As he quickly strode towards the port, Valon could not help but wonder what the fate of his comrades who still fought Xerannu would be, or his father’s. While he wouldn’t allow his personal feelings to stop him, he couldn’t prevent his human emotions from constantly piercing his mind. Still, each person had their own role to play in this realm, something not only Seer Mordou had taught him but also something he had come to realize from farsight already. As he walked confidently towards the ship that would lead them to their future, Valon was ready to do whatever it took for his people.
Chapter 28
Sweat poured down Anna’s brow as she continued her barrage of holy magic unto her enemies. With each passing second, she could feel the fatigue of its usage draining her. Still, they were this close, and she would push herself to the very end. She knew if her child was to have a safe life, then their enemies would have to be destroyed, and she wanted to be there to witness it. She wanted revenge for Fredrik.
Unable to purge the forest of the corruption, the remaining warriors and mages had no choice but to continue into it as it was. Their holy magic illuminated the darkness, still effective on the Horrors that continued to assault them. Now only the Horrors remained, as they had slain the few Highrock archers. Still, Anna could only wonder how those back at the village fared.
It was slow moving as they cut their way through the Horrors. Now, only five holy-imbued mages remained, Valon having traveled back. Their formation roughly resembled a square, and each took a side alongside many warriors and mages while one rested in the middle, using far less power to mend wounds and bless their warriors. They continued this cycle as they slowly made their way to the heart of their enemy, yet their numbers continued to thin, for the constant assaults by the Horrors slowly chipped away from them. Not to mention any warrior that was entangled by a tentacle or incapacitated in any way had to be left behind if not quickly saved. It was a race against time now, and they had to reach the portal before they were out of troops completely. While their magic was powerful, they could not fight Xerannu’s thralls alone.
“Keep moving! Hold those beasts back!” Chieftain Barod yelled from behind Anna, primarily looking to the handful of soldiers and mages left in their formation.
“We are so close, I can sense it,” Seer Mordou said, taking Anna’s place.
“I can sense it too,” Anna replied, allowing Seer Mordou to step in.
She returned to the middle of the bustling, crazed formation, pushing through at least ten warriors until she reached the center. They were tired, some scared, others still having fight in them. She knew there was a chance they could all die here, even before they closed the portal. However, if they did nothing they would certainly perish. She was sure every one of her comrades in arms knew that too now.
As one Linta Clan fighter came to her with an injury, Anna noticed the woman around her age looked utterly defeated. Anna didn’t say anything at first, examining the wound on the woman’s arm. It was a nasty gash, filled with whatever poison Xerannu spread through the veins of his thralls. Anna began the purifying spell, knowing it would take up to a minute to cleanse the woman.
They had to continue walking slowly to stay centered in the formation, making it more difficult for Anna to concentrate. Despite the many obstacles, she cured the woman of the affliction and healed the wound enough so that it wouldn’t continue to bleed. However, as she went to send the woman back, she knew she had to say something.
“Thank you for your bravery,” Anna softly spoke, placing her hand gently on the woman’s arm.
“This is a nightmare…” the woman replied, barely holding it together.
“It is, but we are surviving. How many have you killed?” Anna asked bluntly.
“What?” the woman asked, wiping a couple tears from her eye.
“How many Horrors have you slain?” Anna repeated.
“I don’t know … I don’t keep track. Perhaps a couple dozen or more? Why?” the woman asked, her curiosity replacing her fear.
“Then that’s a couple dozen that will no longer attack us. That’s a couple dozen that will not hunt down our friends, our family. Had you even said you only killed a single enemy I would commend you,” Anna explained, trying her best to motivate the woman. “If we each do that, we will push back these foes and put an end to them for good!”
The woman nodded, sniffling one last time. As she processed Anna’s reasoning in her, some of her morale returned. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for her to grit her teeth and replace her lack of hope with a reason to keep fighting.
“I see. Thank you,” the woman said, readying her battleaxe to keep fighting.
“No, thank you. Fight strong, Linta,” Anna nodded with respect.
The woman returned the nod and moved back into the formation. Anna watched as the cycle of warriors continued as well, trying to keep any one person from becoming too exhausted. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the best they could do while remaining flanked.
As more time went on, it was soon Anna’s time to relieve the head of the formation. She again pushed her way through the warriors, having to walk quickly to keep up. Luckily, she did feel a bit restored and ready to fight more. Finally, she found Goreth leading the way, flanked by Forud warriors that cheered on their Champion.
Goreth destroyed any Horror that came within his field of vision, projecting his holy magic like a single blade of holy fire that continued to sweep in front of him. He did not speak or even acknowledge his fellow clansmen that flanked him, completely absorbed in the mission at hand.
“Goreth,” Anna said loudly over the cheering, tapping him on the shoulder.
Goreth nodded and uttered a small grunt. He slowly withdrew his magic, watching as the Horrors ran forward to seize the moment of opportunity. He and Anna quickly changed places, and Anna let loose concentrated bolts of holy power. The magic was far too quick for the Horrors to avoid, and she pierced the attackers with relative ease. As it happened, the Forud warriors next to her cheered.
“Look at that light ahead; we must be close,” Goreth said before he left, pointing over Anna’s shoulder in the distance.
As Anna saw it, she froze. In that moment she remembered the last time she had been there, seeing Fredrik and watching her clansmen die. Her mind being torn away from the moment, Anna’s magic began to fade, and as she lost focus, she almost tripped over a flesh-covered root on the ground.
Seeing the opportunity, more Horrors charged from behind nearby trees, their shapes and sizes varying. However, this time some of them were recognizable. Some of the attackers looked to be raptors that had been corrupted by Xerannu. The afflicted raptors quickly ran to the front of their group, their cries wicked and warped.
“By the gods … miss? Mage? Are you alright?” A nervous Forud asked, tightening his grip on his spear and shield.
The words reached Anna, and she quickly snapped herself out of it. Upon seeing the great raptors afflicted, she felt sickened. They were fierce, primal beasts, but they did not deserve such a fate. She targeted them and let loose a torrent of holy power. As her power struck them, however, they did not instantly die like the Horrors. No, something was slightly different about them, and they managed to press onward toward the group and were closing in fast.
“What? How did it survive that?” the panicking Forud warrior asked.
“I don’t know. Brace yourselves!” Anna yelled.
Their pace almost stopped as they raised their shields and spears. Anna continued her barrage, taking down two of the six vicious, afflicted raptors. The other four made it and leapt onto the warriors, Anna being pushed behind them as she had no shield or armor like them. Despite spears piercing their bodies, the afflicted raptors attacked their foes with a frenzy of mangled claws and chipped teeth. They were somehow even more violent than normal raptors, ripping and tearing at the humans before them.
The other lines of the formation ran forward to engage the raptors but found it difficult to get
close. The four swung their heavy, leathery tails at them and knocked the warriors back. Other mages used primordial magic and sent bolts at the beasts. As it struck them, it wasn’t too effective, but did manage to force them to stumble off their prey. Luckily, one of the raptors far from her was taken down through an exhaustive effort of mages and warriors.
Anna attacked again, dissuaded by her poor effectiveness. As she glanced into the eyes of the closest raptor, she swore she could see torment in the beasts, as if they were still aware enough to know they were being controlled. That sight caused Anna to try the boldest move of the battle. She slowly walked forward to the raptor, using her holy light to calm it, much to the surprise of all near her; despite their protests, she pressed onwards. Only one voice made her reconsider her actions, but she didn’t let it stop her.
Having heard the commotion, the side flank had sent Garon to check in on the front.
“Anna!” Garon yelled, ready to strike down the raptor in front of her.
“Wait!” Anna yelled in response, only feet from the beast.
As her eyes and the raptor’s locked, she could tell the beast was truly a slave to Xerannu. She was not face to face with it and stared up a few inches at the taller beast. She gently placed her hand on its head, rubbing between the top section just above its nose. Then, she began the same cleansing spell she had used on the wounded fighters.
The flows of magic around her hissed as opposing magics met, forced together by two separate wills. She could feel Xerannu’s presence and knew the entity wouldn’t let one of his thrall go. However, she knew this was one of many beings he controlled and he couldn’t focus on saving a single raptor.
She poured her energy into her magic, sparks of magic flinging violently from her hand and the temporarily debilitated raptor. She ignored the chaos around her as the other two raptors still fought warriors and more Horrors followed. By now the formation was close behind her, waiting for the result.
“You’re cleansing it, aren’t you?” Garon asked between attacks, giving her cover.
“Yes. I can sense its pain. I can free it,” Anna answered.
Finally, her magic found its way through and ripped the influence of Xerannu’s unholy magic from the beast. Then, she purged the remaining biotic magic, green flecks of magic falling from the raptor. As it happened, its form began to change. Anna watched as the beast slowly returned to its normal form, losing its gnarled purple skin and being replaced with its normal grey, feather-covered skin. Its red eyes slowly lost their torment and revealed the simple, primal eyes the raptor normally had. It made a low sound with its voice, coming to its natural senses. It had been restored to its natural state, at least for that brief moment.
As Anna saw the raptor return to how it had been before Xerannu’s influence, a thought popped into her head. She suddenly thought of a spell that had been gifted to her that allowed her to imbue beings with holy light, empowering them and making them a force for good. She remembered the spell and figured this would be a good time to test it. As she began, holy magic poured from her being.
“Anna? What are you doing?” Garon asked skeptically.
“Trying something,” Anna replied shortly, focusing on imbuing the raptor with holy magic.
She let the flow of holy magic run through her and into the raptor, which squealed in discomfort. She persisted, something telling her what she was doing was right. Finally, enough magic had been siphoned into the raptor, and it was enveloped in golden light. It roared once, sounding in great pain. Anna stepped back, something warm within her telling her she was making the right decision.
Then, the veil lifted, and the light around the raptor shattered. The creature roared again, this time a battle cry. Its skin had gone completely white, devoid of any color, and its feathers and eyes had turned gold. Anna could feel the magic she had given the raptor and smiled in delight at the sight of the powerful beast of good.
This attracted the other two raptors, who now noticed their changed comrade. They roared, and ran at the holy raptor, their red eyes as tormented as their kin’s. The holy raptor leapt forward, ready to fight.
“By the gods…” Chieftain Barod mumbled in awe as he approached behind Anna.
The imbued raptor dove at the first of the two assailants, diving on it and knocking it to the ground. It showed no mercy as it ripped and tore through what was once its kin, roaring in triumph as it quickly dispatched its first foe.
The second afflicted raptor swung at its holy-imbued relative, ripping into its pale skin. Light, golden blood dripped out, and the raptor cried out in fury. It dove onto the warped raptor, biting the neck of the dark beast. The dark raptor tried to fight back, gouging its claws into its holy-imbued kin, but it was not strong enough and was tossed aside as Anna’s experiment proved successful.
“It’s so powerful. Can you control it?” Garon asked, staring at the raptor.
Anna didn’t reply but reached out with her mind to the raptor. She used her magic to give it orders to continue attacking every Horror it saw. Then, a moment later, it followed her command. The raptor roared, ignoring its wounds and running towards nearby Horrors and tearing them apart.
“It’s making us an easier path; let’s keep moving!” Anna shouted to the others, the concentration of holy magic slowly fading from her.
The formation tightened and they continued through the forest towards daylight, still fending off attacks from the other sides. However, with the front path being cleared by the vicious raptor Anna had saved, they could move faster.
As they approached the light ahead, Anna fought her mind to stay focused. She knew the body of Fredrik was still out there. Not only that, but there was a chance she could bring him back. If she could save a raptor, she could perhaps save him. She didn’t want to let hope overcome her, but it was difficult. With this newfound power, anything seemed possible.
Finally, the front of the formation plunged into daylight, following the bloody path of the raptor. Having fought easily a hundred Horrors, the great beast was beginning to slow. Its golden blood dripped from it as it fought, leaving a path of black and gold blood through the forest. Anna could do no more for it, knowing it would soon meet its end. Swarmed by ruthless Horrors, it soon fell to the ground. As it did, the Horrors continued to attack it, filled with hatred. Then, as its eyelids fell over its golden eyes, its body caught ablaze in a white-hot fire. The holy magic that imbued it collapsed in on itself, burning every nearby Horror in a blaze. Anna, however, was more focused on the shimmering portal from which Horrors continuously emerged.
“Champions! Regroup!” Seer Mordou yelled, appearing behind Anna.
“Warriors! Cover them!” Chieftain Barod ordered in addition.
Goreth and Becca moved through the formation to stand alongside Anna, Garon, Seer Mordou, Chieftain Barod, and Titus. They all looked onto the portal with intrigue and disgust. This was the vile source of their realm’s illness. It was here, and only here, they could fix it.
“As terrible as I remember it,” Titus growled.
“So that’s it, isn’t it?” Garon asked. “The source of corruption that took my people…”
“Seer, how do we destroy it?” Chieftain Barod asked, placing his hand on the man’s shoulder.
“Now that I am a bit unsure of. As far as I am aware, there is no ‘close portal’ spell. I do have some ideas, however,” Seer Mordou replied, nervously rubbing his chin as he gazed upon the shimmering anomaly.
“Well, please do whatever you can, and fast. Our people cannot hold out forever!” Chieftain Barod implored, looking back at their dwindling formation.
“Of course. Now, I believe if we all bombard it with holy magic and simultaneously use primordial magic to physically close it, we may have the desired outcome,” Seer Mordou theorized, looking at each of his Champions.
As the Seer continued to speak, Anna felt a presence coming from the portal. She tried to ignore it, knowing it was likely a trick. However, the fight
ing at the front line stopped, and a yell from a Narsho warrior stole her attention.
“By the gods … Fredrik?” a man said from the front line.
Anna immediately turned and pushed her way through the formation. As she walked between two warriors, she saw what had caused the commotion: standing in the middle of the trampled field between them and the portal was Fredrik; however, this time, there was no facade of humanity, and he looked as twisted as any other afflicted being.
Anna gasped at the sight of her former lover, and she slowly stumbled towards him. With her new power she was sure she could cleanse him, save him from this terrible affliction. She ignored the yelling of her comrades, as the Horrors had all disappeared from the front line and were no longer coming from the portal. She was ready for a fight but needed to try to save him.
“H-help,” Fredrik gurgled terribly, his red eyes wavering.
“Fredrik!” Anna yelled, running toward him with newfound hope.
Then, in an instant, her hope was shattered into terrible pieces. In a gory, magic-infused explosion, Fredrik’s body erupted. Parts went flying as unholy power decimated his body, red wisps of magic flying forth. It was gruesome, brutal, and left a permanent scar on Anna’s soul.
“No!” Anna wailed, dropping to her knees.
“You thought I would allow you to save him?” Xerannu’s voice cackled.
She stared ahead at the portal, which now glowed in a sickening greenish red aura. She couldn’t speak, too scarred from what she had just witnessed. However, her sight did not fail her, and a large Horror emerged from the portal, a sword still lodged in its body. As Anna laid eyes upon the Horror, she immediately recognized it, as well as her sword.
Rise of the Champions Page 29
