Just a little longer, Frank thought. They were draining the Confessors’ mana right now. Any energy they wasted on the gate was mana they couldn’t use to heal their own wounds. They just needed to wait until they breached the gate.
Frank noticed that Alexion was shifting uncomfortably, his eyes darting along the ramparts as the defenders made no move to intervene. Then his brow furrowed, and he whirled to face the dead forest behind him. His eyes skimmed the trees as though searching for Frank’s forces hiding in the bushes. He opened his mouth as though to shout a warning…
“Go,” Frank finally ordered, his voice carrying through the trees.
A hail of missiles suddenly erupted from the tree line, whistling through the air toward the caravan. The wooden projectiles struck the exposed necks and backs of the unsuspecting Nephilim. White wings fluttered, and crimson blood spilled on the roadway as a wave of soldiers fell under the barrage.
Alexion’s soldiers whirled to face the forest, flashes of white light going up among their ranks as they tried to heal their wounded and return fire on the trees – shooting at random. Yet more than one winged corpse now adorned the roadway. Another wave of missiles had already taken flight, soon finding purchase in the flesh of Alexion’s troops.
Stray arrows struck the unsuspecting slaves, and Frank grimaced as he watched the helpless men and women fall. If they were to save any of them, they had no choice. There were no other options. This knowledge only served to fuel Frank’s rage, his bloodlust threatening to boil over. Some of the slaves dropped to the ground, while others tried to struggle to the nearby forest, their chains soon bringing them up short. Yet the movement intensified the chaos among Alexion’s ranks as the Nephilim were forced to herd the slaves while creating a defensive perimeter.
“They are attacking from the forest!” Alexion shouted. “Confessors to me!”
Frank watched as the flames faltered and the Confessors turned to face the tree line. The white-robed zealots had bored a hole in the gate, large cracks running through its surface. However, they hadn’t brought it down yet.
“Damn it,” Frank muttered.
Instead of a mad rush, the Confessors set up a familiar line facing the forest as new flames sprang from their hands. All at once, Frank realized that Alexion planned to wash their position in flames.
“Cisco, give the signal!” he shouted.
The man beside him lit one of his arrows, his flint sparking the cloth and oil wrapped around the tip. Then he launched it airborne.
He was too late. A massive column of flame washed across Frank’s position. The dry and desiccated plants ignited like tinder, smoke already beginning to billow into the air as the fires spread at a frightening pace. The undead immediately dropped from their perches among the trees as they tried to flee the fire. Frank was with them, pushing through the thick smoke that now blanketed the area as the Confessors continued to blast the tree line. The only saving grace was that the flames concealed their movements from the errant beams of white light.
The Kin knew what to do even without Frank and Cisco shouting orders. The group fled further back into the forest before regrouping and circling westward toward the town. Even as they moved, a howl went up from the trees on the other side of the road. The shouts of Alexion’s soldiers and the cries of pain coming from the wounded Nephilim and slaves pierced through the crackle and snap of the flames that were sweeping through the forest.
Frank and his group broke through the tree line a moment later, coming out of the forest near the town’s wall and flanking Alexion’s troops in the road. They were met with a scene of chaos.
They had hidden their skeletal mounts in the forest on the other side of the roadway, and the town’s Death Knights were stationed just inside the gate. At Cisco’s signal, the wolves had bounded from the forest, and sped through the dead trees in a blur of movement before leaping into the middle of Alexion’s forces from the north. They now gnashed at the Nephilim with razor-sharp fangs. At the same time, the Death Knights had crashed through the failing gate, sending splinters of dark crystal flying in every direction as they struck from the rear.
One wolf snatched a white-robed woman in its jaws, shaking her violently and crushing her skull. As it dropped the woman’s unmoving body to the road, the wolf’s torso was pierced by multiple rays of light as the Nephilim intervened. The Death Knights barreled toward the line of winged soldiers in a phalanx. The lead skeleton took ray after ray of the holy beams, the energy smashing holes in its shield and limbs. The lone Death Skeleton covered for its brothers, acting as cannon fodder to allow the others to get close. And then, the remainder of the Death Knights’ hit Alexion’s line like a wrecking ball – sending soldiers flying in every direction.
The battle in the street took place in a chaotic flurry of movement, and, in the center of it all, stood Alexion. His body glowed with a golden light that enveloped his troops, causing their skin to shine with holy power, and allowing them to shrug off the occasional blow of the skeletal wolves. Alexion’s hands moved through a complicated series of gestures, healing the men and women that encircled him in a protective formation as they blunted the initial charge of the skeletal wolves and Death Knights. His Nephilim alternated between healing the front-line soldiers and launching bolts of energy, slowly whittling down the undead.
Frank needed to move quickly if he was going to reinforce the wolves and Death Knights.
He spared a glance at Cisco. “Be ready to follow my lead. Try to free the slaves if you see an opportunity. I’ll distract Alexion and break their line.”
Cisco didn’t bother to answer – only nodding curtly before shouting a new set of orders. The Kin immediately moved into formation, yanking their swords free of their sheaths.
Frank’s legs transformed with a sickening pop, and his kneecaps inverted, assuming their familiar wolf-like appearance. He also summoned his wings, and spindly growths erupted from his shoulder blades, feathers swiftly filling out the appendages. Then he launched himself forward. His surroundings blurred as he moved, and his axes appeared in his hands – lightning crackling along their metallic blades.
As Frank neared Alexion’s group in the road, he spread out his new wings, using them to break his momentum. Before the first line of defenders could react, he flapped his wings powerfully, stirring up the dust along the road in a thick cloud. He kept this up, forcing his wings to flap ever faster as he strained to stand in place. Soon, a torrent of dust filled the air and obscured the battle raging in the roadway.
He could hear the roar of his Kin behind him as they made their charge, using the dust cloud to obscure their movements. The occasional stray flash of flame or ray of light rocketed out of the cloud but failed to find a victim among the undead soldiers.
Frank let his wings recede and got to work. He launched himself through the dust, his blades crackling with electricity as he wove a dance of death. A nearby Confessor was preparing to release a torrent of flame at one of the wolves, but he stopped the spell short – the man’s head tumbling to the ground as blood fountained from his neck.
Heal from that, asshole, Frank thought.
Sensing something behind him, he whirled, and his blade just barely intercepted an incoming spear from one of the Nephilim. A sword ran the angelic soldier through a moment later as the Kin joined the battle behind Frank.
By then, the cloud of dust had begun to settle, and Frank was able to reassess the battle. Alexion’s defensive formation had been destroyed, and chaos now reined over order as pockets of fighting had broken out on the road. Frank spotted their enemy’s glowing metallic form nearby. Alexion had picked up a shield from one of his soldiers, and he wielded a longsword in his other hand, its blade already drenched with congealed blood and coated in ivory dust. His glowing aura still enveloped himself and his soldiers, empowering their attacks and strengthening their defenses.
Frank needed to take out Alexion if they were to have a chance here.
His visio
n went red, and he finally let his rage overcome him. There was one person to blame for this conflict and Frank planned to teach him a lesson. With a thought, he shifted the elemental energy running along his blades to ice. The metal took on an unnatural chill as mist drifted from the blades.
Frank launched himself airborne, holding his axes high as his concentration honed on Alexion’s back. Then he dove forward. At the last minute, one of the Nephilim shouted a warning, and Alexion turned. His eyes widened in surprise, and he raised his shield just in time. Frank struck the shield with both of his axes, the force of his blow so powerful that it sent Alexion to his knees and caused a concussive blast of force to rocket out from the impact, throwing the nearby soldiers off balance.
Frank didn’t give his opponent a chance to recover, striking repeatedly, as the ice from his blades seeped into the metal of the shield. A final blow shattered the shield, sending frozen fragments flying in every direction and knocking his opponent back. Breathing heavily, Frank stood over Alexion, watching as he looked up at him with a mixture of fear and anger. This was the asshole that had tormented Jason and Riley. That had mercilessly teased and ridiculed him for years.
And he wanted nothing more than to sink his axes into Alexion’s flesh.
As Frank was about to deliver a final blow, a gust of wind suddenly knocked him away and sent him tumbling backward. He recovered quickly, twisting his body in midair and managing to land in a crouch. He looked for the source of the attack and saw the young woman and her manservant suddenly standing near Alexion. Tendrils of yellow energy surrounded the manservant’s hands as he stared at Frank – no alarm or concern marring his expression despite the battle raging in the roadway.
Air mage, Frank thought. He hadn’t fought many mages with that discipline.
Alexion rose to his feet, calmly healing his own wounds with a simple gesture before turning his attention back to Frank. “Hello again, Frank,” he sneered. “I didn’t expect to see you here. I suppose Riley and Jason must have realized you were dead weight, huh? They must have grown tired of carrying you.”
Frank could feel his anger boil at this comment and the not-so-subtle jab at his weight. “I’m sure they’ll be fine,” he grunted. “Besides, I’m more than enough to handle you.”
Without waiting for Alexion to reply, Frank launched forward again. He was already anticipating the air mage’s spell and neatly sidestepped the next gust of wind. Yet as he moved to the side, he felt something tear at his skin – long bloody tracks running up his chest and arm. He grunted in pain and came to an abrupt halt.
“What the hell,” he muttered, his blood dripping onto the roadway.
“Air magic is a real bitch,” the woman beside Alexion said in a glib voice, gesturing at the man beside her. “Did you know that the more proficient mages can condense the air into something resembling a blade? To make it even more fun, the attacks are nearly invisible. Frederick here has mastered the art.”
Frank grunted, ignoring the dull burning in his chest. He spared a glance at his health in the corner of his vision, noting that he was already sitting below half. In contrast, he was certain Alexion had already healed himself back to full health. He needed to be careful.
His next charge was more tentative as Frank focused on sensing the manservant’s attack. He was watching Frederick’s movements closely now, waiting for any tell that might give away his angle of attack. All Frank noticed was a twitch of the man’s fingers and a gust of wind before he felt a jagged tear open in his back as though a sword had slashed along his spine.
“Tsk, tsk,” the woman beside Alexion said with a sneer. “You’d think the left hand of the Regent of the Twilight Throne would be a bit smarter than this.”
“Frank has never been the brightest,” Alexion said, laughing lightly.
Frank didn’t bother to respond as he tried to think of his best play here. He couldn’t anticipate Frederick’s attacks and he was running out of health. Even if he could get in a good strike, Alexion could simply heal the injury if he didn’t manage a killing blow. To make matters worse, Frank could see the fighting around him was beginning to wind down, the undead soldiers taking a beating in the face of Alexion’s superior numbers and healing.
Attack or retreat? he questioned himself.
Then he saw Alexion’s sneering expression, as though the man could anticipate his thoughts. The remains of undead soldiers and slaves riddled the roadway around him, their bodies unmoving even as the surviving slaves tried to drag the dead toward the tree line. That was all it took for him to make a decision. They might lose here, but they just needed to hurt Alexion so badly that he gave up this raid. That was the only goal.
Frank abandoned conscious thought, acting solely on instinct as he launched his final charge, using his wings to help launch him forward. As he saw Frederick’s fingers twitch, he abruptly stopped and swept his wings forward, beating them like he had when he initiated the fight and calmly continuing his march toward Alexion’s group. A strong blast of wind swept forward, throwing his enemies off balance and causing them to blink rapidly to clear the dust that was kicked up into the air. Seconds ticked past, but no blow landed – the manservant’s eyes widening in surprise as he realized what Frank had done.
Even Frederick’s ability had limits. The man was unable to form a condensed blade of air with the massive gusts of wind created by Frank’s wings.
Without warning, Frank stopped flapping his wings as he launched himself forward on his enhanced legs. He aimed his strike at Alexion, the gold-armored man raising his sword to block the blow with a smirk. However, at the last minute, Frank used his wings to change his trajectory, shifting his focus to Frederick and performing a barrel roll as he shifted in midair. The man moved to dodge, and the gesture barely saved him.
One of Frank’s axe blades missed, while the flat of his other axe clipped Frederick’s head – sending him sprawling. Even as Frank’s feet touched the ground, Alexion was on him, his blade dancing toward Frank with inhuman speed. Frank barely countered with one of his axes, only to feel the blade sink into his shoulder on the next stab. Alexion was fast. Extremely fast.
“You think Frederick is the only thing to fear here,” Alexion spat, his dead eyes glaring at Frank as he stabbed at him again and again. Without a shield encumbering him, his movements were precise and blazingly swift despite his golden plate mail.
It was all Frank could do to keep up with the barrage of attacks, the occasional blow shaving away his health. He scored a hit or two of his own, but Alexion healed the injuries in a flash of white light. This was a battle of attrition and one that Frank abruptly realized he could not win.
In a final move, Alexion knocked aside Frank’s axe, and his blade sunk into Frank’s stomach.
Frank abruptly fell to his knees, red notifications flashing in his peripheral vision as Alexion loomed over him. He could barely move, and he suddenly realized his stamina was all but empty. The multiple transformations had cost him dearly. He let out a groan of pain as Alexion jerked his blade free and blood jetted from the wound.
“To be expected of a fat idiot,” Alexion sneered. Then he leaned forward, his glowing golden eyes holding Frank’s. “Look at how your men have fallen and how easily we bested you.”
Frank could see the truth of his words. Nearby, the last of the Kin was impaled on one of the Nephilim’s spears. His troops were dead. They had lost. Frank could feel despair well in his stomach and guilt pressed down on his shoulders like a tangible weight.
“You will always be useless,” Alexion sneered.
Then he seemed to shrug. “Although I suspect you are too stupid to learn your lesson. Oh well, better luck next time!” Alexion said, raising his blade and preparing to deliver a final blow.
Before he could swing his sword, however, a series of notifications suddenly dropped into Frank’s vision, and he saw Alexion hesitate – his eyes focusing on something that Frank couldn’t see.
Quest Complete:
Prime Real Estate
After being appointed as the Regent of the Twilight Throne, Jason was tasked by the Old Man with taking control of the surrounding lands and cities that were once part of the Kingdom of Lusade. Jason then imparted this quest to you, his left-hand. He sent you on a mission to conquer the outlying towns and villages. Congratulations, that quest is now complete!
Universal System Message
Jason and his guild, Original Sin, have conquered the towns surrounding the Twilight Throne, turning them to the dark. Jason is the first avatar that has completed the task given to him by his patron deity. His reward is a gate piece – a relic of a time long past and a key to opening a bridge to the Throne of the Gods.
A new global quest has begun. The first avatar that reaches and conquers the Throne of the Gods will be given rulership over the world of Awaken Online. The remainder of the gate pieces are hidden throughout the world – only waiting to be discovered. Raise your armies. Train your soldiers. Spread your god’s influence to the four corners of this world.
The race is on!
“Pray to your false gods, mortals. Soon there will be no place for you to hide.” – The Dark One
Frank’s thoughts were wheeling in confusion, struggling to process the notifications in front of him even as his vision wavered and blurred from fatigue. Vera must have just conquered the final town. Given that Jason was occupied with the siege in the Twilight Throne, he could only assume Vera had discovered that the last town was barren of survivors.
“What the hell is this?” Alexion muttered, his eyes skimming the notification in the air in front of him. “How did Jason do this if he’s under attack in the Twilight Throne?” He shook his head in confusion.
Awaken Online: Dominion Page 60
