“All right, I will surrender!” Vince cackled. “But with one stipulation! I want to see your gorgeous body! Now!”
“Do you think a woman would strip for a pig like you? Hah! You are out of your mind!” Helena answered.
“In that case…” Vince smashed Helena’s armour, again and again. Because of the extreme cold, Helena’s mundane armour was frigid and brittle, making it easier to destroy with force. Helena cast Thunder Blitz, but the cloud of lightning high above couldn’t penetrate the snow storm created by Vince. But outside the cloud rose and lightning repeatedly struck the snowstorm, drawing Jael’s attention. He had seen that spell once before and his mind immediately flew to Helena. Quickly, he hastened to the orb of snow and was thrown away.
Helena’s armour came off. Vince smashed his massive claws of ice against her armour, striking her over and over again. Helena’s body was suddenly exposed to the extreme cold. “You will be mine! You may as well surrender now! Do you want me to lock my arms around you? I believe that you need body heat right now!”
“Stay away from me!” Helena slashed her blade wildly about her, hitting nothing but snow. Vince used his claws and slashed through Helena’s clothes. Every inch of her body crawled with disgust, hairs standing on end. He shredded through her shirt, gashing large wounds into her bare torso, leaving her with nothing more than her undergarments on. The cold was rapidly becoming a problem, and her movements were sluggish, slow, and it seemed that it would be so much easier to just faint away. But she had never planned to die dishonourably in battle and continued to struggle even as her stamina weakened and consciousness fluttered. She would not die to be disgraced by this man.
“Ohhhhhhh. What an exquisite body you have there, milady.” he said with malicious intent. Helena screamed her loudest for aid but her lightning still couldn’t pierce the ever whirling squall.
A small light emitted from outside the snow storm. The light gradually increased in size and a sudden burst of flame penetrated the snow storm. “Fire?” Vince wondered. But he did not have to wonder long. Jael successfully penetrated Vince’s Frost Era spell using his Dragon’s Breath. He was shocked at the view of Helena’s almost unconscious, bloodily violated body blue and white with deepfreeze.
With intense hatred, Jael raged toward Vince. “How dare you do this to her!” he said in fury. “Explosion!” Jael cast and he struck Vince on his face. The Frost Era spell was cancelled and Vince was thrown away.
“Are you all right?” Jael asked Helena as he removed his upper garment and covered Helena. Vaan charged in, immediately saw her shivering and tore off his cape, hurling it over her shoulders to comfort her.
“What happened?” Vaan asked.
“Helena was stripped of her armour by frost magick,” Jael said pointing to Vince.
“Let’s teach that guy a lesson,” Vaan replied. Cassandra and Alexa ran to Helena’s aid, defending her from the other Tiamat mages. She would be fine. Jael was furious at the humiliation done to the Queen’s most trusted Knight and he searched the battle for Vince. “Let’s do this together. That way, he won’t stand a chance,” Vaan said and together they charged.
“How is the queen’s pet? Did she die?” Vince said, sarcastic.
“You’re going down,” Jael said.
Vaan cast Earth Rage and the earth below them trembled. He followed it with Earth Shower and a large amount of Earth Showered down upon Vince, who was unaffected thanks to his dense icy armour. “Jael, melt his armour!” he shouted.
Jael quickly cast Blazierga followed by Dragon’s Breath toward Vince. Smoke and steam sizzled and blurred the air, masking Vince. “Well, that sure melted his ice armour,” he said. But after the mist cleared away, Jael and Vaan were shocked to see Vince with his ice armour intact. “What? How did this happen?” Jael said in shock.
“HAHAHAHAHAAA! My armour cannot be melted by fire! It constantly produces ice whenever it is threatened.” he replied. “Now, it’s my turn. Glacial Existence!”
Large chunks of ice fell from the sky, raining upon them with a random fury. They were not well aimed. Some almost hit Jael and Vaan. But still they fell, pelting the ground with ice meteors. The outskirts of Talim became a chilling battlefield. Enough of a threat, but even as Jael watched, the glaciers moved and yawn outwards, stretching and forming into malicious ice fiends.
“He has his own ice army?” Vaan wondered.
“Don’t worry about it,” Jael said, and readied Explosion. The moment that the fiends finished forming into their mass of different creatures, Jael cast Explosion, knocking them out one by one. Vaan immediately followed Jael’s lead, crushing them with boulders, until they had cleared the field.
“Your minions are gone. How do you like that?” Vaan said triumphantly.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, youngling,” Vince replied as suddenly the fiends came back and formed as the previous creatures once again. “They can never be destroyed! They are made from the same ice as my armour!”
“Ugh. In that case, we need to defeat Vince,” Jael said.
At once, Vaan and Jael charged. The ice fiends blocked their way. “Oh, don’t be shy–come and play with my pets!” Vince cried.
Jael and Vaan got caught up with the fiends’ attacks. They were smashed, punched, and thrown away. Jael and Vaan again destroyed the fiends with a sweep of magickal energy, but after a few seconds, the fiends reformed, reverse melting back into their forms. “We can’t do this all day, Vaan!”
“I know! We have to find a way to get close to Vince.” “I’ve got an idea.” Jael whispered his idea to Vaan.
They rose and again destroyed all the fiends. “I told you, you will never defeat my fiends!” Vince stated, mocking them with imitations of their casting gestures.
“Upheaval!” Vaan uttered. Humongous rocks appeared below Vince and quickly they built up into cage-like strands that covered him completely. Jael and Vaan used the little time between the regeneration of the fiends to execute their plan. Jael leapt into the rock cage Vaan created and immediately cast Pillar Flare. Flames swept and scourged the inside of the cage. Still wreathed in icy armour, Vince screamed within the intense flames of Jael, but easily punched and slashed Jael, driving him back even as Vince’s armour melted away.
“Do you think I will be defeated using your flames?!”
“I never said anything about defeating you using my flames,” Jael replied. “We noticed that it takes quite some time for your ice armour and fiends to regenerate. That’s why right now… you are vulnerable.”
Frekkis soared into the cage and swept up Jael safely out. Then Vaan charged into the cage with Golem Heart and started to smash Vince. His eyes glowed monotone, the Fate magick having seized control over his every instinct. He didn’t stop smashing Vince until his body was etched to the ground.
With one final mighty strike, the ice fiends disappeared, the ice armour followed and Vince was left completely unconscious. The Tiamat mages stopped attacking and rushed to Vince, their acting leader’s side.
“You should leave now,” Jael said.
“Do you think you have defeated the Tiamat? Wait until Chollo arrives!” a Tiamat mage replied.
“We had a deal! You leave Talim after we defeat Vince!”
Then a sudden heavy rain poured down from the sky and the sun darkened, deep clouds rolling in. Fog rippled towards them, growing heavy and dense in amidst the bloody, charred and chaotic remains of the battle.
“Too late, pup. Chollo is here now. You are doomed,” the Tiamat mage said. From afar, Chollo’s silhouette could be seen walking toward them through the thick fog. Vince was defeated, Helena severely injured, Jael exhausted, Vaan still in a rage, and both Izabelle and Frekkis were tied up fighting the Tiamat mages.
“What have you done to him?!” a vicious voice echoed.
Vince was lying on the ground unconscious when Chollo came, and his fury greatly intensified the strength of the rains as he saw his friend lying motionless. At
the top of his voice he yelled. “What have you done to Vince?!” His furious voice thundered. The whole Tiamat army stopped attacking and regrouped, carrying their fallen brethren to him, to safety.
“Get ready…” Jael said.
“What happened to your friend?” Alexa asked.
“He is currently in a trance, in a state of a rage. However, he can tell his allies from his enemies. But he cannot be reasoned,” Jael explained.
“Hmph. Looks like Fate magick to me…” Helena pondered. She rose, pulling Jael’s dark red vest-like shirt around herself and tying it underneath her breasts to create a sham supportive bra. Vaan’s filthy brown overcloak draped over her exposed bare shoulders. Around her waist she tied the remains of her shredded shirt in the queen’s royal green to cover her midriff. Shaking with unspoken fury, she focused across the field to where Chollo roared in anger, his anger building strength; Vaan rushed in the most lucid, vivid rage.
Rocks afloat split the field into two sides; the chaotic and the breathlessly waiting for act two. An intense upsurge of brown- green auric energy wreathed Vaan in the nonsensical heaves of Fate-aligned magicks taking control of his every action. The ground trembled with every connection of Vaan’s feet to ground, every stone aloft dodging his strides. His eyes were chalk-white, lips set tight in unbreakable focus; he charged. Across from him, Chollo’s shoulders heaved, and he scoffed in mighty scorn. “What is your problem, boy? Are you feverish or are you mad?” In that instant, Vaan snatched up an enormous boulder from deep within the bowels of the earth. With one wave of his hand and it crashed Chollo into the ground. There was an audible gasp in the crowd. But as the boulder crumbled, Jael stared in shock and surprise. Chollo stood unscathed in the crater, balanced upon his two feet. “You call that an attack?” Chollo sneered.
Without hesitation, Vaan again charged within the circle of domineering Fate rage. This time they exchanged fists. With every fierce blow, the impact could be felt far and wide. Shockwaves rippled out from the vicious assault, shuddering the ground throughout the surroundings even within the surrounding village, houses trembled, and villagers screamed, fleeing into boats and flinging themselves into the water with cries of fear and distress. With Chollo’s enormous power influenced by malevolent magick, he rivalled Vaan’s rage.
Chollo signalled the whole Tiamat army and as one they regrouped and made to charge. “Attack!”
Jael and the others prepared for another wave of Tiamat’s attack and faced them head on.
Meanwhile, at the Floating Fortress, the Dark Mage commanded the leader of Terra to oversee the events in Talim. “Terra, go to Talim and send me Tiamat’s report. It looks like the Queen has sent her dogs to stop us from destroying the town,” he said.
“Yes master,” the commander of Terra replied, and at once he went to Talim along with a few men from his army.
Back in the battle at Talim, the fierce exchange of blows by Vaan and Chollo slowed. Even as Vaan’s stamina waned, his rage was at its limit. Little by little, Vaan’s punches weakened and Chollo battered him. A few moments later, Vaan’s eyes cleared and his mouth cracked open in shock as consciousness beset him. But it was far too late to retreat. He was here now, inches from Chollo and inches from destruction. Chollo cast a spell called Turbulence, summoning a mighty whirlpool that stretched horizontally from both his palms, and it consumed Vaan. From within the battering waves Vaan’s scream could be heard and then he was thrown back, and he slammed into the earth. For one moment, it seemed that Vaan might rise and then his shoulders shuddered and he collapsed. “Vaan!” Jael shouted, and he charged Blazia and sprinted to meet Chollo in combat.
Chollo noticed him and his lips twisted in a smirk. “You seem familiar... ahh yes. In Belthasar, right?”
“Why do you do this? Why do you terrorise the kingdom?” Jael asked.
“Who are you to ask me such questions, impudent whelp! That is none of your concern–you are beneath me. Do you think that fire can defeat water? I doubt it!”
“We’ll see about that!” Jael replied, and he rushed toward Chollo.
Jael’s exhaustion from the previous combat was visible in each step, tiny weaknesses clear to Chollo’s keen senses. He shouted, “Agua Fetalis!” Immediately, water elementals appeared, tiny dancing fairies formed of ocean water. Beautiful barriers encaged Jael, their bodies melting together into a watery ball that imprisoned and bogged Jael’s every movement down, until at last he was fully contained within the liquid and appeared to be floating within. His strides were futile, and Jael struggled for breath, struggled to even break through. His eyes widened and his mouth moved in wordless panic. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t cast. He couldn’t breathe–
At once, Izabelle summoned Osona. It rushed toward the water ball and smashed it with both paws. The water ball shattered, the elementals returning to their previous shape. Jael gasped and immediately cast Blazia; again toward Chollo.
“You never learn! You know that you can’t defeat me without stamina. And yet you still continue to attack me?” Jael ignored Chollo and continued to rush on. “Explosion!” he cast and punched Chollo. However, Chollo dodged; Jael’s attacks slowed due to exhaustion. Explosion missed but Osona was right behind and it smashed Chollo from behind. He was thrown into the ground and a crater crumbled around him.
Izabelle stood beyond, in full control over her summon, eyes and mouth wide with horror she could not fathom. “Chollo! Please stop this madness!”
Chollo looked down upon her as he stood unscathed. “Get out of my way, Izabelle! If you continue to stop me, then you too will be crushed before the mighty Malevolentiam!”
“You are not the brother I once knew! You used to be a good man! An honest man!” Izabelle shouted and crumbled, she broke down and cried.
“Enough! You dare stand against me? Stay out of this, Izabelle–if you oppose me, we are no longer siblings. I don’t have a family anymore!” Chollo replied. “How dare you–”
A powerful explosion riddled behind Chollo and he staggered, one small crack in his facade of contempt.
“Do not talk to your sister like that!” Jael shouted. He caught his breathe from exhaustion.
“Faugh! You are beginning to irritate me!” Chollo replied. “Prepare yourself.”
“Kappe Flam!” Jael cast in defence and frantically retreated to Izabelle, Helena and the third regiment.
Alexa narrowed her eyes in observation and swore. “It seems that Chollo is gathering an enormous amount of magickal energy.” She and Cassandra had more or less recovered from the fierce fight from the other Tiamat mages, applying mystos and taken the moment to breathe.
“Back away!” Jael shouted sensing the impending mighty spell. Alexa and Cassandra immediately held Izabelle, covering the dainty summoner with their own fierce defence, and backed off from Jael’s position. All the Tiamat mages ceased their assault and dashed for cover as Chollo’s hair began to rise into the air. They knew what was about to come. Jael planted his feet and grit his teeth. Chollo’s eyes lost their shape and form, became crystal blue, his skin paling. From watery nebulous lips he screamed, “Oceanus!”
A roaring gush of blue tidal wave raged toward Jael. He snatched up Vaan, his unconscious friend, from the path of devastation, crying, “Dodge it! Dodge it! Everyone dodge!”
Alexa and Cassandra shoved Izabelle to safety behind a rock; Frekkis sprinted in to join them. Helena hurled herself to safety behind the massive rock even as the other Bristal mages were swept away into the path of the tidal wave. The wave carved a swath of stream towards the nearby river, carrying them into its flow.
It was not entirely unlike Vaan’s rage. “Where did the water came from?” Jael wondered.
“Are you convinced yet?” Chollo shouted. “Surrender to us and you will be spared!”
While behind the rock, Jael, along with the others, conspired to defeat Chollo. “We will never surrender to them,” Helena said. “I would rather die in this battle.”
&n
bsp; “I am nearly at my limit. My magickal energy is almost depleted,” Jael stated.
“We cannot retreat now! We cannot leave our comrades here! We must defeat Chollo!” Cassandra explained. “It is our duty to the queen!”
“Tch… we have to find a way,” Jael said.
“I’ll face him. He won’t harm me. I’m his sister.” “No, Izabelle! Can’t you see? He is insane!”
“Jael is right. You cannot face Chollo alone, he is far too powerful,” Helena agreed in support of Jael.
“How do you mean to defeat him?” Izabelle asked.
Still water streamed around them, and from beyond Chollo’s voice could be heard, shouting taunts and threats. “Get out from behind that rock! Or I will force you!”
Jael steeled himself for what was to come. “I’ll keep him occupied. All of you, run to the valkyrie, return to Krimmirr and ask for the regiments’ aid,” he said.
“No, Jael, we can’t leave you. I can’t let you sacrifice yourself once more for my sake. I have caused you enough trouble already,” Izabelle insisted.
But Chollo’s patience was already worn thin. “Okay. You want to play hide and seek, eh?”
He cast another spell. Ydrovolis concentrated and pressurised water to a pressure point that could slice through hard substances. Chollo’s water jet easily sliced the rock in half and it crumbled, exposing the depleted party of mages and the Third Regiment.
“NOW!” Jael commanded the others to escape to the valkyrie. Again he rushed toward Chollo, mind set on one thing. If the only way out was to sacrifice himself for his friends, for the queen’s army to make it back to Krimmirr, it was better than losing them all. Frekkis charged along at his side, loyal to the end.
Helena stood in steely resignation, for she too had been prepared to die in order to save the rest. For her there was no room remaining to discuss. The move was noble, the death worthy of a warrior. “We will go! Jael is right. We cannot defeat Chollo with our current state. We need reinforcements from the other regiments! He is a noble man, let us not make his sacrifice vain.”
Teliko Mageia: Curse of the Frozen Flame Page 17
