by B. W. Catt
He glared at a man standing over the woman, holding a long metal spike against her neck. “Are you threatening me with a hostage?! That won't work. You can't kill her. Even if you stabbed her, she wouldn’t die easily. She is filled with magic and beast's blood. I watched some of this ceremony. I know she isn’t a normal human.”
The man’s hands began to tremble. He stabbed downwards. A burst of heat shot from Woldiniar’s hand. The man fell back, screaming. His hands still holding onto the spike. Woldiniar watched as the man burned.
“Now that makes ten. Unless Red and the cowards wish to come out and play?”
Woldiniar walked over to the woman, examining her. She might turn on me. There is too much power there. How long have they been experimenting on her? Should I kill her? He shook his head. Nah, that would be wrong.
“Alright, my dear. Just sit tight a little longer. I have a few more things to do before I can free you.”
Woldiniar walked into the other room. A blast of magic struck him from the side. It stopped just short of him, hitting his protective barrier. “Do you think I am stupid enough to walk into a fight without preparations made first?”
Woldiniar swung his arm towards the mage. He flew into the wall, his body held there. His bones began to crack from the sheer force of Woldiniar’s magic.
Woldiniar released his grip, the mage crumbled onto the floor.
“WOLDINIAR!” a voice yelled from behind.
He looked back to see an angry Sebial. Her eyes a bright blue. Flames circling around. “Ah, hello there, my dear student. Have you come to watch me battle?”
She shook her head. “Raqee stated you needed us.”
“Did he now?” Woldiniar rubbed his chin. “I guess I did tell him I needed some help, but that was just to get him out my face. His buzzing was obnoxious.”
Raqee flew into Woldiniar’s face. “Whose fault is that!? You did this to me! You should own up to it. Trying to keep me away! How did that go for you!?”
“ENOUGH, RAQEE!” Woldiniar yelled. He pointed to the people standing in the room. “We have other things to deal with first. I will turn you back eventually. Do not worry. You will not die as quickly as a normal fly.”
Raqee buzzed away. Don’t worry. Easy for someone like him who has his normal skin.
“How many are left?” Elin asked as he stood behind Sebial.
“About nine, give or take. The room is cramped, but there is a door in here that could lead to more.” Woldiniar responded.
Elin nodded. “Then let us deal with them first.”
“Sounds good to me,” Sebial responded while creating balls of flames in both hands. She flung them towards two of the men standing near a vat containing a body. They erupted, their bodies turning to ash. An outline of one of the men scorched onto the side of the vat.
“Sebial, we do not know if those bodies are ready to be released. Try not to add more fighting for us.” Woldiniar whined as he held a man by his neck, his feet dangling. He jerked his hand, snapping the man's neck.
Elin stabbed his sword into another man's throat. “That would be unwise. I agree with Woldiniar. Less work, for now.” Elin lunged at another man, their blades clanging as they hit. He swerved his blade around the man’s, stabbing him in the shoulder. The man dropped his sword, the metal clunked as it hit the floor. Elin slashed his blade through the man's neck, removing his head. “Five down. Five to go.”
“Four to go!” Sebial called out.
“No, three to go for you both. The last one is mine!” Woldiniar yelled back before whistling. The man grabbed his bleeding ears and screamed as blood began to pool in his eyes and mouth. With another whistle, the man fell, his eyes stuck open. “Two!”
Sebial smiled. “The last two are mine.”
“I will deal with Red.” Woldiniar looked over at Elin, who was busy wiping the blood off his blade. “Elin, go and see if you can free the woman in that room.”
Elin sheathed his sword. “I will try. If it is imbued with magic, I might have to wait on you.”
She formed a whip with icy shards jutting throughout. Sebial rolled her shoulders before cracking the whip along the ground. Fragments of ice shot from it, slashing the men. They cried out as blood began to drip from numerous cuts. “Don’t be such babies. That is merely the beginning.” She tightened her grip on the whip. The whip swung up with an upward motion. She snapped it down, cracking it around one of the men's legs. Yanking the whip back, the man fell. “Now, time to heat you up.” A wave of blue flames rolled down the whip, incinerating the man from the leg up.
She cracked her whip, catching the end of it. Her gaze switched to the other man standing in fear near the door. “Do not even think about leaving. You will be my next victim.”
Woldiniar looked over at Red, his hands shaking. “You are stronger than you appear, Red. I am impressed. Your magic is nothing like the others but let it be known, I will be the victor.”
Red laughed. He took a deep breath in. “So you think warlock. The time of old comes to an end. My kind is the future.”
Woldiniar raised an eyebrow. “My time has come to an end?” He laughed. “That is amusing coming from someone who has lived but a day in the time of my lifespan. So tell me, Red, what exactly is your kind?”
Red rotated his hands around each other. Forming a ball of black lightning. “Our kind is of no concern to you warlock. Dead beings have no control.” He released the lightning. It stuck Woldiniar in the arms and legs. Woldiniar ground his teeth, his face filled with pain.
He looked at Red. His face filled with amusement. “I will not be destroyed by you. I have already given someone as young as you enough credit.”
Woldiniar went to step forward, his legs wouldn’t move. “I forgot to tell you, warlock, those bolts are filled with lead. It will hold you in place while I finish you off.” Red grinned. “I will enjoy killing someone of old. You will make a great addition to my collection.”
Red walked towards Woldiniar. He removed a blade from beneath his red cloak. He held it against Woldiniar’s neck. “I will be kind warlock, anything you wish to say?”
Woldiniar glanced away. His eyes on Sebial, who was readying her whip in Red’s direction. He looked back at Red with a huge smile. “Why yes, Red, there is one thing. Do you enjoy being dominated in the bedroom?”
Red glared at Woldiniar. “What sort of question is that?!” He pressed the blade harder against Woldiniar’s neck. “To be kind to my future creation. No, I prefer control.”
Woldiniar carefully spoke as the blade pressed his flesh of hi. “I am glad to witness your first time.”
Red’s eyes widened. Sebial cracked her whip. It wrapped around Red’s wrist. She yanked it back, causing the blade to lightly cut Woldiniar before it flew through the air.
Red glared at Sebial as she smiled. “What? Have a problem with a woman fighting you?”
She released her whip from his wrist. She cracked the whip again, striking Red across the face, blood poured from his forehead.
Woldiniar whistled in three short bursts. Red fell to the ground screaming as his legs separated from his body. He looked up at Sebial with fear-filled eyes. She squatted down in front of him. “I will end you. You harmed my teacher, and for that, I will make you suffer.”
Sebial stood up. She released her whip, allowing it to disappear. Raising her arms, bright blue flames swirled around her, rising towards the ceiling. Clapping her hands together, the flames shot forward, capturing Red in a haze of blue flames. He screamed out in pain as the flames raised him towards the ceiling. Sebial squeezed her hands together, the fire tightened around him until he no longer made a sound. She loosened her grip, allowing him to fall into a heap on the ground.
Sebial looked over to Woldiniar. “Don’t worry, I didn’t kill him. He might prove of use to us.”
“I know. I can tell he still has just enough life within. You have significantly improved. For a moment there, I thought you were going to kill him.” Woldiniar nervously
chuckled. “Now that he is unconscious, I can move again. We should see if Elin has had any luck with that woman.”
“THE ANSWER IS NO!” Elin yelled from the other room.
Sebial and Woldiniar rushed over to Elin.
Elin sat on the floor, looking dumbfounded, while Raqee buzzed around his head.
“Well, this is an odd sight, I must say.” Woldiniar crossed his arms. “A talking bug flying around a half-elf, who is sitting next to a bound nearly naked unconscious woman.”
Elin looked back at Woldiniar, his eyes laced with annoyance. “I undid the basic binding, but these chains here.” Elin grabbed one of three silver chains. “Will not separate. They also feel weighted with magic. So, no man could possibly lift them until the spell is undone.”
Woldiniar walked over. He placed a hand on the chain. “There is strong magic, but it will take no time to undo. Step back, Elin. I will take it from here.”
Elin walked to the side of the room. Woldiniar pulled his robe back, uncovering his forearms. He closed his eyes. With his hands outstretched to the chains, black vines began to form from his arms, wrapping itself around the chains until they could no longer be seen.
Woldiniar squeezed his fists. Sweat beaded down his face. Sebial walked towards Woldiniar, her face filled with fear. Raqee buzzed in front of her. “Do not interfere. You could harm him if you do.”
“Raqee is right, Sebial. Avoid touching Woldiniar for the time being. We do not know what sort of magic he is working against.” Elin spoke while glancing between Sebial and Woldiniar.
Sebial sighed. “I understand but is this unknown woman worth it? Is she worth his life?”
Elin chuckled. “Nothing can stop him. He is almost the age of this world.”
Sebial nodded. She looked back at Woldiniar. The vines began to disappear, taking the chains with them. Woldiniar breathed slower as the black vines returned to his body. He opened his eyes, the whites replaced with blackness. He looked over to Sebial and Elin. “My part is done. I wish to know who this woman is.”
They approached the woman. Kneeling down beside her, they carefully rolled her onto her back. Woldiniar gasped. He stumbled towards the woman and collapsed on the ground beside her. He carefully pushed the hair out of her face.
“Woldiniar, do you know her?” Sebial asked.
“She looks like someone I once knew. But that woman has been dead for centuries.”
“Word of her death could have been wrong?” Elin interjected as he stared at Woldiniar.
Woldiniar spoke softly as his hand touched the woman’s cheek. “No, I watched her die. I held her as she took her last breath. Haliana died.”
“Should we wake her and find out the truth?” Sebial questioned.
“She is already waking.” Elin looked down at the woman's chest rising and falling faster.
“Miss, can you hear me? My name is Sebial. We are here to help you.”
The woman groaned. Her eyes slowly opened. She looked around, stopping for a moment when she saw Woldiniar. She began to breathe faster, her teeth ground. “You.” She spoke dryly. “You deserve death.”
Woldiniar backed away from the woman. Elin and Sebial froze, unsure of what to do.
Woldiniar cleared his throat. He stared at Elin. “Get Sebial out of here, Elin. It appears this is Haliana, and she wishes to continue our last battle.”
Haliana choked out a laugh. “There is no need. If you know him, then you will join him.”
She placed her palms against the ground. Haliana chanted in an unknown tongue as her eyes rolled back. The ground began to shake.
“ELIN! TAKE HER OUT NOW!” Woldiniar screamed as the ceiling began to crack and fall.
Elin reached over to Sebial. Grabbing her arm, he yanked towards the door. “Hurry, Sebial! We will not escape the collapse but the further from the center, the better.”
Sebial looked back to Woldiniar sitting on the floor staring at Haliana. She attempted to yank free from Elin, but his grip was firm.
“NO!” Sebial cried out as the ceiling fell, causing Woldiniar to disappear behind the rubble.
Elin yanked her again. “SEBIAL! NOW!” He screamed over the crashing sounds of stones scraping and breaking.
She looked back to Elin. Her eyes widened in fear as she looked behind him. “There is nowhere to run, Elin. We are trapped.”
Elin turned around to see the corridor blocked by debris. He yelled out in frustration. He turned back to Sebial, his eyes meeting hers. “If this is the end, at least it's with you.”
Sebial smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. Tears poured down her face. “I warned you our love wouldn’t last.”
“I told you it would until the day we died.” Elin wiped a tear from her face. He leaned in, kissing her on the lips as the hallway collapsed in on them.
To be continued
