She slumped into his arms for support and he put a hand on
her elbow to help hold her hand aloft. They sat quietly like that the rest of
the way up. Besides her soft breaths, Zildjin could only hear the sound of the
platform rushing upwards and Drake’s occasional quiet groans.
Marc felt himself falling and
thought for a moment he should do something about it.
“Laura!” He shouted.
The ground was swiftly coming up to meet him. Hundreds of
thousands of undead lined the main street of Sulendald and he was descending
directly at them. He glanced over at the building he and Laura had been on and
saw the structure collapsing, taking a few hundred zombies with it in the
process.
Laura!
He thought desperately.
Suddenly he felt Laura hugging him, searching for his hand.
The moment their fingers touched they disappeared together.
Marc saw a swirling magical tunnel surround him for a brief
instant and then they were through another portal door and landing gently on
the ground below on a side street near the main road.
“That was a close one,” Marc said. “Thank you.”
Laura leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“I am afraid,” she said.
The sheer number of zombies he saw flashed through his mind
and he nodded.
“Me too. But don’t worry, I’m here by your side, we can do
this, together. Belator has made his choice clear. If he won’t destroy his
army, then we will, along with him.”
They looked up and saw the cloud platform descend to land
before them.
Belator stepped off of the platform and stood on the
cobblestone road in front of them.
He had Laura’s sword in his hand, dripping with green
blood-like substance.
His face was a stony, lifeless expression, matching his
complexion.
He tossed the dirty weapon onto the road in front of them.
“It will take more than a simple blade to defeat me,” he
said coldly, “Much more. I am debating whether you are even worth my time.”
He turned without so much a second going by and said,
“I think not.”
Laura grabbed her weapon from the road, wiping the green
blood clean.
Belators arms glowed green as he turned his back on them.
He waved both of his hands, gesturing for a large force from
the main road to break off and attack Marc and Laura.
Marc let fire from the Sword of the Phoenix flare and shoot
forward with a shout of power.
Belator heard the flames roaring towards him and he whipped
around, his arm outstretched, countering with his own magic. The two
enchantments collided in a great burst of red, orange, and yellow flames and
energy.
As the smoke cleared from the blast Marc saw that Belator
was no longer alone on the road. Belator’s minions rushed on either side of
him, pouring towards Marc and Laura.
Marc gripped the Phoenix Blade with both hands and swept the
weapon in a horizontal arc in front of him, flames roaring. The first wave of
thirty or so undead burned to a crisp within a heartbeat, and the other twenty
behind them flew backwards at the scorching heat. But Belator just stood there,
unflinching, as fifty more jumped up to replace them.
Marc let out a shout and swept the Sword of the Phoenix back
again in an arc going the opposite direction. Thirty more were burned, and
twenty flew up in the air. But fifty surged straight on through. Marc swung
again, and again, and again, the fire waning with each strike, but green and
grey decaying flesh burned and was flung to and fro nonetheless. Laura stood
near Marc, wishing she could do more to help. She looked back and forth,
thinking, analyzing, planning.
There are too many of them
. Marc thought.
We have
to kill Belator. Once he’s dead, his power over the undead will cease and his
minions return to their dead state.
A sinister smile was breaking out on Belator’s face as he
watched the two petty humans fight feebly against his mighty army.
“We cannot destroy all these things on our own!” Laura
shouted over the roar of the fire, she must have been thinking the same thing
as Marc because she continued, “We have to kill the puppeteer so his puppets
will have no one to hold up their strings!”
Marc nodded but did not reply, trying to concentrate.
“Charge up a powerful attack!” She yelled. “Wait until the
last moment and I will move us through the unseen paths over Belator right as
you strike!”
He nodded.
Laura stepped behind him, feigning to be weary so Belator
who watched from nearby would not think anything of her.
Indeed Belator saw her action and he sneered, he knew the
human female would be the first to tire from the fight.
Marc brought his arms up to swing again but did not release
immediately. He let the fire grow, let it strengthen. The zombies surged
forward in the interim of attacks.
“Not yet,” Laura said.
The zombies raged closer.
“Not yet,” Laura said.
Marc could make out the grotesque and revolting features of
the nearest zombies. Another moment and the horrible things would overrun them,
their decomposing teeth sinking into his and her skin.
“NOW!” Laura cried and placed her hands on each side of his
face.
Marc swung the Sword of the Phoenix.
But instead of zombies he found himself immediately hovering
over Belator.
The fire from the Phoenix Blade leapt directly downward with
Marc’s swing, encompassing Belator in a blaze of hungry flames.
Belator glanced up at the last moment and brought his scythe
arm up but still took the brunt of the blast.
Belator roared through the explosion as he was flung down
and sideways, sliding into the dirt road with crushing force.
Before Marc and Laura fell, Laura used her magic again and
transported them higher up in the sky.
“Again!” She cried.
Marc raised his weapon, the blade igniting with flames once
more, and he swung.
Laura moved through the unseen paths again and the next
moment Marc was nearer to the ground above Belator just as he was swinging the
Phoenix Blade downward. Another blast of fire struck the Necromancer just as he
was getting to his knees, shoving him to the ground with a powerful force, his
pale skin burning, his shoulder armor charring and the leather straps
disintegrating.
He truly must be the Wielder of the Flame
. Belator
thought with a mixture of emotions of both fury and pain.
Nyrith was right.
His vast forces stood on the road stupidly, unable to reach
their master’s foe.
Belator roared his frustration aloud, trying to move despite
the pain.
Laura repeated their action and Marc was high in the sky
again for only a brief second, then low again for another strike.
But this time Belator was ready. When Laura and Marc
reappeared the Necromancer had already dropped his scythe and was on his back,
hands outstretched. As the fire descended upon the pale sorcerer he countered
it with a discharge of yellow energy from his right hand and even before the
explosion from the impact of the two forces ended, he shot a second bolt of
energy through it with his left hand.
Marc was unprepared as yellow energy suddenly exited the
explosion and hit him square in the chestplate. The blast sent him flying
upwards and backwards in an uncontrolled spin, the Sword of the Phoenix sailing
from his grip. Again he felt a searing wave of heat surround him but his armor
took most of the shock quickly cooling the energy to a mere warmth. He felt
Laura’s hands lose their grip on his neck and heard her cry out as it happened.
Marc saw the bright blue sky and realized that the fog was
slowly encroaching back to its original position. Then he saw the street,
covered with undead, then the sky again, as he flipped, then the zombie filled
street quickly coming up to greet him.
He crashed right into the middle of the road, zombies all
around him and he heard another crash nearby and could only assume the same had
happened to Laura. Bright purple stars exploded across his vision at the impact
and he struggled to stay conscious as the pain from the landing threatened to
overwhelm him. He was tired from so much magic wielding. The monsters swarmed Marc,
giving him no respite. He could feel their hands clawing and their jaws
clamping over his armor. One gripped at his helmet, trying to rip it off, but
the monster was grasping it at an odd angle and instead of pulling the helmet
free it was only yanking Marc’s head with every tug. One of the armored zombies
stepped on Marc’s face in the scramble and Marc felt blood trickle down his
nose.
Marc tried to look around for the Phoenix Blade but all he
could see was the flashes and blurred movements of hundreds of legs. He fought
for control, pulling against the things trying to eat him. He thrashed and
kicked and punched desperately.
Get off me!
He screamed in his mind,
Get
off me! Get off! Get off! GET OFF!
Suddenly Marc felt his suit of armor supercharge and it
glowed with bright clear light.
The Tarenium!
Marc felt a surge of hope and strength
and he let out a shout, willing the energy outwards to push the things away
from him.
There was an explosion of fierce brilliant white massive
energy and the zombies on top of him and all around him were flung up and away
like they were nothing at all. Marc stood and saw the Sword of the Phoenix.
He heard Laura scream nearby, somewhere deep into zombies.
“MARCUS!”
He scooped up the powerful weapon and began to run towards
the scream.
He suddenly felt a blast of magic hit him in the back,
forcing him to topple down to his knees.
He glanced behind him and saw Belator struggling to stand,
his armor half melted onto one of his shoulders, that arm supporting him with
what used to be his scythe and was now only a half burned stick, the other
shoulder and arm were naked and also severely burned, but pointing towards
Marc.
Idiot
. Marc though,
you can hit me all day with
your magic, but your only helping me win the fight that way.
Marc needed to get to Laura and did not have any more time
to waste with Belator.
“COME ON!” He shouted and began to run towards the
Necromancer.
Belator snarled and shot another blast at Marc.
Marc felt it hit him like a freight train and he was thrown
backwards. But his armor absorbed the magic. He struggled to stand and felt
another blast hit him, throwing him sideways.
“COME ON!” He shouted, standing again.
Belator lowered his arm, sensing something was amiss.
“MARCUS!” Laura screamed again. Marc could hear the zombies
growling and moaning.
Marc began to run toward Belator again, letting the Sword of
the Phoenix flare with magic. The golden aura surrounded Marc as well.
Belator finally got to his feet, still holding onto the rod
for support and fired another blast at Marc.
This time Marc swatted at it with the Phoenix Blade. He had
gotten enough energy already and didn’t want to be thrown to the ground again.
The Necromancer looked worried and began to fire more and
more magic at Marc as his enemy drew nearer, but Marc swung his weapon back and
forth like a baseball bat, knocking out homeruns.
“BELATOR!” Marc cried as he approached, “YOUR HOUR HAS
COME!”
The Necromancer let the rod drop and brought both hands up,
releasing one final mighty surge of searing energy at Marc.
But instead of push him back as Belator hoped, Marc’s armor
caught onto the yellow energy and immediately conducted it, converting it into
fire and empowering the magic in the Sword of the Phoenix.
Marc leapt into the air with a mighty roar at the same time
Belator let out a cry of “Nooooooo!”
The Phoenix Blade cut the Necromancer from naked shoulder
through, downwards across his chest in a diagonal cut. But the flames from the
magic consumed most of his form before the severed portion of his upper torso
and head could even fall to the ground.
Marc rolled into the ashes and came up on his feet on the
other side.
Marc looked around, expecting to see all the zombies
immediately fall after the destruction of their creator, but they did not.
“MARCUS, PLEASE!” Laura cried again.
He turned and without another moment’s hesitation he
sprinted to the horde of undead attacking Laura. He continued to draw from the
magic his armor absorbed, keeping the Phoenix Blade lit, and swung it at the
first row of undead.
He cut through ten, then ten more, then ten more.
“Laura!” He shouted, “Laura! I’m coming, just hold on!”
Ten more, then another ten, but no Laura.
Finally he saw her buried in a pack of them.
He sliced his way through, uncovering her just as one of the
things was about to bite her face.
He kicked at the zombie and she finally saw him.
“Marcus!” He let down a hand and pulled her up.
He swung the Phoenix Blade in a half circle, keeping the
undead clear from them.
“I killed Belator, but the undead are still moving.”
“We are completely surrounded, we will have to fight our way
out!” She said.
“Hold on,” Marc said, “I have an idea. Do you have enough
energy for one more pass through the unseen paths?”
“I do not know,” She answered truthfully.
Marc swung the Phoenix Blade again, keeping the undead at
bay.
“I will start us out with some momentum, build it up for a
bit, then jump, and when I jump, I want you to take us as high into the sky as
you can above Sulendald. As high as you can!”
She nodded, “Then what?”
“Then I’m going to torch Sulendald.”
“But the city,” she said.
Marc nodded sadly, “Yes,” he said, “But I don’t think there
is any other way.”
She nodded her agreement.
Marc took her hand and then began to run around her, holding
the Sword of the Phoenix out about neck high. He severed head after head,
burning walking corpses one after the other as he ran in a circle. He began to
feel the pull of Laura’s hand as he continued to run faster and faster, the
flames from the Phoenix Blade a mere blur of trailing flames.