by Eden Redd
Rayna played on, eyes drinking in the battle. The bard knew if she stopped playing for a moment, the flood of trolls would overwhelm her companions. Fingers pressed against strings as she channeled her fury into her song of discord. The city guard fired into the trolls beyond the fighting line, blasting them to light but more trolls surged forward to replace them.
The elemental looked to the breach and lifted two large arms. Streams of rock and earth blasted forward, striking the top edge of the breach and began to fill it. Edric didn’t wait to watch the elemental work before casting another summoning spell.
(Spell Casting)65+(Int)7=72/(Encounter Roll)81! Spell unsuccessful!
Edric ignored the fizzling spell and tried again.
(Spell Casting)65+(Int)7-(Pain)15=57/(Encounter Roll)51! Spell successful!
Summon Elemental! Mana: 115/230
An earth elemental rose up from the ground. When it reached its full height, it turned its arms toward the breach and blasted out gravel, stone and dirt. The two elementals worked, slowly sealing and reinforcing stone work while chaos spun on behind them.
Edric prepared for another spell when he looked up to see a volley of arrows raining down. Before he could say anything, the area peppered with arrows. Leeta grabbed a troll and held it up as a shield, dozens of arrows striking the wriggling troll before he shattered. Faye leapt away, body twisting to dodge arrows and landing on her feet, two caught arrows in each hand.
Edric prepared his mana-shield spell when an arrow struck his shoulder and another struck his jaw. Body reeling, he stumbled back as hit points drained.
You have taken 22 damage! HP: 118/140
You have taken a 43 critical damage! HP: 75/140
Edric’s jaw stopped functioning as he tried to talk. Unable to cast another spell, the summoner reached into his satchel for his last elixir. Pulling it from his satchel, desperation took hold as he pulled the cork.
Leeta glanced to her master as he struggled with a potion, arrow in his shoulder and in his jaw. The ogre’s heart pounded in her chest as another volley of arrows reached their zenith and came down on their position. Without thinking, the ogre bolted for Edric, eyes wide as the dim shadows of arrows covered the ground around her beloved master.
“My love,” Leeta screamed as she leapt to Edric, crashing into him as arrows struck her armored back.
Time lost all meaning as Edric’s eyes shifted to Leeta’s kind gaze. The beautiful ogre blinked slowly, golden eyes adoring her master as they fell. Edric’s gaze slid to the side, the elixir slipping from his hands. Hope dimmed as they crashed to the ground and the elixir shattered to wet pieces.
Edric landed on his side. Leeta threw her arms out and caught herself from crushing her master. Body shuddering, a dozen arrow shafts stood up from her back, impaled in her armor and the flesh underneath.
The summoner reached up and caressed Leeta’s cheek as she gazed down on him. Unable to speak, a knowing bond filled the space between them before Leeta’s body shuddered. Falling to her side, the ogre could not fight the wave of weakness, eyes turning glassy.
Edric sat up, hand reaching into his satchel for a healing potion when he looked to the fighting line. Faye fought like a dancer in a storm. Her body moved with grace and power as she shattered trolls left and right but even with her power, trolls slipped by, charging the summoner and fallen ogre.
Edric popped the cork and pressed the opening of the potion to Leeta as she struggled to stay awake. Lips parting, red liquid flowed into her mouth. Several trolls rushed the fallen pair, swords up when lightning flashed. One troll took a hit to the face, sending him spiraling into air. Another took it to an armored knee, causing him to stumble forward as another bolt struck his back.
Rayna aimed her wand at the end of her lute, picking off trolls as they rushed her fallen friends. A maddening smile widened and she fired again and again. The bard bent over the side, leaving herself open as she tried to pick off the trolls getting past her song of madness. Arrows filled the black skies over her, but the bard ignored it as she focused on saving her friends.
The bard grunted as two arrows struck her back, a moment later, an arrow impaled in her arm. The song stopped and Rayna fought to play again. The arrow in her arm prevented the bard from working her fingers. A string of curses filled the battlements as the bard demanded a potion.
The madness left the trolls as they turned on the small group by the rapidly closing breach. Without a command, the trolls focused their menacing rage on the rulers of Elora and charged in full force. Leeta felt the arrows eject from her back as she was healing. Struggling, she made it back to her feet, ready to keep fighting. Faye was swarmed as trolls rushed her. The wood elf grunted as she fought on, her body taking cuts and bashes. Despite the flood, she stood her ground against the current, fighting with every ounce of chi.
Edric looked up to the breach as it was nearly filled in. He hoped there would be enough time to enter the city before it sealed but the incoming deluge of trolls marked their end. The summoner looked up to Leeta as she clanged her maces together, ready to take them all on.
A light streaked toward the fallen summoner, ogre and fighting wood elf. Edric shifted his gaze to the comet streaking toward them and hope flared. Juna blasted down to their location. Feet curled forward and when she hit the ground, the very earth shook. Black eyes widened as the half-troll turned around and faced the gathered legions.
Juna’s body heaved as her white aura blazed. As the trolls eyed her, the half-troll opened her mouth and roared to the sky.
“For Elora,” Juna shouted with power.
The trolls were knocked back simply by her voice. Chaos bloomed along the line but before they could recuperate, Juna charged with a white sword in each hand. Body blurring into a white spin, she crashed through the troll line, cutting down anything in her path.
Faye stepped back, blood running from various wounds, eyes on the spinning Juna. Edric and Leeta smiled as Juna spun through the enemy, cutting them apart in a carnival of carnage. The trolls tried to stand up to her, only to be shattered to pieces. The spinning grew to a frightening level as Juna became a white tornado, crashing through troll ranks with reckless abandonment. Limbs, heads and upper bodies diced into the air before shattering into bits of light. The spectacle spun on as the heroes of Elora gazed on the half-troll, cutting the enemy to ribbons.
Maggar watched from a distance, eyes taking on a sad glint. “So ends Elora’s reign.”
The dread lord centered his massive body. Dark energy pooled into digital muscles. Eyes closing, the power bubbled under his skin until it reached its apex. Eyes flashing open, dark power surged and blasted across the battlefield. Arcane circles appeared, spinning as undead rose up from the ground. Ghosts, wraiths, skeletons and zombies clawed up from their earthly prisons, ready to feast on living flesh.
Juna spun on, her mind and body serene as she cut through the enemy like paper. Arcane circles appeared around her and before she could adjust her movements, ghostly swords stabbed into her. The half-troll stopped spinning and crashed into a group of trolls. The arcane surge ability faded from her vision as she rushed to her feet and stabbed her sword into a troll. The troll shattered but Juna didn’t slow down. Surrounded by undead and trolls, Juna cut and bashed her way through them. Leg kicking out, her booted heel kicked a knee out before she drove her swords into another troll and then another. Blades came down, striking her white armor but some managed to hit exposed areas. Juna grunted as she fought on. Despite her elevated strength and speed, she slowly was mired by the enemy as they converged on her. Blade points stabbed deep while hammers struck hard. Undead clawed at her as she fought tooth and nail. Hit points drained as she shattered trolls and undead around her until a troll managed a lucky strike.
Juna drove her blade into a troll when a hammer hit the back of her head. The beautiful troll stumbled forward before a blade stabbed into her leg. Juna ignored the pain as she sliced trolls in half and cut undead h
eads from bodies. Movements began to slow as weakness took root. Juna cried out as she used every bit of her strength to keep fighting. When the last drop of energy disappeared, the half-troll fell to her hands and knees, white blades on the ground.
Edric pulled another healing potion and drank it. The summoner pulled the arrows from his jaw and shoulder as healing energy warmed his body.
You drank a healing potion! You gain 100 HP! HP: 140/140
Jaw working again, the summoner was about to cast another spell when he looked to the line of undead staring at his group. Faye stepped back to Edric while Leeta stayed at his side. Edric let out a sigh as the number of undead was beyond counting. Despair touched the summoner as he finally had to accept, this was a fight they could not win.
“Leeta,” Edric began, “Get inside and prepare to evacuate the city.”
The ogre shook her head, “No.”
Edric’s eyes closed, “Please Leeta. We will hold them off. Get inside and…”
“I WILL NOT,” the ogre shouted. “I am here, like always, defending you to the end.”
Edric opened his eyes to see Leeta’s wet gaze and a tear dripping down her smooth cheek.
“So be it,” Edric smiled.
Above them on the battlements, Rayna finished guzzling a healing potion. Arrow gone and flexing her fingers, the bard stood up and looked out to the battlefield, trolls and undead as far as the eye could see.
“I hate this audience,” the bard whispered before strumming her lute and blasting out a melody of maddening discord.
Trolls hearing the tune turned on one another once again but the undead charged, unaffected by the bard’s music. Faye, Edric and Leeta stood their ground, ready to fight against the wave of dead coming for them. Teeth gritting, they prepared for the attack when the undead hit something and halted their advance.
Edric’s eyes widened as a barrier rippled against the undead, preventing them from advancing any further. Ghosts bashed against the barrier while skeletons and wraiths tried in vain to slice and punch their way through.
Maggar’s brow hardened into a sharp V, eyeing the barrier from a distance. “Nyras…” the dread lord hissed.
In several basements around Elora, necromancers chanted, bridging their power and focusing it together. In one location, a dark elf channeled her power into her students, calling on her master the dracolich to grant her some of his power. The undead dragon heard her call and granted it with understanding benevolence.
Edric eyed the dead as they tried to get through. Trolls pressed on, breaking from the infighting and charging past the undead and the barrier, foul intent painted on their dark blue faces. A pang of worry touched the summoner as he still felt they didn’t have a chance. The two elementals had nearly filled the breach when they both felt their master’s concern. Turning from the wall, they stomped to the summoner, wood elf and ogre. Large hands took hold of them, pulling the group toward the remaining opening.
The barrier around the entire city began to crack. Young necromancers coughed up blood as their power was being attacked by the enemy undead pounding on the field. The elementals moved to the remaining hole. Leeta was pushed in, followed by Faye.
“Stop this,” Edric commanded but the elementals ignored him.
Edric was placed inside and set down. The summoner turned to see the elementals sealing up the hole. Screaming at them to stop and trying to dismiss them, the elementals filled the hole and the breach sealed.
Undead cracked the barrier and slipped through. Trolls charged as the two earth elementals turned on the incoming horde. Edric slammed his fist on the wall as he mentally watched the elementals slowly lose hit points. When they reached zero, the connection severed and they were gone.
***
Juna tried to get up, her body not responding. A ring of trolls took turns smashing hammers against her back for several minutes. The half-troll looked up and glared at them, too weak to do much else.
“You are wanted alive. Once we break your bones, we will bring you to Dread Lord Wormwood,” a troll said with heavy breath.
“Get the chains,” another troll commanded.
Juna brought up a list of her skills. Rows of question marks filled her eyes, abilities she had not unlocked yet. Her strongest ability was already used and a timer counted down. Despite her power, she didn’t have enough to win the day like she dreamed. Sorrow and disappointment painted her heart as she fought against her weakness. Edric floated into Juna’s mind and she let out a small moan, unwilling to accept her failure and a broken promise to defend her friends.
The ring of trolls raised their hammers once again. A shadow slipped through the ranks, like a whisper at midnight. When the hammers reached their full height, a black shadow appeared over the half-troll, green sword gleaming in the dim light. An emerald slash whipped around before Jinn melted from the shadows, standing over Juna.
Black eyes rolled into heads. The ring of trolls stood; their arms, hammers and heads falling in different directions before they shattered into shards of light. Juna looked up to see Jinn standing over her, green sword in hand.
“Father,” Juna whispered.
“Not now honey, daddy’s working,” Jinn said as he sheathed his sword.
The trolls surrounding them looked on in shock before primal hate took hold. Grunts and growls blanketed the area. Jinn’s hands touched his belt and came away with metal darts between fingers.
Jinn took a stance, cloak back and hands out to his sides. “I have 999 darts. Shall we begin?”
Trolls rushed from all sides toward the assassin and mystical half-troll. Jinn let out a long exhale before his body turned into a typhoon. Juna watched; her eyes able to see through the blurring motions of her father. Jinn’s arms whipped out metal darts faster than most could see. Darts penetrated eyes, mouths and throats, poison surging into their bodies. Some trolls immediately fell asleep while many others screamed in agony before their bodies burst into pieces of light.
Jinn’s arms moved with mechanical precision, every dart striking true. Bodies fell by the dozens as the assassin slowly turned like a gun turret. Seeing the assassin fight with such pure skill, Juna struggled to her feet, a white sword in each hand. Turning, she pressed her back to Jinn’s, his arms dealing out death as bodies continued to fall.
Trolls charged past their fallen comrades but Juna saw them. Swords slicing outwards, she cut through their bodies like butter, digital troll blood spraying against her white armor and face. Jinn concentrated. His speed made it appear as though his hands were pointing and shooting darts like a gun as more troll bodies fell. Fear rippled along the advancing trolls attempting to overwhelm a lone human and a half-troll. When Jinn stopped, only a few sleeping trolls lay on the matted grass for forty feet in every direction.
“I’m out,” Jinn said as he drew his blade.
Juna looked to Elora in the distance. “I didn’t realize I was so far from the city. We will have to fight our way through.”
Jinn nodded. “We will have to fight for every inch. You ready?”
Juna smiled. “I am.”
The grizzled assassin looked to the beautiful half-troll before returning his gaze to the trolls gathering the courage to fight.
“Stay close and we might make it,” Jinn smiled.
The trolls growled and advanced on the two heroes. Jinn and Juna waited for a breadth of a second before they charged. The wave of trolls surged but when both sides met, the troll army cracked. Juna and Jinn clashed with deadly skill, slicing through trolls. Running slowed as they swirled around, blades taking out the enemy, two or three at a time.
Juna’s heart pumped with pride as she fought alongside her father. Jinn kept smiling, cutting the enemy to ribbons. The surge of trolls slowed them down but they moved like synchronized dancers, flooring their audience. For a brief instant, Juna believed they could have fought their way to Elora, without a single mark. The dream wept as a blade cut across Jinn’s thigh.
T
he assassin faltered but continued to fight on. Blades parried and stabbed as the pair cut their way through enemy ranks. Undead trickled in; their supernatural bodies shattering just like the rest. Juna pushed ahead as Jinn lagged. A blade stabbed at his lower back. Jinn whipped around, cutting off the head of the troll who stabbed him. Juna grunted when a blade cut her and then another. The half-troll worried they wouldn’t make it as they were whittled down, one cut at a time.
Jinn stabbed into a troll while another stabbed him in the back. The assassin grunted. Juna whipped around, slicing trolls to pieces before sheathing a sword over her shoulder and grabbing the limping assassin. Juna pressed on, one sword cutting away at the enemy while Jinn fought with his able arm. The assassin kept the trolls at bay as his daughter pulled him along.
“Juna…” Jinn said with a harsh edge.
“We can make it,” Juna shouted as she sliced a troll into two.
“You don’t just have my skills…” Jinn grunted as a blade sunk deep into his side.
“No!” Juna whirled around, slicing through a troll’s neck.
“Your mother…” Jinn tried to speak, hit points draining.
“Don’t…,” tears welled up as she fought like a caged animal. “I…don’t want to lose you…”
Another blade sank into Jinn and he fell to his knees. “You will…never lose me again…”
Juna turned to see Jinn on his knees, looking up at her with the kindest eyes she had ever seen in her short life. Behind her father, several trolls raised their swords to deal the final blow.
Juna’s mind cracked as a memory washed on the shores of her mind. Witnessing again, how a knight loved a troll slave. How he fought down his pain as she took a throne to save him and his friends. How he gave up everything so he could protect her, forever.
Mind and heart glowing, Juna drank in what was to happen and she refused to let it be! A skill with question marks shattered and a name was revealed. Juna felt the surge of power well up as she took in a deep breath. Jinn’s eyes widened as the enemy blades were an inch from his body. Juna’s eyes flashed before her voice erupted in a cataclysmic storm.
