Lord Loch walked down the bloodied dirt road with a calm slow gait. He held his arms behind his back as he examined the charred and mauled corpses of his soldiers that were strewn about the ground.
Loch sighed in disgust and disappointnt. There was so much smoke in the sky it seed dark even in the middle of the day. The neighborhood was a scorched graveyard of Undergrowths soldiers and mages. Even now, the army was clamoring around the neighborhoods central square, where the fires had yet to spread.
A soldier clad in slim forest-green armor with a golden trim stood at the back of the army, standing on what seed to be a small make-shift tower. The soldier noticed Lochs approach and she quickly clambered down the tower to et him.
General Loch! she said respectfully and went down on one knee.
Commander Siona, Loch said tersely. You were the one in charge of this mission, yes?
Y-yes, my lord! Siona nodded and kept her eyes on his feet.
And you were given leadership over ten companies of soldiers, a total of a thousand skilled drow n and won, yes?
Yes, my lord.
Hm, he nodded thoughtfully. Tell , why is it that I have counted over 50 dead bodies on my way over here? Was it so beyond your ager skill to capture a single master mage? Or am I missing sothing?
Weve lost a little over 200 actually.
200!? Youre telling 200 of our soldiers are dead!? Loch scread angrily.
Siona flinched, Um, not exactly, so of them were mages, my lord.
Loch went for his sword, but he stopped, closed his eyes, and took a slow calming breath, How did this happen, commander?
The Ebon Aspirant had help, my lord.
Loch frowned, Help? The mages of Hollow Shade were spotted on the western side of the city. They managed to break through our armys barricades with minimal casualties and are now on the run in the forest. Such a feat would have required the help of all their mages and an extrely skilled company of soldiers, House Katags guard. So what possible help could the Aspirant have had here?
It was a single man, a drow.
A single drow? Loch gripped the hilt of his sword.
Hes riding a dire bear! Siona said anxiously.
A dire bear? Binding magic? Loch clicked his tongue, Ah, Vayu of House Glaz. Leave it to a true mage to cause more trouble than they are worth. Loch stiffened, Wait. You said riding? Hes still alive?
Siona nodded, We have him and the Aspirant surrounded in the central square.
I see. Im glad to know your ineptitude at least has its limits, Loch said. Lead to them.
Yes, my lord, Siona nodded.
The soldiers at the rear of the crowd quickly stepped back and made way for their general as commander Siona led him to the forefront of the battlefield.
At the center of the square stood a lone dire bear, its thick hide was riddled with cuts and broken arrows. Two figures sat on the bears leather saddle, one was a young drow with delicate features marred by blood and soot. The other was hidden underneath a mottled grey cloak. Several dozens of mangled corpses lay at their feet.
A few soldiers ignored the warnings of their comrades and charged the bear. Thin lines of purple light, mind tendrils, shot out from Vayus hand and latched onto the soldiers, paralyzing them in place. The cloaked figure summoned a fireball above their head and launched it at the soldiers, incinerating them into smoking husks.
The line of soldiers surrounding the square grimaced in horror and stumbled back a few steps. Loch sighed at the grueso sight.
I stand corrected. Your ineptitude seems to have no limits after all, Loch said sharply. Ill take it from here.
Yes, my lord, Siona bowed fearfully.
Loch stepped forward, beyond the soldiers line, and clapped his hands together, Well done, young master Vayu. Your reputation precedes you, your skill with beasts is truly remarkable. Im sure the Great House of Glaz will be very proud of your accomplishnts this day.
Vayu stared warily at the newcor, And who might you be?
He bowed his head calmly, I am Lord Alwin of the House of Loch, Commanding General of Undergrowths armies, and loyal servant of Queen Ophelia of the Royal House of Thorn.
Vayu smiled weakly and wiped the blood from his lips, Ah, so you're the asshole who made the tracking charm.
Loch narrowed his eyes, I see. You did find the charm I take it the cloaked individual behind you is not the Ebon Aspirant, then?
Vayu frowned, Thats!
Its okay, theyre too late, Loh whispered and pulled down her hood.
Loch sighed, Elohnoir of the Great House of Noir, I guessed as much. After my spies lost track of you this morning I assud you would be a problem. But this, he whistled, This was at a far grander scale than I had ever anticipated.
Glad we could impress, Loh said between panted breaths.
Yes, well, Lady Thorn will not see it that way, Loch said lightly. No, I imagine she will be quite angry with both of you. Shell probably torture you, cut off a few fingers, then so limbs. I could convince her otherwise but that would require so cooperation from the two of you.
Cooperation? Loh asked grimly, though she already knew the answer.
Tell where the Ebon Aspirant went, Loch said. My scouts told that he was not with the group that escaped on the western front. But I get the feeling that you, Elohnoir, know where he is, you are his master after all.
Loh took a deep breath and spat a glob of blood and saliva at Lochs feet. Id rather die, old man, she sneered.
Vayu grinned, I guess you Undergrowthers dont know the aning of loyalty, huh?
Loyalty it is a strong bond indeed Loch conceded with a small bow.
Tens of empowered stone spikes erupted underneath the dire bear and shot a dozen feet into the air, easily piercing the animals body and both his riders. Loh yelled in agony as a spike skewered her thigh and femur. A second spike pierced Vayus arm and another impaled his stomach, lifting him 3 ters into the air.
Loch snapped his fingers and released his stone spell. The spikes crumbled into dirt and unceremoniously dropped Vayu and Loh onto the ground. The dire bear collapsed heavily next to them, dead, a myriad of holes leaking blood all over its corpse.
Vayu fell in a sprawl of broken limbs. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and his mouth made a gurgling sound, his lungs choking on his own blood.
Vayu, NO!!! Loh scread and dragged herself towards him, her leg leaving a trail of blood behind her.
Lord Loch shrugged, Fortunately, mind spells dont care for loyalty. Its a sha about Vayu, but it would have been difficult and very ti-consuming to try and break the mind of a Purple high-master, especially a true mage at that. But you, Elohnoir? Thats a different story.
Loch looked down at the whimpering woman without a hint of warmth in his eyes, After a few sessions, Im certain my purple mages will break your mind easily. It wont be pleasant for you, of course. My mages can be quite indelicate with their mind spells, youll probably suffer permanent brain damage. On the bright side, your mind will give up whatever secrets you're hiding and we wont have to kill you. Sure, youll probably be left in a vegetative state, but at least you wont be dead.
Loh ignored his taunting words and cradled Vayus head in her arms. Her tears fell and mixed with the blood on his face as she whispered quiet apologies to him.
Loch shook his head in disgust, Oh, Elohnoir, how did you think this was going to end? I am an archmage, even if you both werent at the brink of utter exhaustion, you still would have lost. Has living in the golden comforts of Hollow Shade really left you so arrogant that youd actually think you could face the might of Undergrowth all alone?
Loh slowly looked up at him, her shimring blue eyes glaring at him, Soday, my grandfather will find you and your deranged queen, and death will be the least of your worries.
Loch laughed, Oh, you stupid girl, do you really think I am afraid of a man who hides behind his precious wall of shades?
Suddenly, a torrential storm of azure flas fell down from the skies and swept through a large swathe of the crowded city square. The tightly-packed soldiers had nowhere to run as the flas devoured them. Armor and wards alike lted in the scorching inferno. The blue flas grew and spiraled outwards in a flower-like pattern, burning through the square.
Lord Loch stared, dumbfounded, as the flas burned around him, the cries of his soldiers dying in the firelight.
It wasnt possible, he thought numbly.
The sheer level of destruction In a handful of seconds, he had lost over 400 soldiers.
Loch stumbled back in fear. He recognized the flas, he had heard the tales, the myths, and whispers. The fla that surpassed all others. The spell that had bestowed Elzri Noir the title of Most Powerful Archmage in all the Ebon Realm.
The Azure Flower Loch whispered in dread.
Loh slowly looked up at the flood of flas flowing around the square. There was only one man who could cast the azure fla. Grandfather? she mumbled.
As the azure fires dissipated, a blurred figure appeared at the center of the inferno; a drow wearing a white cloak with a black fla crest etched on its back.
Grandfather! Loh cried out in relief.
How? You cant be here! Lord Loch yelled anxiously.
You are wrong, the flas rippled as the quiet yet potent voice spoke.
Loh frowned in confusion, That voice?
A tall graceful drow stepped out of the azure flas. She wore the white cloak of House Noir. Her eyes were a familiar cold grey and her narrow face held the sa disdainful expression. Even her voice was similar. But she was not Elzri.
You may not fear my brother, Una Noir narrowed her eyes, But you will fear .
Get back! Lord Loch yelled in a panicked voice and summoned forth a wall of stone and vines between them.
Una swept her hand through the air and her fire answered. Azure flas blood to life around her and consud the wall of green magic.
Her daughter Unalla jumped out a window of a nearby abandoned house and raised the massive black sword Votum above her and yelled, ATTACK!!!
Forty mages, dressed in the theater garnts of the Singing Willow Troupe, rushed out of other nearby houses and charged the remaining scattered soldiers.
Loh looked around, dazed, blood dripping down her head. Vayu was on the ground, his body growing cold as blood seeped from his abdon. Actors and dancers were running around, casting powerful spells at screaming dying soldiers.
Is this real? Loh wondered. Her vision blurred into darkness and the world fell into oblivion.
User Comments
0 comments from readers