by Eden Redd
Nyte looked up to her father with wide eyes, “No Papa, you can’t stay.”
Saldor hugged her close, a comforting smile on his lips, “I must stay to help Thorrin. It’s the only way.”
Shella looked to her husband, silent as her eyes watered.
Talisa turned to Melina and Pyke, “Go with them.”
“We are staying with you,” Pyke said with conviction, Melina nodding next to him.
“No, you won’t,” The troll said firmly. “If we don’t return by midnight, leave for the Northeast coast and travel along it northward until you reach Talon Guard. If I survive, I will come for you.”
“And if you don’t?” Melina asked with tears streaking her blue cheeks.
Talisa smiled, “Live a long and happy life being free.”
Emma moved in close to Thorrin. The paladin turned to her with kind eyes. The green haired dragon woman smirked as she placed a hand on his hip.
“You don’t have to do this. You can go with them and help protect them should I fail,” Thorrin said with a sheepish smile.
“We won’t let you fail,” Talisa said as she walked up behind Emma.
“We fight together,” Saldor said as he stood by Talisa.
Emma stared into Thorrin’s eyes, “Tonight, the dead will know fear.”
The paladin nodded, “Let’s get ready to kick some undead ass.”
***
The approaching evening light painted the tops of trees. The church steeple glowed as the sun sank lower below the horizon. Stars twinkled into existence while wisps of clouds moved in the reddish sky. Twin moons rose, reflecting the sun’s power back onto the world of Lukken.
Inky shadows lengthened while a chill caused small animals to hide in their burrows or run off. In the dying light, shapes lumbered along a dirt road. Their pace quickened with the last rays of light painting the sky pink and orange before fading into a deep velvet purple. When the sun disappeared behind the edge of the world, night fell, smothering the world in comforting darkness.
The thunder of the lumbering shadows pressed on, following their lord and master as he stepped with purpose. Eyes meant for the dark world, Mad Morgan took in every glimmer of life. Plants radiated blue and white energy while scared animals gave off waves of red. On he marched, madness kept at bay only with delightful visions of slaughtering the innocent, weak and strong. Senses spreading, his mind touched the town but instead of an area filled with cowering life, it contained only a few points of light. Spreading his senses further, he could feel them to the North East, hiding behind ancient holy ruins.
“This is the game. So be it. I will tear down those holy walls and slaughter all of them for my new army,” Mad Morgan whispered with glee.
Marching forward, the lanterns of Apple Shire greeted the dread lord. A twisted smile on his lips, he continued on as clanking skeletal soldiers moved in formation behind him. Their numbers reached slightly over a hundred but the dread lord would have new recruits soon enough.
Stepping into the dim lantern light, Mad Morgan gazed down the street to see a lone figure standing. The dread lord’s senses expanded and he could see the paladin clearly but his light was stronger than when they first met. Mad Morgan would have laughed but he kept his feelings in reserve. His curiosity was piqued and he wanted to see what the simple paladin had in mind.
Since his awakening, his power had grown with each passing hour. Decades of vile acts had infused his bones with unholy darkness and death. An army of skilled paladins would be enough to give him pause but a single one only made the night more interesting. Mad Morgan marched on with his dark army behind him, ready to be unleashed.
A gentle breeze flowed over the empty town as the dread lord stepped forward. Armored skeletons continued their march as hollow eyes looked on. Thorrin stood with hammer in hand and determination in his eyes.
Mad Morgan raised a hand and his undead army stopped marching and stood at attention. The dread lord took a few steps forward and stood, an amused grin on his lips and battle axe strapped to his back.
“Good to see you again, Paladin. Is this where you offer me a chance to retreat and never come back again?”
Thorrin maintained his gaze, “No. This will be the spot where I defeat you.”
Mad Morgan raised an eyebrow, “My my, we have grown bolder. I sense your power has grown but it is merely a drop in the bucket compared to that of a Dread Lord.”
Thorrin tightened his grip, “I have a few friends that have told me of your history. How you are the weakest of the Dread Lords. How you ran while dragons and humans hunted you down. How you begged for mercy as they imprisoned you. They didn’t have too much to fear, that was why you were buried so far north of the road. They knew if you came back, they could destroy you without so much as breaking a sweat.”
Mad Morgan’s grin slipped away and his eyes took on a hard edge, “They used tricky and powerful magic to seal me away. I have had time to think as I lay in my prison. They will never be able to perform their pathetic rites on me again.”
Thorrin gave a sly smirk, “So powerful that you need an army to take a small defenseless town?”
Mad Morgan crossed his armored arms, his grin returning, “I see the game. You wish to make this a fight of honor. You think I need my army to take this town, hardly worth the trouble to unleash them on empty buildings. I have a better idea, how about my army marches on the monastery they are hiding in while you and I fight for their very souls.”
Thorrin kept his gaze cool and focused, “You don’t know what honor is. You have nothing to bargain with.”
Mad Morgan sighed, “Oh I wasn’t trying to bargain. I was simply stating what was going to happen. I can sense the very essence of life. I will direct my army to slaughter every living thing and add them to the ranks.”
The dread lord raised a hand. The undead army at his back snapped to attention and began marching double time. They made two rows, moving on either side of their lord. Thorrin kept his nerves steady as the undead army moved past him on his left and right. After a long tense moment, the undead army had marched past him and up the road, turning and heading North East.
“It’s just me and you,” Mad Morgan smiled evilly.
Thorrin mentally called up his protection. Wisdom points were funneled to bring up his armor rating. A white aura appeared around the paladin as his readied himself. He created a quick command for his holy touch and kept it at the ready. With a sharp intake of breath, he began his march toward the grinning dread lord.
***
The undead army moved through the wide path. Metal rang out as they marched. Ancient swords in hand, their pace was steady. Their lost minds could feel directions as their lord channeled their movements toward the ancient holy place. When they were hundreds of yards away, the column stopped. A lone woman stepped out into the dark path and faced the undead soldiers before her.
“May your souls rest in dragon fire,” Emma said as her body began to grow larger.
The skeletons did not hesitate as knees bent and they surged forward. Jaws opened in silent shouts as they moved as one unit. Emma’s body contorted and changed. Scales broke skin as horns emerged from her head. Green hair fell away as skin hardened. A wing flashed open as a tail sprouted. A clawed foot slammed down on the path and her body shifted into its true form. Long neck craning and serpentine head glaring down, the skeletons were nearly on her. Swords rose as they readied themselves to hack at the green dragon.
“Sleep as your ancestors did, bathed in flames!” Emma said in a deep voice, her jaw opening and a thick stream of fire bursting forth.
Metal melted as bone blasted to dust. The first few rows of skeletons were disintegrated. The rest of the army slowed as metal pooled onto long dead bones. Another gout of flame shattered them into greenish light. Emma continued the second stream of dragon fire until her second stomach could no longer produce the gases needed. Mouth clamping shut, nearly seventy percent of the undead army was no more. Th
e remaining soldiers advanced with hollow eyes and blades raised.
***
Mad Morgan never pulled his axe from his back as Thorrin charged. The burst of flame in the distance left the dread lord unmoved. Instead he kept his eyes on the simple paladin rushing him. Thorrin growled as he raised his hammer and brought it down. The dread lord stepped aside, dodging it. Thorrin kept up the attacks, driving his hammer down again and again but only encountering air. The dread lord yawned as he dodged one after the other. A second later, the dread lord stood in front of the paladin, arms at his sides.
Thorrin’s hammer came down, striking the black chest plate. The sound of metal on metal rang out but the dread lord stood, unaffected. Mad Morgan eyed the paladin as he looked up with a touch of uncertainty.
“This was your plan? You wanted to lure my army out so your dragon could roast them to ash. I had higher hopes of you using the dragon to unleash her flames on me. How satisfying it would have been to slay her before you. Did she beg to take on my army so she wouldn’t face me? I tasted her fear and it was delightful. Now your places have changed in my design. I will slay you and parade your dead body before I drive my cock into her heart.”
Thorrin’s freehand closed into a fist. He channeled wisdom points into his holy touch as he reared back. Mad Morgan looked bored as the paladin’s hammer came down on his breastplate. Metal rang out once again as Thorrin’s glowing fist followed up, striking the dread lord on the chest. A surge of holy power exploded and the dread lord stumbled back two steps, smoke rising from his armored chest.
“That barely tickled,” Mad Morgan laughed.
Thorrin grinned,” I just needed you to step back a tiny bit.”
Light glimmered in the bell tower of the church behind Thorrin as he took four steps back.
***
Saldor felt a touch of fear as he held a spear in his hands. Talisa was next to him, hand reaching out and squeezing his shoulder. While they evacuated the town, the troll and farmer moved through the forest. They came across the very battlefield where the troll battalion was decimated. Weapons and armor lay strewn about, untouched. Talisa quickly grabbed a spear when she noticed some began to disappear. The farmer and troll managed to grab two spears apiece before the rest faded from view.
Saldor didn’t quite understand what Thorrin said when he spoke of timers on left behind items before disappearing, but when they returned with the four spears he was grateful for helping them gain an edge. Now he sat in the bell tower, clutching a spear meant to take down dragons. The raven-haired troll continued to glance over the edge as Thorrin moved the dread lord into position.
The troll signaled to the farmer and both stood up with a spear in hand. Saldor concentrated as he lifted the spear up. Talisa instructed him that he had to keep his eyes on the target as he released, and the spear would do the rest. Runes glowed along the shaft as troll and farmer readied themselves. Thorrin had taken a few steps back but the dread lord was in full view. The fear melted away as he thought of his family. Power surged into his very being as his gaze turned hawkish.
“Now!” Talisa shouted.
Troll and farmer pulled back, eyes on Mad Morgan as he looked up, his eyes forming wide circles. With power, the troll and famer released the magic spears. Shafts turned into light as the points blazed. The two spears darted through the town. Mad Morgan bent his knees and jumped, trying to dodge them. His body shifted as the spears changed direction, curved back up and closed the distance in the blink of an eye. The dread lord let out a grunt as both spears hit him dead on.
Thorrin smiled before he turned and threw himself to the ground. The explosion sent the smoking body of Mad Morgan hurtling through the air. Like a rag doll made of rocks, the Dread Lord’s back struck a thick tree at the edge of town, cracking it down the middle. He slid down off the trunk and landed on his boots, armor smoking with a few pieces missing.
Mad Morgan raised his head, eyes glowing red with rage. He took a step forward when two more shafts of lights cut through the town. One slammed into his chest, penetrating the armor over his heart. The other struck his shoulder, pinning him to the tree. A brief second later, they exploded.
Thorrin was slowly getting back to his feet as the tree blew apart, flaming branches raining down. Black smoke curled into the air as the tree was nothing more than a heap of burning wood. The paladin turned to the bell tower and gave them the thumbs up. When he turned back, a shadow moved in the flames.
Smoke cleared away as Mad Morgan emerged from the fire. Armor was cracked and wisps of smoke rose up as he glared at Thorrin. Battle axe in hand, the dread lord moved with purpose, each step seething with a burning hatred and the paladin grinning in his direction.
Thorrin started his retreat as the dread lord closed in. The paladin kept his eyes on him while Mad Morgan stared back, his white skin blackened and the flesh from his chin and cheek gone. Thorrin reached the steps of the church, taking them one at a time until he reached the entrance.
“You will be my favorite servant when I’m through with….” Mad Morgan stopped his ranting when he reached the bottom of the steps.
Light touched his senses as he stood at the barrier to holy ground. Thorrin stepped back and opened the doors, ready to make his way in. With the doors opened, the paladin gazed down at the fuming hatred in the dread lord’s red eyes and smiled.
“You may be powerful but holy ground will weaken you. If you want me, come and get me.”
“Fight me paladin!” Mad Morgan snarled.
Thorrin eyed Mad Morgan as he stepped back, further into the church, “No, you fight me.”
The dread lord growled as he forced his foot onto the step. Holy light burned at his senses as he penetrated the barrier. Taking each step felt like a weight bore down on his black soul but nevertheless, he pushed on. Light flared along his cracked armor as he reached the top of the stairs and slowly stepped across the threshold. The weight grew heavier but the dread lord pushed on, eyes locked on the clever paladin.
Thorrin stood further in, pews lining either side of him. Hammer in hand and knees bent, he channeled wisdom into his holy touch again. This time however, he doubled the amount, ready to deal a fatal blow.
Growling moans fell from Mad Morgan’s burnt lips as he forced his way down the middle of the church, axe ready. Thorrin waited, knowing full well the longer the dread lord was in the church, the weaker he would become.
“I will torture your spirit for all eternity!” Mad Morgan shouted as black veins rose against white skin, crisscrossing his face.
Thorrin wanted to say something cool but all he came up with was a knowing smirk. The player took in a breath and charged the undead lord. Hammer and axe clashed, black energy sparking. Thorrin continued his barrage but the dread lord was holding his own against the attacks. Axe swinging wide, it splintered nearby pews. Thorrin stepped back just as the black blade missed him and shattered the pews on the other side. The dread lord advanced, swinging wide and shattering everything around him. Thorrin waited for a wide swing and closed the distance, hammer coming up.
The dread lord’s head snapped back as the hammer struck under his chin. As Mad Morgan stumbled back a step, Thorrin brought his left fist hard across the dread lord’s exposed neck. Holy touch flaring, Mad Morgan lurched to his left and into a crumbled pew. Knuckle marks glowed along Mad Morgan’s neck as he fell to one knee. Thorrin took one step closer, hammer raised. The dread lord reached out with his free hand and clamped his fingers on Thorrin’s shin.
“Fool!” Mad Morgan grinned.
Thorrin brought his hammer half way down when his body was pulled out from underneath him. Like a rag doll, the paladin was lifted up and swung hard. Thorrin’s face crashed into destroyed pews but the dread lord was not finished. Mad Morgan laughed with insanity as he swung Thorrin around like he weighed nothing at all. Hit points drained as the player tried to right himself. Taking another pew to the face, Thorrin brought his right foot down on the dread lord’s w
rist. The action was just enough for the dread lord to lose his grip.
Thorrin spun through the air and slammed into the altar, smashing it to bits. The player tried to get up but his hit points were at 5% and he was stunned. Checking his stats, if he didn’t have his protection up then he surely would have been killed.
“It’s over….paladin…” Mad Morgan wheezed as he stepped closer, battle axe leaning against his shoulder.
Thorrin barely managed to sit up, eyes turning to his hammer ten feet away. Taking his remaining wisdom points, he channeled it into his right fist. Mad Morgan stepped closer, raising his axe with a twisted gleam in his eyes.
“I will….” The dread lord stopped talking when a side door opened.
Paladin and Dread Lord turned to see a cleric step out. Her eyes were sad as she held a mace in one hand. Lyra took another step closer, eyes turning to the fallen paladin at the base of the shattered altar.
“You cannot overcome him but I can,” Lyra said simply.
Mad Morgan turned just as the red headed cleric burst forth with power. Mace swinging in close, the dread lord parried it with his arm. Sparks flew as Lyra became a whirlwind. The dread lord took a step back and another as her attacks rained down on him. Axe swinging wide, the cleric parried it, her body sliding in closer and her hand glowing. Her dainty fist struck Mad Morgan’s jaw and sent the dread lord flying backwards. Trying to regain his balance, the cleric was on him, mace crashing down. One strike hit his head, caving in part of his skull. Another strike across the chest sent shards of armor flying.
Thorrin watched with fascination as the cleric moved like a warrior poet. Lyra dodged the feeble swings of the dread lord as he continued to try and stand up. Her mace landed a blow at the side of his knee, the mighty dread lord crumbling to the cracked wooden floor. Lyra brought her mace down hard on the fallen lord’s back. Armor broke off with each downward swing. Mad Morgan crawled for the entrance, the cleric never letting up.
The stun effect faded and Thorrin rose up to his feet. Scooping up his hammer, he stepped closer as Lyra beat the dread lord. The paladin hooked his hammer to his belt as one hand grabbed Lyra by the shoulder. The cleric stopped as Thorrin reached down and lifted Mad Morgan by the cracked armor around his neck.
