by Erik Weir
Energy bolts blasted out and Xix dodged both of them. The decayed demon grinned as he charged, his body low and eyes sharp. Victor spent a point of Will and a glowing aura appeared around his body. The rusty spiked ball spun around in blinding speed as the Blade parried two strikes, but didn’t see the third. The spiked ball slammed into his aura, cracking it before it once more sealed shut.
“You’re holding back. That is a mistake,” Xix said with a wicked grin before his white eyes flashed.
Victor couldn’t think as a whirlwind slammed into him from all sides. Aura cracking, he barely stepped back as the energy around him shattered. Despite his increased strength and speed, Xix was moving faster and harder. Sparks flew as the Blade tried to parry each blow and before he could spend more points to keep up, the spiked ball slammed into his arm and sent him crashing to the ground.
Pain flared as something sickly slid into his bloodstream. Victor cried out as jagged pain welled up. A shadow fell over him, Xix raising his morning star up and swinging it around, ready to strike when a fireball slammed into his side. The demon flipped through the air and landed, turned and glared at Night as she stood over Victor. Tendrils of smoke rose up from the burnt shrouds, but the demon didn’t look like he was slowing down.
Alerts filled Victor’s vision; a poison had entered his bloodstream. Spending a point of Constitution, nano-drones moved through his blood to neutralize its effects and repair the damage. The pain ebbed and Victor was back on his feet.
“Victor?” Night said while staring at Xix.
“We can’t hold back. Give them everything we have,” the Champion shouted as he aimed and pulled the trigger on his gun-blade.
Xix once again turned into a blur, flipping and dodging each energy bolt. Shyryth growled as flames poured from her mouth. Vayne giggled with mad glee before a tentacle wrapped around Shyryth’s throat and squeezed. The motion caused the dragon-woman to struggle to breathe, fire stuck below her throat.
“Not very nice to burn me when all I want to do is hug you to death,” Vayne laughed.
Kaiser appeared next to Vayne and Shyryth, a fist pulled back and slamming into the dragon woman’s face. Shyryth’s hat flew off her head as she took the blow and snapped her head forward into Vayne’s laughing face. The force of the blow was so much, Vayne stopped laughing as a bloom of black blood spurted into the air from her nose and mouth. Despite the brutal blow, tentacles clung on tight as she tried to collect her wits.
Lexx walked in a straight line through the fighting, sleepy eyes on the kneeling Dorian. “I…just…need…a…nap…”
Time slowed as Victor eyed the situation. The battle had just begun and he could already see it was going to turn badly for them. Lexx stumble walked to Dorian while Shyryth was fighting Vayne and Kaiser by herself. The Blade and Night were just holding their own against the sickly demon moving in quick flashes. With Champions gathered, Victor made up his mind and he could no longer let it continue.
Victor spent five Constitution on his Power Suit Upgrade. Nano-drones ejected from pores in his skin, flattening out and connecting in the blink of an eye. Nano-drones continued to work, connecting, increasing thickness of armor and adding strength and speed engines to joints. The once simple body armor upgraded to an advanced version. With a burst of power, Victor propelled forward, slamming his armored shoulder into the decayed demon and sent him spiraling to the sandy ground with a bounce.
Xix rolled back to his feet, swinging his spiked ball and chain. “Now you’ve become a challenge!”
Victor spent two points of Constitution, one to recharge his gun-blade and another for his Weapon Upgrade ability. Cables emerged from his arm and connected with the gun-blade. Power hummed as the gun-blade charged with power. The Blade glanced to his stats floating in the corner of his vision before he gritted his teeth and launched himself again at the demon.
Victor Hobbs
Acolytes Unlocked- 61/77
Divine Orbs- 15
Powers to Unlock-0
Spheres of Influence
Str (Gaia)- 10/15
Con (Nano)- 4/11
Int (Abyss)- 3
Will (Holy)- 5/6
Wis (Mind)- 14
Cha (Shadow)- 3
Swords
Iron Sword
Elemental Sword
Gun Blade
Bone Sword
Cursed Blade
Xix waited as the armored Victor barreled toward him. Licking his rotting lips, he grinned before darkness rose up and he stepped into it. Victor felt nothing but air as he flashed past, missing the demon. A shadow rose up and a spiked ball swung out, slamming against Victor’s head. The force behind the blow was enough for Victor to stumble. Swinging his gun-blade around, he tried to find a target when a shadow loomed up from behind.
Xix emerged, swinging his morning star when fire glowed behind him. The demon turned just as a fireball streaked toward him. Sinking back into the rising darkness, the fireball glanced off his shoulder. Singed cloth rose up and the momentum sent him flying from the shadow he had created and crashing to the ground. Victor leapt at the chance, aiming and squeezing the trigger. Xix cried out as he took a direct energy blast to the back before he sank into another shadow.
Victor landed and spun around, looking for Xix. Shyryth struggled against Vayne while Kaiser’s body began to grow. Lexx was nearly on to Dorian, hand out and a sleepy smile on his lips.
“Sleep…forever sleep…” the drowsy Champion said as he was inches from Dorian.
Energy blasted out five times. Lexx’s eyes widened when the first one struck. Dorian looked up through the pain to see the Lexx’s body thrown in the air like a rag doll, energy bolts punching holes in his body. Victor’s legs bent and he launched himself to Dorian’s side. Lexx lay on the ground moaning as wisps of smoke and the scent of burned flesh filled the air.
Xix appeared, swinging his morning star, “Lexx!”
Kaiser’s form grew bigger and sharper. Boney knuckles exploded into sharp points as he grew fifteen feet tall. The giant monster charged toward Victor and Dorian while Vayne continued to struggle with Shyryth. Chaos bloomed as everyone on the battlefield picked their targets. Tides of power shifted, but Victor grew deadly serious as he charged his gun-blade again with a Constitution point.
“I’m coming,” Kaiser roared as he charged toward Victor and Dorian.
Night continued to throw fireballs at the disappearing and reappearing Xix. Shyryth growled her contempt as she let her body change into her true dragon form. Vayne’s laughter died as the dragon woman shifted and changed, causing tentacles to loosen or be ripped off. The warp spawn launched off the changing body when a scaled hand grabbed her from the air, lifted her up and slammed her down hard.
Vayne moaned before she was lifted up again. Shyryth was in mid-swing when reality wrinkled. The warp spawn was suddenly not there and appeared ten feet away.
“Time for a little control,” Vayne laughed before launching toward the large red dragon.
Claws flashed as Shyryth tried to slice at the warp spawn. Reality wrinkled again and suddenly the warp spawn was on her, tentacles coiling around her armored head. Energy welled and Shyryth’s movements slowed to a stop.
“Burn your friends,” Vayne commanded with a manic grin.
Victor squared up as Kaiser in war form came barreling toward him. He knew if he dodged, the monstrous Champion would slam into Dorian. Not wanting to chance it, five more points of Strength flowed into the Blade. Strength and speed increased to Titan level, with the added power of his power suit. Kaiser’s thick sword rose up and swung down just as he was over Vala’s Champion.
The clash of blades sent a small shockwave out in all directions. Victor just managed to stay his ground, armored boots sliding back two inches. The monstrous form of Kaiser loomed overhead, his shadow blanketing the smaller Champion. Strain whirled against the added upgrades as Victor held his ground.
“I can smell your marrow,” Kaiser gr
unted like the monster he was.
“Funny, all I smell is an asshole,” Victor grunted before side stepping and letting his sword sink into his wrist.
The movement was so quick, Kaiser stumbled forward over Dorian. Before he could right himself to strike down the Slinger, a bone sword slid into Victor’s hand and a Strength point charged it. In a blur, the Champion was on Kaiser’s back and driving the bone sword home. Kaiser grunted as the blade sank in halfway. Barely a second later, Victor activated the Roar.
The explosive blast sent Kaiser face down to the sandy floor while Dorian managed to roll away. The ground trembled from the strike and blew Victor back into the air. The Champion landed, armored legs absorbing most of the shock.
Xix moved like a dancer, dodging fireballs. Night threw each one with mystical determination until the decayed demon landed and slid to a stop.
“It’s a shame we must burn such beauty,” Xix leered.
Night’s brow wrinkled until she felt the rising heat. Glancing to the side, she witnessed Vayne riding on Shyryth’s neck while the red dragon drew back a deep breath and spit a stream of fire. The elf turned toward the incoming flames and whispered words of power. A mana-shield formed just as the flames reached her. The shimmering field flickered in the path of dragon fire. When the stream stopped, the mana-shield collapsed and so did Night.
Xix stepped into a shadow and appeared next to the elf as she struggled to stand back up. “Vala wept.”
Night mustered another incantation just as the spiked ball came swinging hard across. Mana flared and created a shield just enough to take the blow, but sent her body flying across the soft ground, bouncing twice before she slid to a halt.
Kaiser stood up, the hole in his back closing at an alarming rate.
“Shit tits,” Victor growled as he readied to go against the giant brute once more.
Dorian struggled to stand when something crawled toward him. The Slinger looked down to see Lexx sliding across the ground with sleepy eyes and outstretched hand. Exposed bone glowed in the dying light of the day as the Champion reached out to touch the slinger.
“Sleep…” Lexx whispered before something glowed.
Dorian watched as an energy blade penetrated the top of Lexx’s head and pinned it to the ground. Over him, a man with a single braid hanging down from one temple and an amused smile on his lips. Leather armor covered his body but the sword was made of pure mana.
“Please to meet you, Mr. Reins. My name is Nebb, Champion of Nephy,” the spell sword grinned before pulling the mana-sword from the dead Lexx.
Victor glanced over just as he parried a blow from the larger Kaiser. “Nebb? How did you find us?”
The spell sword stood up and grinned. “The same way they found you, a whisper from divine lips.”
Xix’s mood soured as he saw the spell sword. “Vayne, kill all of them. I’ll take out the Slinger.”
“With fire and brimstone,” the warp spawn cackled as she directed Shyryth to lay flame to all gathered.
The red dragon reared up, flames gathering in her throat and mouth. Victor’s bone sword clashed again and again against the monstrous Champion. With their attacks fighting each other to a standstill, he couldn’t break away. Night lay on the ground unmoving. Nebb rushed to Dorian’s side, a mana-shield forming on his left forearm. The canyon floor shook as the dragon’s eyes blazed with power. An instant later, a thick plume of flames streaked forth.
Victor readied to launch into the flames to stop them from hurting his friends when a canyon wall exploded outwards, showering the area in rocky debris. Victor’s eyes widened as a colossal worm crashed into the middle of the battlefield, flames striking its side. The giant creature roared as the bulk of its body coiled and lashed out, dwarfing Shyryth and slamming into her. The dragon and warp spawn went flying, crashing into an opposite wall and crumpling to the ground.
Victor bent his knees and launched, slamming his shoulder into Kaiser’s chest with such power, it sent the giant Champion stumbling and falling onto his back.
The Blade lifted his bone sword to the giant worm and shouted, “He who controls the spice, controls the universe!”
The worm turned it’s pointed head toward the decayed demon. Xix sneered before he jumped into a shadow. A swath of darkness appeared next to Dorian and a swinging morning star emerged. Nebb and Victor blurred forward to intercept, but it was Dorian who rose up, no pain in his eyes.
Xix followed through, emerging from the shadow and trying to land a blow when a hand caught him by the wrist. White eyes widening, the decayed demon was hoisted up and thrown like he weighed nothing. Dorian watched as the decayed demon hit the ground, bounced and landed next to Kaiser. Victor and Nebb were on either side of the Slinger, but Dorian took a step forward, hand hovering over his pistol.
“Last and only time you will ever get the drop on me,” Dorian said coolly.
The Slinger’s arm moved in such mechanical precision; Victor could hardly keep up. The pistol blinked forward as a finger squeezed the trigger. In another instant, the rune-covered pistol was back in holster like it was never touched. A mana-bullet streaked toward Kaiser as he slowly stood up. The brute’s sword turned sideways, deflecting the bullet. Time seemed to stop but the bullet didn’t. Victor and Nebb watched in astonishment as a single mana-bullet curved in midair and came back toward the towering monster.
Kaiser grunted as he deflected the bullet again, but it continued to fly off, turned and come right back. The air took on a stream of light as Dorian’s bullet came back again and again. The giant three-eyed brute took a step back and another, using all of his power to keep the persistent bullet away.
“I can’t stop it,” Kaiser growled as each slam of the bullet forced him to retreat step by step.
Xix watched was happening and spit in disgust. Skeletal hands up, shadows engulfed him. Vayne stirred from the floor when shadows wrapped around her body and she sank into the darkness, gone from sight. Kaiser grunted again and again as he tried to deflect the bullet. He misjudged a step and the bullet blasted through his forearm. The giant monster screamed until shadows engulfed him and he was gone.
The mana-bullet slammed into a canyon wall, cracking it for twenty feet and silence fell across the darkening battlefield. Victor let his armor crack and fall away as his bone sword slid back into his wrist. Running, he fell to Night’s side and lifted her to his chest. The elf’s eyes slowly opened before giving him a reassuring smile.
Putting her down, the elf stood on her own power. The two turned to see Shyryth walking toward them, a scaled hand to her head. She had transformed back to her humanoid form and made her way to them.
“The warp spawn…she took control of my mind,” Shyryth said with some difficulty.
Victor and Night rushed to her side.
Shyryth looked to Night, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t control myself.”
The elf gave her small hug and a faint smile. “I understand. The Dark Spire realm has the power to manipulate minds and bodies.”
Seeing that Night and Shyryth were okay, Victor turned to see Dorian standing alone and Nebb standing by the gaping hole where the worm came from. The giant worm was off to the side, silent and watching.
A figure appeared from the hole, walking slowly into the last hint of light from the day. Victor stepped forward while Nebb knelt down to one knee and bowed his head. A woman with green skin and brown dress stepped into view with a kind smile. Twigs filled her hair as moss covered almost every inch of her skin.
Victor smiled. “Hello Nephy.”
The goddess gave a small head bow as she emerged from the giant hole, the last rays of sunlight vanishing and night casting her shroud across the lands.
***
The final rays of sunlight disappeared over the horizon and darkness covered the lush lands and mystical city of Loress. A dark blue dragon and two dragon-women flew silently over the rooftops before lanterns in the street glowed to life. Lily and Dawn peered down whil
e holding onto Vindrel’s neck. Behind them, Nerin and Ida stayed close while Izy and Mildra glided next to their fellow dragon.
Dawn eyed the approaching tower, her glasses seeing through the stone to the inner garden on the top floor. Three figures remained by one of the small ponds that dotted the large tower floor.
“They are still there,” the elf said into Lily’s ear.
The demoness turned her head to the group with a small nod. The rest nodded back. In mere moments, they landed on the top of the tower. Vindrel lowered the bulk of her body allowing Lily, Dawn, Nerin, and Ida to slip off. Izy and Mildra landed next. When everyone was off, Vindrel’s body convulsed and trembled as she reverted back to her dragon-woman form.
Lily glanced to Dawn and noticed the strange belt and plasma pistol against her hip. “Is that new?”
The elf nodded. “I enjoyed using the plasma rifle from the Xull realm so, I had Wynn send me something smaller.”
Lily gave a nod of approval before she addressed her sisters in battle. “Rescue the acolytes and we fly away. We don’t want to get into a prolonged fight.”
Mildra turned her eyes to the dozen gargoyles lining the tower edges. “I sense something is amiss.”
Lily nodded. “There is probably detection magic. They might be on their way already. Let’s finish what we came here to do.”
The group of women rushed to the lone door. Dawn was first to it, pulling out a small lock-picking kit from her leather belt. Glasses shining, she noticed the lock was mechanical and she didn’t detect any magical traps. Inserting the thin rod and needle, she worked the lock until it clicked open.
A staff appeared in Lily’s hand as the door opened. “Stay close.”
The small group made their way into the darkened entryway. The climb down was quiet. Torches lined the stairwell before they entered the top floor. Light flickered as they moved as one, reaching another door and finding it unlocked. Lily’s brow hardened as they stepped into a lush garden, the sound of trickling water echoing off walls.
