Heroes Rise and Fall (Tales of Grandeur Book 1)
Page 22
“What book?” Styir said.
“The book Xurion gave to me,” Andrum said as he pointed the staff towards Styir, lighting his face up with its magik.
“You will never possess Tales of Grandeur again! It is mine and only mine to wield,” Styir said as he turned his face away from the burning light.
“Oh yeah? And how did that work out for ya,” Andrum said, pressing the staff against his face and burning it.
Styir squealed as his flesh and soul started to melt away, and he inevitably snapped his fingers. A book appeared out of nowhere in his right hand and he held it up in the air, “Here. Take it,” he said.
Andrum released the staff from the side of his face and bent down to grab the book but before he could, Styir tossed it to the side, causing it to slide half way across the room. He then bucked his body up, knocking Andrum over and scurried back to his feet before slipping in his own blood and falling back down. He crawled as quickly as he could after the book, and Andrum motioned towards Gallagher to get it.
Gallagher dashed after the book, stepping over Styir and crushing his back before picking up the tome. “Catch,” he said as he tossed it to Andrum.
“Nooo!” Styir said as he rolled over and held out his hand in an attempt to catch the book as it flew through the air.
Andrum caught it and shined the staff’s bright light onto the book, causing it to open and race through pages until finally settling on one. “With this sacrifice, Zorm’s influence be gone from this city!” Andrum said as a blinding light exploded in the room.
Everyone turned away and sheltered their eyes as both the book and staff floated into the center of the room with a bluish aura around them. The staff spun around and around in a circle until finally vanishing, causing the book to slam shut and drop to the floor.
Styir was then lifted up into the air and blue beams shot from his eyes and mouth, extinguishing all red from his body and soul that floated above. He then slowly settled back onto the ground unconscious and Gallagher looked to the others in disbelief. “I… I can’t believe that worked.”
Strange noises came from outside, and the gang rushed over to the side of the room where the roof had previously been ripped off and looked out from the castle down below. All over the city, Nifflarian souls left their bodies and floated in the air before turning a crystal blue and slamming back to their appropriate owners.
“We did it!” Andrum said as the group watched the fireworks and joined hands.
“No… we did it,” Gallagher said.
“That’s what I just said,”
“Oh, sorry. I was just hoping you said something else so I could say that and it would be a super fantastic ending,” Gallagher explained.
“Ending? This is only the beginning,” Valdar said as he pat both Valden and Gallagher on the head.
“My people have got a lot of rebuilding to do, but I’m sure the Head of Magniff’s will be up for it once he wakes up,” Andrum said.
“You’re actually going to let that flamboyant psychopath still lead your people?” Gallagher asked.
“Of course. Besides you guys are going to need me on the frontlines when we take on the Zormites again.”
“That’s right, our little village has probably already been taken over by Zorm’s armies by now,” Valdar said.
Just as the last soul made its way back into a Nifflarian soldier from deep within the city, footsteps echoed from the stairwell. Wulder the Alpha entered the room, huffing and puffing.
“What is it boy, trouble at the old mill?” Gallagher asked as everyone turned their attention to him.
“Worse! It’s Guldar and his men. It appears as though the Nifflarians weren’t the only ones infected by Zorm’s influence,” Wulder said.
“What?! Not him too…” Valdar said with a concerned look on his face.
“I only used the book to free my people, I had no idea Tilturians were also under his control,” Andrum said.
“…Don’t worry. Leave it to me,” Styir said as he awoke and struggled to stand up, at last his normal self.