The Land of the Undying Lord

by J. T. Wright

  “Purification!” One word and all the Undead within forty feet fell. Easy, too easy! Had they been running from these boney assholes, hiding and wondering how they’d survive? It was all over except for…

  It wasn’t! More Warriors were coming from both sides. Twenty feet behind the first wave, a second wave was coming. Matt lashed out with fire, trying to halt them, but they were coming too fast. Frank shouted to him to conserve his Mana; let them get close enough for Lyra to deal with all at once. Frustrated, Matt did as he was told. His Mana pool was more than half drained from the constant casting, and he only had two potions with which to supply it.

  Lyra had the other eight vials of Weak Mana Restoration, but she was beginning to think it wouldn’t be enough. Area Purification took a lot out of her. Completely rested, she could cast it maybe ten times, but that didn’t seem like it was going to cut it. Wave after wave of the Warriors kept coming, stabbing endlessly with long spears. The Commanders still sat back from the battle, summoning rather than charging.

  Lyra grew cold as she realized their plan wasn’t going to work. Take out the lesser Undead and then close with and Purify the greater. The Commanders obviously saw that plan coming and intended to drain the Healer before she ever got close to them.

  It was working, too; she and Matt would soon be out of this fight if things kept up. When he’d decided how to face them, Corporal Francis probably had no idea that the Commanders could summon at this rate.

  The Undead made no noise, but their amusement could be felt. Stupid humans, why not just lay down and die? Why keep up this futile struggle?

  And it was futile, Kirstin could clearly see that. The Warriors went down quickly enough even without magic, but there was no end to them. Crush one with a hammer and another skinless face was soon leering at you. Sweep away two with sword or spear, and four popped up immediately.

  “Corporal! We need to move on the Commanders!” Kirstin shouted. There was no elegance to her hacking and slashing swordplay. Brutal workmanship was all this battle called for. It was exhilarating, in a way.

  “Sounds great, Kris!” Frank panted back sarcastically. His spear twirled. Butt and blade, he eliminated warriors with both. “You go ahead and do that. We’ll rest here.”

  He was about to add that they needed to hold their position, forcing the Commanders to come to them. They couldn’t afford to sit and summon forever, but he never got the chance to say any of that.

  “Great!" Kirstin cheered. “Matt, Lyra, clear a path. Dirk, you lead the way!”

  Kirstin was the leader of the Adventurers. The others knew that the Corporal hadn’t been serious, but they didn’t hesitate. Lyra’s Purification cleared the Warriors that were near while Matt’s Flame Wave demolished those further away. Dirk rushed towards the Commander directly in front of him, with Kirstin following behind. They pretended not to hear Frank’s curses and shouts as they charged. Matt and Lyra stepped forward to take their places.

  Frank started attacking Skeletons much harder. He was furious, but those two idiots were already away, leaving a Healer and Mage to fill their positions. The group was surrounded again, almost instantly, by the Summons coming from the other Commander. Stupid, stupid, improvising Adventurers!

  They already knew that the Commanders were not the typical, unthinking Undead who attacked blindly. If Frank’s guesses about the Commanders’ Levels were correct, they were close to and probably a little higher than the Adventurers. Frank, with his much higher Level, could run them down even if the enemy was mounted, but there was no point to that if he lacked a way of dispensing serious damage.

  But Kirstin and Dirk lacked Frank’s Agility. If the Commander chose, he could easily stay away from the two, while continuing to litter their path with Warriors. What were they planning to do in that case?

  Similar thoughts were passing through Dirk's mind as he switched out his shield and hammer for the halberd. He wasn’t cursing as much as the Corporal was, though. He just figured Kirstin had a plan, and he was willing to follow along. One last group of twelve Warriors lay between him and the Commander, twelve Warriors and one hundred feet. He tightened his grip on his weapon and emptied all other thoughts from his mind.

  He’d leveled up three times in this Trial and had put all his Points into Agility. It was starting to pay off. He nimbly dodged a strike and returned the blow with the heavy blade of his pole arm. Three crushed Skeletons! Another swing, three more, and the Pole Arm Skill for Dirk! He’d known this was the weapon for him!

  He groaned as he brought the heavy weapon back in line to batter the remainder of the creatures. Maybe he needed a few Points in Dexterity. A couple of the Guards had picked up heavy weapons, and the Corporal was using that spear. They made it look easy to twirl and dart with the longer, heavier weapons. The halberd felt good, but it wasn’t exactly dancing in his hands.

  Still, it didn’t take long to finish off the squad of Undead. Now to get the Commander. That’s odd! It had occurred to Dirk that the mounted Knight might run. He'd also thought it might contemptuously wait for them. He never expected that the Commander would lower its lance and charge.

  It was awfully close already. Dirk suddenly regretted that he’d put away his shield. All his Skills revolved around a shield and hammer. With the halberd in his hand, he was limited to swing and thrust. Was that why the Corporal had insisted he leave it put away for now?

  He was a bit slower carrying the new weapon as well. His training with Shield and Hammer Skills provided him with bonuses that he lost when he wasn’t carrying them. He was slower now, and that lance was quickly getting closer.

  He dodged and swung his halberd at the horse’s legs. Too slow, and that dodge wasn’t nearly far enough. His halberd swing was mistimed and struck the horse’s armor. On the plus side, the Knight’s lance missed him. The horse, however, did not! For the second time, Dirk was sent flying after encountering an armored animal much bigger than himself, and this time the contact was much more direct, without his shield and Skill to shelter him.

  Kirstin didn’t have time to wince at the crunching noise Dirk made when the horse struck him, and he hit the ground. She didn’t notice him roll away and lay still. She had been just a few steps behind, and she had her own problems.

  She had considered the possibility of this happening, hoped for it really, and she’d prepared for it. Holy Strike was charged and ready, Dash and Dodge were both activated, thus increasing her agility, speed, and reaction time. She floated by the tip of the lance, twirling and releasing the strike gracefully, as the Knight pounded by.

  It never occurred to her that she might miss. In her imagination, her blade had always sunk home, either into the Knight or his mount. It had never brushed by harmlessly. But that was exactly what it did, harmless as a butterfly, and she stumbled and almost fell when her sword failed to connect.

  She found her balance and squared up her stance. The Knight had missed as well. She’d do better next round, but the Knight wasn’t pulling up or swinging wide to come back. It looked like the Skeletal Commander was leaning more into his lance and riding straight ahead. Straight at Lyra, who was now outside of the circular defense, bashing away with her staff. The mounted creature obviously saw the Healer as the bigger threat.

  Kirstin was not nearly as fast as the Undead Steed. It left her in the dust with her mouth hanging open. She almost dropped her sword. This was not how this encounter was supposed to go. She had abandoned the Corporal’s plan, with its wait and react attitude, to follow her own more aggressive idea. It should have worked! With one Skeletal Commander taken out, the other should fall quickly!

  The Knight was rapidly bearing down on Lyra, mowing down its own allies in its haste to reach the Healer. Kirstin started to run toward her. She could still help. She could stop the monster somehow.

  Matt fell back as the Knight approached. Was he panicked? No, stupidly, he was casting! If the common Knights had fire resistance, the Commanders would as well! What did the
Elementalist think he was doing? He raised his staff, chanted, and triggered a Spell. “Earthen Chains!”

  Thick black vines rose up from the earth and grabbed hold of the Skeletal Horse’s legs. The mount was huge and armored, its momentum nearly unstoppable. Nearly, but the vines managed to stop the horse in its tracks, and wrap around its limbs and body, before pulling it to the ground. The Knight lost its seat and was thrown forward over the horse’s head, rolling as it hit the ground, armor clunking and clamoring as it was battered from its fall.

  Lyra was ready when it came to a stop near her feet. First, an Area Purification to clear the weaker foes and damage the Knight. As the cleansing magic did its work, the Knight shrieked in agony. After fighting so many voiceless Undead for so long, the scream sent chills down the spines of the living.

  The unholy scream caused Lyra to pause. She had assumed the beasts of this Trial incapable of producing sound. Now she really wished that were so; she had no desire to hear that sound ever again. Not from any creature, living or Undead.

  The sight of the Knight struggling to get up, while tugging at its sword hilt, pushed Lyra back into action. She didn’t want to hear that noise again, but she really didn’t want to find out how capable the creature would be at close combat once it regained its feet. Lashing out with the butt of her staff, she cast the singular version of Purification this time. It was far less costly, and she only had so much Mana remaining.

  Again and again, she cast! The Knight was frozen and screaming, but it refused to be unbound. She couldn’t keep this up forever! How much Health, or whatever passed for Health in a moving Skeleton, did this thing have?

  As soon as Kirstin had shaken off her own shock, she came to her maid’s assistance. The others were still caught up in something that might be called a battle, hacking and slashing at the Skeletal Warriors that just kept coming. The guards had formed more of a line than a circle now, leaving the two women to their task.

  Kirstin hit the Knight with Holy Strike. It was impossible to miss with a target immobilized by its own suffering, but for the first time since she learned the Skill, it failed to vanquish her foe. Despite being Purified multiple times, the creature still resisted her blows. Had she thought she could end it with a single strike?

  Kirstin’s own screams joined the Knights piecing shrieks as she wailed away at the beast. Purification and Holy Strike were mixed in with common slashes and blows, but still the Knight refused to fall. What was happening?

  “The horse, Kris, its drawing Health from its horse!” Frank shouted back at her. He’d looked over his shoulder to see the two girls struggling, and he remembered the bond the previous Knights had had with their mounts. He didn’t have the space to help them. The second Commander hadn’t slowed its Summoning, and the Guards had their hands full.

  Kirstin didn't question him. She whirled to where the Undead horse lay bound and struggling. Would it be able to break free from the Earthen Chains Spell Matt had cast? If it did, they’d be in trouble.

  Holy Strike followed by a slash and then a thrust. Stop thrusting; it just skips between bones. Kirstin was still in the habit of fighting like a Duelist. She angrily shook her head and adjusted her strikes. Slash, Chop, Slash; she bludgeoned and cut fiercely, utilizing Holy Strike as often as she was able. Her Stamina and Mana were draining rapidly. Soon she wouldn’t be able to use Skilled strikes. This had to end.

  Behind her, Lyra’s thoughts followed similar lines. The Healer could cast Purification more often than Kirstin could use Holy Strike, but this meant her Mana drained faster. As for Stamina, she hadn’t had much to begin with. Her arms were starting to feel heavy from the exertion. Her breath was labored, and her staff was starting to slow in its assault.

  Another Purification! Another Strike! Either could have been the blow that finished the bound pair of Undead. It was impossible to tell, but both women staggered as their weapons suddenly swept through the space that had once been occupied by their enemies. The Knight and horse were gone, leaving behind the loot that Adventurers valued so much.

  Kirstin and Lyra stood numb, panting, and gasping. One Commander was down, but it had taken almost everything they had, and there was still another left standing.

  “Potions!” Frank called as he noticed the two had finished with their task. “Potions and get back to it! How’s Matt?”

  Matt had dropped to his knees after casting his last Spell. He was still kneeling in the same place, head hanging, eyes unfocused. He was a Fire Elementalist. He could still cast spells involving other elements, but the cost was considerable. Casting Earthen Chains had drained his Mana completely and then some. He’d lost Stamina and Health when he pulled the Knight’s horse down. He wouldn’t recover on his own anytime soon.

  Lyra and Kirstin drank vials of Stamina and Mana restorative and went to help the kneeling Mage. They forced potions on him; Lyra cast a recovery Spell. More potions, and by the third Mana potion, some semblance of awareness returned to the pale-faced Mage. He was able to drink two Mana potions, their last two, on his own.

  Once Matt was on his feet, Kirstin looked to where Dirk still lay unmoving. She grabbed Lyra’s arm and pulled the Healer in the defender’s direction. “Corporal! Dirk!”

  “Will have to wait!” Frank’s angry shout pulled her up short. “We have things to deal with first!”

  Frank’s spear never stopped moving as he spoke. “Matt, can you cast that holding Spell again?”

  Matt shook his head, wearily. “No, It needs more than two-thirds of my Mana. I have less than half.”

  Frank snarled as he swept the legs out from underneath a Skeletal Warrior, bashing its skull in with the butt of his spear. “Then, we wait! Matt, Lyra, rest and recover. Everyone else, keep at it!”

  “But Dirk,” Kirstin started to protest shrilly. A high Constitution did not make you invincible. Harder to kill, yes, more resistant to damage, certainly, but if you were hit hard enough, if you took enough damage, only Healing would help. Some wounds kept dealing damage over time without treatment. If that treatment was delayed too long…

  “Attack, now!” Frank ordered, and Kirstin angrily obeyed. Matt had already assumed a meditative pose to recover his Mana, and Lyra was standing over him, ready to defend him, while her own Mana recovered more passively.

  Kirstin struck out at the unending stream of Warriors. She was frustrated, and that lent some power to her blows, but thinking about Dirk kept her from being as effective as she could be. Why couldn’t they spare the time to deal with his injuries? These Undead Warriors were no challenge! The Corporal was unreasonable! It was probably for the best, though, that she didn’t voice her thoughts.

  The Corporal was not happy with her right now. It was a fact that no plan ever went off exactly the way you wanted it to. And it was true that he hadn’t taken the time to fully explain things to everyone beforehand. He hadn’t taken the time because he hadn’t had the time. But everyone damned well knew what their part was! Everyone knew precisely what was expected of them! Kirstin and Dirk, and especially Lyra and Matt, had purposely disregarded their orders and put everyone else at risk. This was unacceptable!

  With only one Commander doing the Summoning, the team hardly felt any pressure from the Skeletal Warriors. The Warriors were quick and strong, but remarkably fragile. Brute force was all that was needed to end them, no magic required. A hoard of Fleshlings would have overwhelmed them, but these Skeletons were no match for the Guards and Adventurers. If not for the remaining Commander Summoning reinforcements every twenty or so seconds, the fight would have been long over.

  An angry green light flared from the eye sockets of that Commander, as it sat on its horse. It was caught in a loop, Summoning but unable to attack directly. Its chance to crush the living had seemed at hand, only to disappear with the loss of its partner.

  The futile attack launched by the two Adventurers had left a gap that the first Commander had been eager to take advantage of. It should have been easy to elimi
nate the miserable human Healer. The small female might have managed a single Spell before a lance pierced her, but it wouldn’t have been enough to stop the momentum of the charge. Once she fell, the second Skeletal Knight Commander would have charged to trample the only other serious threat amongst the group, that frighteningly effective spearman. If not for the Mage…

  The Commander was no longer amused by the struggles of these humans. Surprise was not an emotion it was used to dealing with. Trial beasts could see the Levels and Classes of those that challenged their domains, and those beasts with intelligence knew how to cope with the various Classes of Adventurers.

  Of all the challengers it faced today, the Mage, the Fire Elementalist, was the least threatening to the Knight Commander. Fire was not one of its weaknesses. It was laughable that a Mage specializing in fire attacks had been responsible for its partner’s downfall.

  It might have been able to accept that if the attack had come from the spear-wielding leader. That one was more than he appeared to be. Despite his basic Warrior Class, the spearman had several Levels on the Commanders. He probably had many tricks up his sleeves that the Undead had never seen before. But an Earth Spell from a Fire Elementalist! This was infuriating!

  And now the Commander was stuck. His instincts told him to retreat, but even intelligent Trial beasts could not run. It was not allowed. Neither could he advance, not as long as that Healer remained with her cursed Purification that burned and stunned far better than any mere fire Spell. If only she had fallen!

  Now the Adventurers were moving, moving forward, towards his position, hacking through his minions as if they were made of air and twigs. The Commander’s lance fell into position. One last charge, and the Knight would take at least one foe with him.