him off of the ground.

    As his memory came back to him, he realized Frederick was not with him. His mind was in a sudden state of panic as he scrambled onto his feet. Thoughts about what could have happened reeled into his head. Did he let the child drown?

    “It’s fine, Evan,” he heard Kevin’s voice behind him.

    He turned around. Surprisingly, the whole group was behind him, or at least its survivors. Carter was alive, thanks goodness. Shade was also alive, although Evan did not know how to feel about that. Stud and Arla were alive, thankfully. The teleporting man who saved them was talking with the red haired fire mage. The man with the magic axe and woodcutter axe was just looking towards the east, where Pravus could barely be seen. They had walked a long way. A man with a blade and armour that looked ancient sat down cross legged. His arm was getting stitched by a man in mail armour. The grey haired ranger stood behind that man, keeping watch for the undead. Evan wondered why the hordes did not try to follow them. The neon armoured warrior was listing off names. Finally, and what raised Evan’s heart the most, Kevin stood there with his son in his arms.

    “You saved Fred,” he said. “Thank you, brother.” Kevin walked over and gave Evan an embrace with his free arm. “While we do yet live, there were many who didn’t seem to make it,” Kevin said grimly after pulling away.”

    “Sean,” the neon knight continued reading off names from a paper in his hands. “Locke. Melody. Valk….”

    “Valk?” Stud gasped. “Valk is dead?! No!” He ran towards the knight with a face of rage until Arla pulled him away. By her touch, his rage depleted, leaving only the tears of woe streaming down his face. He turned to hug his lover, crying into her shoulder.”

    “I know we’ve lost a lot today,” the knight said after finishing off the names. “Pravus, and the deceased. But by Agni, Crimson will pay.”

    There was no cheer like before the battle began.

    “What about Pyros?” the teleporting man asked.

    “I don’t know, Dodger,” the knight replied. “That kind of man could survive anything, but we should assume the worst for now.”

    “What are we going to do?” asked the man who was getting his arm stitched.

    “Get off this infernal continent,” Kevin said. “Me and my boy at least. I can’t put him in danger anymore.”

    “Me too,” said the fire mage. “I’m done with this.”

    “We could use your help, Lyra,” the knight said.

    “Leave her be!” Dodger defended. “I heard talk of a necromancer. Lyra told me about some mage who assailed her after escaping Equilibrium. Whatever that mage wanted, he was kidnapping Lyra. You also told me about the caged man at Byesford. This necromancer wants mages. He cannot be the Red Demon. Even if he was just a servant, what could Crimson want with mages? Can you answer that, Earn?”

    “Are you saying that you don’t think Crimson is the true foe?” the medic man asked.

    Dodger rubbed his forehead as his anger diminished. “I don’t know anymore, Delfias, but what I do know is that mages are in danger. That puts Lyra in danger. She cannot be here anymore.”

    “Well one thing’s for certain,” Shade said. “Some of us need to run away.” Lyra and Kevin both frowned. “But what about the rest of us who want to stay and deal with this necromancer, Red Demon, or whatever?”

    “Head over to Cole Castle?” Evan suggested. “If people need ships, they could hold out at Cole Castle until a ship arrives at… at….” He snapped his fingers. “What’s that place called again?”

    “Carmi?” the ranger spoke.

    “Yeah, that place,” Evan said.

    “We can contact the Oceanic Sanctuary right now and get a rescue ship as fast as possible,” Earn said.

    “That could take a week if we’re lucky,” Kevin said.

    “Then let’s hope a ship is already on its way right now,” Delfias replied.

    Evan was barely even following many parts of the conversation. Sure, he brought up the whole necromancer thing, but who was this Crimson and Red Demon? One thing he did recognize was the talk of mages in cages. That bloated zombie with a cage for a body had a person inside, possibly a mage. Whoever the necromancer is, he is making zombies that use mages for a purpose. Perhaps to channel magical energy? He did not know; he was not an authority on magic.

    Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a flash on something in Earn’s belt. At first, he dismissed it as a trick of the light. Then, he saw it glow again. A spherical object was pulsing. He had no idea what it was.

    “Um… Earn?” Evan began. The neon knight turned to face him with a raised eyebrow. “Your… thingy,” he said pointing to the object in question.

    When Earn looked down at his belt, he quickly picked up the glowing sphere. “Someone is trying to contact us.”

    “Have you never seen a communicator in your life before, son?” Delfias asked.

    Evan shrugged.

    “They never manufactured those on other continents,” the grey haired ranger said. “The technological blockade worked in both directions back in the day.”

    “With those guys having guns, I’m surprised they have not made communicators yet,” Delfias commented.

    “Well I’m surprised that you have not made guns yet,” Evan replied.

    “Quiet!” Earn said. “We need to listen.” His thumb pressed into the widest cross section of the slit that ran across the sphere. Once he did that, the communicator stopped flashing and just glowed nonstop. “This is Earn of the Pravus Sanctuary,” he said.

    “Is it the Oceanic Sanctuary?” Kevin asked.

    “This is Athosis of the Cole Castle Sanctuary,” a voice came back. It was slightly distorted than a regular voice.

    “Thank goodness,” Earn said. “Listen, Pravus has been destroyed by a horde of intelligent zombies. There are about a dozen of us left and we are heading over to Cole Castle. Some of these people need a way to get off of the continent.”

    “Well you don’t have to fret over that last part,” Athosis replied. “We have a ship already incoming from the Oceanic Sanctuary. They should get here in a few days.”

    Evan heard his brother mumble, “yes!”

    “Thank you,” Earn said. “Also, can we speak to Raverad?”

    There was a pause. Then, Athosis’s voice came back, more grimly. “How do you know about him?”

    “We knew him over a month ago. Without him, our group would never have come together….”

    “Sure sure, but what makes you think he’s here?”

    “Dezerath told me about him.”

    “What?!” Athosis replied, sounding irritated. “I can’t believe one of my own is befriending him and his friends at Aeternalis.”

    “You mean he is not at Cole Castle?” Earn asked rather surprised.

    “Of course not! He is not welcome here! Forget about Raverad and that’s an order.”

    “I don’t understand,” Evan said. “Who’s Raverad?”

    “More importantly, why are we asking stupid questions?” Shade spat. “The real question is, why did Athosis contact us?”

    “Well, you talked about your sanctuary getting raided by intelligent zombies,” Athosis spoke. “But we have our own problems. For the past few days, new mutations of zombies are raiding us. Twice have they tried to invade. So far, they’ve been repelled, but we already have some casualties. I hope not all of you plan to leave, because we need help desperately.”

    “Don’t worry, Athosis,” Earn said. “We’re on our way.”

    “Godspeed, my friends,” were Athosis’s last words before cutting out. The communicator stopped glowing.

    “Well, we know what to do now,” Evan said. “Let’s head out.”

    *****

    The smell of his own dung invaded his nostrils. He did not care. In these days, there was no outhouse available. Even privacy had to be sacrificed for security. During the early days of the outbreak, he was always uncomfortable dropping his pants in the middle of nowhere just to take a dump. Yes, he was embarrassed about someone watching, which of course was a feeling transferred over from the civilized world. However, he also feared a zombie coming out from beneath him and biting his hindquarters, or worse. If one thing instilled fear into Evan’s mind, it was an overactive imagination.

    A full moon was out. Its light, along with the illumination of the stars, was enough to illuminate the dark forest partially. Sure, it was not as efficient as the sun, but it would have to do for Evan’s little bathroom break.

    Suddenly, he felt a cold touch on the back of his neck. His hands tried to reach for a weapon on his belt, but he realized that he did not have it on.

    “Give me your armour,” the stranger hissed. “Or I will take it from your corpse.”

    The assailant came around from the shadows. He still held his knife at Evan’s throat. This stranger was almost completely bare naked with the exception of a black leather cloth wrapped around his hips to cover the groin area. Many scratches and bruises were all over his body. A thick, messy beard hung low from his face. The hair that dangled down from his head almost seemed to fuse with his facial hair.

    “Look, I know you’re desperate for a means to survive,” Evan said. “But we have a group. We could put this little encounter behind us and we could have a place for you in there.”

    The stranger only chuckled. “Look around you, fool,” he sneered with an evil grin. “I’ve been around long enough to know that civilization is fated to crumble. I am alone so I don’t fall with it. Besides, you’re unarmed and with a knife ready to cut your throat. You shouldn’t have come out alone.”

    As if on cue, a shot rang out. The man fell to the ground, shouting curses as he cried out in agony. His hands gripped onto his right leg. There was a bullet wound in his shin. Blood seeped out rather quickly than expected.

    Evan turned to see his best friend emerging from the shadows with a flintlock rifle in hand.

    “What was that about being alone?” Carter said mockingly.

    The bandit just kept spitting curses at Carter and Evan. His hands were fumbling in his torn flesh to get the bullet out of his leg. This only widened the wound and caused it to bleed more.

    “So, you’re out here, alone, unarmed, and wounded,” Evan said.

    “And the gun just made a loud noise,” Carter added. “I think a hungry bunch of fellows would answer that dinner bell very soon.”

    As the two of them were about to walk away, the bandit called back at them. “No, please!” Evan glanced back to see the bandit helplessly reaching out with a hand while the other was trying to stop the blood from running out. “Please come back. I can help you. Please! You can’t just leave me here to die!”

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  8. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
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    Chapter 7 - Slayer

    Curious. Ancient structures from long lost civilizations that tell stories of true sorcerers. While their knowledge of magic lacked the complexity of our current understanding, there was something about their concept that seemed to be different from ours. Different, but purer. Simpler. I investigated what they knew, and what I found was absolutely spectacular. There is light. I only see light. It is inaccessible, but I will find a way. However, where is the darkness? Is it beyond the veil of light? I shall find it. Perhaps I shall harness this light first. Maybe only then will I finally lift this obstacle. There is magic beyond our knowledge. It is far purer. There are two. The ancient ones called them the Twin Deities. However, they are not gods (I have long abandoned worthless theology). I shall name them the Mother and Father of Magic. Annihilation. That is what the light is, the Father. Magical power that destroys, completely obliterates all that it touches. Nothing remains. When I found it, I was fascinated. My celebration was short lived before I noticed a sliver of darkness beyond the veil of light. Now I need to harness the Mother.
    • Zenith

    There was a booming in the distance. Evan awoke to the sound. His body blooded with alarming adrenaline, ready to react to an immediate threat.

    They were in an exposed hut just at the turn of the coastal road. No longer were they in a desert. The road bordered a forest from a relatively open shoreline. It was night time. Looking up at the sky through the collapsed ceiling, he noticed that the skies were clear. The stars and full moon were completely visible.

    A head peeped from overhead. It was Dodger wearing his mask. “Did you hear that too?” he asked.

    “Sure did,” Evan whispered back. “It wasn’t thunder, that’s for dang sure.”

    Then, another booming. It was immediately followed by another noise. Although it was too faint to tell for sure, Evan figured it sounded like a loud crack, as if a building just collapsed. The noise also awoke several others this time.

    “What in the name of…?” Carter said with an accompanied yawn.

    “Could it be thunder?” asked the man with the axes.

    “No clouds,” Dodger replied. “It can’t be.”

    “Then what is that?” Lyra asked, who was with Dodger on the roof.

    “Sounds like explosives,” Delfias suggested.

    Another boom. The crack that followed was more definite. An interval of time in between the two sounds was just a second apart from each other. Ordinary explosives would have destroyed something instantaneously. If the explosions came first….

    “Cannonfire?” Carter whispered to Evan, who thought the same thing.

    “This is bad,” Evan said to himself as he walked out of the building. Everyone else was stirring awake by then. He looked towards the direction of the booms and pointed. “It’s coming from the east. Right in our way.”

    “That’s where Romero is,” Earn said. “It’s a darn good thing we did not arrive early enough to sleep there.”

    “But the people there need our help!” the axe man said.

    “Could bandits have stolen the cannons we left behind?” Carter asked.

    “Not too likely considering the fact that all bandit clans have been disbanded,” Earn replied. “However, it’s just as likely that the Red Demon cultists have gathered lone bandits and enslaved them to use those weapons.”

    “Or worse, the zombies have learned to use them,” Shade said, strangely sounding the least concerned about everything.

    “Enough talk,” Evan said. “Whether these are bandits, cultists, or zombies, an army sits between us and Cole Castle. We need to kill them efficiently while minimizing losses.” He turned to Kevin, who sat in a corner with his son. “You two should wait here until the threat is dealt with. We will need someone to bodyguard them while the rest of us are gone.”

    “I’ll do it,” Carter said.

    “Um… who died and put you in charge?” Shade sneered. “Besides, can’t we just go around. There are other ways to get to Cole Castle. It’ll just take more time.”

    “No, no, no,” Evan said with a hand on his forehead. “Don’t you see. The zombie hordes are attacking pockets of resistance. They destroyed the Valor Brigade, invaded Pravus, and have Cole Castle under siege. If the hordes are at Romero right now, where do you think they’ll be going next? Huh?”

    “It’s like the outbreak all over again,” the axe man commented. “Only worse.”

    Shade seemed to hold his tongue, so Evan continued talking. “You, ranger,” he pointed at the grey-haired ranger.

    “Splinterlance,” he replied.

    “Right, Splinterlance,” Evan continued. “You and Shade go scout and see what we’re up against. Meet the rest of us at the entrance and tell us what you found. Then, we’ll have a plan of action from there.”

    “Right,” Shade said, giving a mocking salute before running off with the ranger, who said nothing.

    *

    “Splinterlance?” he asked the closest guy to him as the others walked on the gravel road. He was the man with the axes.

    After shrugging, the man replied, “probably a nickname someone gave to him. I’ve heard of a ranger whose last name was Nighteye. And if you’re wondering what happened to that particular ranger, he became bandit before he died.”

    “Speaking of dying, I’m glad you’re still alive,” Evan commented. “That shockwave ability of yours will be really handy, mister….” He snapped his fingers.

    “Jackson,” he finished for Evan. “Jackson Parks.”

    “Oh, that’s Carter’s last name.”

    “Oh, and that shockwave wasn’t my doing,” Jackson added. He removed the bronze encrusted stone axe from his belt. “This was picked off from a bandit I killed after the battle of Al Hasa. This is what creates that magical shockwave.”

    “Interesting,” Evan said. He made a playful serious face. “Don’t lose that, boy.”

    “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Jackson replied. “There’s much more than meets the eye with this axe.”

    “I can see that.”

    “No, that’s not what I was referring to,” he replied coldly.

    Evan raised an eyebrow but did not respond. He imagined that the axe was just an ancient relic of the long past and had a cool story behind it. Whether Jackson knew that story or not, Evan was not too interested in hearing about it. He wanted to stay focussed with the coming battle.

    About another five minutes passed with little conversation to eclipse the sound of boots crunching gravel. By that point in time, they were just about to reach the entrance to Romero. Unlike Pravus or any other place Evan had seen so far, the city was walled. He could barely see the corner north of here or the eastern side. This city must have been large. Kevin had told Evan about how Romero was the first colony of outsiders in this continent. With a city this size, he could barely even imagine what it was like when it was first founded.

    Not all was quiet. In fact, far from it. In the distance, there were no more cannons firing, but there were gunshots. Every now and then, a scream of terror came from a random location within the town. No noises seemed to come from the southeast though, so the enemy was still at the north side of the city.

    There was another disturbing thing. Where were Splinterlance and Shade?

    “We have to go in there,” said the man with ancient looking weapons and armour. “We cannot wait any longer.”

    “Ravion is right,” Earn said directly to Evan. “Whether our scouts are dead or need rescuing, they’re not here for a reason, so we must proceed.”

    “Alright then,” Evan said. “Just stay quiet and use the south sides of buildings for cover.”

    With that said, everyone unsheathed their weapons and slowly entered the city. Evan felt a creeping dread as the arch above him passed over his head. He noticed the battlements running across the entire perimeter.

    “Archers, follow me,” he whispered. “Let’s find a way to get up there.”

    “The stairs that help you reach the battlements are at the other side of town,” Jackson said. “I’ll come along to help keep our enemies off the walls.”

    Evan and Jackson were joined by Dodger, Ravion, and Delfias. Together, they made their way along the road. As they passed by each building, Evan peeked around a corner before the group ran to the next building if it was clear. So far, no zombies were yet to be seen.

    Then, up ahead, they noticed a young teenager running towards a sewer entrance at the end of the road. Two zombies were in close pursuit. The stranger tried to jump down the sewer entrance, but one of the zombies grabbed him by the collar of his leather armour. He screamed as the zombie lifted him high in the air. The other zombie drew its sword and drove it up the boy’s belly. Blood gushed out in a stream. The teenager’s cries were halted almost immediately.

    Evan noticed that the zombies had deep blue eyes instead of pitch black or crimson red. They must have been led by the bloated cage zombie.

    Suddenly, one of Ravion’s arrows flew past him. It struck the zombie carrying the boy. As soon as it struck it, the flesh of the zombie quickly turned into ice. Dodger fired his bow too, but at the other zombie. This arrow set its body aflame. Evan was delightinly surprised at this spectical.

    “You two should use your magic bows more often,” Jackson commented. “Then we can have a fire and ice combo.”

    “Ha!” Delfias blurted out.

    “What?” Evan asked, completely confused.

    “Com-bow,” he replied.

    “Oh, psh,” Dodger responded.

    Ignoring the matter, they pressed forwards. They had to turn right and left on the road as soon as they reached the sewer entrance. When the teenager’s body was raised, Dodger impaled its head with his sword. After another minute, they passed by a three story building and reached the entrance of a two story one. On the way, they saw a few people getting torn apart by zombies at the fountain just a block north. The group moved on; they could not save them.

    Once they reached the entrance of that second building, a man ran out and grabbed Evan by the shoulders. He wore black leather armour that looked like it once belonged to a nobleman. The armour was torn, rotted, and unclean. The stranger smelled horrible, but it was not the rot kind of smell. A large beard on his face made him look like a beggar.

    “Please, let me come with you,” he cried.

    “Morgan!” Jackson called him. His tone was filled with poison. “Not you!”

    “He need help,” Evan argued.

    “He was the leader of the Equilibrium clan!” Delfias said. “A broken man who can only do us more harm than good.”

    “But he’s human,” Evan said. “And right now, the undead are the threat. We need all the living we can get.”

    “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Morgan said. “Just tell me what to do!”

    “Kill any zombies that get too close to us,” Ravion said as he handed him an iron blade.

    Without another protest from Jackson or Delfias, the group moved on.

    The stairs were in sight. There were several of them from the eastern entrance and northwards. Towards the latter direction, Evan could see a huge horde of zombies incoming. A few of them in the back were armed with muskets. The armed zombies were climbing up the stairs before the humans were.

    “Shoot the ones on the battlements,” Evan ordered, but the arrows were already flying. “Jackson, take care of that horde.”

    He watched as Jackson stepped forwards. The unarmed zombies were beginning to slow down. Somehow, they knew what was going to happen. Jackson did not take that. The axe man ran forwards. It was then that the zombies surged forwards with utmost speed. Jackson stopped in his tracks before he fell to their teeth and claws. His axe raised high in the air. Evan noticed the gold crusts spark as the axe hit the soil. A great shockwave blew a dirt smokescreen. When all the earth fell back to the ground, everyone could see the entire horde now lying flat on their backs. Many were slain, but a few still twitched. Jackson and Morgan closed in to finish the job.

    Evan turned his head upwards to see the gun zombies slain. Judging from the lack of black smoke, they did not even seem to have enough time to fire. Those archers were skilled at reloading fast.

    Dodger teleported to the top of the battlements. He scanned the floors before his eyes spotted something. Then, he plunged his sword downwards. A squishy noise of an impale came from that. “That’s all of them,” he said. “You guys can come up now.”

    Morgan was the first to turn tail and run up the stairs. Evan followed along with the others behind him.

    Then, he heard Jackson scream. Evan turned to see the young man at the foot of the staircase. Some long appendage, like a frog tongue, was around his ankle. Following the length of it, Evan gasped at its origin. It was a rather wide looking zombie. Its neck, much like the neck of the cage leader, was fat and indistinguishable from the head. As for the face, it had four eyes in a V shape. The most disturbing feature of all was its mouth. Running from where its nose should be and down to the pants it was wearing, a massive sideways jaw with many rows of teeth opened wide, ready to engulf its prey.

    As quickly as it caught him, the creature began to pull Jackson towards it. Even the archers were too slow to react.

    “No, no, please!” Jackson cried out. His axes were left at the foot of the staircase as he was dragged away. “Oh gods, no!” His fingers were tearing through the soil beneath him. “Edd, please help!” With one last bloodcurdling scream, the body of Jackson was swallowed up by the mutated zombie.

    By that time, Ravion’s ice arrow struck the zombie, turning its flesh into ice. This was followed by Delfias’s regular arrow, which shattered the ice form. Leaping out from the reminants of the mutated zombie was Jackson. Then, Evan noticed its rotted features and deep blue eyes as well as the bite marks all over it. It was Jackson’s zombie form.

    A fire arrow from Dodger’s magic bow went straight through its head. Flames ate away at its body. Rotten flesh melted to the ground it fell on. Even if it was a zombie, it was horrible to see a friend die like that.

    “Rest in peace, Jackson,” Delfias said.

    Evan ran down the stairs to pick up the gold encrusted axe before following the group along the wall. They kept their heads low in order to avoid any zombie archers, gunners, or whatever they had. He could see the northern wall. It was in absolute rubble. The cannons had made that massive breach. Where the cannons were, he knew not. Anywhere was better than here though.

    Eventually, they went far enough to spot the zombie leader. It was in the middle of a fight with none other than Shade and Splinterlance themselves. Both assassins danced around the cumbersome monster. As the brute swung its enormous diamond blade in wide arcs, the two combatants ducked and leapt to avoid the sword. Every granted opportunity, they tried to stab its legs, arms, or head. Each time a blow was made, the man in the cage let out an agonizing scream. Immediately following, the wound would be stitched up immediately.

    The majority of the zombie horde suddenly changed course. Many of the individual zombies suddenly started flooding towards the eastern wall. The archers who were about to shoot the leader noticed this and fired into the swarm.

    “Evan, you need to make the killing blow for the big boss,” Dodger said.

    “And fast,” Delfias added with a dreadful tone. “The zombies are learning how to climb freaking walls!”

    Evan raised his musket at the leader. He knew that the mage in the cage was being sapped of magical energy to mend the monster’s wounds. Once the captive get slain, the leader would be vulnerable for Shade and Splinterlance to finish it off.

    Suddenly, the two assassins were knocked to the ground. Evan got distracted by their predicament. Everything happened so slowly, but every detail branded deep into his mind. The bloated cage zombie readied its diamond blade for the killing sweep. Both the fighters began to run. The ranger was just in front of the assassin. Shade glanced back and noticed the sword about to swing. Quickly, he grabbed his partner by the hood and pulled him back. He put the ranger in between him and the sword. The diamond blade cut the grey-haired ranger right in half. Shade just used Splinterlance as a human shield.

    “Bastard!” Evan grunted to himself.

    “Evan!” Ravion called him. Evan only just noticed that his gun barrel was aimed at Shade’s head. “We can deal with that later!”

    He was right. Evan trained his eye on the mage’s head along the barrel of his gun. The musket had a decent chance of missing, but it was the only thing he had. He pulled the trigger.

    A flash came from the flint striking metal and black smoke puffed out. When it cleared, he noticed the mage’s body lying limp in the cage. He did not even turn. Perhaps he was already undead. Nevertheless, Shade managed to throw a dagger into the leader’s head. This caused it to fall flat on its back.

    As soon as that happened, every zombie seemed to slow down. For a brief moment, they were inactive. Evan noticed their eyes change from the deep blue back into a pitch black. The hordes at the walls were no longer climbing it. It was as though the zombies had forgotten how to climb. In fact, they seemed to forget that the others even existed. At least, that was the case until the zombies noticed them again.

    “The cleanup should be business as usual now,” Evan said with his gun trembling in his hands.

    *

    Evan pushed Shade, knocking him to the ground. The assassin was caught off guard, but recovered quickly as he slammed into his assailant. Once Evan landed flat on his back, Shade held his dagger close to the neck.

    “Bastard,” Evan spat at the assassin. “You sacrificed Splinterlance to save your selfish self!”

    “It was either me or him!” Shade said as Dodger and Earn pulled him back from Evan. “We would have lost an assassin either way.”

    “Splinterlance was much more skilled than you,” Evan said as he slowly stood back up. “More valuable than you.”

    “I’m sure that way of thinking came along when you let Morgan come with us,” Earn said. “And let Jackson get killed.”

    “Whose side are you on?” Evan shouted. When Earn did not respond, Evan said, “Then stay out of this.” He turned back to the assassin. “Besides, you knew killing the mage was key in slaying the monster. Why didn’t you do it yourself?”

    “The chances of me killing the mage without risk was almost impossible,” Shade said.

    “Again, selfish!”

    “Splinterlance knew this too!”

    Evan opened his mouth but held his tongue. Shade brought up a good point, but he still did not know what to think of it.

    “Evan, enough!” Stud said. He put a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you go and get your brother.”

    Evan shoved Stud’s hand off and stormed away. He was irritated about the whole thing. Angry about Shade. Angry about the madness of the world. Angry about not saving Gabriela when he had the chance. He thought that the rising danger of the zombies and this necromancer who leads them would unite the people of the world. However, there were still monsters in human form. Shade was a monster. Morgan, as he was told, might be a monster. Even Evan himself might be a monster.

    *****

    Gravel crunched under his feet. The ground did not seem to sink his feet into it as normal. All that combat fatigue felt gone. For the first time in a while, he felt frisky. If only recent events did not make him feel so vexed.

    Suddenly, he heard a zombie behind him. It was a different kind of growl. In fact, it sounded much more like a screech. Evan turned to see it. The zombie was made of pure shadow. It stood a whole foot taller than him. Fingernails that ended in long blades were about to strike.

    Then, an axe cut across the zombie’s face. It seemed to fade away almost instantaneously as black mist bled out of its form. The axe itself was stone with a gold crust. Evan noticed that it was Jackson’s magic axe. His savior had stolen it from him.

    “Come now, Evan,” the stranger said. “Did you think this was really yours or even Jackson’s?”

    “Who are you?” Evan asked.

    A man in his early twenties walked out of the dense shadows cast by the trees. Brushing his brown hair back, he stared at Evan with his own grey eyes. He had a smile on his face and looked about as frisky as Evan almost felt. Jackson’s axe head rested on his shoulder.

    “Erdruttler,” he said while shaking Evan’s hand. “My friends call me Edd though. And don’t worry, you are a friend.”

    “How so?” Evan asked. “We just met.”

    “Yes, but you are friends of my friends and any friend of my friend is a friend of mine. Right friend?”

    His dialogue was so fast that Evan could not catch a word of it other than “friend.” He shook his head and sighed. “What do you want?”

    “I can’t say right now because the people in your group are too ignorant about what’s going on around here,” Edd replied. Before Evan could ask, the man continued to speak rapidly. “However, once the news breaks about the whole scheme of things, I will tell you about everything we need to do in the dusky future ahead of us. I’ll chat with you later. Keep the axe. Tah tah.”

    A sudden gust of wind rushed passed Evan. He shielded his eyes from the leaves and twigs that were flying towards his face. When it ended, he looked back and noticed that Edd had disappeared into the woods.

    The whole situation was strange, but a gut feeling convinced him that it made total sense. Evan simply followed the road back to where Kevin, Fred, and Carter were holding out. Hopefully, they survived the night.
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  9. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 8 - Stranger


    Obtaining the second parent of magic seems much more difficult than I had first anticipated, considering the relative ease of harnessing Annihilation. Perhaps I should know what the darkness is first. I needed to know what it looks like. Correction, I needed to know what is in that darkness. Thus, my new experiments and research began. Upon my return to the archaeological studies of the ancient civilizations of magic, I discovered something interesting. While they had no concept of any fusion disciplines of magic, they seemed to have already mastered teleportation. Although crude, their methods of fast travel were these circular altars to their ‘deities.’ The so called Stonehenge was one of them and the closest one to me.
    • Zenith

    “Well, definitely no boats yet,” Kevin said.

    The group had reached the port town of Carmi. It was on the opposite end of the bridge that went over the wide body of water that acted as a political boundary before the outbreak. The bridge itself looked unfinished, but it was stable enough for them to walk across. Evan remembered seeing the bridge on the Valor Brigade’s personal ship as it headed north. Carmi looked empty of human life at the time. That fact still held true now.

    Carmi was encompassed by distant, tall watchtowers. Whether they were protecting the ports from pirates or the Grimdale Government during the Great War, Evan knew not. The main bulk of the town itself did not seem like much. It consisted of a bunker and prison on the northwest corner, a market south of that, and a habitation square surrounding a water fountain. The dock that made up the inner right angle of the V shaped town was in ruins. A vessel’s wreck had plunged through the dock at some point in the past. Evan assumed that it happened during the panic of the outbreak. He saw plenty of that himself when he worked in the shipyards.

    His theory changed when he noticed the way the zombies looked. Half of them bore graffitied military armour. They must have been a bandit clan that raided this place. Judging by the walking dead from both sides of the fight, with all their cuts and arrow wounds, it must have been a fierce battle.

    “By the gods,” he heard Dodger gasp.

    Evan turned to him. The peculiarly armoured man walked slowly towards one of the zombies. It wore unorthodox military armour. The facial hair of the zombie looked like it was once well groomed. Beneath all that rot and blood, there was a significant figure of who the man once was. He looked like royalty.

    “Is that…?” Earn said.

    “King Cole himself,” Dodger finished the statement. The zombie form appeared to have its foot stuck in the fountain by an impaled dagger. “I was with him since the outbreak. I helped a group of good people save him from bandits. I fought beside him when we broke Uprising’s back.” He walked towards the undead king. “We were going to rebuild civilization from here.” Dodger grabbed the zombie by the shoulder and readied his sword pointing towards the chest. “And now,” his sword impaled the zombie form, which still squirmed, “that hope is gone.” He stabbed the zombie again, this time in the head. It was the final blow. “If only I didn’t agree to leave with Dezerath to find Praetus.” He shoved the corpse into the fountain, which ran deep red with blood. “If only we did not agree to help that rogue scientist to find answers to the undead.” Dodger turned back to the group. “And neither of those tasks were successful.”

    “Think of it this way,” Lyra said approaching him. “If they never left, they would never have helped me escape Equilibrium. If you never left, you would never have helped Pyros. For all we know, if Pyros lost, the Red Demon could have us in his hands by now. And if you never left,” she pulled him closer, “you would never have saved me.”

    “This is very touching and all,” Shade interrupted, “but shouldn’t we get moving to Cole Castle?”

    As much as he despised the assassin, Evan knew Shade was right. They had not heard from anyone from Cole Castle ever since Pravus was overrun. If Cole Castle was in the thickest of fights, they would need support fast. This group were the only ones left on the continent to help the sanctuary stand a fighting chance against whatever spawned from the undead.

    It was midday by the time they reached Carmi after having slept in from the nighttime battle at Romero. They all followed the gravel road until the third three-way intersection, from which they headed northward. As the sun left its zenith, they were all passing by an abandoned mansion. Judging by all the overgrowth, it looked like it had not been used for years before the outbreak.

    “That was where the Ranger Corps center of operations was,” Dodger said. “Not many people know about it.”

    “You know about it,” Evan noted.

    “I’ve been in there,” he said. “About a month before the outbreak. I’m not too fond of my memories as a mercenary, and this location was a prime example. That’s all I’m going to say, so don’t ask anything else.”

    Evan shrugged and let the potential for a conversation end there.

    It was not until they reached the final roadsign before Cole Castle when they heard the din of battle beyond the forest ahead. Evan could see the tall battlements of the fortress towering above the canopy. He noticed small humanoid figures fighting against others. The zombies were already over the walls.

    “He knows we’re coming!” Arla shouted.

    Evan lowered his head towards beyond the gravel road, where the woman was pointing. At first, he thought she meant the defenders of Cole Castle. Then, he saw the undead. The first thing he gazed upon was a large brute of a creature. It was abnormally muscular and stood half a foot taller than Dodger (who was the tallest person of the group). Running down its shoulders and legs, around its neck, and around the forehead and above was some armoured carapace. Delfias fired an arrow, which bounced uselessly above the eyes.

    “I’ll handle it,” Dodger said as he charged.

    “Look out for the trees!” Stud cried.

    Evan scanned the environment around him. There were shadows leaping from branch to branch. He noticed their overall movements occurring the same way as when he and Carter took down the giant. It was another example of the undead concepts of strategy. The hordes were flanking from both directions.

    The first creature leapt from seemingly nowhere. It landed on Earn’s shoulders. Claws gripped his helmet and tore it right off. The knight retaliated by throwing the agile zombie off of him. With time to spare, Earn drew his blade and awaited his opponent’s next move.

    Another creature jumped up high, but it's prey was prepared this time. Shade had his bow drawn already. The arrow flew into the zombie’s elbow. It landed just short of the assassin, flat on its back. Swiftly, Shade reloaded another arrow before ending the zombie. Deep down, Evan wanted Shade to be the unlucky one.

    A third monster emerged from the canopy. It landed right on top of the crossroad sign pillar. This one was bizarrely different. It looked like it had four arms. The pointer fingers of the upper pair of limbs seemed to extend slightly longer than usual. As for the lower arms, they looked infused with its exposed belly. A single massive eye covered its whole face. Rather than any other color seen previously, it was a hot white.

    Its head turned towards Dodger, who was in the middle of a wrestle with the carapace zombie. As soon as its eye laid on the ex-mercenary, the monster made the strangest of motions. Its lower hands began to pull away from its stomach, stretching a thin layer of fat. Once set, its fingers started to move in scribbling motions. Soon following, Dodger looked like he was suffering from fatigue. Badly.

    “Carter!” Evan called out, the first archer that came into his head. When he looked towards his best friend, he noticed Carter struggling with one of the agile zombies. Everyone else was similarly occupied.

    Suddenly, Evan was pulled back. He felt a pair of claws drag his shoulders to the ground. Fingers were digging in between the crevices of his iron plating. As he fell, Evan threw one of his elbows back. There was a bone-crunching noise of impact followed by an undead’s screech. He quickly spun around to meet the bloodied face of his assailant. Evan drew his sword and drove it into the zombie’s already ruined visage.

    He got up and looked back at Dodger. After being a surprisingly good match against the brute zombie, the teleporter seemed to falter fast. Evan’s eyes gravitated towards the scribbling zombie. Without ammunition in his gun, he had no means to reach it himself. Dodger was doomed.

    Suddenly, a arrow whizzed from the east. It went straight through where the zombie’s ears should be. There were no screams for it had no mouth. The bizarre monster fell off the pillar right in front of Evan’s feet. He noticed the body of Dodger half-painted out on the zombie’s skin in bile-blood. This was some kind of voodoo he did not want to think about. After a moment’s hesitation, he impaled the zombie through its single eye.

    Evan turned his head towards the east now. Four strangers approached them. The forefront of them all was a woman in mail armour armed with a bow. One man wore ceremonial crimson armour decorated with symbols of Agni. Another man simply wore leather armour but had a combat staff. The last man wore iron armour but had a mail hood over his head to cover his face.

    As soon as their new allies arrived, the tide seemed to turn from there. The archer provided good cover fire while the others fought skillfully against the undead in close quarters. Meanwhile, Lyra’s flame magics affected the most of the zombies. Dodger recovered his strength and managed to crack his opponent’s head. Carter killed enough zombies around Kevin to take a moment’s breather. Shade was beginning to guide his shots, predicting the movements of the leaping zombies before shooting them.

    Still, the undead hordes kept pouring in. It was as though they were without number. “Where are all these zombies coming from?” Evan spoke to himself but quite loudly hoping that someone would answer.

    “I saw the summoner heading to Cole Castle earlier,” shouted the warrior priest.

    Evan drove his sword into another zombie and retracted it before speaking. “The what?!”

    “We need to push north!” called the warrior with the mail hood. “Killing the summoner would cut the endless tide.”

    To his understanding, something was summoning endless waves of undead to drown them all. Right now, they were holding their ground, but they could not fight forever. Unlike the zombies, humans suffer from combat fatigue. They would not last an hour. Their strength was sapping so fast.

    “Could some people help escort Kevin and his son out of the thick of this?” Evan cried out.

    Stud, Arla, and Carter all surrounded Evan’s brother like a royal bodyguard in action. Their blades and bows kept the undead at bay while they backed away.

    Meanwhile, the others proceeded forwards. As they traveled the road north, more and more zombies emerged from the woods. Both Lyra and the warrior priest were unleashing flame magics to clear out most of the flanking undead. Any zombie that was just burned or charred rather than slain or melted was cut down easily by the others.

    Evan himself was feeling that combat fatigue affecting him real fast. He remembered his brother telling him how a lack of sleep had a similar negative effect to one’s focus as being drunk. That and how he had been fighting more than anything for the past twenty four hours had made him begin to lose focus as he fought.

    He did not notice this until one of the zombies clawed at his arm. Its nails drove between the armour he wore. While it did not penetrate his skin, it threw his sword arm off balance. In response, Evan threw a fist at the zombie. He missed. The zombie’s free arm lashed across his face. With a hand over the fresh cuts, Evan stumbled backwards. In response, he swung blindly at the zombie in front of him. The blade struck iron. When he removed the hand from his face, he saw the zombie had blocked his blow with an iron sword. Stunned by the whole, thing, Evan could not prepare himself for something even more stunning. The zombie twirled its blade and cut his hand, disarming Evan.

    As he pressed his left palm over the newly sliced open skin to slow the bleeding, Evan stepped backwards to avoid an easy killing blow. He accidentally backed into someone. It was Ravion. The ally turned around with his ice bow already pulled back. Out of the corner of his eye, Evan could see the arrowhead inches away from his cheek and could feel ice cold magics radiating from it. The arrow flew right at the zombie he was fighting, freezing its body entirely.

    “Thanks Ravion,” Evan said.

    “I fear your brother lacks magical protection,” his savior replied. “I’ll go protect him.”

    “Godspeed,” Evan said as Ravion began to fight through the newly formed rear flank of undead.

    Eventually, the group reached an opening. The gravel road ended, meeting with a stairway flanked by two redstone lit structures. Beyond that was a plaza that looked like it was once a peaceful center of the free community. Now, it was covered by dead and undead alike. Porches were knocked over and split in half. Two trees had been toppled over as did the architecture over the fountain (which Evan imagined to be similar to the one at Knoxmoor).

    At the center of it all was a massive beast as big as the bloated cage zombie of Romero. This one had no cage in its body. Rather than fat, its abdominal muscles were as definite as the exaggerated craft of Evan’s chestplate. Its knees and back were bent as it carried a large piece of earth much like Atlas. On the huge chunk of soil was a circular formation of peculiar architecture. Purple lighting currents sparked all around it and the air tasted as electric as it looked. Zombies were manifesting out of thin air and pouring out of it like an overflowing cup of water. Archers along the battlements of Cole Castle seemed to have already shot at it, but were unable to strike any vitals. The architecture acted like a turtle’s shell. At the same time, the defenders were now occupied with swarms of winged zombies. Fortunately, many of the gargoyles were dropping like flies by a fire mage’s flame magics. More of the airborne horde were spawning from the structure on the beast’s back.

    “Dear gods,” Dodger said. “That thing is teleporting in endless hordes of zombies.”

    “From where?” Edru asked.

    “Quite possibly from every corner of this world,” the warrior priest said. “That thing is our target. Only when it dies does this madness give us a reprieve.”

    That phrase did not give Evan any measure of hope. If this was killed, and something was really guiding the undead, then such a break would be a calm before a storm much stronger than the last.

    “I got it,” Shade said as he was climbing a tree. “Cover me.”

    Evan and the others were already surrounding the tree with their backs against it. Zombies now came from all different directions. There were more wild variants now. Some had their arms and hands replaced with lash whips or blades made out of their own bone. Others wielded magics of the four primary disciplines. There were zombies that had pores over their face that fired what appeared to be blow darts. They were impossible to evade. Evan was struck by many of them in the face. A drunken effect beyond just fatigue seemed to take hold of him at a faster rate. Nonetheless, he still held his ground. Each zombie they fought required a new method to react against. This narrowed the time they had to fight significantly less.

    HIs heart sank when Evan heard Shade shout a curse. Taking a quick glance, he noticed the assassin’s arrow only hit the left elbow of the summoner zombie. It almost lost its grip on the teleporter but recovered fast enough for it to not matter.

    Then, Shade came crashing down from the canopy. On top of him was another leaping zombie clawing through his armour. Blood was seeping out, but Shade was not dead yet.

    Evan had two rivalling gut instincts. He hated Shade and wanted to let him die. However, he was not cruel enough to not save him either. Reason helped him win it out. Without the rangers, the assassin was their best shot. Losing him would be a blow to the group’s skill toolbox. As such, he kicked the head of the leaping zombie hard enough to knock it off Shade’s body. The assassin quickly recovered and stabbed the zombie in the face. He did not even bother to give his thanks. A part of Evan regretted saving him.

    Then, he heard a loud moan of pain. It was definitely not human. He turned around to see what happened. In the plaza, he saw Dodger beneath the summoner monster with his sword impaled through its chest. Huge amounts of blood were gushing out, making the ex-mercenary’s outline barely visible. The massive zombie’s legs and arms soon failed it. The hulk collapsed on top of Dodger.

    Evan expected Lyra to cry out Dodger’s name, but she did not. She looked relatively undisturbed by the whole thing as if she knew that Dodger survived that. Maybe he teleported away just in time?

    Nonetheless, the structure on the earth broke apart as it slid off of the fallen monster’s back. The magical power surrounding it ceased to function. No more zombies of any kind manifested out of thin air. Or at least, if the warrior priest spoke truth, for now.

    *****

    As the remaining zombies were cleared out, the defenders on the walls and the people within them were cheering on their newly arrived saviors. Evan himself felt his spirits lifted immensely by the whole thing. It was the same feeling he had when he was first called a hero. The title, however, did not matter as much as ensuring that Cole Castle did not fall to the undead hordes.

    And it would have if it were not for the intervention. Upon sweeping the battlefield surrounding the castle walls, Evan found a terrifying variant of undead that were bred to tear down the walls with long, strong cords of flesh that acted much like rope. He could see the cracks formed in the walls as a result of the effort. An hour more or so and the people of Cole Castle were to surely have been doomed.

    Dodger was safe. Shortly after the death of the monster, the beast seemed to twitch. Evan dreaded its resurrection, but that was not what happened. The body of the zombie summoner was thrown onto its back. It was a blood soaked Dodger who cast the monster’s body aside.

    “How could you lift something that heavy?” Evan remembered asking him.

    “Another ability I have along with the curse of teleportation,” Dodger had answered. This further made Evan wonder why Dodger’s abilities were considered bad.

    As for the others, no deaths occurred. Even Kevin and Frederick survived as did their bodyguards. Shade, gravely injured, was getting medical attention. Evan was indifferent about that particular situation. Although he hated the assassin, he was not cold enough to want him dead.

    “Keep smiling,” said the warrior priest as he walked up beside Evan. “This is only going to get worse.”

    “Why tell me that?” Evan asked. “To you, I must be just some guy who came to help out.”

    “Nobody is just some guy,” the man replied. “Especially in this world, nobody is a stranger. Everyone is a neighbor with a story to tell.”

    “What’s your story?”

    “My name is Raverad,” he replied. “I was the Apostle of Agni before the outbreak. The events of the first two months are a blur to me other than the fact that I was taken. When I woke up along the shoreline near Grimdale, I journeyed the land, met friends, and made enemies. But now,” he held a book in his hands, “I have a newfound purpose. And as far as I can tell, so do you.” He indicated the axe hanging from Evan’s belt.

    “What, this?” Evan said. “Sure, it’s magic, but I don’t see how it’s of any importance beyond killing the undead.”

    “Like I said,” Raverad replied. “Everyone has a story to tell. You will hear of his story soon enough.”

    After that brief conversation, the Apostle walked towards the southeastern tower, which was the entrance into Cole Castle. Evan was left standing there among the bodies of undead getting burned. He looked down at the magic axe on his belt. Something about it was special. If the Edd he met earlier also knew something about it, then Raverad might know something about Edd too.
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  10. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

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    118,505xp
    Chapter 9 - Negotiator

    I have just accomplished what no mortal has ever done before. No, I have not yet succeeded in my works. You see, during my absence, the people of the world grew restless with their gods. They angered Agni. As such, the God and Goddess of fire persuaded the other gods to wage war with the mortals. It was at Grimdale, my home town, that they made their final stand. I came to them before the final bout. I ordered all the mages to join me and combine our power. I channeled all of our magical energy to counter every move the gods made. From unbelievable seismic assault to titanic tidal waves to horrendous hurricanes to raging meteor storms, all was parried. I sent the gods running. By my hand, I froze the bodies of both the God and Goddess Agni, sent Simoon scurrying back to the Spirit World, caged Pulvia in an underwater prison he cannot hope to escape, and infected Therum with a terrible plague. Do not think for a moment that I did this out of the kindness of my heart for the people. I fought the gods simply to keep them from interfering from my work. But, it was that day when I discovered something. Our gods are no gods, not if my power was enough to beat all four of them. There are no gods. There is only up and down with potential and ambition. It was that day that I proved myself to be superior to all of humankind.
    • Zenith

    The original team had regrouped at the base of the entrance tower, with the exception of Shade who was already inside with medical attention. After a brief exchange of dialogue, they climbed up the ladder one by one. Evan waited for the others go up first. He wanted to take a little bit of time to watch the forest beyond. If it were not for the burning bodies all around him, the scenery would have been much more beautiful. After taking his time, he went up to join the others.

    As he was climbing the ladder, he heard the voices of his friends and strangers talking to each other excitedly.

    “It’s been a while,” he heard Earn say.

    “Since the battle of Al Hasa,” spoke a familiar voice. Evan could not remember who it belonged to. “Sorry I could not be the one to answer your call over the communicator. My duty at the walls kept me busy as of late and as you saw, it’s gotten worse.”

    As Evan reached the same level of the tower as the others, he heard Delfias say, “I can see that. Even Athosis had to fight today.”

    “He is a potent fire mage.” Evan turned to the man currently speaking. He wore a complete set of iron armour of unorthodox design. On his back, there was a bow and a quiver with only one arrow. However, the single bolt shimmered with an enchanting light. Another magical weapon, he thought. “Raverad taught his apprentice well how to handle a fight,” the man continued speaking. “It just puzzles me why Athosis found him unwelcome here.”

    “Where is the Apostle now?” Arla asked.

    “He’s at the throne room talking with Athosis,” the guard replied. “I don’t know how the conversation is going in there, but it would be good to have friends by his side.”

    “Agreed,” said Earn.

    With that, everyone started walking along the southern battlements towards the keep. Evan, Carter, Kevin, and Morgan were about to follow when the guard stopped them in their tracks.

    “I don’t think you four were at Pravus before it fell, right?” the guard asked.

    “Well, only I wasn’t,” Morgan replied.

    “You’re acting so hard to not recognize me, Morgan,” the guard frowned at the one he spoke to.

    “Only because I changed,” Morgan said. “I’m starting myself anew. Please, Dezerath. I know our relations have been rough in the past, but I’ve lost so much. Elizabeth is dead. Equilibrium is gone. I would have died at Romero if it were not for your friends….”

    “Enough said,” Dezerath said with a hand held up. “You can stay. But remember, Raverad fought you too. I don’t think it would be wise for you to join him in his meeting with Athosis.”

    “A friend’s vouture sounds biased, but that of an old enemy would be more convincing.”

    “What about that of a stranger?” Evan asked.

    “Who are the rest of you?” Dezerath asked.

    “We’re from the Oceanic Sanctuary. My name is Evan. This is my friend Carter, my brother Kevin, and his son Frederick. Carter and I were a part of the Valor Brigade to fight the undead in the north. After running into trouble, we retreated to Pravus, which was invaded shortly after. Kevin and Frederick were there too.”

    “And I assume you and your son would like to get on the boat out of this region,” Dezerath said turning to Kevin.

    “We would like to be notified when it arrives as soon as possible, sir,” Kevin replied.

    “Please, call me Dezerath, no need for formalities. And don’t worry about delay of information. I will hear of it first and I will inform you first thing.” He turned to a guard behind him. “Nodyrth, show these folks around and where they will stay.” Dezerath turned back to Evan and said, “you should come to the meeting though. You could present more unbiased logic.”

    As Evan’s friend and family left with the guard called Nodyrth, Dezerath led Evan and Morgan across the same battlements that the rest of the group traveled along. It must have been a few hours past noon by now. Nobody could tell due to the overcast skies. Rain seemed likely. Even with this crummy weather, the place felt peaceful. Ever since Pravus fell, there was not a time that a place felt safe and untouchable. Guards were all along the walls. The growls of zombies were completely absent. Every side of the wall was unpenetrated. However, as much as Evan wanted to believe that the undead had no way of getting in, a terrible gut feeling told him otherwise.

    “So what’s your story?” Evan finally broke the silence. He spoke to Dezerath. “I heard a bit about you already, but I don’t think I’ve heard everything.”

    “Well, to put it short, I was a sergeant of the Cole Castle military before the outbreak. Me, my squad, and several other friends had to save the King from the corrupted soldiers holding Cole Castle under Lucas’s command, who an ex-general and Thieves Guild supporter of the western government. When we struck Uprising, their bandit clan, they scattered while we set up a survival society at Carmi. Two weeks later, after the town seemed settled in, I wanted to explore the western region to search for other survivors and maybe end Lucas, if he was still alive. After a few days of traveling though, we were captured and enslaved by a bandit lord named Scarath. For a month, we were forced to mass produce iron armour and weapons. Fortunately, we were able to escape. We ran into Morgan and his Equilibrium clan, who welcomed us warmly at first, but there were,” he glanced up at Morgan, “disagreements. Anyways, we found out that Scarath and Lucas would be fighting with each other, so we tracked them down. Scarath was killed, but Lucas escaped. He sent one of his allied clans to destroy Carmi, killing both King Cole and the Governor of Grimdale. Not many others survived. I went through a wrathful phase, but was calmed down when I found a new purpose. Soon though, we allied with Raverad’s group to finish off Uprising once and for all. With the mightiest of the bandit clans disbanded now, we joined up with the Reborn Militia here at Cole Castle.”

    “Is Lucas still alive?” Morgan asked.

    “He escaped the fight,” Dezerath said. “But I doubt he still lives. Even so, no bandit clans have been reported to surface since then. It’s been a month now, so even if Lucas is still alive, he’s no longer a threat to us.”

    “And you mentioned a newfound purpose that saved you from madness,” Evan said. “May I ask what that was.”

    “One of the few survivors of Carmi was a little girl named Valerie,” Dezerath said. “She managed to talk some sense into me, but I also started to care for her as though she were my daughter. In fact, I will also be leaving on that boat with her.”

    “But don’t they need you here with the guard?”

    “As much as I don’t want to believe it, I feel like all our efforts to defend this place will reach a stage to be completely fruitless very soon. I want Valerie to be as far away from here as possible, and I want to be the one looking after her.”

    Evan wanted to talk more, but they just reached the entrance into the keep. Once inside, Dezerath led them down a staircase to the second story. As they went down the wide spiral stairs, they heard two dominating harsh voices debating each other. He could recognize them to be Raverad and Athosis.

    “You want to stay, fine, but leave that foul thing out of my castle!” he heard Athosis say.

    “I’m telling you, the Red Demon is not at fault for the undead,” Raverad argued. “In fact, he’s trying to help us. This is the greater threat.”

    Evan reached the second floor in time to see what the Apostle was indicating with his last sentence. In his hands, waving in front of his former apprentice's face, was an old book of some kind.

    “Have you even considered this to be Crimson’s forgery?” Athosis countered. “I never heard of this Zenith, so what evidence do you have of his existence?”

    “I don’t have anything to prove that yet,” Raverad admitted. “But I can prove that the Red Demon is on our side.”

    “Word had reached me that Crimson’s cultists had conspired his rise to power under the smokescreen of the undead.”

    “That is true, I admit, but he was not the one who started the zombie apocalypse. You know as well as I do that he does not have that kind of power.”

    “And yet, he possesses this once undead corpse,” Athosis said pointing to the man with the mail hood. The others looked shocked to hear those words as if they had no idea until now.

    “As an ethereal being without a physical form, Crimson can possess both living and dead. This is not necromancy.”

    As the two argued, Evan glanced back to see Dezerath leaving the others, heading downstairs. Looking back, he did not know what to think about the argument. Athosis was concerned about the Red Demon being the necromancer and that one of Raverad’s companions had Crimson’s spirit possessing it. On the other hand, the Apostle was convinced that the Red Demon was actually helping them and that he knew who the true necromancer was.

    Even the group split over this debate. Earn, Delfias, Shade, and even Arla were all on Raverad’s side, claiming that they also knew about this but kept it secret in order to not be seen as Red Demon cultists. Meanwhile, Ravion joined up on Athosis’s side. The others were mostly confused. Stud and Dodger in particular were absolutely oblivious about the web of lies among the four supporters of Raverad.

    The entire thing became a mess of an argument.

    “Hey!” Evan tried to shout over the tangled mess of voices. None of them seemed to hear. He tried one more, but louder. A few people noticed him this time, but ignored him.

    Then, Morgan put two fingers in his mouth and blew. The whistle was loud enough to catch everyone off guard and fall silent. “Evan here would like something to say!”

    Evan thanked the man beside him before walking forwards into the throne room. “Now hear me out,” he said. “I may be a total stranger to most of you, and you may think that I don’t know much about the whole thing because I am a foreigner, but the latter is not so true. I’ve seen enough to know that at the very least, a necromancer, whoever started this, is trying to bring down our sanctuaries much like he brought down civilization. The point is, we need to be preparing to defend ourselves against the next wave of undead.”

    “The point is that we have an undead puppet of the Red Demon right here,” Ravion said pointing to the man with the mail hood over his head.

    “Crimson did not raise him!” Raverad insisted. “He only possessed a dead body.”

    The argument sparked back into life. Evan realized that his word alone was not going to help. They were debating about whether the Red Demon is to be trusted or not. To his ears, Crimson sounded like a being of godly status. This meant that only another being on the same tier or higher could provide the proper ethos to tip the scales the right way.

    As if that very thought cued it, the gold crusted axe in his belt started to vibrate. He felt his right hand on it and realized that it was not some natural involuntary muscle spasm or anything like that. It started to shake more violently. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Morgan stand back. Suddenly, a gust of wind came from behind. Once it wrapped around him, it seemed to pull out the axe from his belt. He tried to grab it, but a gut feeling stopped him.

    The circulating air was enough to grab the attention of everyone else in the room as well. They all stood back in shock and awe as the axe levitated in the center of the room. The wind currents seemed to be forming an outline around the axe. Starting from the axe head, it constructed what appeared to be a human head. Running down its haft, a neck formed. Beyond that, the rest of a human body appeared. The face was not recognizable at all, but Evan felt he had seen this person before.

    “S….” Athosis was the first to attempt to speak. “Simoon?”

    The outline winds that formed the lips and chin animated perfectly in sync with the following voice. “I’m Erdruttler,” he replied, “son of Simoon.”

    “Edd?” Dodger responded. “You were with Dezerath and I since we first fought Uprising. You ran off in the caves and I chased after you. Then there was that mass teleportation that split us all off. All this time, you were the son of the air god?”

    “Surprise,” he said, his outline making an appropriate pose. “But all humor aside, I should inform you of the truth. The Apostle of Agni here is right. Zenith is the real threat, not Crimson. My physical form was obliterated by Zenith himself.”

    “What’s Zenith up to?” one of Raverad’s friends asked. “How do we stop him?”

    “I think the Apostle has the answer to the former, but the latter I should not say yet. Right now, you need to defend Cole Castle against the next wave of undead. They are already on their way and if you all falter now in a quest to strike at the source, you’ll never succeed and the hordes will overrun you. I will speak again after the sun rises.”

    The winds started to pull out back to the way they came. Edd’s outline dissipated out of existence. His axe levitated gingerly slipping back in Evan’s belt. Many still had their jaws drop at the whole thing.

    “Not to sound skeptical,” said Ravion, “but how do we know this is not an apparition of the Red Demon?”

    “Because Crimson has no power with air magic,” Athosis said, still staring at the axe in Evan’s belt.

    The silence and stillness remained until the group started to split up one by one. Evan was the first to leave.

    *****

    Sunset was underway. The sun was no longer visible due to the height of the surrounding walls. Evan felt a certain serenity. He was alone in the civilian zone of Cole Castle. All the people had left already. The boat had arrived at Carmi a few hours ago. Kevin had left with Frederick. Dezerath was gone and so was Lyra.

    Evan stood by the fountain. He stared into the water. The sunlight that reflected his image off of the surface was no longer there. When he did look at himself earlier, he wondered if that would be the last time he would see his own face. After all, in the coming invasion, he could die, and everything he had been gearing towards would have been for nothing.

    Then, something caught his eye beneath the surface of the well. Beyond the distorting ripples he could see a human body. It was small, about the size of a child. Then, he noticed something about its face. There was no face.

    He looked up and around the battlements. All the soldiers were up there keeping watch of the outside. Evan had to get help from them.

    “Hey!” he shouted, catching one of the guard’s attention. “I found something!”

    That guard came down as quickly as possible, but it took a few good minutes to get here. It was Nodyrth. He ran as quickly as possible. Evan pointed into the well. The guard looked down into it. When he saw what was in there, he reeled back with a gasp. It was not horror on his pale face, rather it was a look of recognition.

    “What is it?!” Evan said.

    “I’ve seen this before,” Nodyrth spoke quickly. “But it can’t be. It should have died.”

    “What do you mean?”

    The guard turned to Evan. “Back in my home of Tristitia, there were necromancers living in the forests, creating all kinds of undead. There was one that could steal someone’s face and thus resculpt its physical form to look like anyone. But we killed it years ago.”

    “Which means there’s a child here who is actually this shapeshifter,” Evan realized. “But the only two children are Frederick and Valerie.”

    “But your brother’s son is not from here,” Nodyrth stated. “Which means that Valerie is the impostor. Oh gods. She’s going to get on the boat to the Oceanic Sanctuary!”

    Evan looked up on the battlements and managed to spot Dodger on the southern battlements. He turned his gaze back to Nodyrth. “I have to warn the ship.”

    He ran as fast as he could to the closest ladder. With all haste, he made his way up. Once he reached the top, he looked both ways frantically, hoping he did not miss Dodger. When he saw him to his right, he swiftly got onto his feet and ran towards him.

    “Dodger,” he called out. Once getting his attention, he was already right by him. “Dodger, we have to catch that ship before it leaves.”

    “Why?” he asked. “What for?”

    “There’s some kind of shapeshifter zombie disguised as Valerie on board. We have to warn them before they get on the boat.”

    “Are you sure this thing exists?” Dodger asked.

    “I’m positive!”

    Dodger glanced up at the top of the keep and back down at Evan. “Follow me.”

    The two of them ran towards one of the towers that was attached to the keep itself. Evan followed Dodger up the ladder and the rest of the way to the highest point on the castle. From there, they could see mostly forest down south, but a few buildings stood out. None of them were from Carmi.

    “We’re going to have to endure this several times,” Dodger said as he wrapped his arms around Evan. “Hold still. Teleporting with another person requires delicate handling. I don’t want you to lose a limb or anything.”

    Evan held his breath in order to help keep him absolutely still. The air tasted electric. Suddenly, his view suddenly changed. He was now able to see Carmi’s towers peeking over the forest. Looking down, he noticed he was no longer at Cole Castle. He was now standing at the peak of a fort that they saw from a distance. The teleportation was rough though, and he felt the need to throw up.

    “I’m sorry Evan,” Dodger said. “But we need to do this one more time.”

    Dreading the next one, he closed his eyes this time before the teleportation went off. He felt Dodger tug at the back of his iron chestplate as soon as Evan felt no ground below where he was stepping forwards. Opening his eyes, he saw that they were on top of a tower higher than the last. It was just the roof of a tower too. There was no proper accessible way down. Still, they were at Carmi.

    His heart sank though when he saw the ship already leaving the port.

    “We’re too late,” Evan said.

    “No,” Dodger replied. “We can still teleport onto their ship and kill the creature before it harms anyone else.”

    “Wait,” Evan said.

    “What is it? You wanted to go for this!”

    “I only said we should warn them. If this thing was intelligent enough to disguise itself, it could be smart enough to know something was wrong if we rushed in there in a hurry. If they were not on the boat already, we could have had a chance to talk to someone without the zombie’s notice.”

    “I still say we should kill it before it kills someone.”

    “Barge in and kill it before anyone knows that it was an impostor? Imagine the horror on their faces to see you murder a little girl for no reason.”

    “Then I’ll wait until we get to the Oceanic Sanctuary.”

    “We need you here, Dodger.”

    “Lyra needs me.”

    “Look, we can save everyone if we could put a stop to Zenith. You are one of our best cards against him. Without you, we may lose everything.”

    “Then let me get Lyra and Dezerath off the boat at least.”

    “They’re no safer here!”

    “There has to be something I can do!” Dodger turned furiously to Evan.

    “We can’t save everyone!”

    In absolute rage, Dodger grabbed Evan by the neck. He picked up the man like he weighed nothing at all. The ex-mercenary held him beyond the edge of the tower top. “What do you know about losing someone?” he hissed.

    Evan struggled to break free. His hands were scratching at Dodger’s gloved wrists. He tried to kick him, but he could not reach. The air was being choked out of him. He still tried to talk. “It hurts,” he said in a raspy voice. “I know. I lost someone not too long ago. I also had a choice to save two people, but I could only save one. Besides… my brother’s on there. I can only hope... he survives. You just have to… to hope... your friends… survive… too.”

    Seemingly at the last minute, Dodger put him back on the tower. Evan was breathing hard, trying to replenish the lack of fresh air in his body.

    “Once you recover, we should get back,” Dodger said.

    “It’s dusk now.”
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  11. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 10 - Wielder

    Here is an interesting anecdote. A man enters his yard at least once every day. He takes notice of an anthill. Each time he looks, he sees the insects busy. Not one of them stands still. They scurry in and out of their little mound. Many of them outside are gathering food for the rest of the colony. An entire system designed to keep this community alive and thriving. But this man sees something else too, something more: stagnation. All this work is done every day, but the ants never seem to progress. It is always the same and thus serves no purpose to the greater scheme of things. Of course, the man interprets this, and he is right. However, there is one thing he does not notice. That ant colony is much more akin to human civilization than he realizes. Stagnate. Unchanging. Still. It has been centuries since the children of my brother died and decades since I defeated the gods themselves. Going through all that, I realized all of this. With all my magical potential, and being on the brink of newfound discovery of the great secrets of reality, I find myself high above the rest of humanity. So you might be wondering this, dear reader: if my ambitions eventually endanger humankind, would I care about sweeping them aside? First, answer me this: if that man decided to plow his yard so that he may build a garden, would he care if he destroyed the ant colony in the process?
    • Zenith

    As soon as Evan and Dodger returned to the battlements, they noticed that all of the guards had consolidated towards the northern flank of Cole Castle. Each of them stood like a statue, but their postures were obviously showing shock and awe. In the depth of the dusky night, he could not see beyond the shapes of trees in the distant beyond.

    “I think they see the undead coming,” Dodger said. As the two of them started running along the battlements, he continued speaking. “We need to get over there fast. If everyone is over there, this wave might be the last.”

    At first, Evan though he meant that the necromancer was throwing everything now, and that defeating this horde would spell the doom of their foe. However, he also thought about it meaning that the invasion was likely going to be strong enough to overwhelm Cole Castle once and for all. Henceforth, being the last wave.

    Once they joined the others, Evan peered out in the distance. It was still too dark to see too much other than the towering trees. Then, he noticed some treetops were moving. Those were not trees. They were giants. Lots of them.

    “This is bad,” Athosis said. “There are too many to count. If just one reaches the walls, it could breath the place. We need to scatter.”

    “If we leave, we lose the benefit of having protection and high ground,” Evan argued. “Out there, we’re exposed.”

    “Battle plans,” Earn said. “The giants are a priority target. No doubt, there will be hordes of undead alongside. Each fighter with some kind of magic to protect them should fight alongside. Let’s name those people now. Raverad, Athosis, and Dodger.”

    “Evogal is possessed by the Red Demon,” Raverad adds. “He wields his power.

    “And I have this,” Evan said as he drew Edd’s axe from his belt. “This will be enough to give me a powerful advantage on my own.

    “I also can handle myself even without magic,” spoke a ranger who was a part of the Cole Castle Reborn Militia. His name was Vos. It was good to have another ranger with them again. When he had heard about the death of Splinterlance and the MIA Pyros, he felt absolutely devastated.

    “Alright,” Earn said as he turned to the remaining people around him. “The rest of us will divide into groups of four. Delfias, Nodyrth, and Neros, you three are with me. Stud, Arla, Morgan, and Jenna, form a group. Ravion, Shade, Carter and Odesteon, you are all together.” There were four other defenders he named as a group.

    The names of the strangers were those who were either from Raverad’s group or already from Cole Castle. Neros was one of the latter. Odesteon was the combat staff wielder and Jenna the archer, both of Raverad’s original team.

    “Every ‘team’ will stem the tide of undead,” Earn continued speaking. “The individuals should focus on bringing down the giants. Try to band together if you encounter something tough. Don’t worry about making a mess. Remember, we evacuated the other survivors already. All you need to look out for is each other.”

    Carter patted Evan on the shoulder before he joined up with the rest of his group. “Good luck, capt’.” he said.

    “Stay safe, good friend,” Evan replied with a smile.

    His grin faded when he heard Shade shout, “winged zombies incoming!”

    Everyone turned back to the frontier. The giants were getting much closer now. Their heads, shoulders, and upper arms were much more visible now. The crunch of falling trees in their tracks was much more definite now. It sounded almost like a thunderstorm. Ahead of the monsters were hordes of human sized zombies flooding towards the walls. They had already passed the forested perimeter surrounding Cole Castle. But soaring high above them all was a vast swarm of gargoyle zombies. They screeched as they were getting ready to dive into the defenders on the battlements.

    “We need a smokescreen above us,” Raverad shouted. “A firestorm to prevent death from above.”

    “I got it,” said the possessed Evogol.

    He lowered his mail hood, revealing a green-rot face that had emerging features of Crimson including red skin and small horns. With a single jump, fire spouted from his hands and feet, and leapt on top of the keep itself. Then, he raised his hands, spouting gushes of flames out of them. They struck a point in the sky between the castle and the overhead swarm. The fires expanded like an unrolling rug, forming a rooftop of flames. As the winged zombies passed through, they tumbled downwards as the catching fire crippled their flesh to the point of death. It rained with their corpses.

    As the zombies reached the walls, they started to climb. Nobody used their bows, wishing not to expend ammo. Unfortunately, all explosives were expended during previous invasions. Thus, the defenders had to wait until the undead reached the lip of the battlements for them to engage. However, Athosis and Raverad began to clear them out by unleashing their flame magics into the climbing hordes. The Apostle utilized a stave while his apprentice simply ushered his spells from his hands.


    The first giant had finally knocked its way past the last of the trees. Two others were soon to follow. It started to increase its pace as it charged at the wall. Raverad and Athosis both noticed it coming. While still using their fire beam spells, they carved through the monster’s flesh from toes to head. Once the flames struck its face, the giant slowed in its tracks with both hands reaching to block the fire spells. By then, it was too late as the damage caused it to collapse and fall apart. It added more human sized zombies into the hordes, but at least they did not have to worry about that giant anymore.

    Two more had finally walked passed the corpse of the first one. It was at this time that Raverad and Athosis diverged their attacks to different giants. As the other giants approached closer, the others started to declare their targets. Dodger leapt off the wall and teleported onto one of the giant’s shoulders, bringing up his sword and cutting at its flesh. Vos used some grappling arrow to latch onto another monster, allowing him to swing onto its body with dagger at hand.

    Evan, unable to attack any giants yet, utilized his magic axe against the hordes. With one swing against the outer walls, he unleashed a shockwave downwards, knocking off more than half the undead from the walls.

    Then, he felt an impulse. It was not a gut instinct, rather a wordless message from Edd via the vibrating axe. Somehow, his mind was able to interpret it.

    “If you wield the power of Simoon, can’t you fly or something?” Carter shouted at Evan.

    “No!” he replied as he stared at a giant too far for him to hit in close quarters. “But I think I can do something almost as good.”

    His arm readied itself for a wide arc sweep. When he swung, he let go, hurling the axe towards the giant. It twirled in the air rapidly. Edd’s spirit seemed to guide it as it curved towards the monster’s center of mass. As soon as it hid dead center, the monster stumbled back, feeling the overwhelming force of the shockwave. It was falling backwards. The axe returned to Evan’s hand like a boomerang.

    During a brief reprieve for himself, he took a breath and looked around. Several giants had already fallen, but they were getting closer every time. The climbing undead hordes were now in hand to hand combat with the defenders on the battlements. They were not yet overwhelmed, but they would not hold for long. Athosis redirected his flame magics back at the hordes to keep them at bay. Dodger just finished slaying one of the giants. Vos finished off the giant that Evan brought down before swinging back to the one he was handling. Possessed Evogol transformed into a bestial demonic form and lept from the keep onto one of the flanking giants.

    Raverad had melted the head off of one of the giants with his flame magic. Its enormous body slumped in front of the wall before disintegrating into smaller zombies and lumps of flesh. However, another giant right behind it was already reaching for the walls. The Apostle immediately diverted his flames. With a quick reaction, his fire beam cut across the extended arm. This did not pull its limb back. Its palm flattened the top of the battlements and fingers strengthening a grip.

    Quickly, Evan ran towards that location. Realizing that his running speed was not going to be enough, he threw his axe at the monster’s flame-wrapped arm. The head of the axe tore right through its flesh. After that, he heard a loud bone crunch as a shockwave rippled across its sickly green skin. The monster roared as it stepped backwards. Its lower left arm did not follow along with it. It was severed. The arm, still gripping on the wall, fell apart into several zombies. They all started running towards the other defenders.

    Earn and his team lead the charge into the undead while Raverad was finishing off the one armed giant. Evan would watch the spectacle, but his attention came to the hordes about to flood over the battlements. He could see arms and head popping over the edge of the wall. Once again, he smashed his axe against the ground. The shockwave surged down the outer wall and knocked many zombies off. Many more were still coming though.

    “We should retreat to the keep!” Earn called. Evan noticed him retracting one of his swords from one of the zombies. “Lock the gates and defend the entrances. There is also an emergency exit that….”

    Suddenly, Earn was lost in a thick plume of smoke. There was also a loud bang that accompanied it. Evan recognized that noise. It was cannon fire. Once the smoke cleared, the battlements where the neon armoured knight once stood was a smoldering ruin. Not a single trace of Earn or his team were left.

    “Cannons!” Evan cried out to the others. “Retreat to the keep!”

    Everyone began running towards the battlements. Athosis, Raverad, and Evan were at the back keeping the undead at bay. The Apostle was drawing a firewall along the outer battlement edge, burning any zombie that made it to the top. His apprentice unleashed a firestorm above them against the flying zombie, after the previous roof of flames had dissipated. Evan was duel wielding now. His sword cut individual zombies that got too close while he used the occasional shockwave from his axe.

    The undead were now all over the walls like a flooding artificial pond. In the distance, a giant was ripping through the western walls. Its arms flailed against the battlements as its body slammed into the architecture. Everything crumbled like an overwhelmed dam. Hordes of zombies were scurrying into the town below. Fortunately, the main gates into the keep were already locked. How long they would hold was definitely something to consider. Things looked terribly hopeless. It was as though they barely even scratched the surface of the undead hordes they faced.

    But something new soared in the skies. Something absolutely horrific. A long, broad body, elegant tail, and wide wingspan casted a shadow over the castle darker than the midnight overcast. Its skin was mostly rotted away, exposing much of the bones. The ribcage and skull were especially visible. This was a zombie dragon.

    “Dear gods,” he heard Athosis say. “Zenith resurrected the dragon of Fort Kharj!”

    As though hearing him speak, the undead dragon turned its attention to Athosis. It lunged downwards, obviously focussed on the Apostle’s apprentice. Evan raised his axe to throw it. Claws from an unexpectedly close zombie grabbed his swinging arm. In the struggle, he had to cut across the zombie’s head.

    Suddenly, he was knocked back. The zombie dragon latched onto the edge of the battlements with its wings and kept itself from falling with its hind legs on the inner wall. Both Raverad and Athosis were trying to focus their flame magics at the dragon’s head. Evan saw a zombie attempt to wrestle the magic stave away from the Apostle. Without support, Athosis was vulnerable. With a swift move, the undead dragon’s jaw snapped open and shut over the Apostle’s apprentice, swallowing him whole.

    Evan quickly recovered. With axe in hand, he was going to try and throw it again at the dragon. Then, he noticed that Raverad was getting overrun. His staff had fallen off of the castle walls. Evan ran over and pulled the Apostle away from the hordes. Then, he smashed his axe in the ground, unleashing one last shockwave, before pulling his friend into the keep. He pushed the door shut.

    “Go!” he heard one of the Reborn Militia guards say. “We’ve got you covered!”

    Evan was about to climb the ladder when Raverad pulled him back down. “There’s an emergency exit that Athosis planted downstairs,” he said. “We need to get there.”

    “But that dragon has Athosis!” Evan protested. “Zenith wants him for a reason. That dragon swallowed him whole. That means he’s still alive. We need to climb up to save him. You with me or not?”

    He did not bother to wait for an answer. Evan started climbing up. There was a creaking noise behind him, which meant Raverad was following him up the ladder. As they got closer to the top of the keep, they noticed the dragon circling it above. For some reason, it was not leaving.

    Arms sore, he gave one last push as Evan forced his way onto ground once again. Ignoring the need to rest, he helped pull Raverad out. Then, he looked back up to see what was going on.

    The dragon was flapping its wings rapidly as it hovered in mid air. In front of its face was a shadowed floating figure in dark wizard’s robes. The face was covered by the black veil. A sorcerer’s staff in his hand glowed as hot white as the eyes of all the undead around him. Evan did not recognize the silhouette, but he was sure it was the necromancer Zenith.

    Then, the undead dragon opened its mouth. Athosis jumped out, his hands glowing red to unleash fire magic. Zenith raised an arm. At that command, a spherical cage suddenly appeared around the fire mage. Chains lashed out like snakes. The end links bit into his wrists, ankles, and finally his forehead.

    Suddenly, the zombie dragon’s gaze snapped towards the two interlopers. It swiftly landed on the ground as Raverad drew his sword. Before anyone could react with a strike, the dragon’s jaws bit half of the Apostle’s entire body. He remained intact, thankfully, but the dragon threw Raverad into the wilderness beyond like some ragdoll.

    Evan was going to strike the dragon, but he knew that Zenith was the source of the problem. If he slew him now, then everything would end here. His axe swung upwards. He let go. The blade was flung directly towards the unsuspecting sorcerer, who was too occupied with the caged Athosis.

    Suddenly, Zenith snapped at its attention. With lighting fast reflexes, his free arm stretched towards the axe. Bolts of white lightning cascaded from his fingertips. The magic lashed constantly against the axe, stopping it completely in its tracks. In mid air, the axe started spazzing, as though it were a flinching body. Evan could hear a bone chilling death scream coming from Erdruttler’s voice. The haft and head of the axe started to crack with hot white light emanating from it. Finally, after a few whole passing seconds, the axe was obliterated from existence.

    It did not end there. The bolts continued to fly towards Evan. He dodged safely out of the way. Instead, the magic lightning struck the roof of the keep. Then, he watched in horror as the entirety of the floor below him was crumbling. Arcs of hot white bolts were ripping the entirety of the castle apart. The undead dragon was flying away from the crumbling keep.

    Evan felt the floor angling vertical and gravity taking hold of his innards. He scrambled to reach the edge of the piece he was standing on. As the wind rushed passed him, he looked upwards. The tallest tower on the keep was falling right above him. Even if he survived the landing, the collapsing architecture would crush him. He closed his eyes and waited for death.

    Something hard banged against his head.

    ******

    What if I were kind, dear reader? What if I were kind enough to let the ants live? What grudge do I have with the ants to do purposeful harm? After all, what trouble have they ever caused me?

    My dear reader. The answer to that had just been exemplified.
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  12. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 11 - Wanderer

    Yes, it worked! I finally managed to empower the Stonehenge in order to pierce the veil of light. It did require several kidnappings of mages from local mage guilds to be used as magical conduits for this work. What were they doing anyways? Silly fireworks? Their sacrifice had been for a far more righteous cause. I now reach into the dark and discovered true power. Not only do I see the powers of the Mother of Magic at work, but I find it in the hands of others. This is the Void, and its inhabiting ethereal beings are responsible for all of creation.
    • Zenith
    The first thing he experienced as he returned to consciousness was pain. There was agony all over his body. His head was the worst of it. It was as though there were heavy weights crushing his ribs and skulls.

    When he opened his eyes, his memories flooded back at the same time. He remembered falling with the crumbling Cole Castle. Evan assumed he would awake in the rubble. Instead, he found himself in the middle of a grassland. His back was up against a tree. The shade protected him from the afternoon sunlight. His legs and belly were see in front of him. He was in a slumped position. Evan tried to get up, but he felt an excruciating sensation flare up all over his body.

    In front of him were a number of survivors from the invasion. Raverad was there, surprisingly doing well after what happened to him. His staff was no longer on his person though. He was surrounded by and talking two Odesteon, Jenna, Vos, Dodger, and the possessed Evogol. Ravion and Shade were alive but were not talking to anyone. They just stood there keeping watch of the area around them. Evan also heard Stud and Arla talking to each other somewhere outside his immediate field of vision.

    “Hey,” he heard Carter speak to him. His best friend knelt right next to him. “You took quite a beating, champ.”

    “Glad… to see… you… okay,” Evan wheezed. His voice was absolutely hoarse. “How… did… Raverad… survive?”

    “We found him as we were searching for survivors once all the hordes cleared out,” Carter explained. “He was just hanging limb from one of the trees, but he didn’t turn, so we knew he was still alive. When we tried to heal him up with our health potions, we ran into a problem. Most of the health potions barely even worked anymore.”

    “What do… you mean?”

    “All the major potions in stock had to be used to patch up just Raverad. Sorry there wasn’t enough for you. All the minor ones had been rendered to just water.”

    “That’s… real bad, right?”

    “Definitely.”

    Evan finally was able to adjust his seating to a slightly more comfortable position. “So what’s….” He cleared his throat a little, which stung in the process. “So what’s the plan?”

    “Well, we need more potions, and stronger ones at that,” Carter explained. “Raverad knows where to get some.”

    “Indeed I do,” the Apostle said as he walked over to Evan after his conversation. “The Barathrum Caverns. There is underground water there pure enough to create the most powerful of potions. Even weakened, they should do good to heal us up for the coming battles.”

    “Without Edd,” Evan said, pointing at the empty holster in his belt where the magic axe used to be, “how do we know... where to go next?”

    “Don’t you have that book that could help us out?” Carter asked the Apostle.

    “It was in my pack,” he replied. “I lost it when the undead dragon was shaking my up in its mouth.”

    “Probably… in that… thing’s… guts,” Evan said.

    “Try not to talk, buddy,” Carter said to him. “Save your strength.” He turned to Raverad next. “So what do we have to guide us next.”

    “I may not have the book anymore, but I know how to level the playing field with us against him,” the Apostle continued speaking. “We must bring the gods in physical form to fight alongside us.”

    “How?” Evan said.

    “This is why the Red Demon is with us. For centuries, the god and goddess of fire remained frozen in their physical forms in Frostbain. Their power alone could not melt the ice. Crimson, however, does have that power, since he does not need a physical form to produce or channel his power.”

    “So we melt the ice and free up the bodies so the gods can use them again?” Carter asked.

    “Well, the only problem is, the God Agni’s spirit is currently trapped with half of the Red Demon’s spirit after a recent confrontation.” Evan and Carter raised puzzled eyebrows. “Yes, the Red Demon split his spirit in half so that if one was in danger, the other could be utilized. Both are potent by themselves though, so he can get the job done. Anyways, without the God Agni’s spirit to possess his own body, this half of the Red Demon’s spirit will act as a substitute.”

    “But what’s to stop Zenith from annihilating us all at any time he wants?” Carter asked. “You know what he did to Pravus and Cole Castle.”

    “Oceanic… Sanctuary….” Evan wheezed as he spoke.

    “He’s right,” Raverad said. “Think about it. He’s focused on bringing down the sanctuaries. With his undead hordes trudging through the ocean, it could take a while before he brings the whole thing down.”

    “Not… good….” Evan said. He knew that Kevin and his son were on a boat on the way there, along with a number of other humans. In fact, there were plenty of people he came to know and love at the sanctuary. There was also a shapeshifting zombie infiltrating them. Even if he was not in a broken state physically, Evan felt completely helpless.

    “It does by us some time,” Raverad said. “But I cannot guarantee the survival of the Oceanic Sanctuary. What’s important is that we kill Zenith and end this madness.” His eyes were directed towards Evan. “We’re going to have to carry you carefully somehow.”

    “I asked the others to build a stretcher as we make boats on the way to the other side of the region,” Carter said. “Dodger said he could carry Evan across the whole way.”

    “Good,” the Apostle replied. “I will tell the others that we should move out quickly.”

    As Raverad walked back to join the other members of the group, Carter called Dodger to help pick Evan up. While the two of them were trying to carry him, Evan felt many aches and pains, but he was getting more used to them.

    “How did… I… survive?” Evan asked.

    “Dodger managed to get you out of there before the roof came down,” Carter said. “If only we found you before Raverad. Then all those potions could have helped you.”

    “Thank… you….” Evan told Dodger.

    “No problem,” were the last words he heard before he passed out.

    *****

    The next time he awoke, he noticed that it was dark. It was night. There were more trees surrounding him this time. Among them was a tall structure. As his vision adjusted, he saw a long telescope lense judging out of the top. It was some sort of observatory.

    He lowered his head from gazing at the sky to staring out what was in front of him. Odesteon was standing next to a tree, attaching something to a branch. Between him and Evan, almost everyone else was sleeping. They looked comfortable, even without beds, blankets, or even pillows. To his left, he saw the sea beyond. At the shoreline, there were several raft-sized boats. One of them had a built in stretcher. Turning his head to the right, Evan could see the distant forest beyond. It was much darker there. No sign of zombies though. The only humanoid form he noticed was the silhouette of Vos standing motionless, gazing in that same direction. He must have been keeping watch.

    Evan looked back at Odesteon. He was now able to see what the man was working on. Attached to a low branch, there was an oval shaped net. Several cut twigs made up its perimeter while a web of string formed concentric patterns.

    “What’s that?” Evan whispered over to Odesteon. There was no response. He repeated the question again, but in a more regular tone of voice.

    Odesteon did not turn his head, but he answered the question. “This is a dreamcatcher: a ward that protects sleepers from a certain breed of undead that exist only in a nightmare state.”

    “What?” Evan asked completely confused.

    Odesteon sighed and walked over to Evan. He knelt beside him and continued to explain. “There are zombies that are not physical. Their bodies are… hallucination. They only can manifest if you think about them, or if your mind is open, like when you’re dreaming. But don’t think they’re not real. They can and will kill you.”

    “How do you know if it works?” Evan asked. “And how do you know all about this?”

    “My people at Tristitia lived under a dark canopy. The thicket provided cover for necromancers to do their dread work. Minor necromancers, mind you. Not like Zenith. Anyways, there were a number of zombies spawned, like the shapeshifter, but the nightmare zombies were the worst. It was discovered that certain trinkets acted as magical charms that warded them from our minds.”

    “But they only existed in Tristitia, right?” Evan asked.

    “Yes, but I noticed more in the open world since the outbreak. I even could see them when I’m not asleep, so I always hung my dreamcatcher on my pack when I traveled.”

    “Do you think it connects to the weakening potions?” Evan asked. Odesteon raised an eyebrow. “Think about it. The potions are weakening, while the zombies are getting stronger, smarter, and more powerful. I don’t think it’s just the necromancer that’s empowering them anymore. I think that necromancy spell has something to do with it all.”

    “You’re a little late to say that,” Odesteon said. “That rumor has been confirmed now. It’s a reality. The Apostle told me about how the contraceptives made from Cole Castle no longer worked. Dezerath explained how certain scientists and mages found your theory out. Shade mentioned that the Witch Alchemist Calypso, also from Tristitia, knew of this as well. It all connects.”

    “Then we’re all in agreement,” Evan said with a large grin on his face.

    Then, in response to the name Calypso, he remembered the spell tome that Joshua and Amia mentioned. He remembered how they found a way to bring people back to life. Evan remembered Gabriella.

    “Hey, I have one more question,” he told Odestion before the man could leave. “Did Calypso find a way to bring people back to life?”

    “Necromancy?” Odestion said each syllable slowly.

    “No, not like zombies. I mean actual people. Souls.”

    When Odeston burst out laughing, Evan’s heart sank. Not just that he was wrong, but that there might no longer be hope for Gabriella.

    “Rule number one of necromancy,” Odesteon said, “you can’t bring back the souls of the people that once owned their bodies.”

    Odestion walked towards the beach, leaving Evan beneath the dark shade of the tree. A tear rolled down his eye.
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  13. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

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    Chapter 12 - Student

    So, there exists a would-be god. His name is Valdon, one of the so-called voidlings who dabble with creation. In fact, as I have learned, he is the most powerful out of all of them. You see, dear reader, two magical powers exist in the Void: annihilation and creation. Annihilation is simply time moving at a rate so fast that nothing physical could exist. Creation is a magic that the voidlings could harness. It is the negative of annihilation, slowing time down so that something could exist for a long period of ‘time’. Valdon was responsible for creating something that no other voidling could: an entire universe. Our universe. The other voidlings exiled him, probably out of jealousy. As such, he retreated into the universe he built, hiding in the Spirit World, never heard of by any mortal. This is the reason why I called him a would-be god. He ended up just like our so-called gods when the mortals turned against them (by my hand of course): trapped and casted out. And so another lesson of the universe unfolds before me: there is no zenith to divinity or divine power for that matter. Just as the voidlings were above our so-called gods, there will be something above them as well. As such, my sole ambition is to simply continue rising above every level of magical power for as long as I shall exist: forever.
    • Zenith

    As the group was making its way to the Sirus cave entrance, Raverad planned to make a few pit stops. With Earn gone, he seemed to be leading the group now. It made sense considering how much more he knew about everything than anyone else. By this point though, everyone must have been up to speed. Even then, it still was not enough.

    Fortunately, Evan was now using his legs again. It was mostly his upper body that was injured. Carter had been helping him walk by carrying his left shoulder.

    Right now however, they were resting at a ruined fort. He was sitting inside a guardhouse a little smaller than the one at Knoxmoor. Although he could not see it from inside, a flag was raised over the roof. It was orange and red. He did not know what side that was during the Great War and he did not care. The walls around the fort were much smaller than the ones at Cole Castle. The group had briefly gathered up surrounding rubble to help add to the height. They even broke the archway over the entrance to block that way in. It was not a castle, but it was enough.

    Most of the group were up a short distance further to investigate the Stonehenge. Raverad felt the need to do so. Meanwhile, Evan was resting in a safe place with two others. Carter, obviously, was with him. The archer Jenna was also there. While she kept watch at the top of the tower, Evan was having a conversation with his best friend.

    “What if we just left?” Carter said. Evan snapped his head towards him once he spoke. “I mean, just abandoning this. Think about it, our chances of beating Zenith are very low and dropping. We already lost Athosis and your axe. Who would be next? Vos? Dodger? Raverad?”

    “You’re forgetting that we’re going to bring the gods on our side,” Evan replied.

    “How do we even know for sure that it’s going to work?” Carter argued.

    “Carter,” Evan put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Now is not the time to think about the odds. Either way, we’re screwed. Either by Zenith or by his undead armies, we’ll die. The only thing we can do is try to stop Zenith.”

    “I know. It’s just…. It’s just… why bother at all?”

    “Hey,” Evan gave Carter a frown. “That’s no way to think. It’s better to try than to do nothing at all.”

    They were silent from then on out at least in terms of dialogue. The most definite sounds were those of nature. Wind was up for long periods of time, making constant rustling in the surrounding canopy. The building itself was settling in response to the light gust. Jenna’s footsteps occasionally knocked on the ceiling when she paced from one side of the tower to the other. It sounded like no zombies were around whatsoever. After all they had been through, the wilderness never had felt so peaceful. There was a sense of wrongness to it though: the absence of animals.

    At some point, they heard distant footsteps crunching leaves. It got closer and Jenna did not seem to react. The others must have returned. Why was it only one set of footsteps though?

    “Jenna!” he heard Odesteon’s muffled voice call out. “Get the others to come. They may want to see what happened.”

    “Guys,” Jenna began.

    “We heard,” Carter replied. He helped pick Evan up while Jenna walked passed them on her way outside.

    The three of them left the tower. They had to climb over the improvised section of the wall. Evan had to take his time to plant his feet on available flat slabs of stone. Each step took a few seconds and ended with a crunch of rock. Jenna was waiting for them to finish climbing over the rubble before moving on.

    After that obstacle. the rest of the journey was somewhat short. They passed by many trees until they reached an opening. The gale was more effective in the new area due to the lack of intervening trees. The immediate transition into harder winds was rough for Evan. However, he cared more about what he saw. Even from within the forest, he could see what the rest of the group circled around.

    The Stonehenge was gone. While Evan never knew what it looked like, he could only imagine what the size of it was and that it looked similar to the structures on the back of the summoner beast from Cole Castle. What remained was a colossal crater. that was deep enough to be considered a quarry and wide enough to have had a small town existing on its previous soils. The sudden thought of something picking up a landmass that size made Evan’s heart pound furiously. He could only imagine an amphibious zombie giant transporting that ring of rubble to the Oceanic Sanctuary and dispatching untold numbers of zombies on board.

    “I don’t think the undead removed this from the ground,” Raverad said as though reading Evan’s mind. “There are no scratch marks on the edges, and any made would have had to be giant. No footprints either.”

    “So what happened to this place?” Dodger asked.

    “Look,” Stud said as he picked up something off of the ground. “Loose dirt,” he showed it to everyone. “Zenith must have raised the piece of land out of the ground himself. Looks like he’s carrying it to the north.”

    “More like the northeast,” Arla corrected him.

    “Considering the fact that his undead armies are making way to the Oceanic Sanctuary, that is more likely,” Raverad confirmed.

    “But why would Zenith need the Stonehenge somewhere else?” Evan asked. “Why not use it here?”

    “A good question,” Raverad said only that and nothing more. That must of meant he had no idea. Nobody else seemed to speak up either, so everyone was clueless about it. “We should continue,” he changed the subject.

    As they were heading out, Odesteon walked up by Evan. “Quite the school field trip,” he spoke with a jesting tone. “Speaking of which, what was your childhood like?”

    Evan thought for a moment before speaking. It was difficult for him to wrap his mind around older memories. Age was not the only thing contributing to that and to despise his boyhood was not so either. So much had happened recently that he had all but forgotten his time before the outbreak, let alone far beyond that. Still, recollecting old memories made him feel better somewhat. Finally, he spoke.

    “I was a rebel,” he began. “Whatever my parents wanted of me, I wanted to either do something different or something more. More the former than the latter though. I wanted to go against the norm in order to stand out and be interesting. Not in the face of other people, but for my own reflection. Unfortunately though, the path I chose led me to become one of many shipbuilder workers. I was a faceless number on a chart.”

    “Woah, slow down,” Odesteon said. “I asked for your childhood, not your life story.”

    “Sorry about that.”

    “Anyways, did you ever go to school or something?”

    “Not all the time,” Evan admitted. “It’s not that I didn’t like it for what it was. I just didn’t like it because everyone had to go there.”

    “You seem decently educated though.”

    “Well, I did go at least half the time,” Evan scowled playfully. “Besides, I also learned much from Kevin. He was an excellent student for the sake of curiosity, but not as much for hard work. What about you then?”

    “Tristitia was a weird place even in this region,” Odesteon said. “Our schooling was independent. As such, nobody was allowed to move on to the university. Not many who lived in Tristitia leave Tristitia. The darkness was all I knew from childhood onward. It was not until the outbreak when I journeyed into the unsheltered world.”

    The conversation seemed to just drift off from there. It was like that for much of the chatter among the group. Once in awhile, someone would try to bring up an obscure subject to try and get people’s minds off of recent events. Then, the awkwardness would settle in knee deep in dialogue as the realization of the transition from surviving apocalyptic situations to friendly chatter created a sense of wrongness in things. Even Stud and Arla, the only romantic couple in the group, were as quiet as the grave.

    When they reached the river that bordered the snowlands, they chose a spot that required the least distance to cross water. Fortunately, at the fork in the river, there was a peninsula of ice that reached for the landmass that the group stood on. Dodger, Stud, and Arla went ahead to scout the landscape.

    Next was transporting Evan. He was laid on his back in the water to keep him afloat. From several meters, he could feel the ice cold bite of whatever spell froze the God and Goddess Agni. This was going to be his second time entering these icy lands. He could only imagine what it would look like after they free those bodies. Carter got in the water, grabbed Evan by the shoulders and gently pulled him towards the frozen water. He wondered if it was solid enough to support their weight. Fortunately, it seemed to do so for their scouts. Once the two of them made it across, Carter got on the ice and gingerly pulled his friend on with him. The others followed behind.

    They all walked along the icy ground, following the snowcapped forest beside them, until they reached a clearing. It was then that they truly had dirt beneath their feet. Evan no longer had to worry about each creak and crack with every step he took. Now, he could just listen to the soft crunch of snow and soil. Again, those subtle moments of walking around in nature was great. Never had he that luxury before and after the outbreak considering how developed his homeland was.

    In the distant hill, there was a massive hole. The darkness of the underground had much depth, with the exception of the dim fires around that. In front of it was an archway that did not nearly compete with the size of the mountain wound. From downhill, it looked foreboding. Evan actually felt a little too afraid to enter. He had lived in the sewers for over a month after the outbreak and he was constantly assailed by zombies out of the dark. He feared being underground.

    “Stay close and quiet,” Raverad said. He looked west. “The sun is going to set soon,” he continued. “We camp at Riftus.”

    “How far is that?” Evan asked.

    “About halfway to the Barathrum Caverns,” Shade said. “Say… three hours? Tops. Yeah, sounds about right.”

    Even though he knew it was not intentional, those words coming from Shade sounded like an insult. He just despised that assassin so much.

    Traveling through Sirus, an underground city, should have made Evan felt more easy considering that it used to be habitable. Unfortunately, the combination of darkness and density of undead only heightened his danger sense. Carter was good at protecting him from ambushes though. It was a good thing these zombies were not guided or sentient. Their black eyes proved that they were under nobody’s thrall.

    After their trek through the city, they made it to more open caves. Fortunately, they were not only empty, but also very massive. This made Evan feel a lot better. The lack of sky was still discomforting though. Not to mention, the silence, other than their footsteps echoing across the caverns, did not feel right.

    “Hey,” Evan spoke to Carter. “Do you mind letting me walk on my own a little bit?”

    “You sure?” his friend asked.

    “Yeah, I think I can do it if I can just be careful.”

    As soon as Carter let him go, Evan felt the full weight of his upper body again. He nearly stumbled at first, but got used to it. Taking it slow, he slowly migrated to the back of the group as they all traveled through the caves.

    Jenna met up with him. “Here, you should get rid of this,” she said as she tugged on the musket slung over his back. “It’s weighing you down and you don’t need it.”

    Evan took a second to stop. He raised his arms a little to allow Jenna to slip the strap that held his gun off of him. She slowly guided it over his head and passed his arm. Once it was out, Evan lowered his arms. He watched Jenna put his gun on the ground.

    “I should teach you how to use a bow,” she said.

    “Well, as you can see, I’m not in the best of conditions to do so,” Evan replied as they continued walking.

    “I’m well aware of that. I didn’t mean right now. I meant after we get you healed up. At least hopefully.”

    “You say hopefully,” Evan noted. “You sound like Carter.”

    “I don’t get my hopes up too high for a reason,” Jenna said. “I had a family before all this started. A most dear husband and a most precious child. I kept in touch with my parents and sisters. Now, everyone is gone. I went in a state of depression, but I managed to move on shortly afterwards because I grew the mindset that in this new world, the person beside you may be gone the next minute.”

    “Lucky you,” Evan said. Catching his own words, he quickly spoke again, “I mean, growing that mindset was lucky. I didn’t mean to disrespect….”

    “No, it’s fine,” Jenna said. “I know what you meant. In fact, I agree with you. But to be honest, I wonder if forgetting them so easily makes me a cold monster. It’s necessary though. I need to move on. Otherwise, I have weak links.” She gestured to Stud and Arla. “I feel bad for those two. If one dies, the other will soon after. There are many possibilities how that could happen.” She turned back to Evan. “You lost someone recently, did you?”

    Evan nodded. “Her name was Gabriella. She was the love of my life. I saw her beaten and torn apart by an undead aberration.”

    “But you’re still alive,” Jenna noted.

    “I didn’t move on so easily though,” Evan admitted. “I was told by a couple of survivors that they could bring her back….”

    “Wait,” Jenna interrupted him. “What were their names? Was one of them called Joshua?”

    Evan snapped his head up. “How did you know that.”

    “Don’t believe a word they say,” she warned.

    “I no longer do.”

    “Seriously,” Jenna said. “Joshua was once a part of Raverad’s team. He lost someone much like you have. Then Amia promised him to bring his loved ones back under the condition that he betrayed Raverad in order to stop his interference with Uprising.”

    “I understand,” Evan replied.

    Again, like his talk with Odesteon, the conversation drifted off from there. The reason for this one was as one would expect. Evan was again brought low with even less hope to restore Gabriella’s life. He would give anything to bring her back. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he still believed there was a way.

    *****

    A warm feeling came over his face. It felt like a distant fire. Then, a cold hand palmed his mouth. Evan’s eyes shot open. He was face to face with an old friend.

    “Shhhh,” Joshua whispered. “Let’s go now. We’re ready to bring your lover back.”
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  14. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

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    Chapter 13 - Fool

    Therum was never ascendant, nor could he have ever been able to ascend. He was the architect of this world, as well as its guardian. The Great Beast was a dog chained to Valdon’s leash. He was no more a god than the Ender Dragon, the Ethereal One, the Nether Hydra, or the Puzzle. Now, he is dying as the disease of my magic eats away his body. He never had a chance, and yet he was worshiped. When he dies and I rise, I shall pity him not.
    • Zenith

    Evan’s eyes were caked with gunk. Joshua’s sudden presence made him feel forbidden to even try rubbing it out with his fingers. His eyelids were forced to flutter rapidly. Other than that and his rising chest with each breath, the entirety of his body was immobile out of fear. He felt as though the wooden plank floors were pushing him closer to Joshua’s face. The darkness in the room shrouded all but that grin. It looked like it was supposed to be a warm smile, but now it seemed like the visage of a deceptive evil. It looked forced.

    “You don’t look particularly happy to see me,” Joshua whispered, raising one of his bushy blond eyebrows. “Not even remotely excited. Did I catch you off guard?”

    Once Joshua removed his hand, Evan forced himself a breath. He tried to make it as silent as possible and only stopped until his chest reached a limit. Using his peripheral vision, he noticed a sleeping Carter squirm to his right. Holding his breath tightly, he hoped that his friend was not too far disturbed. Fortunately, Carter seemed to no longer move. Exhaling, he whispered back to Joshua.

    “How did you find me?” he asked.

    “You dropped something,” Joshua said. He patted a long barreled item strapped to his back. Evan recognized his musket. “Here. You’ll need to move when we get going. Drink this.”

    Joshua reached into his slightly open pack. A very light scrape noise was made. His hand was moving so carefully. He slowed it when even the faintest noise was made. Then, Evan could see fingers again, pinching a narrow tube sealed by a cork. As Joshua pulled, the fatter end of the bottle began to show. It curved in a spherical pattern. There was a deep red liquid. This was a health potion.

    Joshua removed the cork as quietly as he could. It was lightly dug in, so there was not any noise made. Then, he opened Evan’s jaw with one hand and poured the contents into his mouth. It ran along his tongue, creating a most pleasant sensation of flavor. The closest description of such a sense was ‘pure.’ As the potion cascaded down his throat, he felt his upper body regaining functionality. Pain faded away. Stinging dulled. Evan felt whole again.

    “You can thank me later,” Joshua said. “Let’s get out of here before your friends wake up.”

    “I didn’t claim Gabriella’s soul,” Evan admitted.

    “Don’t worry, Amia’s got it taken care of,” he replied. “So come on then.” Joshua pulled Evan off of his backside.

    He did not know what to say. Everything he heard about since he joined up with his new group concurred that Amia was lying and Joshua’s a fool to follow. The restoration of people was impossible. Evan kept telling himself not to say anything because he did not want Joshua to think he now knew the truth. However, a deeper part of him wanted everything to play along. His love for Gabriella still whispered hope into his heart that what Amia was doing could happen and that everyone else was wrong.

    As they made their way out the door, they had to push back some of the vines. Joshua went first, pushing vines out of his way before they smacked into Evan’s face. He was unable to see the expanse of the cave again until they were free of the overgrowth. It was well lit by glowstone lampposts. Small huts were scattered about the place. Vines hung from the edges of rooftops and the cavern ceiling. There was a lake of lava just beyond the entrance to the building that Evan was sleeping in.

    To their right was the entrance into the town itself. The sign that once welcomed people to Riftus was still standing between the light up town and the darkened cavern beyond. However, there was something by the sign that disturbed him. This was where Vos was keeping watch. The ranger was not there. All that was there were several slain zombies in too close of a pile to be a coincidence. Vos was missing though.

    At the sight of this, Joshua muttered a curse to himself. Evan’s heart beat elevated. He had to act now. His fingers were wrapping around the hilt of his blade. Muscles tensed as he felt the need to unsheathe his blade and strike. Then, as soon as his grip tightened, he felt a cold touch at the back of his neck. His heartbeat accelerated.

    “Raise your hands slowly,” spoke a gruff voice.

    Evan heard a bushy textured noise as the man spoke. Recognizing the voice, he painted a picture in his head of the man speaking. The lower chin dropped with each syllable. He imagined a beard rubbing against the collar of leather armour. This particular image came from experience. He knew what it looked like when he spoke with a particular someone. The leather armour was black and once looked pristine before being worn enough to match the visage of a beggar that he wore. It was Morgan.

    He obeyed, having little choice. His opportunity was missed as Joshua slowly turned about. The man looked so casual about it, right down to the grin on his face. It was as though he expected the whole thing to happen. To top it all off, he chuckled lightly.

    “Did you think I did not suspect you to distrust me?” Joshua said. “After all, I know you were with Raverad and his friends, and now doubt you had at least one conversation about me and Amia.”

    “That explains that,” Evan replied. “But what’s the deal with Morgan?”

    “When Elizabeth went missing, I sent search parties to go look for her,” Morgan explained. “Upon contacting me when they found her, they sounded hesitant. I walked to the shores of the lake by the Spire of Agni. Her body was burned to a crisp. No doubt by that Lyra bi….”

    “So you think working with Joshua to take your hatred out on me would suffice for avenging her?”

    “Of course not,” Morgan spat. “I’m better than that. Vengeance solves nothing. I’m working with Joshua because that Amia girl he follows speaks of a way of bringing her back. Joshua too wants a special someone back. Don’t you as well?”

    Evan tried to resist thinking about the one in a trillion chance that Gabriella could return. “Amia’s lying,” he snarled. “You’re both fools.”

    “No, Raverad is the deceiver,” Joshua said now with a frown. “And if you’re not coming with us to save your lover, then Morgan and I will take our leave.”

    “Then just go!” Evan shouted. “You all can fail at your rituals until the continent sinks for all I care. We have no quarrel with you.”

    “Unfortunately, you’re wrong again,” Joshua said, his smile returning. “You’re getting dangerously close to our operations. So Amia has sent security to show your way out of this life.”

    As if on cue (and Evan was pretty sure it was), he heard a lot growling coming from the caverns. Out of the darkness, hordes of zombies were coming around. Their eyes were that crimson red like the ones that attacked Pravus. They all wore armour and carried swords and bows. Joshua backed away into the hordes. Most chilling of all, he was not getting harmed. His eyes were not red, so he was not controlling them.

    Suddenly, an arrow whizzed from somewhere above Evan. The bolt flew right into Joshua’s shoulder. He stumbled back, pressing one of his hands against the bleeding wound. He grunted in pain. The zombies paid absolutely no heed nor were they shocked. Undead archers aimed at their target, the one that fired the arrow. Evan looked up to see Vos.

    Then, he heard a blow behind him. The blade edge of Morgan’s sword cut across the back of his neck, but did not make a deep cut. Evan recoiled and turned around. He witnessed Arla punching Morgan across the face a second time. The other members of the group were behind her, moving past Evan to engage the undead.

    He knew that the undead, coming in through such a narrow gap, would be no problem. Evan was just fixated on watching Arla brutally kicking Morgan’s butt. Both of them had their hands clawing over the hilt of Morgan’s sword. Arla kneed her opponent in the stomach, giving her the edge to win over the struggle over the weapon. Then, she rammed the hilt into Morgan’s right shoulder. Finally, she pushed him down the slope that led to the lava lake.

    “No!” he heard Vos shout. It sounded more like a command rather than a despairing cry of defiance.

    Evan turned to see what was happening. Beyond the undead, dying in droves, he saw Dodger on the other side of the horde. He must have teleported over there. His hands were pulling Joshua by the shoulders.

    “I know!” Dodger yelled back. “I just want his pack!” As soon as he said that, Dodger yanked the straps of the backpack off of Joshua, who sprinted away as fast as he could.

    The dead piled around their feet. No sign of any living casualties from any side. Even Morgan was not yet dead. He had rolled just by the edge of the lava pit. Evan stared at his ruined form from above. Morgan’s face was bruised on both cheeks due to Arla’s punches. There was not any sign of anger or defiance in his face. It was just pain and dejection shimmering in his eyes.

    “All I wanted was my Elizabeth back in my arms,” Morgan sobbed as he spoke. “Please help me. I can make this right.”

    Stud walked up beside Evan. His unibrow crested into a v-shape between his eyes. That glare was full of more spite than Evan had seen towards Morgan.

    “No second chances for you, Morgan,” Stud hissed. “And you were already given many more than just two.”

    Stud walked off first. Evan just stood there for a moment. He let the heat of the lava behind Morgan assail his face. His eyes burned to stare, but he wanted to show his face. It was not hatred at all. He felt sorry for the man, just as he felt sorry for Joshua. Both of them had lost so much. As soon as he turned away, his heart skipped a beat once he heard a viscous splash behind him. Evan hoped that Joshua would not soon share the same fate as Morgan.

    Evan walked over to Vos next while the rest of the group were chatting about the battle. “Your aim looked rusty there initially,” he said. “I would have though you ranger would have been trained better.”

    “I wasn’t trying to kill him,” Vos said. “We needed him alive so we could track him down. He would lead us to whoever he is working with.”

    “I do not think we will need to do any tracking,” they heard Raverad say.

    The Apostle was holding a potion bottle, filled with deep red liquid. Behind him, Dodger was holding Joshua’s open pack. It was full of potions along with other things.

    “It would seem that he came from the Barathrum Caverns,” Raverad concluded. “Whatever operations Amia and her minions are doing, they are doing it there. What a coincidence.”

    “Let’s split the pots and get over there,” Shade said. “We’ll all need them if we’re going to fight these fools.”

    “Fight?” Carter asked. “Can’t we just leave them alone now that we have health potions.”

    “While that is true, I still want to save Joshua,” Raverad answered. “He is unaware of the grave mistake he is making.”

    “But he betrayed you,” Jenna protested.

    “I agree with the Apostle,” Evan said. “And we all need to go. Amia’s bound to have more undead under her control.”

    “Need we be reminded that Zenith is going to bury us all with his undead armies if we don’t focus on the task at hand?” Arla said.

    “The Barathrum Caverns is also our fastest route to get to the Statue of Agni,” Dodger said.

    “Then it’s settled,” Evan called out. “Let’s get a move on!”

    *****

    As they were running through the caverns, the group had reached a steep slope. The opening they were entering was massive but dimly lit on most areas. Evan saw where all the light came from. It looked like some giant demolished dome. Horizontal layers lay atop each other, alternating between light and darkness. It looked much like the sphere atop that one tower Evan saw while on the boat heading north for hunting giants. Was it the same one, he thought?

    Mesmerized by the sight, he suddenly found himself stepping forwards without ground beneath his feet. He looked down and panicked. His other foot slid off the edge. Evan’s armoured body grinded against rock as he slid towards the floor below. At the last minute, his head hit a bump in the slope. Once his feet hit the ground, he tumbled onto his hands and knees. He groaned as he rubbed one hand on the bump on the back of his head. It hurt a lot, but it was not bleeding fortunately.

    “Restless spirits trapped in undying bodies,” spoke an unknown voice. A breeze had accompanied it, coming from the broken dome ahead. It sounded a lot like Edd’s voice, but more hoarse. “They will unite to conjoin thy fleet with mine.”

    Evan’s heart beat rapidly. He understood what those words meant.

    “Evan!” Shade said as he picked him up from the ground. “Get your butt up. We’ve gotta move! We don’t have much time!”

    “Yeah,” Evan mumbled to himself as he joined the assassin in running. “We don’t.”
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  15. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

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    Chapter 14 - Pawn

    How ironic that the strongest of races present the weakest of gods. Pulvia was always a coward, desiring only to preserve knowledge and existence equally. Destruction was not his way, and that was what brought about his downfall. His race was cursed by a madman and his source of power became his cage. The mortals pray for rain all the time, but they will not be answered. The next sentient race should learn not to cling to gods anymore.
    • Zenith
    The rest of the journey was long and tedious. Although now healed, Evan still felt his muscles ache with constant soreness due to a high demand of athleticism with little sleep and food. He was very much pleased every time they ran into a ceiling breach that created a deluge of water or lava. Each time that happened, he could slow down as he shimmied his way around the pools that were formed.

    At some point, they all saw an intensity of light further ahead. For a second, Evan thought it would be another lava waterfall. Instead, they found the mouth of the Barathrum Caverns.

    The cave was huge. Its entire floor was flooded with lava, emitting intense light and heat everywhere, no matter how high up they were. Towering at the center of it all was what at first looked like a hive of habitation buildings. Upon second inspection, Evan realized it was a naturally formed column of Stone. This pillar held up the ceiling of the whole cavern. The manmade structures were simply built onto it, all connected by one big spiral staircase. Flanking this primary structure were a pair of watchtowers that looked completely inaccessible. On the rightmost wall of the cave was the twin swirl symbol of Simoon, the Air God. Opposite of that was the tree sigil of Therum, the Earth God.

    “The central meeting place of the Apostles,” Raverad said. “I remember living here for the year I trained. My last day was in a small room at the pinnacle.” He pointed to the zenith of the pillar. “There, I was initiated as Apostle of Agni. It was there I drank from a potion of the pure waters of the well.” He pointed to different buildings on the natural formed column. “I remember the library, the food court, the blacksmith….”

    His nostalgic words were severed when red-eyed, shadowy silhouettes emerged from around the corners of the cave mouth. The first two, one on each side, fired arrows at the group. Carter shouted as one of the arrows glanced off of his iron pauldron. The other arrow missed. Immediately following, more zombies swarmed from behind the undead archers. Illumination from the lava glimmered on their iron swords and mail armour. Several even had iron armour.

    “Forward!” Raverad shouted as he drew his weapon.

    As the other five of the group surged towards the hordes, six archers provided cover fire. Jenna shot a bolt beneath the armpit of one of the zombies, doing little to slow it. Ravion fired his ice bow at one of the archer zombies, encasing it in ice. Dodger unleashed a flame arrow at the other archer, but one of the undead took the blow with a strategic body block. It caught fire and withered to the ground. Vos and Shade managed to fire two arrows each right after one arrow came from the other archers. They each targeted a separate zombie. Two shots in the head killed them both. Carter, after recovering from the glancing bolt, drew one of his own arrows last. He fired at the frozen zombie, but was inaccurate. The arrow shattered the right arm of the undead archer, which was still enough to render his bow useless. It was still frozen, but the ice was cracking, weakened by the extreme heat of lava below.

    Raverad was the first to cut. He easily evaded the stabbing blow of the foremost zombie. Rounding around the left side of his target, he yanked the iron helmet off and swung hard on the back of the zombie’s neck. Whether it was accelerated rot or the softening of the corpse due to the heat, the Apostle’s blade decapitated the zombie cleanly, sending its jaw-open head flying.

    Arla engaged a zombie with a raised sword. As its blade fell, she parried it with her own. It swung at another angle, but she was also ready for that. With the second clash, she forced the blade downwards, stepped forwards, and headbutted the zombie. It was darn good that it did not bite her there and then. It stumbled back, but it did not slow the zombie’s recovery too much. Swinging its blade back upwards, it cut across her elbow. A simple glance, but it cut enough to make her bleed some. Exchanging her sword arm as she ducked the next swing, she drove her blade up the zombie’s belly, successfully piercing the mail armoured protection. Before the still living zombie could hit her while her blade was though its gut, Stud smashed the right arm of the zombie. This brought Arla time to retract her blade and drive it though her target’s face.

    Stud, after saving Arla, made an acrobatic jump from the raised edge of the cave. His legs curled up before they kicked forwards. Both struck the upper body of the zombie behind the one Arla was fighting. It was pinned to the ground. Already having his sword in motion, he impaled the weapon through its open jaw.


    The man who was possessed by the Red Demon was leaping over zombies with superhuman acrobatics. His blade struck hard, empowered by either physical strength or some magic enchantment. Whatever the case, it was powerful enough to cut through zombies like a dull knife through butter. He was clearing out the majority of the hordes.

    Evan faced down two targets flanking him. He had not wielded a weapon in a day, and not the sword since Romero, so his arm pulsed with discomfort. It was as if the foreign design of the weapon was not already enough to make his sword arm unwieldy. As such, he stood his ground and waited for the zombies to get closer. Both hands gripped onto the hilt. Fingers overlapped due to the fact that this was not a greatsword. It was still more comfortable than carrying it one handed. Once the undead were close enough, he cleaved right across their abdominal parts. Still, coming, he reacted clumsily by swinging his sword in an upwards arc. The sword cut across the face of the zombie to his left. This however gave the opportunity for the zombie on the right to pin him down soon after. With one arm, it pushed Evan to the ground. The other beared the sword inches away from his knows and accelerating. Just as the blade was cutting through cartilage, Evan’s blade arm whacked against the zombie. The edge cut across his cheek. Evan kicked the zombie off of him. As he stood back up, he saw the zombie get an arrow in the face by Vos.

    Dodger had relinquished his bow for his sword by now. He teleported to the now unfrozen, one-armed zombie archer. As he reached it, he drove his blade right through the zombie’s chest. No, it was teleported through its chest. The archer zombie opposite turned its aim towards Dodger. The ex-mercenary picked up the struggling zombie corpse and used it as a shield. A bolt went through the impaled zombie’s head, finally killing it. Shade killed the last undead archer while it was distracted.

    “More are coming!” Dodger called out as he seemed to scan the unseen cave walls.

    “Evan, follow me!” Raverad called as he pulled him by the shoulder. “You and I will engage Amia and Joshua.”

    Evan did not respond. He just followed Raverad during the reprieve of battle. There were still many growls, but he knew not where they came from.

    Up ahead was a shattered bridge. Parts of it were barely held up by the pillars. Raverad was the first to jump. His surprising acrobatic skills allowed him to gracefully jump from one to the other. Evan was about to follow when an arrow came from seemingly nowhere. The bolt struck right on the piece that Raverad was just on a second after his foot left it. Ignoring hesitation, he jumped. Once he landed, he almost lost his balance. Feeling like he was going to slip, he jumped again. He landed on his stomach on the largest of the fragments. Raverad pulled him up.

    As the Apostle went on, Evan took a glance backwards. What he saw almost stunned him for too long. Dozens of zombies crawled along the walls both above and below the lips of the cave entrance. They wore both iron and mail and were armed with bow and blade. It was like a roach infestation scuttling away from the light and into the dark pockets that they made home.

    His gaze swiftly shot upwards as he saw a figure on the bridge above him move. It was an archer, but the features of this human were not rotten. It was not a zombie, neither was it Amia nor Joshua. He probably was another human minion under Amia’s command, deception, or mutual interests. Whatever the case, he was hostile. His bow was already aimed at Evan. When he fired, Evan jumped out of the way just in time.

    “Down here, Evan!” he heard Raverad call.

    Evan turned to see the Apostle standing at the lip of a small pocket just inches above the lava. Looking at the end of the shattered bridge, he realized that there was no way he could jump onto the spiral stairs from here. He gulped, knowing that he had to risk landing in lava in order to reach that narrow gap at the bottom of the pillar.

    After quickly getting back up on his feet, he hopped onto another few platforms that once made up the bridge. He made it to the last patch of ground before hesitating to jump again. Then, he heard an arrow whizz behind him. Evan leapt and screamed.

    His fit hit solid ground. He crawled forwards on his hands and knees, scampering away from the open gap. Evan quickly looked back. No arrow seemed to hit him in the leg. Either he made it just in time or the archer missed. Nevertheless, he made it.

    “Quickly, follow me,” Raverad said.

    The two of them hurried up the pillar. They hasted their way up the open spiral staircases exposed to the human archer’s kill zone. They managed to rest for a brief moment whenever they reached another building. Evan recognized some of them as Raverad had indicated when they first got here. Evan also recognized a habitation room. When they were climbing around the back side of the pillar, Evan noticed that the fire symbol of Agni was on the cave wall as well. Pulvia’s insignia was not present.

    Eventually, they reached the pinnacle of the stairs unscathed. They were in a room with a single table and a few bookshelves. Only the iron door at the end defined its purpose. It was sealed and locked. Raverad approached it and muttered a few words, almost like a prayer. Then, the iron door creaked open. There was not even a click to indicate that it was previously locked.

    “How did the other two get in?” Evan asked.

    Raverad picked up a small pile of shards off of the ground. There were fragments of glyphs on each of the pieces. It was difficult to tell what the originally looked like or the shape of the item itself for that matter.

    “Activation runes,” the Apostle said. “Can unlock any door, even those magically sealed like this one. Now come along and stay quiet.”

    The two of them inched their way through a narrow tunnel as small as the gap from the bottom of the stone column. Rather than a separate building, this looked more like a dug-in tunnel. It seemed to curve into a small spiral staircase going downwards. Everything was dark until they could see dim lighting at some point ahead. Raverad, in the lead, poised a hand as a halting indication. He turned his head to Evan and pointed his finger at his own eyes and then towards the source of illumination. Evan nodded, inched forwards, and peered his head through the opening.

    It was a small room made completely out of natural stone. A well of stone was carved out of the rock itself. There was water in it. It was boiling furiously. Potion bottles of unprocessed water samples sat along the edges of the fountain. They looked perfectly crystal clear. One word came to mind: pure.

    Also in the room were three figures. One was Amia. Her black hair hung at shoulder height and all around her head. The only part of her hairline that was cut exposed her pale face. Her eyes were closed and her lips moved. In her hands was an open book with no identifiable cover. She was mumbling some kind of incantation. A few feet from where she was standing was Joshua. The young man was kneeling over the third figure: the dead body of a young woman. That must have been Jenni. Joshua was pouring the red liquid of a potion into her open mouth.

    “Do we go in?” Evan whispered to Raverad as quietly as he could.

    “No, I want to see,” Raverad answered.

    “But you said….”

    “After reading Zenith’s book, there could be much more to magic than we all know,” Raverad explained. “I want to see if it really does work.”

    As soon as the bottle’s contents were emptied, Amia’s chanting got louder. When Evan glanced back at Raverad, he did not show any indication of surprise or wonder. He looked completely unconvinced. To Evan, it sounded like gibberish, and maybe the Apostle thought it too. He looked back to see Jenni’s body squirming. It seemed to have a seizure as it spazzed out. Joshua held her body down. Then, it stopped. All of it.

    “Josh?” came subtle words from Jenna’s lips.

    “Jenn?” Joshua replied with the most excited tone Evan ever heard.

    “Joshua, is that you?” Jenna said as she sat upwards. “I’m trying to open my eyes, but it’s hard to….”

    “Save your breath, Jenn,” Joshua said. He pulled her into a tight embrace. His hand wrapped around her long brown hair. Tears streamed down his eyes. A deep chuckle of joy emanated from his throat. “I’m just glad you’re back.” His eyes opened, staring directly at Evan and Raverad. “You see now?”

    Evan’s heart rapidly beat as soon as that stare struck home. The two of them slowly stood up again. They walked into the room but did not draw their weapons. While Evan’s eyes were wide open with surprise, Raverad had a raised eyebrow. It was difficult to tell whether he was not convinced or was skeptical about the whole thing.

    Joshua seemed to be the only one to acknowledge their presence. He stood up and took a step forwards. Jenni was rubbing her head, as though recovering from a blow to the head. She was getting up slowly. Amia just stood there, still with her eyes closed.

    “You see now?” Joshua repeated. “Jenni’s back. Raverad, you were wrong! As for you, Evan, you should have followed us. Your lover’s body is just on the other side of the well.”

    Evan glanced over where Joshua indicated. He could see the top part of Gabriella’s head just beyond the stone well. A tear ran down his eye. He resisted the urge to run over to her. Something in Raverad’s unflinching look make him want to act otherwise.

    “Don’t you see?” Joshua said. “This is just the beginning. Now, I can bring back Jenni’s friends, the ones that Uprising killed, the ones I led the bandits too in the first place. The ultimate form of redemption. I can correct my mistakes. I can bring back my parents. We can bring back everyone we lost!”

    Suddenly, a blade punched through Joshua’s gut from behind. The mail armour was torn right through and now blooded with the fresh blood of the one who wore it. Evan and Raverad were absolutely stunned. Behind Joshua, the one wielding the iron sword, was none other than Jenni herself. Her yes were open. They were a deep crimson. The same with Amia’s now open eyes.

    Joshua was bleeding out fast. His eyes were wide open with total shock. He was staring right down at the sword judging though his body. His right hand stroked the edge of the blade while the left was feeling the blood that was pouring out. He fell to his knees. No words came from his mouth. He did not turn his head. Something in his eyes indicated that he already knew. Tears rolled down his eyes. His breathing consisted of shaking exhales. He looked up at Raverad and Evan for a mere moment before falling to the ground.

    “A pity,” Amia said with a most disturbing grin. “He suffered, so he was desperate. That makes for a most excellent pawn.”

    “You sick, mad woman,” Raverad hissed. “How could you do such a thing to a broken man? You manipulated him into thinking he could reverse his deepest losses and regrets.”

    “But you, Apostle,” Amia said, now frowning as though spiteful, “you are an interesting case. Sure, my entire scheme was a setup of lies, but how do we truly know that what Joshua and Evan sought does not exist?”

    “Why?” Evan asked before Raverad could respond. “Why would you do this? What do you want?”

    “Zenith intends to leave this world,” she smirked again. “He leaves me with a kingdom of the dead. Once I allow him to succeed in his ambition, I shall be left to rule this world as queen.” She raised her arms in the air. “With the power to control the dead, I shall dominate all!”

    “Not today!” came a voice from across the room. Evan looked and saw Dodger suddenly standing above the well. “Today, before we end Zenith’s madness, we’ll end yours!”

    The electricity in the air from Dodger’s previous teleportation intensified. Evan, Raverad, and Amia fell off of their feet, as well as the zombie forms of Joshua and Jenni. It felt like an intense earthquake. Rocks were crumbling from the ceiling. The well water was now boiling maddly. Sparks of purple bolts were beaming to and from Dodger’s body. He was shrouded by an aura of magical fog. A loud ringing increased in intensity along with a bright light in Evan’s eyes illuminating from Dodger. His stomach did not feel right. It was as if he was about to teleport.

    *****

    He awoke to liquid running into his mouth. His eyes shot open, seeing the red potion emptying out of a bottle. The hand holding it was gloved. Evan’s eyes followed the appendage until he noticed the face of the man helping him. It was Shade.

    “Wakey, wakey,” the assassin said. “You teleported into a tree branch. Your careless rotten luck is gonna get you killed one day.”

    After drinking the whole potion, Evan sat up. His hands were buried in snow. He leaned against a tree. Looking up, he could see the starry night sky, but there were much fewer stars than last night. Faint light came from one direction. It must have been the crack of dawn.

    “Thanks,” Evan managed to say before he began coughing uncontrollably. After clearing his throat, he asked, “Where are we?”

    “Look ahead, dummy,” Shade said as he pointed forwards.

    Evan rubbed his eyes before gazing ahead. Beyond the trees, he could see flames surrounding a tall structure of unknown design. Further than that were four peculiar supports. No, not just supports. They were legs. Stone legs. He looked up to see the upper body and bowing head of the God Agni and the back of the Goddess Agni’s head. These were the frozen bodies of the twin fire deities.

    To the right of that, he saw several buildings of unique designs. They were clustered close together and connected by gravel roads. There were a several two-story buildings and a few one-story buildings. Evan could also see a massive cathedral of deep crimson color.

    Within the town, there was a figure. He was running fast, sprinting out of the cathedral. His entire body was cloaked. Even while running, the hood over his head remained up. It reminded Evan of….

    “Is that....?” he whispered to himself.

    “Pyros?” Shade said.

    Suddenly, there was a massive tremor.
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  16. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 15 - Mortal

    Simoon was so close, yet so far. He made it as far as the Spirit World and was deemed the Great Reincarnator by Valdon himself. The Air God had the power to break free from the prison of the universe, but instead chose to become Valdon’s pet, just like Therum. His tricks and jokes have done him more harm than good. It is too bad that I will now succeed where he failed.
    • Zenith
    As the earth shook, the ranger fell on his hands and knees. Trees all around the town were swaying from side to side. The cracking of wood and stone came from both plant and building alike. It came in intervals. Each tremor felt like something was upheaving through the ground. The reprieve between each quake was as long as a single earthshake.

    The ranger did not stay down for long. He quickly got up on his feet and began running. A second tremor only caused him to stumble, but he still was standing. As he ran, the buildings around him began to crumble. Trees close to the town were tumbling on top of each other, ripping up snow and soil from the earth. Evan could see what looked like a windmill topple over, nearly hitting Pyros.

    He and Shade noticed the tree next to them was also loosening from the ground. Evan and the assassin both ran off. They heard the tree fall behind them. Up ahead was the Statue of Agni. It looked like the only thing that was standing its ground despite the earthquakes. They ran passed the burning sword that the God Agni stuck into the ground and rested beneath the shadow of the frozen gods. Evan looked back at Pyros.

    The entire town was crumbling. From the rooftops to the very earth itself, everything was falling apart. As the ground split apart, the ranger leapt from one intact piece to another. From between the great cracks that formed, there were zombies emerging. Hundreds of them. All of them had deep crimson eyes. Amia still lived, and she was controlling them all.

    Pyros tried his best to avoid them. The undead clawed for his cloak, but could never truly reach the acrobatic man. If a zombie managed to get too close, the ranger would either shove the zombie with a punch or kick, or perhaps dispatch it with his dual wielding daggers. But for every one of the undead he killed, a dozen more would pile from the ground. Soon, there were hordes coming from both flanks of rising ground as the earth concave inwards from the entrance of the cathedral. As the slopes heightened, even giants started to emerge from beneath. Pyros jumped from one slope to the other, now trying to make his stand rather than escaping. If the two main portions of ground continued to slant, either the ranger would plummet into the resulting crevasse or he would be sandwiched by the two large pieces of earth.

    Then, what Evan saw next made his heart almost cease function. So awe struck he was that he took several steps backwards before clumsily falling on his hindquarters. His jaw dropped as wide as the height of his raised eyebrows, all from the sheer terror of what was coming. Emerging from the more distant splitting of the earth emerged an arm of immense size. The limb alone was as long as a giant was tall. Green rot of undeath ran all over its skin all the way to its worming fingertips. Such immense scale was impossible for Evan’s mind to comprehend. He went mad then, spitting more curses in a minute than he ever did in his life subconsciously just to calm his mind down. Even Shade was terrified, curling up into a ball in the snow as though he wanted to be more of a helpless insect than he already was compared to the colossal being to come.

    As the piece of land near the arm accelerated in height, the other piece started to fall. Many of the lesser zombies were crushed as a result. Pyros took the opportunity to make his escape. He fired a grappling arrow at a nearby tree. While he swung on the rope attachment, the tree started to fall. His feet kicked outwards, allow him for him to go higher like a child on a swing. Instead of landing on anything, he let go, allowing his weight to hurl in the sky for a brief moment. In mid air, he quickly grabbed another grappling arrow and fired it over the Statue of Agni. As his weight fell, he gripped onto the rope tightly. letting himself swing upwards and disappearing from Evan’s view.

    The massive arm palmed on nearby earth, much like Evan did to a nearby surface when he was getting himself up and off of his bed. He could see muscles beneath the skin contracting and expanding as whatever slept beneath this ground was finally rising. Suddenly, the earth completely ripped apart. Dirt, chunks of earth, trees, fragmented buildings, and zombies of all kinds were flung into the air. A great cloud of dust briefly shrouded the rising titanic body. Evan could see its shadowy humanoid outline of impossible size.

    He noticed the hordes that still lived were now running towards their direction. Evan looked down at Shade, who was rocking himself and whispering prayers, or confessions, or past sorrow, or whatever. He grabbed the assassin by the shoulders and started dragging him away. Shade suddenly was awake and lively. The assassin scrambled up on his feet as soon as he saw the coming swarm. They pushed on each other’s shoulders as they run, not looking back at all.

    Shade sprinted up slightly ahead towards a tree. He started to climb it. Fortunately, this patch of earth was not affected by the constant tremors. Halfway up the tree, he lended a hand to Evan, who accepted it. The assassin helped Evan climb higher up the tree before he followed the rest of the way. They had to run into many branches and leaves, but that was much better than running into gnashing teeth. Evan was the first to peek up above the treetop. As soon as he did, Shade pulled his head down. The point was to hide among the leaves and branches so the zombies could pass without noticing them. He held his breath and waited for long periods of time to breath. His muscles were shaking from trying to keep a foothold without breaking branches with his weight. Shade seemed to be handling it much more easily.

    Now, they could see Pyros off in the distance. He was running up along the bent spine of the frozen God Agni. As he did, a tall figure emerged from behind the statues. It would have been as tall as Agni if he stood up straight. The monster’s very image almost made Evan lose his grip. Its deep crimson eyes lit up brighter than the red streaks in the horizon. A large, gaping wound was on the upper right side of his chest. At first, Evan imagined it to be a larger version of a zombie giant, but something about this was was different. It was a perfect human form, right down to the crevices of its face. This monster was not many zombies put together. It was a single zombie somehow fashioned into a monstrous size.

    “Could it be?” Shade mumbled to himself.

    “What do you mean?” Evan whispered back. “Have you seen this thing before?”

    “No, but I knew who he once was,” the assassin replied. “Lucas, the former general under the Thieves Guild regime and later bandit lord of Uprising. The features on his face tell me that it’s him. How? Just… how?”

    Evan wanted to ask how he knew Lucas, but he was more focussed on what was on the monster’s shoulders. A human sized figure was riding on the left shoulder of the colossal giant. He could tell it was female even from a long distance. Judging by the waving black hair that would normally touch her shoulders, Evan assumed that was Amia.

    She was talking to Pyros as the monster carrying her moved in front of the Statue of Agni. The ranger stood motionless on the back of God Agni’s bowing head. It was not because he was not intimidated at all. Infact, the way his body leaned back with his arms out as though disarmed, he looked rather stunned by the whole thing. For once, the ranger looked defenseless, and maybe Pyros knew it. Meanwhile, Amia was making some kind of speech. It was probably the same kind she made back in the Barathrum Caverns. She had her left arm on her hip while pointing her right arm towards Pyros in an authoritative manner. No dialogue could be heard from this distance.

    Amia then seemed to wait for a response from Pyros. The ranger just kept standing there. From far away, Evan could not see his mouth move. He could not tell whether Pyros was talking back or if he was giving her the silent treatment. Whatever the case, she seemed to react in an “oh well, time to die,” manner.

    The giant’s arm was getting raised in the air. As soon as the shoulder even indicated some movement, the ranger bolted away, back down the God Agni’s neck and back. Once its hand was up high, it did not proceed to a smash like Evan thought it would. Instead, it seemed to be conjuring up some kind of magic. It took the form of a swirling sick pink and blue cloud. He also noticed the blood in the monster’s chest wound pulsing those colors.

    “Alchemical blood magic,” Shade gasped. “Calypso’s greatest secret.”

    “Calypso helped Amia?!” Evan said.

    “More like Amia stole the secrets from her,” the assassin replied. “That seems the most likely.”

    Evan remembered that book.

    All of a sudden, the God Agni began to move. It moved impossibly fast for its enormous size (which would make it look like it normal human movements). The great fiery blade retracted from the earth, sending bales of soil into the air. As Agni’s back straightened, Pyros leapt onto the Goddess Agni. The fire god’s sword swung upwards as it was pulled. Its edge cut right across the raised arm of the colossal zombie.

    The monster roared in agony and anger. It stumbled backwards. Blood gushed out of its arm rather than falling apart and becoming more zombies. All the magical clouds that were conjured now dissipated.

    Evan had to look down at Agni’s feet. He was right. The body of Evogol, the one possessed by the Red Demon, was now lying motionless next to Raverad’s feet. His plan worked. Crimson was now in complete control of the God Agni’s body.

    He was suddenly drawn to an immediate threat. A great wave of flames was expanding from God Agni’s very awakening. They cascaded in all directions. Parts of it were heading towards the tree that he and Shade were on. Evan grabbed the assassin by the shoulder and pulled both of them off of the tree. They landed in the snow, feeling pain upon impact. Fortunately, nothing broke.

    When he picked himself off of the ground, he did not feel any wetness. He did not feel any ice cold breeze anymore. Beneath him, between his fingertips, were unfrozen blades of short grass. Looking up into the early morning sky, he noticed all the trees around him no longer covered in snow. Now glancing at every angle around him, there was no more snow, ice, or trace of newly formed wetness to be found. The snowlands did not just melt. All the snow disappeared.

    His eyes went back to Agni just in time to see him bring his blade back down. The tip cut a long scar across the body of the monster, starting from the open wound it already had. A deluge of blood flooded out of the newly formed wound. The colossal zombie staggered even further back. It looked as though it was getting more of a foothold though.

    The God Agni’s burning sword began illuminating with intense brightness. Evan noticed the way the arms were bent and how the sword-arm shoulder was positioned. God Agni was poised for the killing blow. Before he could bring the weapon towards his opponent’s gut, the monster grabbed Agni by the shoulder. Its nails were driving deep into Agni’s dark grey skin. Deep crimson blood leaked from the fire god’s skin. A god bled.

    The monster continued fighting by driving its knee into Agni’s abdomen, ramming hard. It definitely looked like it hurt. Agni seemed unaffected by it for the most part. He responded with his free arm punching the monster right in the jaw. A loud crack rang across the now unfrozen forest. Immediately following, Immediately following, the monster grabbed Agni’s swinging arm by the wrist. The two of them struggled, putting more force on each other. Their faces had horrible grimaces of hate staring down at each other. After about a good minute of that, Agni brought his head back before swinging it forwards. Another loud boom rang as the fire god head-butted the undead monstrosity.

    It staggered back, letting go of Agni. Both hands were now covering the face. Not that it was trying to stop the blood or suppress the pain, rather they were raised to parry another coming blow. When none came, the monstrosity lowered its arms. Evan noticed a vile grin. He did not like that.

    The colossal zombie was staring down at Agni’s feet. Evan’s heart sank, wondering if he spotted Raverad or anyone else down there. Did something happen to them, or was something going to happen? He followed the gaze of the undead monster.

    All the zombies that emerged from the ripped apart earth that the mega-giant was unearthed from were not climbing up Agni’s legs. He responded by raising his feet and squishing them like insects. There were still many, but the God Agni ignored them. Before he could focus back on his true opponent, he noticed several zombie giants in his way. Compared to Agni, they were akin to the unborn infant zombies that tore free from every pregnant womb after the outbreak. Still, they were large enough for Agni to use his sword against them.

    Distracted, he did not see what Evan noticed was the zombie monster’s next move. It had both its palms close together, facing each other, but not clasped. Between them, a rolling ball of pale pink and blue clouds formed. The alchemical blood magic was forming. This time, Evan could see blood evaporating out of pores on the colossal zombie’s hands, adding to the volume of the magical attack. Then, it pushed its hands out, unleashing the baleful magical energies towards an unprepared God Agni.

    Suddenly, Evan noticed something headed towards the opposite direction from behind Agni. It came out of the corner of his left eye. A ball of rolling fire hurled seemingly slowly towards the undead monster. With one glance to the direction the opposing magic came from, he saw the Goddess Agni herself now moving. Pyros the ranger stood one one of her shoulders.

    Turning back to the colossal zombie, he watched its demise with an over excited heartbeat. The rolling ball of flames collided with the alchemical blood fog. The cloud dispersed on contact, consumed by licking magical pyres. It followed the trail of the abomination’s magic back to where it came from.

    Evan watched the impossible giant’s eyes widen and imagined the same with Amia’s own. He heard her cry out, “No!” as the fires engulfed the monster. It was falling backwards by the force of the magical blast. Within moments, not a single part of its body was untouched by the scorching fire. Trees around its legs and wherever its body was landing were now blazing. He watched the undead titan fall. Melted skin flooded the land around it. Huge plumes of black smoke rose from its corpse and the surrounding burning brush.

    God Agni was not surrounded by many dead zombies. Not a single one was less than singed. The giants were no more, made short work by the great fire blade of Agni. He stood up straight and turned to the Goddess Agni. Evan wondered if the goddess of fire would accept that her brother’s dark twin was possessing his husk. They nodded at each other, a possible confirmation of trust.

    The God Agni raised his unarmed hand. It was a flat palm. He was gently holding something, raising it up to his face. His visage looked at it with eyes of flame beneath perfectly sculpted eyebrows. On his hand was a figure. Even from a distance, Evan recognized the crimson iron armour of the Apostle of Fire. Raverad stood before the now mobile physical forms of the deities he worshiped. Evan could not even comprehend such an experience.

    *****

    As the morning sun rose higher, the rest of the group had reunited with Evan, Shade, and Raverad. With the awakening of two gods, how could they not have found the target for their journey. They all were now standing on the opposite side of the burning forest. Each and every one of them were in absolute shock and awe with everything that had happened and was happening now. First, they were teleported across a snowy landscape, scattered. Then, they noticed the God and Goddess Agni in the distance awaken. Furthermore, as a result, a great firestorm from their resurrected physical forms had obliterated all the snow and ice from this once cold region. Now, they stood by the toes of their now moving deities having just defeated a most horrible monster and starting a forest fire as a result.

    “Young Raverad had spoken to me before you all arrived,” Goddess Agni spoke. Her feminine voice boomed with strength and authority. “I understand that Crimson’s power must be used as a substitute for the body of my brother in this, our darkest hour. As such, we shall work together to defeat this Zenith once and for all.

    “God Agni… I mean the Red Demon shall search the lands for any lead to where Zenith’s main operations are set. Meanwhile, you all shall accompany me as we awaken the remaining gods.”

    Goddess Agni began to walk towards the northwest. Her great legs allowed her to tread many meters in but a single step. As she walked past the group, the others followed.

    Evan glanced back over his shoulder. Among the bare bark of burned trees, within now white smoke, the God-Agni’s physical form began to walk towards the northeast. That was where Raverad indicated a possible lead, considering their find with the missing Stonehenge.

    And here he was. One among the last few survivors of this region, perhaps this world. For the first time, he had to let a discomforting reality sink in. He remembered coming here to lead a change in the world: seizing the post-apocalyptic lands of undeath to rebuild civilization. Now, he was but a mere mortal, struggling to survive. Their only hope now was in the hands of the very gods themselves. It sounds great, but he also was told how Zenith had the power to defeat them once before. That was exactly how both of Agni’s physical forms were frozen in the first place. This meant that there was a pretty good chance of defeat. If such a thing would happen, Evan knew that he would have no means of defeating Zenith at all. To this conflict, he was nothing. Nothing at all.
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  17. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 16 - Walker

    Agni was raised a god simply because of the great power he wielded and gifted. How sad that he was the only one with the power of a god and never deserved to become one in the first place. Moreover, he almost destroyed mankind, birthed a dark twin, and crushed much faith in the gods from much of the mortal realm. Said faith must now be carried by those Inquisitors, who are just simply overzealous mortals. How pathetic that the so-called gods must now be handicapped by mortal prophets. Neither God or Goddess Agni, nor the Crimson wretch, would have ever become truly ascendent like I am destined to be.
    • Zenith
    Goddess Agni was not as tall as her brother, but was enormous still. As she walked, she did her best to avoid knocking down trees. Fortunately, she was not setting the world ablaze with every step like many among the group imagined would happen. Unlike Crimson, the Goddess did not want senseless destruction, and the God Agni would adhere to that too. Every time there was a tree in the way, she would take a careful step forwards, raising her leg high so that her foot would not hit one. As her head scanned the ground, the red hair waved behind her head. Surprisingly, the Goddess was very skilled at being careful. She would still leave dents in the ground where she stepped. Her caution also slowed her pace, allowing the rest of the group to keep up.

    It was not long before they all reached a river. Eroded soil could be seen along the edges of the river. Evan wondered why until he remembered how all the snow and ice evaporated. The river surrounding the once-land-of-ice had lowered slightly in water level. Goddess Agni took a single great step across the river, avoiding the water entirely. The others had to swim through and refilled their water bottles at the same time.

    As they reached land again, Evan walked closer beside Shade. He scratched the back of his head before speaking. “I never thanked you for healing me back up after the mass teleportation,” he said to the assassin. “Very much, many thanks.”

    “No problem,” Shade said, facing forwards instead of at Evan. “You would’ve bled out. I had to do something about it.”

    “It’s just that… I didn’t think… every since Romero… I never thought you would….”

    Shade finally glanced at Evan. “I hate myself,” he said. “Having Splinterlance die by my hands was a heat of a moment thing, and I hate myself for it.”

    He face forwards again, not talking for a minute until Evan almost took a step away from him.

    “I was trained to be selfish,” the assassin said. Evan stayed beside him, intrigued to listen. “I was trained to be cold. Everything I am involved my training since birth. I was a member of the Thieves Guild. A separate branch to be specific….”

    “Sorry, I’m not native here,” Evan interrupted. “What’s the Thieves Guild?”

    “A black market business,” Shade explained. “The most infamous of the region. It wasn’t long after their founding that they began to open separate branches that operate different needs for the Guild. I was a member of the assassin branch. Ever since I was born, I was trained to be selfish and despicable for the… good of the Guild.” A growing poison filled his words. “And when I was nine years old, I started to be trained to kill. The whole point of the assassin branch was to eliminate those who were a problem that the Guild could not persuade, seduce, threaten, or bribe to be rid of them. I was one of the late batch though. By the time I was of age to begin my bloody work, the Great War was lost and the new Grimdale Governor drove us out of Grimdale. I had only one mission. Two years after the Great War, I was given a partner from the assassin branch, Amia.”

    Evan was wide eyed.

    “Like I said, I knew Lucas because he was the leader of the military branch of the Thieves Guild. Amia was newer than me, so I never met her until we were given an assignment: to kill the Governor of Grimdale. When we were at it, we screwed up. We were running away, but the front gates were under heavy guard. There was only one other way: to hide out in the old Thieves Guild home beneath the sewers of Grimdale. But, when we were about to turn the corner, we both realized that only one of us could slip through undetected. It took a glance towards each other’s faces to confirm that we both knew the same thing. I reacted faster though. I pushed her onto the ground and made my escape.”

    “Leaving her to the guards chasing you both,” Evan realized.

    “Yeah,” Shade replied. “I don’t exactly know what happened to her afterwards because I was busy living underground, waiting for the commotion to settle down. All I knew was that she would be taken to Devil’s Castle for execution, as all those who commit capital crime. While I hide away, I had plenty of foot and water to last for months. The Thieves Guild headquarters of Grimdale was turned into a safehouse in case of a dire emergency. I only planned to stay for a few weeks though before making my way back to the unnamed castle where our other HQ was. But after a few day, I noticed people coming down into the safehouse. That meant something had gone horribly wrong up there. I sneaked out of the exit, which led to one of the outer fountains of Grimdale, only to find the world I once knew overrun with undead.”

    “And you were never around to witness the fall,” Evan said. “Your last memory of civilization was running away from the guards.”

    “Well, at least my last memory wasn’t having dinner with my family the night before they all died by the tooth and claw of undead.”

    “I never had that kind of experience either. My last memory was having an argument with my boss concerning the initial reports of the rising dead. I ended up with a broken nose. After that, when I was about to get back to work, the zombie hordes were pouring into the docks. As far as I know, I was the only survivor. But I never had to lose anyone close during the outbreak or since. Well, at least until my lover was killed my second day on this new continent.” Evan frowned, trying his best not to tear up.

    “My last memory of civilization was in the safehouse beneath Grimdale with the others,” Arla said, getting in on the conversation. “Kind of funny how you were there and I never knew that.”

    “Yeah, funny,” Shade said.

    He picked up his pace, sort of like when he was scouting. Goddess Agni was already up ahead, so it seemed more like he was trying to avoid the conversation. The assassin probably dislike his memories of the past.

    “Stud and I met down there,” Arla continued speaking to Evan. “If it wasn’t for the undead rising, we never would’ve met.”

    “Are you suggesting that the outbreak did good?” Evan asked.

    “More bad than good of course,” Arla replied. “I was absolutely terrified of the zombies a long time ago.”

    “I find that hard to believe, considering the way you fight.”

    “I’m serious. They were in my every nightmare ever since the outbreak. But at one point in time, I was separated from the group. For days, I hid away scared. Slowly but surely though, I learned to kill the undead to survive. The next group I joined was with Earn and Delfias.”

    “And you three discovered the Red Demon and his knowledge on Zenith’s schemes,” Raverad joined in the conversation. “As Crimson himself told me.”

    “And you, Apostle?” Arla said. “What was your last memory of civilization?”

    “Before the defense of Mount Longton, Athosis and I were leading prayers in the Aeternalis Cathedral,” Raverad shared. “After letting the majority of the people leave, my disciple and I readied ourselves for battle. The cathedral at the time felt untouchable, same as Cole Castle. When I returned there a month ago, it looked as it did when I first found it: ruined and barren. With Cole Castle destroyed now, I feel more vulnerable than ever. My faith in Agni and the other gods remains true, but I am no fool to underestimate Zenith either.”

    “And you’re definitely right not to,” Evan said. He looked around to see the others walking closer, listening intently. “Does anyone else want to share their last memories of civilization?”

    “A feast at Cole Castle,” Dodger said. “That was before I helped Dezerath and his people escape the soldiers that were allied with Uprising.”

    “Warning the people of Paluster about the coming undead,” Pyros said. “They didn’t believe me at all until the hordes came swarming in.”

    “Sitting behind my office desk in the Heartless Mansion before all the rangers left,” Vos said. “I stayed in that building for two weeks after the outbreak. Then, I was found by Dezerath’s people and brought to Carmi.”


    "Teaching Tristitian children," Odesteon said. "That was my day job before the outbreak."

    "Transporting food from the Portsmouth farm back to town," Jenna said. "If I were in the town itself, I would have died with my family. I don't know whether or not that was a good or bad thing.

    The others looked at Carter now, who was walking in the back of the pack. He was intentionally slow so nobody would notice him. Evan knew why.

    “Making….” he tried to speak, but held back. “Making….” He pinched his nose and pulled his head down. His palm covered much of his face. No tears rolled out, but his cheeks were reddening.

    “Ravion?” Evan asked the man, mostly to draw attention away from an embarrassed Carter. “What about you?”

    “Why are we even talking about this?” he dismissed the question with anger. Evan never noticed him so perturbed before.

    “We should savior them,” Raverad said. “They may be our last memories of civilization.”

    “Just… serving food to ungrateful strangers at an inn in Crowmure,” Ravion said.

    “That bad?” Evan asked.

    “No, not that, but what happened afterwards!” He pointed towards something up ahead. “You see that?”

    Evan noticed a hint of white beyond the trees. It was not snow, rather it was paint on a building. It was too far to see what it was exactly. Then, there was a narrow clearing beyond the treetops. A cross sat atop the structure. It was a chapel.

    “I had a hideout with an entrance from one of my family member’s gravestones,” Ravion continued. “When the outbreak came, my family was in there already, and they were…,” the wrinkles on his face curled sharply, “worshiping the undead. How sick! They wanted freedom from terror, to no longer feel. I killed them all.” Tears ran down his face, the anger getting washed away. “That’s why Arla is the only family I have left.”

    “I’m sorry,” Carter said.

    “Wait,” Evan said. “So does that mean you and Arla are….”

    “Siblings,” he said. “Brother and sister.”

    “Step-siblings more like,” Arla added. “Born of the same mother but not by the same father.”

    “And it’s a darn good thing you lived as a miner at Al Hasa rather than among the superstitious residence of Crowmure.” Poison spat from Ravion’s lips.

    Everyone went silent after all of that. Evan hoped that the conversation would stir a greater bonding and make the group interaction more lively. Unfortunately, something dark always seems to get in the way. Perhaps his desire for dialogue was a means to supplement for the lack of civilization. It was like a withdrawal from narcotics. After a month with the Oceanic Sanctuary, he felt at peace with civilization, knowing that even if he left to hunt giants, home was not far away. Now, he had no home. He tried not to think on it. Such thought would only provoke a bleak realization.

    *****

    After about another hour’s worth of walking, the Goddess Agni stopped. Evan could see water beyond the trees several meters away. As they got closer, he could see ice floating beyond the shoreline. The ice was surrounding what appeared to be a tall structure. It was not until the group reached the edge of the forest when they could see the entire spire. The base was octagonal. Four rectangular layers of stone brick stacked atop each other on every side. Each rectangular unit was bordered with some kind of blue rock. One rectangle had a blue crusted entrance. Then, three more layers made up the rest of the height, but these sections were curved inwards. Atop it all was the most eye-catching piece of all: a great orb of light and darkness. It was like the one they found in the caves and the one atop the other spire.

    Goddess Agni raised her arms. Flames circled above the tower, creating a circle of flame with a circumference as great as the surrounding ice. Then, with a downward flick of the Goddess’s hands, the fires lashed towards the ice. A bright light shined on impact. Evan and the others had to cover their eyes to avoid the blinding illumination. He could only hear what was going on now. He could hear the roar of flames, the crackling of ice, the crumbling of rock, and the howl of a cascading waterfall.

    After the light disappeared, Evan looked back. The fires were gone, as were the patches of ice. The spire had just sunk several layers into the water. That blue entrance, which was once three stories too high, was now at sea level.

    “I had just drilled the spire into the seabed,” Goddess Agni bellowed. “Pulvia is free from his prison.”

    The entire group just stood their, their jaws open and awestruck. Be it the immense display of a god’s power or the realization that this location contained the bars of another god, everyone was in deep surprise one way or another.

    “You may enter if you wish,” Agni spoke. “But I know Pulvia better than any of you. For those who wish to listen to him, proceed with a wise and open mind. You cannot unhear the knowledge he has.”

    Raverad stepped forwards. At first, he took gingerly steps towards the spire. Then, he began to swim. As soon as his feet touched the water, Evan followed. Pyros and Dodger came next. Then, Ravion, Arla, and Stud. The last ones to submit were Shade, Vos, and Carter.

    By that time, Raverad was pulling himself up on the tower’s ‘first’ floor. He just stood there for a minute, looking down into the neck of the spire. Once Evan caught up with him, the Apostle descended. He looked down to see a pit of darkness. Magical lamps floated in different places. Waterfalls cascaded from the breaches along the sides. Raverad had jumped down one of them like a salmon going down the river. Evan took a deep breath and followed.

    As he descended, he noticed only one dry section of the ground floor. It was in the middle of the room. A massive book lay there, undamaged by the water as though never touched. It was the largest book Evan had ever seen. Raverad was already next to it. The Apostle was flipping the pages, skimming as he read.

    Once Evan reached him, Raverad stopped on one page in particular. Once that happened, an octagonal perimeter surrounding the book on the dry floor lit up brightly. The Apostle grabbed one of its edges and began to pull.

    “Evan, help me lift this,” he said.

    The two of them struggled with the immense weight of the stone brick trap door. After a few minutes of pulling, it was open ninety degrees. Enough. Raverad and Evan stared down into a room full of total shadow. A single ladder was the only way down. It looked perturbing, Evan took a deep breath to eliminate that feeling. He offered to go down first.

    It was a long way down, but they finally made it. As soon as Evan’s feet touched the ground, the borders of the room were suddenly alight with candles. Raverad caught up with him. They gazed at opposite sides of the room for a good minute before the Apostle tapped Evan on the shoulder. He turned and looked to where Raverad was pointing.

    Beyond them was a tall black figure. Long, skinny arms were behind its back. It was staring at a wall, not at all paying heed to the newcomers. After another minute, the head turned a full half circle like an owl. The figure stared at the strangers with deep purple-glazed eye.

    “My gods,” Dodger said, who had just arrived. “Pulvia is an enderman.”
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  18. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 17 - One

    Nelcus Thysen is dead. They called me evil, witch, heathen, demon, malice. They slew me, cut my body while I gazed into the Void. Those naive fools. They never realized my true potential. As a master of more magic than they could ever dream of, I can pull myself from the Spirit World and return to accomplish all that they sought to end. Nelcus Thysen is no more. I shall rise again as Zenith.
    • Zenith

    “Yes,” Pulvia spoke.

    The voice echoed within Evan’s mind. Judging by the startling motions of the others, they must have received the telepathy as well. No mouth moved on the water god’s face. Not even any body language was made to help. He was unnaturally still. Obviously, he was not frozen or petrified because he turned his head.

    “That is what your species call my kind,” Pulvia continued. “Are you surprised?”

    “Of course,” Raverad said. “We thought you would have been human like Agni twins.”

    “Only they and Simoon are human,” the water god replied.

    “You mean Therum isn’t human either?” Ravion asked.

    “No,” Pulvia answered. The rest of his body turned so sharply yet so fluidly. “You all are ignorant of our history and for good reason. Now though, times are desperate, so I should share with you the origins of the pantheon you have come to know.”

    Evan had the urge to leave. While he was not religious like Raverad, he was quite frightened to hear. He remembered Goddess Agni’s words, “You cannot unhear the knowledge he has.” This was it. The secrets to the gods themselves. The highest order. Their origins. Was it right to listen. He glanced behind him. Carter and Ravion were leaving. They did not want to hear the truth. Evan considered it, and he could see it in most of the others’ eyes. He bit his lip. He had to stay. What Pulvia had to say may lead to a way to defeat Zenith.

    “Have any of you heard of one of the latest books bearing my seal?” Pulvia asked. “It was written by our adversary, Zenith.”

    “Valdon and the Voidlings?” Raverad asked.

    “Yes, you have read it?”

    “It was given to me by a man named Ikos, the Messenger of Crimson. He was how I first learned about Zenith. The book told me everything about what Zenith discovered in the Void.”

    “The rest of us are out of the loop though,” Shade interrupted.

    “Raverad, if you would explain,” Pulvia said. “Reciting the knowledge yourself shall strengthen your own.”

    All eyes were on Raverad now. Evan was now introduced to three new concepts: Valdon, Voidings, and the Void. What were these things, or who? How were they significant? What was Zenith’s connection to them? Most importantly, what about these things could be used against him?

    “Before his death, a man known as Nelcus Thysen supercharged the stonehenge with kidnapped mages so that he could gaze into a reality that is beyond our own,” Raverad announced. “This was the Void, a realm beyond our realm where time moves so incredibly fast that creation could not possibly exist. However, there were entities existing within, immune to the stream of time because they were not physical. These were the voidlings. The most powerful of them all was named Valdon. It was he who created our universe in the first place.”

    “How though?” Evan blurted out. Sudden exposure to this knowledge hooked his curiosity as though he were dominated by a magic spell. Was Pulvia doing something? Was this chamber enchanted? Or was it just the nature of the knowledge itself?

    “All voidlings possessed a magic that allowed for creation to exist in the void,” Raverad continued. “It slowed the stream of time so that something physical could manifest. Other voidlings had limited power. Valdon was the only one to create an entire universe with such slow time.”

    “More importantly, how does this connect with Zenith?” Unexpectedly, it was Pulvia who asked the question. Judging by his tone, he wanted Raverad to try and answer. The water god acted like a teacher or mentor.

    “All I could gather was that Zenith wants to harness the power of what he calls the Mother and Father of magic: Creation and Annihilation.”

    “But he has already obtained the power of Annihilation,” Evan said. “So he must be after creation next.”

    “How do you know that?” Arla asked.

    “Those white bolts of lightning,” Dodger said before words could pass Evan’s lips. “They are annihilation, aren’t they?”

    “Precisely,” Pulvia said. “But if Creation is the slowing of time, what is Annihilation?”

    “The speeding up of time,” Raverad answered.

    “But there’s just one more question,” Pyros said. “Who exactly is Nelcus Thysen? It probably doesn’t matter because he’s dead, but how did Zenith know about him?”

    “Nelcus Thysen is Zenith,” boomed Pulvia. “He was hunted down by local enforcement after the disappearance of those mages. When he died, his spirit still wielded enough magical power to resurrect himself. The first thing he did was publish Valdon and the Voidlings. That was the last we have heard of him until now.”

    “And during his absence, he was preparing a necromancy spell to drown the world in the undead,” Raverad added.”

    “But why though?” Odesteon asked. “We know he’s been kidnapping mages. Why unleash the hordes on us?”

    Evan started to snap his fingers. Two things in his mind connected. On one side, Nelcus Thysen kidnapped local mages to empower the stonehenge, and Zenith is doing the same now. But there was one other connection. Before, he did not use necromancy at all. Now, he is. So what was different. Then it hit him.

    “He used the undead hordes to destroy civilization,” Evan said. “He had to get rid of interference. Before, enforcers killed him for his actions. Zenith needed civilization to be out of the way, so he unleashed the necromancy spell… my Gods it all makes sense now!”

    “But why would he need to relocate the Stonehenge though? Vos asked. “He carried it to the northeast….”

    “Wait,” Jenna said. “Pulvia, could we have a visual map of the region?”

    The water god waved his arms to his right. Great tendrils of ice covered the wall next to him. They started to take shape into familiar landmasses. Within a few seconds, it created a visual map of the region. Jenna walked up to it and pointed at where the Stonehenge was.

    “Let’s see, it was right here,” Jenna said as her finger traced the direction of the movement of the Stonehenge. “This was where it went off to. But why though?”

    “Maybe it is a piece to a bigger puzzle,” Raverad suggested.

    “Or maybe the Stonehenge was not enough,” Jenna argued. “Maybe it was not big enough. Maybe there weren’t enough mages. That’s why he had been kidnapping mages for three months. Maybe….” Her finger traced to the northwest corner of the ice map. “Agni Ignis!” she shouted. “Put the ruins in a bigger circle to enhance the Stonehenge’s power or something!”

    “And you knew this?” Shade questioned Pulvia.

    “Admittedly, I could have solved this myself,” the water god said. “But I won’t be around forever. Your minds needed to be fortified. As you may know, you should not rely on me all the time, lest something happen to me and you have no way to think.”

    Shade mumbled to himself. Evan still disliked Shade, but he could no longer blame him for his faults. Whatever the so called Thieves Guild did to him, Amia, and Lucas, they must have affected the very core of their beings. One thing was for certain though: Shade hated himself as much as Evan hated him. At least on that part, they can agree.

    “But what about you gods,” Raverad asked curiously. “I know time is not on our side, but I want to know. Where did you all come from?”

    “I apologized for diverting on a tangent,” Pulvia said. “It is my turn to talk. So as you know, Valdon created the universe. He hid in the Spirit World, outcasted by his kind. To protect him, he created a guardian in each layer of the universe, each world. In our world, our guardian was Therum, the Beast. The powers of the earth he bore shaped the world itself. For untold aeons he watched and waited for any threat to this world. But the realm I came from, at the very edge of our universe, was not guarded by a single being, rather, by an entire species. My species, which you have come to call endermen.”

    “But what do you call your own species?” Odesteon asked.

    “Something that your throat cannot vocalize, and the same goes with our native language,” Pulvia said. “To continue, my species were the chosen form of intelligent life before the humans. We thrived on taking the material of the world around us and creating structures. I was the wisest of them all. It was I that led their major projects. Most notably, the portals between worlds. We used them to travel from world to world in hopes to share our teachings. In your world, we found you all, humankind.

    “One particularly gifted human in particular worked alongside me on an ambitious project. His name was Simoon, the soon to be God of Air. He was fascinated by the portals, and worked with me in finding a means to reach the core of our universe, the Spirit World. Alas, the project failed at its original purpose, and the process slew Simoon. However, it transcended his spirit, so that he may travel to and fro the Spirit world and other worlds at will.”

    “Before we move on, I wanted to ask what happened to your species?” Dodger asked. “I met one of them before, but as far as I know, they were near extinct. It told me it was the last of its kind.”

    “It lied,” Pulvia said. “Like Simoon, there was another human whose name we dare not speak. This particular man sought the power to rule. He invented necromancy in the first place to devastate your world a long time ago. There were other things he did to the sentient races of other worlds as well as their guardians. As for my kind, he cursed them. Many of them turned into mindless savages. He robbed the majority of my species of their greatest power, intelligence. Those few who remained became selfish outcasts. I myself left my world to serve the humans here. Unfortunately, one part of the curse affected all of us, including myself. Water burns out skin. Ironic for me, is it not?”

    “And that was how Zenith caged you,” Raverad concluded.

    “Indeed,” Pulvia continued. “As for the man who did all those horrible things, he was beaten by a pair of human twins. One a gladiator, the other a mage.”

    “The God and Goddess Agni,” Raverad realized.

    “Ignis Agni and Ida Agni,” Pulvia added. “With the defeat of the accursed one, the two of them were raised as gods. Therum, Simoon, and myself used our magical powers to give them titanic bodies so that they may fortify the defense of this world. How unfortunate that we all forgot that we were not truly gods, rather simply one of you. And by our arrogance, Zenith wounded all of us.”

    “And with the gods restored, we have a chance,” Pyros said.

    “A chance yes,” Pulvia said. Evan detected a shred of doubt in that voice. “We must hurry now. Goddess Agni had already left to summon the God Simoon. I will go and free Therum from his sickness.”

    “And we head to Agni Ignis?” Raverad asked.

    “No, we gods shall confront Zenith,” Pulvia said. “Only we have the potential to stop him. You all though have some unfinished business with the one called Amia. She and her servant, Knox, have retreated to the Cave of the Dying Lady. Hunt them down and end another necromancer problem in your world.”

    “How do you even know all this?” Shade asked. “You’ve been stuck down here for pretty much ever and haven’t even stepped outside for a tan. Not that you need one though.”

    “I have been watching,” Pulvia pointed upwards. “That sphere allows me to see much. There are dark spots though, such as Agni Ignis. I cannot see what Zenith is doing there. Too much magical interference.”

    “More proof that that’s where he’s bringing all the mages,” Dodger said. “Let’s head off.”

    The group began to scramble back up the ladder one by one. Evan stood still for a moment to wait his turn. He took a glance back to see Pulvia disappear. Judging by the taste of electricity in the air, he must have teleported out. The gods were doing their work now. It was time for the mortals to bring the fight to foes their own strength.

    *****

    When the group finally reached the surface again, they were mumbling a lot to themselves. Evan was the last one to climb ladders, so he had no idea what their conversations were all about. They had an “ooh aww” tone of voice, so they were fascinated by something. He scrambled faster so that he may see what was so amazing.

    Evan looked in the direction the rest of the group was facing. In the distance, he could see Goddess Agni standing by a massive volcano. Her height was only a fraction of that of the mountain, but it was impressive nonetheless. What was more awe inspiring was what emerged from the rim of the volcano. Dozens of ghastly ships were sailing into the sky, heading southwards. Humanoid wisps were circling around the vessels. A cool gust came from their direction.

    “Behold my legions of the Spirit World!” shouted an enthusiastic voice. It vibrated unnaturally, as though wrestling with the wind. Everybody turned to it.

    Coming alongside the water spire was another ship of the same design. Ghastly white waves held the ship aloft rather than water. Ecto-green exhaust expunged from the rear. It was much like the Spirit Vessel from Pravus.

    On it was a tall, ghostly figure. He stood tall and slender with waving hands and a huge grin on his face. Nobleman clothes, conjured in the same manner as his body, draped from his floating figure. The very air around him felt like a whirlwind, making his already dominate stature far more imposing.

    Evan already knew who he was. He recognized the facial features of the stranger’s son. It was Simoon.
  19. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 18 - Good

    What good are gods if their subjects are flawed? Humans are the perfect example. Although many work together, many more bicker and fight over things they know nothing about, or things that don’t matter at all. The dead however are the perfect subjects for they do not squabble among themselves. That is how I have become more of a god than any of the so called gods that the mortals worshipped. Even then, I am no god at all, for I have abandoned theology. As I prepare for my ultimate ascension, I must ensure that no mortal interference should come about again. Thus, I shall unleash the most powerful necromancy spell ever conjured. With civilization brought to their knees, I shall be free to finish what I have started before.
    • Zenith

    Wind whirled all around the vessel. It battered the sails from behind, forcing them to flap in waves across the white fabric. This was unnatural though. Simoon was generating the gale himself. All of his other ships were crewed by the spirits, using their ghostly forms to substitute for gust. The same went for the water that would normally buoy boats; instead of spirits, Simoon used his air magic for his own personal craft.

    As they sailed on - no, not on, over - the river heading eastward, Evan was watching the passing landscape from the starboard side. They were moving quite fast. Only having just left the water spire, they would reach the edge of that volcano within minutes. Trees were passing by faster than they would when he was riding on a horse. They were almost like blurs. As amazing as it was, it made him feel nauseous. He looked away, facing the port.

    Many people were downstairs taking a nap, as they would feel like because it may be the last nap before a big fight. Odesteon was the only other person up and about. He just paced the floors of the deck, circling the tallest of the three masts. His combat staff twirled among the fingertips of both his hands. It was casual and did not at all seem like training.

    Beyond the port was a less crazy yet just as breathtaking of a view. The waters shimmered with the reflecting sunlight. In the distance were the grey stone brick walls surrounding the largest island yet. Treetop points sticking out above the barricade did not move by in a blur when so far away. Not so hidden behind the canopy was a humongous castle. Heck, it towered far above all vegetation. It was bigger than Cole Castle. All the watchtowers were tipped with green. The rooftops of everything else were pitch black and edged with gold. The outline shinned much light reflecting from the sun looking closely overhead. Now that it was autumn, the sun was more northwards during the day.

    Then, something caught his eye. His gaze glazed over the water. Everything was illuminating with the sun’s reflection but one little spot. He walked towards the opposite end of the ship for closer inspection. Squinting his eyes, he noticed that it was a humanoid figure. At first, it looked dark skinned, but it was not so. Rather, its body was completely enveloped with shadows. Evan could make out faint, white outlines where the eyes should be. It was walking on the water, as though it were solid ground. Most disturbing of all were its fingers: long and sharp.

    “A nightmare zombie,” Odesteon said.

    Evan jumped back, not expecting to hear the Tristitian talking right next to his left ear. He gave a good shout when his heartbeat skyrocketed for an instantaneous moment. Falling on his hindquarters made Simoon laugh from the back end of the ship. Swiftly, he picked himself up and dusted himself off. Before he was able to say anything, Odesteon was already away from the port. His eyes noticed at the left corner that the Tristitian was walking back to the centermost mast. When he reached it, he began examining the dreamcatcher he placed on it.

    “Why aren’t you working?” he asked the charm.

    A chilling sense of unease crawled down his spine as the water walking nightmare failed to catch up with the speeding ship. Just like the potions, the charm was no longer enough. This necromancy spell did more than just raise the dead and mutate them. Now, it was beyond human control. Only the gods could do anything about it now.

    Speaking of gods, he reminded himself that he wanted to speak to Simoon. He looked towards the stern to see the air god’s spiritual robes wave in the direction of the wind he created. Summoning a gale to keep the ship moving, his arms were outstretched. It looked like a lot of work. Evan felt extremely uncomfortable to approach the god. Sure, he spoke to Pulvia face to face, but he did not know if Simoon would be the same. As he climbed the staircase to the upper deck on the back end of the vessel, his slowed while doubt seeped into his mind like a pair of ethereal hands pulling his brain gently back. The ghastly form of Simoon just looked so forbidden. Untouchable and cosmically distant. But the pain in his stomach urged him to go on. Once he reached the top of the stairs, he took a deep breath. Simoon’s gaze gently turned to Evan. He exhaled everything.

    “Si…. Simoon?” Evan’s voice trembled and wheezed to a whisper. “I… was… was wondering… if….”

    Simoon tilted his head. One of his thin eyebrows raised. Evan just realized how tall the air god was; practically twice the height of a normal man.

    “I... I wanted to ask….” he attempted to continue. “I wanted to ask if… if you knew whether… whether or not… that….”

    He lost his words again, creating a screen of silence. It lasted for a while, leaving his eyes meeting the god’s own for a long, awkward moment.

    Then, Simoon burst out laughing. His sudden episode rang against the winds he was creating. It sounded so unnatural, yet it was not at all alienating. The casual nature of Simoon began to help Evan breath easy.

    “Spit it out, lad!” Simoon cried out through his cackling. “I was a man like you once, and I was scared crapless when I first talked with Pulvia. We are all equals here. Mortal and god boundaries in dialogue are nothing. Speak your mind!”

    “Well, I was wondering if… if the soul of Gabriella, my lo… a dear friend of mine, is alright,” Evan said. “I mean, I know that you cycle the souls of the dead in the Spirit World, so I was wondering how she is.”

    Simoon gave him a warm smile. “Son, understand that all souls are reshaped in the Spirit World. Only Zenith had the power to escape with his own memories and personalities still intact. If only I were quick enough. The point is, Gabriella’s soul is no longer Gabriella, but just be glad that she is free from the torment of this world.”

    “So long as she no longer suffers,” Evan said. “Thank you, Simoon.”

    Evan walked downstairs with a smile on his face. Warm thoughts swam through his mind. She was out of this nightmare finally. That was all that mattered. He wanted her away from the fear and suffering. A part of him wanted to die so they could once again unite in the Spirit World, and that he may escape this hell of a world. Shaking his head at the thought, he knew it to be foolish. She would not have wanted that. Their souls would not last before they were reincarnated elsewhere. Besides, he needed to help make the world a better place for when her soul and all the other souls of the fallen fill new life as new beings with new memories. Even though Gabriella would no longer be Gabriella, she would still be Gabriella to him. Always.

    After about a half hour on the boat, they had all reached their final destination. The river ended in a waterfall, cascading into the canyon floor. Its roar was a suitable ambient for the vastness of the landscape before them all. Simoon has ceased his air magic against the sails, but winds coming from below still held the ship aloft. On one side of the river was grassland and one the other was just old volcanic rock. Beyond was the vast canyon that Evan remembered dumping that giant into his first day here. Hopefully that thing was not anywhere nearby.

    Suddenly, the boat jolted downwards a bit. Evan fell off of his feet before swiftly recovering himself. He looked up to see that the boat was actually away from the waterfall, floating high above the canyon floor. Then, another jolt. Stumbling towards the mast, Evan reached out for it. After grabbing it, he prepared himself for the next drop down. None came. Looking around, he noticed the vessel now gingerly sinking downwards. His gaze froze at the waterfall, following the water streaming from top to bottom.

    As the ship reached ground level, the others from in the habitation cabin exited. Many of them mumbled to themselves about what was going on. They too were annoyed by the motions of the boat. One by one, their eyes were directed towards the raised deck at the stern. Their conversations slowly dissipated. Evan followed their gaze in the same direction. Simoon stood there as though about to give a speech.

    “Land ho!” he shouted. “But seriously, this is where I leave you all. I have to bring this ship to the seafight down south. The undead there must be kept at bay.”

    “At bay?” Dodger interrupted. “Does that mean the Oceanic Sanctuary has....?”

    “I am afraid it is lost,” Simoon said. His voice had never sounded so sour.

    Raverad put a hand on Dodger’s shoulder. “I am sorry,” he said.

    “There are survivors though,” Simoon said. Everyone’s heads snapped up at attention in response. “And I do believe your Lyra and her child still live.”

    Even though Dodger wore a mask, Evan could picture the biggest grin on his face. He could hear a muffled, “yes, oh thank you, gods!”

    “Wait, your lover’s pregnant?!” Raverad said.

    “Yeah, why?” the ex-mercenary asked.

    “N… nothing,” the Apostle replied. “Just, congradulations. Glad they are all safe.”

    Simoon started to speak again. “Anyways, you there!” he pointed towards the crowd. “Arla, is that right?”

    The woman stepped forwards. She seemed completely undaunted as though she knew what was coming. Her head lifted to the great Simoon. Hands were clasped together behind her back. Arla had an “I’m listening” look on her face.

    “This cave was once your hideout with your team, was it not?” After she nodded, Simoon continued talking. “And you have a stash of weapons inside.”

    As he spoke, Evan noticed the Goddess Agni climbing down the canyon wall. For her, it was like jumping down a short ledge. Her feet hit the ground in a thundering tremor. The sun’s reflection off of her golden crown nearly blinded him. He looked back at Simoon.

    “My magic combined with that of the Goddess Agni shall enchant all of your wargear,” Simoon continued. “If the trouble you encounter becomes too great, you shall have a greater advantage. Just remember that you are all still mortal. One bite or deep scratch at the jugular will still kill you. At least you will have some power over Zenith and his hordes.”

    Then, Goddess Agni unleashed a firebolt into the sky. It was like a second sun was born. The rolling ball of fire arced in the air. Once it reached its apex height, Simoon threw his arm outwards. He ushered a gust of wind in the direction of the fire. Once the two magical forces collided, they exploded outwards into a shower of a purple shimmering aura. Like oil, it coated the armour and weapons of everyone in the group with the same colors. Not one person was not astonished nor unthrilled by all of this.

    “Much better than what I’ve got for you all,” Odesteon said.

    The Tristitian was carrying a sack over his back. He did not seem to have much of a problem carrying it. It must have been really light weight, or Odesteon was stronger than he looked. In fact, the bag seemed hardly full. There was a change in shape as the sack jiggled, but there were solid edges pressing against the bottom. Whatever was inside, the individual components were small and lightweight.

    Once he placed the sack in the middle of the group, he opened it up. At first, they looked like small nets. The bordering small sticks made them look more like cages. Two pieces formed an oval and a third bent above the tallest cross section. Webs of string criss crossed each other into various surreal images. They filled the surface area of empty space between border and midsection, creating a dome-like look. On one end of each piece, there was a hinge built into it with a wooden grip that grasped nothing. To Evan, these items looked a lot like dream catchers.

    “If I may explain,” Odesteon said as he took one of the trinkets out. “I realized that the necromancy spell is growing stronger to the extent that my dream catcher can no longer protect us all from the nightmare zombies. So, I made us these dream catcher masks.” He demonstrated the fit of the mask he held. As he spoke, he demonstrated how to put it on by example with his own. “Just attach the hinged grip onto the brim of your helmet. For people with hoods instead, I made masks with hinged clips instead of grips.” He opened and shut the one of the clips like a crab claw. “You see, I think the nightmare zombies are bonded with our minds. Thus, if we each had our own dream catchers and had them close enough to our heads, we would have maximum protection against them.”

    “And if they don’t work?” Shade asked while putting one on. “You haven’t tested these out, haven’t you?”

    Odesteon hesitated to answer for a moment. “Even if they don’t work, it’s the only thing we have against the nightmare zombies. As hallucinations, we can’t kill them even though they can kill us. As such, all we can do is ward them off.”

    After the group put on their dream catcher masks, they began to make their way off of the ship. They threw down ropes that hung from the starboard and port sides of the ship. One at a time per rope, people shimmied down, trying their best not to fall off before they were close enough to the ground to prevent injury or death. It was not long before everyone reached the canyon floor.

    “Oh, and Dodger,” Simoon called out. “Since you have teleportation magic, I have a gift for you.”

    “Oh no,” the ex-mercenary muttered to himself.

    “It is not permanent, I promise,” the air god guaranteed. In his hands formed a roll of paper, which floated down into Dodger’s hand. “It is for the sake of the group as a whole. If things go too rough, speak the incantation from this scroll. It will enact a group teleport to a location of your choosing. Once it is done, the scroll will disintegrate. One use only.”

    Dodger hesitated before he thanked the air god.

    “Now, I must sail off and join the fight at sea,” Simoon said. “Goddess Agni will reunite Pulvia and Therum, who would all go to Agni Ignis. After that, Zenith’s schemes will finally come to an end. I bid you all farewell.”

    Everyone gave their goodbyes as the ship floated back up above the canyon. They all stayed to watch until it vanished beyond the southern border of the badlands. On the opposite side, Goddess Agni climbed back up the canyon wall she came down. Once she reached the top, she strode towards the east to reunite with the other gods. It was a bit of a shame to have the gods do the work for them, but Evan knew that some things were just beyond their ability to affect.

    The group swam through the pond, carved by the eroded soil and filled by the waterfall. Fortunately, their masks withstood the force of the cascading water. Beyond the deluge was a massive cavern, but not as colossal as the ones with all the cities and towns. The water obscured much of the incoming sunlight, which was not much to begin with.

    Arla was the first to go ahead of the group. She went up to a well blended in boulder. With all her strength, she forced it out of the way. Stud ran up to try and help, but she already cleared it out. Behind it was a stockpile of weapons. All of them shimmered with the enchantments that Agni and Simoon gave them. Bows and close combat weapons of all types. There was also a pile of torches tipped with redstone dust. Arla grabbed one of them and struck it against a wall like a match. The red particles glowed with magical light, illuminating some of the area around her.

    She noticed Stud reaching for a mace next to her feet. Arla crouched and slapped his hand out of the way.

    “Sorry, sweet, but that’s mine,” she said with a smile. Stud smiled back as she watched her grab another weapon. “Take this instead.” Arla handed her lover a double bladed battle axe.

    “Fair enough,” Stud replied. He lifted both of their masks up before puckering his lips against hers for a brief moment.

    Evan looked around for a weapon that would be better than his iron sword. Some people were not exchanging their gear at all like Raverad, Dodger, and the rangers. Odesteon and Jenna were replacing the mail and leather armour they wore with iron armour. They kept their weapons.

    Carter picked up a strange looking bow. It was huge, the largest Evan had ever seen. His best friend was inspecting the cylindrical socket where the arrow slides again. There were five sockets; three on one side, two on the other. Each one was angled perfectly to where the back end of every arrow in a bunch would meet up.

    “That’s a shotbow,” Arla explained. “An experimental weapon that never was used during the Great War. Lucas of Uprising somehow managed to get his hands on one. This could be useful for fighting against hordes.”

    “That’s going to take some practice,” Carter said with a chuckle.

    “Just start with two arrows at a time,” she said. “Add more when you feel comfortable.” Arla turned to Evan. “Oh, and I think I’ve got something good for you.”

    She dragged out a diamond blade. The deep crystalized blue was clashing against the shimmering purple aura of enchantment. It was long and wide. Feeling the edge of the weapon, it was pristinely sharp even though the dim bloodstains made it look used a lot. The hilt was large enough for two hands.

    Evan grabbed it. The weight was immensely heavy on his arms. His muscles had to work just to hold it with both hands. He stepped back for some room and gave it a few swings. The greatsword was a little cumbersome to use at first, but he quickly got the hang of it. Hopefully that would not hinder him in practice.

    “Thanks,” he said.

    After everyone was geared up, they began to make their way deeper into the caves. Each person carried a redstone torch to light up their way. It was the weakest source of light that Evan had ever seen, but it would have to do with a lack of anything better. Unlike the other caverns they traveled before, there were many slopes to climb up and down and the paths zig-zagged more often than not. The combination of lack of light, smaller dimensions, and ever changing elevation made Evan feel more uneasy than before.

    Then, there was light. It was coming from a huge, spherical chamber. Much of it was empty with the exception of two features. The most notable of them was a giant statue of a woman half buried in the rocky floor. She had white clothing with red hair peeking from beneath her hood. In front of the statue was a small well, or so it seemed. Perhaps an alter. A single button was on it. Flanking this central structure were Amia and her servant. Evan believed his name was Knox. Their head snapped up to see the incoming group.

    “So, you survived,” Raverad hissed.

    “So, you followed us,” Amia boomed. “But realize that you’ve fallen into my trap.” Her smile widened wickedly.

    Suddenly, there was a loud series of booms behind them. A ring of explosives ignited the cavernous corridors from whence they came. Everyone ran into the chamber. Those in the back jumped. Rocks from above came crashing down, piling upon each other in the formation of a wall. Dust filled air caused everyone to cough. The group was now barred from escape.

    “Ha! Foolish!” Evan boasted with a smile. “We outnumber you! You’ve just spelled your own doom.”

    “No, you are the fool!” Amia said. “For you see, I am one with the dead.”

    Suddenly, there were things coming out of the ground. They were not digging themselves out, rather manifesting. It was like liquid forms came close together and began to form solid shapes. In reverse, it would seem like melting. For this case, bodies were forming. Bodies of rot. Zombies peeling their long rotted away corpses out of the rocks.

    “Whoever invented the absurd religion of the Goddess of Necromancy, I thank them!” Amia said. “For many decades, a secret cult sent their dying into this cave to rot away in hopes that their goddess would one day come and bring her army fourth. And who should it be to take up that role?” Her arms were spread out in a tah-dah pose. “Me!”

    “She doesn’t look it,” Shade said as she eyed her figure and the statue behind her.

    Then, the rising dead began to float up in the air, as did Knox and Amia. Once the human bodies stopped floating, the undead bodies began to fuse together around Knox and Amia. As they came together, their flesh melted and reformed into greater patches of skin, muscle, and bone. Colossal limbs extended outwards, forming legs and arms. Heads formed with faces in the visage of the two humans who just became zombie giants.

    “Attack!” Evan cried out. He began to run towards the giants with his sword in both hands.

    The others followed. He heard their battle cries and footsteps behind him. As they got closer and to the lower levels of the cave, the monsters looked much bigger than he first thought. Still, none of the others faltered, and neither did he.

    His sword impaled one of giant’s feet. He gripped tightly as he felt the zombie’s rising leg picking him up. It kicked outwards, trying to shake him off. It did not work. Once the foot was back down again, he surged forwards. The diamond sword cut across the monster’s ankle as he circled around the leg. It was disgusting to hear the tearing of skin, muscle, and tendon, but he proceeded to enjoy fighting the giant in close quarters.

    After coming around in a full circle, he noticed the exposed bone that showed at the monster’s ankle. With two hands gripping the hilt, he swung the blade like a heavy club into the bone. The enchantment aura flared and there was a loud crack. When the light faded, he saw that he had severed the giant’s foot off. He quickly jumped off, knowing that the foot would turn into smaller zombies pretty soon.

    “Evan, watch out!” he heard someone shout behind him.

    Turning around, he saw Shade, who had both of his dagger driven into a hand that was about to grab Evan. The fingers closed in around the assassin and carried him up high. Evan stepped back, absolutely startled. Although losing balance, the angry giant grabbed Shade by the arms and legs. The assassin was not begging for mercy, praying out loud, or anything. His visage was that of vexation and anger as he roared in defiance. No, not defiance. If words came out of Shade’s lips, Evan imagined them to be, “do your worst!”

    Then, it happened. The giant pulled the assassin apart. Ripped him in two. Guts and gore showered all over Evan. He shielded his eyes for the impact of body liquid and solid alike. Their soft, squishy nature pierced the squeamish side of his mind.

    He never thought he could feel this way about losing Shade. The man was terrible, yes, but it was not his fault. Worst of all, he just saved Evan’s life by sacrificing himself.

    Temper rose. Blood shot through his body as his heart spoke in an angry morse code. His sword grip became tightly paralyzed. The same was not for the rest of his body.

    “NO!” he shouted.

    Evan ran towards the giant that killed shade with utmost blind fury. His sword was raised up high. In his state of maddening rage, he ignored the accelerating foot heading straight for him. The giant kicked him. He was sent flying back until his body hit a wall. His head banged against his helmet, giving him a terrible headache. Evan’s body felt in pain, but nothing seemed broken. Nonetheless, his vision was blacking out.

    The last things he saw would be forgotten after he would return consciousness, but he nonetheless did witness what happened. Both the rangers and Dodger were on top of the giant that killed Shade, driving their blades into its neck. It was finally toppling over. Arrows flew from the archers, killing zombies that spanned from the severed pieces of giant flesh. The last thing Evan saw was the second giant punching Ravion into a wall.

    *****

    He awakened again. The room had changed drastically. It smelled heavy of rot and lacked the din of battle. Both giants were gone. The statue and the small structure in front of it were now in unrecognizable ruins. Everyone had gathered to the center of the room. As Evan stood back up, he could see a kneeling figure in front of them. Walking closer, he noticed it was Amia.

    She was on both of her knees. Her head was down, letting her black hair cover her face. One arm was holding her body up off of the ground so she would not fall. The other arm was behind her as though her back was heavily wounded. Heavy panting could be heard. Amia looked up at the group when Raverad took a step closer with a drawn sword ablaze with enchanted fire.

    Evan had seen the painted images of women living a life abused by their husbands. The broken visage of Amia was far beyond what the paintings showed. This was all too visceral. Blood caked around her chin and lips. Bruises stretched from cheek to forehead. Her gaping, open mouth dripped with salivation and blood, showing missing teeth. Normally Evan would feel terrible, but the wicked nature of Amia was beyond his sympathy.

    She raised the arm that held her off the ground, reaching out to Raverad. It was not an attack; it was a block. “No more,” she wheezed. “Please, I beg of you.”

    “You who never showed mercy now beg for it?” Raverad said. “A witch like you will never be forgiven.”

    “What are you waiting for, Apostle?!” Evan hissed.

    Raverad turned his head. At that moment, Amia reacted with a flash. Drawing from the concealed sheath on her backside was a dagger. Her arm flailed as it was blindly thrown in the Apostle’s direction. It missed.

    But Evan followed its path. It hit someone. There was a choking sound. Blood dripped the floor in the middle of the crowd. Everyone backed away but the person hit: Carter.

    “No,” Evan said, his mind so troubled to even comprehend the situation other than its negativity.

    “I am the dead!” Amia shouted, now standing up on her shaking legs. “Not the end, but a new beginning. I am the dead, not the woe, but the freedom. I am the dead, not the extinction, but the evolution!”

    As she chanted, Carter fell onto his knees. Both his hands reached for the knife in his throat. They never touched the blade. All they received was blood cascading downwards. The purple glimmering iron armour he wore was now heavily stained with more of his own blood than the blood of zombies. He fell on his side, shivering. His voice wheezed petty exhales. Then, darkness began to shade his eyes. Evan did not watch him turn.

    “NO!” he cried out.

    “HahahahaHA!” Amia cackled madly. “I AM THE DEAD, NOT THE NIGHTMARE, BUT THE BEAUTY! I AM THE DEAD, NOT THE....!”

    Evan dropped his diamond sword and dove at Amia. He tackled her to the ground without any concern if he killed her by banging her head on the rocks. She was definitely still alive.

    “I am the dead….” she wheezed.

    “You are the… SHUT UP!” Evan yelled in her face.

    Then, he did the unthinkable. His right thumb drove into her left eye. She screamed louder and more horrid than any he ever heard. His rage nullified it. Evan felt the pop as soon as he felt the end of the socket. Juicy pulp of what was once an eyeball splattered all over his thumb.

    “That’s for Gabriella and tricking me into thinking she could return!” Evan shouted. “For toying with my EMOTIONS LIKE THEY WERE PUPPET STRINGS!”

    Evan felt hands pulling him back. They got him a considerable distance from Amia, but he elbowed one of the people stopping him. He got closer and reached towards Amia’s face again. The fingers on his left hand cut her remaining eye. Her agonizing response was even worse than the last. Evan was pulled back in time before he could cause the worse of damage to that eye. All he managed to do was severely wound it. Good enough.

    “AND THAT’S FOR CARTER!” Evan cried out.

    “Evan, stop!” Raverad called him.

    “I’LL STOP WHEN SHE’S SUFFERED THE APEX OF EXCRUCIATION,” Evan roared. “I’LL STOP WHEN ZENITH HAS SUFFERED THE SAME! I’LL STOP WHEN… WHEN… when….”

    Evan’s mind broke. He stopped struggling. His desire to destroy every last fiber of Amia was washed away by the horrid scene of everything he caused. The anger within him calmed into a despairing sadness. Tears rolled down his eyes much like the blood of Carter’s fatal wound. He screamed out in absolute despair and defiance. Evan sank on his hands and knees. His steaming forehead kissed the stone cold floor. Fingers curled and carved into the rock. Mourning never felt so terrible.

    He could hear a few things spoken by the others in the background. It was stuff like, “we need to get out,” and, “not enough air.” Then, he heard the words, “use the group teleport scroll,” and, “where do we go from here?”

    Despair began to filter out of Evan’s tear ducts, leaving behind the briefly quiet rage. It boiled again, thought it was not blind this time. It was clear. Intelligent. Malevolent.

    “Agni Ignis,” he whispered. It sounded quiet to him, but everyone heard it.

    “What?!” Dodger protested. “Evan, there’s nothing we can do about Zenith.”

    “He was once a man!” Evan argued. “He once defeated the gods!” He snatched the scroll from Dodger’s hand. “And we are going to destroy everything he’s worked for!”

    “Evan, wait!” Jenna cried out.

    Evan ignored everyone trying to stop him. He picked up the shotbow and quiver of arrows from Carter’s twice slain corpse. Then, he unraveled the scroll and recited the words.

    Cirgravus Warpall!He began while sprinting away from the tugging hand of the group behind him. “Al….” There was a space where he needed to speak the name of the location he desired. Now or never, he thought to himself. “Agni Ignis!

    Then, a flash of light.
  20. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Chapter 19 - Bug

    The other mortals of the earth never had a chance. They constantly followed petty ambitions, or worse, fall from grace on paths of indulgence. Me? I was different. I rose above them, to what I saw was the pinnacle of the magical arts. Except now I realize that its power is boundless. I must continue this path, no matter the cost. If it endangers the mortals of this world, the universe will lose near to nothing.
    • Zenith

    Evan awoke. His mind was dazed. It was night. There was no moon and no stars. No light illuminated anything at all. He could not see a thing. The lower half of his body was completely paralyzed while the upper half did not feel any ground. His hands felt soil and grass but no leaves nor roots. He definitely was not in a forest. The land was elevated. He was on a shallow hillside. Half of his body had been submerged into the ground.

    “Raverad!” he called out. No answer. “Anyone?!”

    No answer.

    He began to dig himself out. His fingers began to shovel some of the dirt out from around his waist. Soil clung beneath his fingernails. Evan could not see his own progress and still could not feel himself any looser. His arms increased in pace and force, sending dirt flying in all directions. In a few minutes, he managed to fit one of his hands below the ground. A small victory, but he felt a rewarding feeling nonetheless.

    Then, he froze at the sound of footsteps. It was coming from somewhere, but he could not tell where. It was getting closer and closer. His fingers clenched tight into fists. Partially due to stress, but it was mainly for self defense. His weapons were also beneath the ground, so this was all he had if it was a zombie coming.

    He saw hands beginning to help dig him free. They were not his own. Then he heard the voice of his savior.

    “Stuck in a rut again, eh brother?” spoke a most familiar voice in a hushed whisper.

    “Kevin!” Evan cried out. “Boy am I glad to see you… figuratively speaking of course.”

    “Shh!” his brother hushed him. “I managed to escape the Oceanic Sanctuary before it went down. I’m the last survivor, as far as I know. The zombies might be close by though. Don’t make too much noise.”

    “Got it,” Evan whispered back before continuing to dig himself out.

    Not long, there was a crumble of soil. Evan could wiggle a little more. Kevin grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him out. Once he was back on his feet again, he started to dust himself off, getting rid of the dirt on his armour. Kevin helped.

    “How did you get yourself in there?” Kevin asked.

    “Stupidly!” cried out another familiar voice.

    Evan turned to the source. He could see a dimly lit figure carrying a redstone torch. The silhouette had a ranger’s outfit over him. It was impossible to tell whether it was Pyros or Vos. The ranger ran towards him, fast. Kevin tried to pull Evan aside, but the ranger was on him almost immediately. Evan was picked up off the ground by the ranger’s surprising strength. Under the light of the torch, he could now see the scar on the ranger’s chin. He could not, however, see the horrible angered grimace on Pyros’s face.

    “You idiot!” the ranger spat. “Dodger would have had more control with that spell! Don’t you realise the damage you could have caused?!”

    “Well, it’s a good thing everything turned out okay,” Evan tried to reason.

    Pyros shook him in the air. “No!” he snarled. “Vos is dead! The teleportation tore him to ribbons! I found his cloak caked with blood and torn skin! There was nothing else left of him. And it’s all your fault!”

    “Please, Pyros,” Kevin began to speak but the ranger went on.

    “Ever since my encounter with Crimson, I tried everything to keep Vos from dying. I protected him from bandits and zombies alike. Heck, I succeeded even after Cole Castle. But now, he is dead, and all because of a stupid gambit from you!”

    “Pyros, enough!” Kevin tried again. “We can’t change this now!”

    Pyros just stood there, holding Evan above the ground. His chest rose and fell both from fatigue and anger. Then, he lowered the man down gingerly like a boy. Evan stumbled back a little, catching his breath from the experience.

    “I’m sorry Pyros,” Evan said. “We should focus on finding the others.”

    “This way,” Kevin said. “Agni Ignis is just north of here.”

    The three of them hiked up the hill, unable to see beyond a meter. After they reached a crest, they began to descend back down. Evan was not looking forwards at all. He only looked down, watching the grass to avoid any footfalls. It was not until something up ahead caught his attention. Far up ahead, beyond another hill crest, he saw a brief flash of white light. It was originating from a massive structure too pristine to be natural. It looked very much like a bowl.

    “Agni Ignis,” Pyros spoke to himself. “I haven’t been here in a two months.”

    “Shhh, listen,” Evan said while snapping his fingers.

    Then, silence. No, not silence. There was a faint, distant noise from where the light came from. Many pitched vocals. Not musical at all. Blood curtling. Horror and agony. Screaming. Collective screaming.

    “Do you think…?” Evan began to say.

    “That is where all the kidnapped mages are being held,” Kevin finished for him. “Used by Zenith as conduits for his magic to achieve his destiny.”

    Then, Evan saw a massive plume of fire emerge from the horizon towards the left side of his vision. A ball of flame rolled towards the bowl-like structure. The light that cast from it revealed the shape of Goddess Agni from the shadows of night. Once the firestorm reached the epicenter of the bowl, they seemed to divert. Rising above the fire was a tiny figure of darkness only revealed by the light of the fires beneath him. That must have been Zenith. The stonehenge rose with him. The all powerful mage reacted by unleashing a great bolt of white lighting at the Goddess Agni. She countered it with a beam of white hot condensed fire. The two magical forces clashed at a midpoint, creating a light brighter than the sun itself. It lit up the whole land around.

    They were on massive grassy hills bordered by a jungle of tall trees. The bowl structure up ahead sat atop another of the great hills. It looked very much like a colosseum. Four humanoid figures surrounded the perimeter. Each one was separated from another by a ninety degree arc. The once on the south side had a black cape down its back with the yellow tree sigil of Therum. There was a colossal breath to the right of the Therum-human statue, creating a cascading waterfall into the valley below.

    Evan and the group had reached the final hillcrest before Agni Ignis. Downhill, he noticed a lit redstone torch. A lone figure sat by a stream of water in the valley below. He wore the crimson armour of Agni. It was Raverad. The Apostle looked alive, but he seemed to be in a state of depression.

    Before the party of three descended, Pyros stopped them. “Hang on,” he said before he crouched down. He indicated a division in the grass. Half of it was sticking up, but the other half was dead and pressed flat. “I think I know what happened,” the ranger finally said before heading downhill.

    Once they reached Raverad, Pyros was the first to talk to him. “I’m sorry about what happened to Agni… er, Crimson.”

    “I do not need your apology, ranger,” the Apostle mumbled back without moving at all. “I need certainty. Hope. The God Agni seemed easily defeated. How can we defeat Zenith at all?”

    “Hang on,” Evan interrupted. “Zenith relies on those mages for his work, right?” A huge grin creased beneath his nose as an elegant calculus was born. “Why don’t we sneak in and free them. Not only will we destroy Zenith’s work once and for all, but we would also get an army of mages on our side. Just like when Zenith defeated the gods by combining the might of a mage army, we could do the same to defeat Zenith.”

    Raverad finally looked up. Surprise and joy lit up his face. He quickly stood up and grabbed Evan by the shoulders.

    “By the pantheon, why did I not think of that?” he said.

    “We have to move fast!” Kevin said. “Zenith could enact his ascent at any minute.”

    The four of them ran towards the west with weapons drawn. It was not long before the grass beneath their feet was replaced by the stone rubble of what was once a part of the wall. Much of it was wet by the water cascading out of Agni Ignis.

    When they looked up at the rim of the breach, they could see a lone figure. It was a male with shimmering enchanted iron armour. In his hand was a combat staff. Evan was happy to see Odesteon alive and well, but stopped himself from smiling when he heard the growls. It began to run towards them. He reacted by readying his bow with only a single arrow. If only Jenna had time to teach him archery like she said she could.

    Then, the zombie stopped in the middle of his tracks. It began to spasm, dropping its weapon, and having some sort of seizure. Then, it cried out in a blood curdling roar.

    Suddenly, it was gone. At the same instant, a shower of fresh blood and gore splattered over everyone. Everyone stood frozen, puzzled about the situation. The air tasted electric. Then it hit Evan.

    “Holy pantheon!” Raverad gasped, realizing it too. “That zombie tried to teleport!”

    “Another part of the ever powerful necromancy spell!” Kevin said. “Zenith’s work must be triggering another form of evolution. If so….”

    “Gods help us all,” Even finished.

    “If there are any gods left to help,” Pyros said.

    “Then let’s help them for once,” Evan replied enthusiastically.

    They hiked the steep way up the rubble. The slope got so steep that they eventually had to use their hands. It was practically vertical. With all the water coming down, it was much more difficult. Their persistence kept them going, no matter the obstacle. Besides, for Evan, it was refreshing to have water hit them instead of blood.

    Once they reached the top, not as much was visible. The shadows casted by the layers of the walls covered up much of the area. What could be seen were several ruined buildings. They looked a lot like houses. This place was definitely not an arena.

    The four of them proceeded towards the innermost layer. They found a stairway going downwards to the middle. The second layer was fortunately more alight by torches and lamps. Many more buildings were present. Again, most of them were houses. Beyond the next staircase, they could see much more open space. Going down, they were able to witness the full scale of things. Patches of grass and several trees were encircled by stone roads. Lit up by lamps, four great staircases led up to the upper levels. Towards the middle was another walled layer, but much smaller. Eight towers were built into it. Four of them were short and had pyramidal obsidian rooftops. The other four were cylindrical with a slanted cross section cut off from the top.

    High above the epicenter they surrounded was Zenith himself. His white hot staff unleashed bolts of annihilation magic at the countering fires of Goddess Agni. She seemed to be losing the magical battle.

    Where was Therum and Pulvia? That was the lesser of two thoughts going through his head. The other concerned what littered the courtyards around them.

    Cages. Cages as far as the eye can see. Circular. Floating slightly above ground. Inside each one was a mage, squirming and writhing in agony as their magical energies are sapped and added to Zenith’s own. Chains were attached to their very wrists, ankles, and foreheads. Little blood seeped out. The excruciating sensation that they felt looked far more severe than what they would experience if they only dealt with their physical wounds. Wailing. Screaming.

    “How do we free them?” Raverad asked. “We need metal magic. That is how Zenith probably done this.”

    “How do we do that?” Evan asked. “None of us are metal mages.”

    “Metal is just the fusion discipline of fire and earth,” Raverad said. “Remember how Simoon and Agni enchanted our gear? It was the product of fire and air. We just need to add earth to fire, but on a massive scale and with godlike power.”

    “That’ll be impossible,” Kevin said.

    “We already have Agni’s fire above us,” Evan pointed to the sky.

    “And what about earth?” Kevin asked. “Therum is nowhere in sight. What are we supposed to do? Pray?”

    “Actually,” Raverad began. “Yes. That is exactly what we will do. Assuming that Pulvia has freed Therum’s physical form, he could aid us. Join me in prayer.”

    Raverad extended both his arms out. Pyros grabbed his right hand. Evan did the same with that of the ranger. He waited for Kevin to join hands with him and the Apostle.

    “This is ridiculous,” Kevin waved his arms in the air and turned around.

    “Kevin!” Evan said. “Trust Raverad.”

    Kevin sighed. He grabbed Evan’s right hand and Raverad’s left. All four of them closed their eyes. Raverad began to speak.

    “Great Therum, shaper of the earth, heed my plead. If your corporeal form has arisen from your sickness, please aid our cause. Combine your might with that of Agni’s. Free these mages from their prisons. Please aid in our cause.”

    Nothing happened. Nothing changed. No sign of great earth magic was unleashed. Worse yet, Agni’s magic seemed just about ready to give.

    Suddenly, the ground shook. A massive tremor rocked the land around them. Surrounding walls began to crumble. The party of four let go of each other, collapsing to the ground. Evan looked up. On the opposite side of the garden, he could see a tree rising. Shortly after, the ascending mound of soil that the vegetation grew out came into view. It was like a giant iceberg from the earth. Beneath it all was a huge amount of stone much larger than the composition of soil. It accelerated into Agni’s fire.

    A bright flash of silver light flared into the sky. It blinded Evan and the others as it expanded outwards. He wondered if even Zenith had to shield his eyes.

    When the light faded, at first, Evan though he could not see any difference. Then, he looked all around him. There were people. Dozens of them. All of them were on the ground. They were physically weak, struggling to get up. The cages and chains that once snared them were now gone. It was as though they faded out of reality.

    He looked up. Zenith was now looking down at everything that just happened. Although he could not see it, Evan imagined his ancient face to crease with anger (and wondered if he had to use flesh magic to do it). The glance was only as brief as any. With fast reflexes, Zenith tossed an annihilation bolt at Agni.

    Water rose up into the air surrounding Zenith. It became ice, forming a barrier around the omnipotent mage. The white lightning struck the frozen wall. It disintegrated just like anything else it hit. Pulvia was somewhere nearby. Therum must have been out there too, hidden in the dark of a starless night. Great gouges of fire ushered from Agni’s palms. The very earth from within and outside of the walls were hurled at Zenith. Tendrils of water flowing from the canals of Agni Ignis lashed out at the mage. Zenith parried them all with his annihilation magic, but seemed to have his hands full. The war of the gods was like a firework show in the sky.

    “Everyone!” Evan called out to the other mages. “We need to get out of here!”

    “To the southern breach!” Kevin shouted.

    “No,” Evan said. He drew his sword and pointed it at Kevin’s neck. “Not today.”

    “Evan, what are you doing?!” Raverad protested.

    “How dare you do this to me!” Kevin snarled. “How dare you do this to your brother!”

    “You are not my brother!” Evan shouted. “My brother died with everyone else at the Oceanic Sanctuary. Same with Valerie and probably Dezerath to. You’re the shapeshifter.”

    “You’re insane!” Kevin cried. “You talk nonsense!”

    “Oh yeah? Well how did you know about Zenith? You were never at the meeting at Cole Castle.”

    There was a pause of silence.

    “You want to lead us to the hordes that follow you,” Evan continued. “You’re just their scout!”

    Then, Kevin blinked. When his eyes opened again, they were black. In fact, his entire face seemed to melt. Evan felt a pair of strong arms grab him by the waste. Kevin’s mouth opened unnaturally wide, ushering a horrible screech. That thing that wore his brother’s face picked up Evan higher than Pyros did.

    Raverad drove his sword through the shapeshifter’s stomach. Purple aura of enchantment became fire that enveloped the hideous form that the undead imposter became. It caused it only to scream louder. The ranger jumped onto the monster’s shoulders and drove both daggers into its neck. It was then that the shapeshifter zombies let go of Evan.

    He hit the ground hard, but his enchanted armour protected him very well. His eyes moved from the magic lit sky to the wailing shapeshifter withering with flames on the ground. Before he could properly get back up on his feet, Raverad and Pyros picked him up. Gathering around the remaining three of them were the many mages now free of their cages.

    Then, there was a loud crack in the sky. Evan and the other shot their gaze upwards. They looked up just in time to see the white lightning strike Agni. The goddess began to crumble. Sparks of white lept to and fro, all over her physical form. Piece by piece, her body became rubble, then dust, then nothing.

    As soon as the Goddess Agni was slain, Zenith flew westward. The mage moved much faster than what seemed possible. The light of his magic had not yet faded away and his shrouded form zoomed out of Agni Ignis like a bullet.

    About as fast as Zenith’s flight, Pulvia warped among the crowd of freed mages. “Fools!” he cried out. “You should not have interfered! We could have slain Zenith here and now!”

    “But we freed the mages!” Raverad protested. “It was the right thing to do!”

    “No!” Pulvia shouted. “It only made things worse.”

    A black robed mage with a symbol of air and water on his robes stepped forwards. “What did this change?!” he asked.

    “With the mage conduit, he may not have endangered the world in his ascent into the Void,” Pulvia explained. “Now without this system, he is moving to Plan B.”

    “Wait, he didn’t need all these mages for his ambitious project?” Pyros asked.

    “No, he only was using them to focus his ascent. Plan B is the unstable option. He will proceed with his plans, but the entire universe will crack open as a result. Imagine the mage conduit system as the tools to dig a hole in a wall. Without the mages, he has no choice but to break the wall itself.”

    Another mistake, Evan thought to himself. This was all his fault. He wanted to disrupt Zenith’s plans. He came up with the idea to free the mages. He never knew that the kidnapped mages were meant to prevent the universe from blowing up when he transcended into the Void. Zenith did not care about what happened to humankind, but he was considerate to preserve the universe. However, that goat was secondary. Zenith’s ambition was far too great to abandon his ascension now.

    Emerging from the crowd of mages came Athosis. Raverad’s face exploded with a smile to see his student still alive. “Where to?”

    “The Shrine of the Dusk,” Pulvia answered.

    ******

    I gave the insects a chance. I gave them the opportunity to live. Time and time again, they prove to be a nuisance. From the start, their narrow minds keep them from seeing the cosmic extent of things. Not anymore. I will be the last human. Only I deserve to live on. The others can rot with my undead armies where they belong. Concerning awareness and intelligence, there really is no difference between a living man and a dead one.

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