Deia and Anna tore through the undead. Their grace from before changed to mindless strength. They were too tired to do anything but react. They entered the teleport control room, and turned to cover the others. Malsour and Induca ran to them, their own Dark and Fire magics tearing at those who tried to follow them. Steve crashed through a wall, covering Dave, so he didn’t get hurt. He slammed shoulder first into the first floor and pushed himself up to his feet.
Hamdir didn’t miss the look of determination on the behemoth’s face. The normally joking AI concentrated on just one thing: keeping his friends alive.
The other conscious four let him pass, backing up as their magic and attacks made the undead and living creatures pay dearly for following them.
Malsour and Induca passed through the teleport pad’s event horizon. Deia grabbed Anna and jumped into the air, holding her hand out as four plasma cannons appeared and fired. They were thrown backward and through the teleport pad that cut off before the explosion of plasma could follow.
They lay on the ground of the teleport room where the rest of the Stone Raiders who had respawned were waiting.
Deia passed out. Anna stayed on the floor, panting. Malsour groaned, laying Suzy down before he rolled onto the ground himself.
Induca checked Suzy over as the ground shook with Steve lying down.
“Someone give me a soul gem!”
The Stone Raiders in the teleport room rushed to help their fellows, administering healing, as well as various potions to regenerate Mana and reduce fatigue.
Food and water was produced.
What are they going to do next?
***
Josh drank the sports drink concoction and let out a breath as he sat down heavily.
They had been fighting for six and a half hours. They’d been able to set up a camp of sorts, with the undead all around them. It was amazing what a few Earth and Dark mages could do with plenty of Mana and the right kind of motivation.
The undead kept coming, pushing one another into the growing pit ahead of the battlements or getting hit by the ranged weapons and spells.
Half of the seventy or so Stone Raiders who had made it so far were recovering, meditating, eating, drinking and caring for their weapons.
Lucy was running supplies. Jules, who had survived, was running medical. Esa was leading melee. Kim ran the ranged magical fighters. Mikal had the archers and the melee fighters armed with bows if they could handle it. Bolt throwers and crossbows if they couldn’t.
Josh’s purchases for the guild had made every member capable of fighting at distance. It had already paid off for itself as melee fighters plugged away with bolts.
A drop pad had been erected and powered up. Supplies came in from Shard, who had automatons picking up supplies stacked around the Stone Raiders’ tower and pushing them through to the Stone Raiders.
“Okay, so, are we going to link up with you in the fortress, or do you want us to fight our way to the phylactery?” Deia asked.
“How strong are Suzy’s Air creations?” Josh asked through the private chat.
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, if they’re capable of holding people up, then I have an idea.”
Chapter 18: Fly Monkeys, Fly!
Deia finished talking to the Stone Raiders who were gathered back in the tower.
“Well, hell, sounds easy when you put it that way,” Dave said.
Deia gave him an unamused look before she turned to Suzy. “Can you do it?”
“Yeah, I can, but it’s going to make me useless after and I’m going to need to come with you. The distance is just too large for me to command the creations by myself.”
“What if instead of flying the entire way, we just did till we got to the campus buildings on either side of the main strip? Then to cross the distance between the roofs and the grand library?” Anna interjected.
“That would help out a lot,” Suzy admitted.
“We could also put drop pads at different locations so that even if this does get all messed up, then we’d at least be starting from somewhere closer,” Malsour said.
“Agreed. Could you and Dave make the preparations or see if we have any spare drop pads?”
“On it!” Dave got to his feet. It had been an hour since they’d escaped from the college and although he had been largely healed, he was still weak from expending so much Mana and Stamina.
All of them were, but the longer they waited, the longer the Arch Lich would have to prepare.
“Okay, we’ve got an hour. Be ready!”
***
“What the hell is that?” Josephine asked her partner, Mikal, in close area chat. “Bone lords? Though they’re so far away. Damn, it’s hard to make out with the shadows.”
Mikal held his tongue, using his natural abilities as well as a spell of far sight to see what they were talking about.
Two massive creatures of bone slowly made their way through the ranks of undead. The undead moved out of their way, a parting sea of bodies.
What is that on them? It almost looks like it’s alive. Looks kind of like darklings.
“Jake! Get over here! I’ve got some weird ass undead that have arrived!” Mikal called out.
Jake didn’t take long to show up, eating a vibrant bowl of salad, completely at odds with his own pale complexion. “Wha?” Jake munched on a leaf.
Mikal pointed to the two creatures.
Jake squinted. Mikal cast far sight on him as his fork stopped in mid-air.
“Well, holeee-shit. Those are bone creations alrighty, but they’re imbued with Dark energy. How the hell did he do that?”
“Aren’t all bone creations made of Dark energy?” Josh walked into the room.
“Well, it’s the glue that holds them together. It would be better to say that they have been given corrupting energy. The Dark miasma that is leaking out of their bodies across their spikes and weapons is a powerful corrupting force. It’s been attached and imbued into the creatures themselves. I wouldn’t be surprised that if those creatures got within range of us, they would give off a corrupting aura that would harm all of those within its sphere of influence.”
“So, it would be scary as hell?” Josephine asked.
“It would taint the air and the ground, damaging any within a certain range. Getting cut by one of those blades would not be fun.” Jake shook his head.
“So, we keep it out of the fortress and hit it at range,” Josh said.
“Best bet, those things get in here, it’s going to be a mess. They’re level 207 but their natural abilities are going to make them scary as hell.”
“Add in the fact that with their arms and spiked bodies, any attack we land is likely going to hurt the attacker…” Mikal trailed off.
“Kim! I’ve got a new target for you! Mikal, send a message to the Flying Monkey Brigade. They’ve got until those things start getting into range.” Josh marched away from the wall.
***
“Get ready! There are two unknown mobs walking toward the fortress. Josh wants us to head out toward the library before they reach the fortress. You’ve got ten minutes!” Deia yelled.
Thankfully, all of those who had respawned came back with full energy. Party Zero were the only ones who had to gain back their strength the hard way. Stamina came back quickly due to their high Endurance. The same went for Mana, which they could all supplement with the four sets of Abscondita armor they could all draw power from.
There was a group of fifty, all of them staying off to the side. Those who had respawned, but had not been picked, armed themselves, either from the guild’s weapons or used their own soul bound weapons. With their high levels and the amount of wealth they had, a number of them had been able to get soulbound weapons.
There were three crafters who could take care of the binding of the weapons. Still, the weapons were rare and expensive; only about five percent of the Stone Raiders had them. Most just had duplicates, all of them veteran raiders ready for
the eventuality of their deaths.
They walked through the other teleport pad that was open, going right into the middle of the fortress to support the Raiders who hadn’t died. The fifty or so fighters came together, ready for their mission.
Deia looked around, seeing that they were all accounted for. “Let’s go steal that Arch Lich’s soul box!” She turned to lead the fifty Stone Raiders out into the fortress.
They moved off to the third story that was closest to the buildings in the direction of the grand library. Air creations started to fly out of Suzy’s bag; her staff glowed with power as they attached themselves to the backs of the fifty Stone Raiders.
“Good luck!” Josh called out.
“Good to go!” Suzy reported.
“Let’s go!” Deia yelled back over the sighs of the undead both alive and being put to rest as spells, bolts, and arrows screamed through the air.
“Fly monkeys, fly!” Steve took a running leap off the third-story magical balconies. His flying was more like slowly falling as the four Air creations attached to him fought to make sure he didn’t go crashing through the buildings he was supposed to land on.
“This is not the land of OZ!” Dave shook his head in pain at another movie reference being lost on his hopeless friends.
Deia laughed despite the seriousness of what they were doing. Suzy’s Air creation picked her up off the roof and flew with the other Stone Raiders, quickly crossing over the undead.
One was pulled from the air by an undead shambling mound’s vines.
Mages back in the fortress sent spell after spell into the shambling mound before it could bring the Stone Raider into its maw. The vines were cut and the Air creation tore the Stone Raider away from the shambling mound. It let out a keening wail as it succumbed to the mage’s spells, crushing an undead minotaur at its side.
Deia landed on the buildings. No one needed to be told anything as they ran for the grand library. Steve already led the way.
She cast a glance back at the fortress. The twin bone creations that had scared Josh into action were now close enough to be analyzed.
Bone Juggernaut Level 207
“Pick up the pace!” Deia had a sense of foreboding when she looked at the two juggernauts. If we don’t deal with this phylactery, I think we’re screwed. The thought pervaded her mind. As much as she wanted to ignore it, she couldn’t.
She picked up her pace and the Stone Raiders sprinted over the rooftops with ease.
Chapter 19: Failures and Successes
“Those conspiring creatures! What do they know of true magic! Using creations to carry them! Scared to even face my creatures! I will show them. I will make bone archers and draugr when I leave this place. Undead legions capable of shooting arrows and magic as well as tearing them apart on the ground!” the Arch Lich screamed. The room he was in looked as though it was rotting as his corrupting influence escaped his control in a fit of anger.
He was furious at the creatures that not only dared to kill his experiments, but then tried to escape his juggernauts as they were finally reaching the fortress the maggots had made. He wouldn’t admit his own frustrations at not foreseeing the need for archers or ranged attackers. He had moved in more undead shambling mounds around the fortress, so that no more were able to escape.
The Arch Lich’s attention was focused on his newest creations. He willed his lesser undeads into the pit that had claimed so many of them. They howled in pain and anger at being unable to reach their opponents. The undead writhed and screamed on the blessed metal spikes, but more and more of them filled the pit. They advanced over the carcasses of one another, creating a bridge across the spikes. More and more undead accepted their deaths.
The fighters in the fortress focused all of their attacks on the juggernauts. One lost twenty-five percent Health. They focused all their attacks onto the one creature. It howled out and turned with speed that belied its size.
The dumb creature, not understanding where it was, followed its instincts to activate its Legendary action to cut down anything that was within fifty meters of it. That included the other juggernaut. It was thrown back, losing fifteen percent of its Health from the attack.
“Well, there are bound to be a few sacrifices. I will have to look at trying to making them smarter. It will be annoying to have them act the same way every time.” The Arch Lich drifted over to a bookshelf and pulled off a book with his thin, skeletal fingers.
The juggernaut recovered from its Legendary attack, but the obnoxious living maggots had taken out a further seven percent of its Health, with status effects slowing the juggernaut further and stacking damage upon it. Even with the vicious spells, the juggernaut’s massive Health pool was going down slowly.
It staggered under multiple magical artillery barrages, the undead around it obliterated. It took a step forward. The undead had to keep throwing themselves on the spikes that were now moving in order to keep their bridge.
The second juggernaut started to rise with difficulty. Its blade arms stuck into the ground, cutting through it. Its corruption seemed to melt the ground, making it slip and snarl.
The Arch Lich gave out a displeased noise as he sent some of his larger undead to help the second juggernaut to its feet. “They dare to wound my newest creations,” his voice slightly crazed, his prior amusement turning to cold anger.
It was clear that his forces were taking heavy losses, but with time they would crush the Stone Raiders.
There were many more undead than Stone Raiders and they were unending. The Stone Raiders were burning through their Mana pools.
The Arch Lich turned from his research for the first time in forever. He had given up his body and his people so that he could learn more about the secrets of magic. To any, its anger would have sent shivers down their spines.
Drawing such a powerful creatures gaze could only mean one thing, death was coming for those that angered him.
***
“Skewer that fucker!” Josh yelled out. The first juggernaut was just crossing the undead bridge, while the second looked like a comedic skit, if it wasn’t for the fact it could shrug off magical artillery and it was taking the biggest and strongest of the undead to get it back on its feet.
The first juggernaut made it three meters, its feet on the undead bridge that sagged underneath it. More undead threw themselves down to try to make sure it wasn’t speared by the metal spikes below.
They’d forgotten one thing: the spikes had been pulled from the earth by Dark mages.
Spikes shot through the undead bridge and from its sides. As they slammed into the juggernaut, it cried out, making those nearest duck at its screams.
Its corrupting powers made the spikes dissolve with necrotic damage.
As one spike was destroyed, another sped out of the ground in its place. Priests, healers, and Light mages could be heard giving out their blessings on the metal constructs and also covering the juggernaut in what looked like a cloak of golden light.
The corrupting forces warred against the power of the Light, eating at each other.
Josh laughed at it all, filled with pride and excitement at his own Stone Raiders. The power that they were throwing out sent shockwaves through the air.
“That’s how the Stone Raiders do it! Get some of that, you pikey fuck!” The Stone Raiders stood on a precipice. If they worked together flawlessly, they might possibly defeat the bone juggernaut. If they didn’t, then they’d fall apart and be killed. There was no time for second-guessing; they were reacting, working together—one guild, one group pulled together by their desire to be the best raiders in all of Emerilia. They yelled and screamed out different words, but if one was to see their faces, instead of cold fear, they held eerie smiles.
This was what they had come for; this was what they desired to do. If they were to pick one thing out of anything else that they wanted to do, it was this: to fight beside their friends against a supposedly unbeatable opponent. Here, they were in their elemen
t. All of their passions were realized, their hearts thumping in their chests. They had never felt so alive! Gamers were introverted people for the most part, but here, right now, they cried out for more bolts, called out weaknesses. They didn’t care about their social anxieties and fears. All of that was swept away: they were their characters and nothing was going to stop them.
“That’s right, you Arch Lich dickhead, you fucked with the wrong bloody people! Don’t you know who the Stone Raiders are!?” Josh laughed. He grabbed a bow from his bag of holding and fired into the juggernaut that was slowly walking across its fellows that were trying to rush past it and cover the spikes before it. They had to replace their disappearing forces that had already sacrificed their bodies.
Josh’s eyes lit up with the tombstone markers dotted over the battlefield.
Josh fired into the juggernaut again and again. The entire guild was focused on the big bastard. It reached fifty percent Health, but the guild didn’t let up, hammering it for all it was worth, not letting it use its Legendary skill.
The juggernaut gave up as it approached forty percent Health; it staggered forward, as if it was almost drunk as it tried to reach the wall.
It got to thirty percent when it finally reached the fortress wall. Its bladed hand crashed into the wall, cutting through it and corrupting the metal, earth, and stone that made it.
“Eat this, dipshit,” Matt called out as magical runes flared in protection.
The juggernaut was thrown back fifty meters, disintegrating as it went.
The Stone Raiders cheered, yelling at the undead, some of which charged over their dead to try to climb the walls or get through the large hole the juggernaut had opened.
The undead that got their limbs through were cut apart as the walls closed on them. The ones crawling the walls forgot about the melee fighters; spears and staves tossed them off the walls and into the spike pits below.
New Horizons (Emerilia Book 4) Page 17
