“Whoa!” I let out a yelp and barely deflected an unexpectedly fast slash from the Battlemage’s shortsword as it regained control of its arm.
Forced to take a step backward from the Battlemage as it renewed its attack, I exchanged another pair of blows with the creature before it suddenly decided to disengage from Amaranth and me, reversing its advance and leaping away from us. Pausing for a heartbeat, I reflexively scanned the area around me for an incoming threat that would have caused the undead Irovian to retreat, but found nothing, the closest thing being Constantine and Alistair having fallen beside Drace and had their attention focused on fighting the Knight.
What is it doing? I asked myself, the thought barely having enough time to form in my mind before the Battlemage suddenly vanished in a brief flare of magic, leaving Amaranth and I standing by ourselves.
“Shit!” I cursed in frustration as I spun around and scanned the room urgently, recognizing the spell that the creature had used as being something akin to Blink Step. The Battlemage having decided to go look for an easier set of targets, rather than allow Amaranth and I to continue double-teaming it.
I had barely begun to move before a pained scream filled the air, echoing out from somewhere behind me, which was followed by a surprised shout and the clang of metal on metal.
“Halcyon is down!” Caius’s voice called out in a panic. “We need help over here now!”
Completing my turn, I looked in the direction of Caius’s voice and spotted the Battlemage standing right in between Sierra and Caius; the pair caught completely off guard by its unexpected appearance. In the split second that it had teleported away from me, the Battlemage had managed to cross the length of the room and stab Halcyon in the back, the mage now writhing on the floor and clutching at a bloody wound at its feet.
Grunting in acknowledgment, Amaranth didn’t bother with a mental reply, choosing instead to rush past me as the two of us began to move in opposite directions. Taking only a single step forward to give myself some momentum, I picked a spot near the Battlemage in the distance and triggered Blink Step.
A mix of azure light filled my vision as I crossed the room in an instant, appearing right on the creature’s left flank, just as it raised its sword to strike at Sierra, who had just dropped her bow and was in the process of drawing her sword. Hoping to buy her the time that she needed to finish the motion, I brought Splinter heavily onto the Battlemage’s already wounded shoulder, splitting the gaping rent in its armor even wider and spoiling its attack. As I drove the blade into the wound, I began to absorb the Battlemage’s mana through Splinter, feeling the familiar cool wave of energy course into me.
“Lyr!” Sierra shouted in surprise at my timely intervention, just as the sound of her sword leaving its scabbard reached my ear.
“Try and hack its arm off!” I called out to the woman without any preamble, seeing that my latest blow had managed to seriously damage the chainmail connecting the sleeve of the Battlemage’s armor to the rest of its body and that the emerald energy stored within had begun to flare out in spurts. “I think the armor is containing whatever is animating it! If we damage it enough, it’ll die!”
“Works for me!” Sierra shouted back as the two of us fell into a practiced pattern, effectively pinning the Battlemage between us, the undead creature having spun to keep the both of us in its vision, its burning visage somehow managing to display annoyance at the tactic. “Caius! Get Hal out of the way! He’s going to get stepped on here!”
“I’m on it!” the warlock replied a heartbeat later. “But he’s going to need healing, which means you’re going to have to distract that thing for me to lifetap afterward!”
“Just warn us when you’re ready!” I yelled as the Battlemage finally managed to twist its way out from between Sierra and me, our blades carving a pair of gashes in its armor as it did so.
Falling in before us with its sword held high, the Battlemage now streamed an almost constant flow of magic from its body where its armor had been damaged, the largest of the rents still being the one on its left shoulder. Appearing less solid than it had earlier in the battle, I could tell that the wounds had taken a toll on the Battlemage, the emerald energy that was animating it having greatly dimmed in intensity.
It hasn’t cast any spells in a while, I thought, noticing how much weaker the fire encasing the Battlemage’s head had become and that its skull hovering within was slowly becoming more distinct than it had been earlier in the fight. I think it’s running out of energy and a few more solid hits should do it!
Eager to put an end to at least one of the boss creatures, I lunged forward recklessly with Splinter, putting complete faith that Sierra would cover any openings in my guard if things didn’t go according to plan. Feinting high with the blade, I purposefully moved slowly enough to draw the Battlemage’s sword upwards as if I were going to bring it down on his head, only to at the last second, pull it away and bury the Flaming Dagger that I had conjured in my free hand straight into the Battlemage’s stomach.
Feeling my injured arm scream in pain at the movement, I forced myself to hold onto the molten blade until the spell ended and it dissipated back into nothingness. No sooner did the blade vanish than yet another burst of magic erupted from the now gaping wound in the Battlemage’s stomach, causing it to stagger as it belatedly swept its sword down in an attempt to slash at my now retreating hand.
Not one to pass up an opportunity, Sierra’s blade came crashing down on the Battlemage’s shoulder, the blow catching the already weakened section of armor and tearing it completely free from the cuirass. Almost instantly the Ætherbound creature’s arm vanished as the energy animating it was cut off, the ruined sleeve of armor now hanging limply by its side.
“I’m ready!” Caius’s voice called out, sounding weak despite the urgency behind his words. “Just—”
A loud grunt of pain followed by a crash of metal interrupted the rest of the warlock’s words as Lazarus’s body visibly tumbled into my vision over the Battlemage’s wounded shoulder. Taking in his appearance at a glance, I saw that the half-giant’s body had been almost completely pulverized, his armor battered and dented, with several gashes in the metal streaming a steady flow of blood.
“Lazarus is down, and the Knight is loose!” I shouted, remembering what Drace had said earlier and that Lazarus had been single-handedly keeping the other boss creature at bay. The key words in that statement being ‘had been’, his ragged and broken appearance clearly indicating that the Knight had finally managed to get the better of him.
Which meant that it was likely coming this way.
“Sierra, take care of this guy for Caius!” I ordered, making a snap decision as I threw myself forward into the now literally disarmed Battlemage, slamming my shoulder into his chest and hooking a foot around its ankle. With a shove, I pushed past the weakened Irovian and tripped it for Sierra and Caius to finish off, knowing that I had to find the other Knight before it caught up to Lazarus and finished him off.
Where is it? I thought in a frenzied panic, glancing briefly at Lazarus once more and seeing that he hadn’t moved since he had fallen to the ground. Tearing my eyes off the injured half-giant, I scanned the chamber, in the direction I had seen him come tumbling from, logically assuming he had been thrown backward.
My hunch immediately paid off as I turned my head towards the floating crystal that centered the room, which was now partially blocked as the large and heavily armored Knight came into view, slowly plodding forward with its attention fixed directly on Lazarus. Appearing identical to the other Knight that
Drace had been fighting, this particular Knight visibly displayed several large scars and gashes in its armor that streamed a steady flow of magic as it moved, the wounds a testament to how hard Lazarus must have fought against the creature.
Without a second’s hesitation, my feet angled themselves towards the Ætherbound Knight, quickly building momentum with every step that I took. Analyzing the magically fueled entity with a practiced eye, I glanced over the wounds that Lazarus had inflicted upon it, trying to find a weakness that I could exploit.
Two large gashes across the torso. I noted to myself, time slowing down all around me as I sprinted forward. Probably too hard for me to cut through though.
I took another step towards the Knight.
Knee could be a weak spot, I continued, my gaze dropping downwards to see a puncture wound in the side of the being’s left leg, just above the joint. Destroying that could slow it down.
The Knight’s head began to shift in my direction as my foot hit the ground once more.
Armor on its shield arm looks— my train of thought instantly stopped as the creature completed its turn, its helmeted head revealing a long rent that burned with a bright azure fire. Fixing my attention on the tear in the armor, I could see a faint glimpse into the burning flames within, catching sight of the undead Irovian’s skull.
There! I exclaimed within my mind, feeling my heart race with excitement as I focused my attention on the gap in the Knight’s armor, a plan of attack falling into place. Casting a glance upwards towards the ceiling, I checked to see if I would have enough room to pull off what I was hoping to do, and was happy to see that the chamber had plenty of space to work with. Gritting my teeth as I took yet another step towards the Knight, I mentally rehearsed what I was about to attempt, pushing aside the distant voice that told me just how reckless it was.
I think the situation calls for reckless at this point, I told myself dryly, carefully timing my upcoming maneuver while simultaneously trying to ignore the wicked axe that the Knight was holding in its hand. Here goes nothing!
Flicking the fingers on my still injured arm, I cast Jump on myself, instantly feeling my body become lighter as I ran. Taking two more bounding steps as I closed the distance between the Knight and me, I made sure to build up enough momentum for what I was about to attempt. Then, on my third step, I leaped high into the air, twisting my body into a corkscrewing flip that would have caused an Olympic gymnast to go green with envy.
Sailing directly over the stunned Knight as I spun through the air, I swung Splinter downwards with all the strength that I had in my arm, aiming the Æthertouched blade directly at the open scar in its helmet. Completely surprised by the maneuver, there was little the Knight could do to avoid the blow, my sword finding the gap in the helmet and biting deep into the skull housed within. Feeling the impact travel up my arm, I continued in the arc that my momentum had committed me to, my vision twisting wildly as I completed my flip and landed back on my feet behind the knight.
I can’t believe that worked! I thought in amazement, moving from the spot that I had landed and glancing at the message that had appeared in my combat log.
You [Power Attack II] a [Ætherbound Knight] for 126 points of damage!
Happy to have confirmed that I had indeed managed to hurt the Knight, I dismissed my combat log and focused on putting some distance between me and the creature, knowing all too well what it was going to do next. Moving as if my very life depended on it, which in hindsight I knew it did, I planted my left foot on the ground hard then pushed off on it, sending me leaping to the side and towards the dais that the large crystal was set on.
Just in time to avoid the Knight’s axe as it came down on the spot that I had just been standing.
The crunch of metal on stone echoed through the chamber as my leap carried me away from the Knight, who had recovered even faster than I had anticipated, spinning around with a vicious attack that would have crippled me, had it connected. Pushing back a sense of creeping doubt as I realized that my margin for error was now even slimmer than I had originally thought, I felt my right foot touch down on the side of the dais, the attached leg bending briefly as it absorbed the energy from my leap, then sprang forth, sending me flying back towards the Knight.
Aided by the Jump spell, I angled myself to slide across the ground, my trajectory carrying me past the now turned around Knight for a second time. Timing the attack carefully as I reentered melee range, I slashed across my body with Splinter, targeting the blade directly for the armored Irovian’s wounded knee. Aided by momentum and the already damaged armor around the joint, my sword easily bit through the metal, widening the tear that Lazarus had inflicted earlier until it stretched completely around the back of the Knight’s knee. As I continued my slide, now moving past the Knight, I caught a brief glimpse of magic out of the corner of my eye, followed by the sound of something heavy falling to the ground.
Coming to a stop just outside the Knight’s range, I forced myself back up onto my feet and twisted to look back towards the undead Irovian, seeing the heavily armored creature now kneeling on the ground.
That should hopefully buy us some time to regroup, I thought, letting a small breath of relief escape my lips, only to have it cut it off as the knight pushed itself back up onto its feet. On second thought, maybe not.
Watching the Knight rise, I noticed a constant stream of magic pour free from the wound that I had inflicted on its knee, the injury visibly affecting it as it tried to maintain its balance, but not managing to cripple it as I had hoped. Not wanting to wait until the Knight finished climbing back up to its feet, I instinctively rushed back towards it, intent on inflicting as much damage as I could before the opportunity was lost.
Sparks flew from Splinter’s edge as I channeled a Shocking Touch in the blade and leaped forward with the weapon outstretched. Caught half-risen from his kneeling position, I had a near perfect shot to drive the blade through the damaged portion of the Knight’s helmet and into the skull housed within. Unfortunately for me, however, that opportunity vanished as the Knight unexpectedly turned its head, taking Splinter’s edge off an undamaged section of the helmet and leaving my arm throbbing from the force of the blunted blow.
Oh shit, I thought, my eyes widening with the realization that I had been suckered in. Instinctively, I tried to retreat, to put any distance I could between the Knight and me before whatever counter attack he had in store for me landed.
I never had a chance.
A heavy metal shield slammed into my chest with the force of a sledgehammer, cracking and breaking countless ribs as it drove the air from my lungs and sent me staggering back, all of my forward momentum lost in a single blow. I managed a single agonizing cough as I struggled to keep balance, a watery sensation suddenly filling my chest. Numb from the sudden turn of events, it was all I could do to stare at the single log entry that had appeared in my combat log.
An [Ætherbound Knight] critically hits you with [Shield Slam III] for 274 points of damage!
The next thing I knew, my entire body was screaming at me in pain, and I was somehow lying on my back a short distance from where I had been standing, desperately struggling to catch my breath. As my mind slowly cleared and adrenaline caused the pain to fade away, I gradually became aware of loud clanging footsteps, vaguely sensing that there was something large and blurry approaching me. Blinking rapidly to get rid of the tears that had formed in my eyes, I cleared them just in time to see the Ætherbound Knight standing over me; its axe raised high in the air.
I’m screwed, I realized with sudden clarity as the stunning effects of the Knight’s Shield Slam finally began to wear off, leaving my mind too scrambled to cast a spell and my body reacting far too slowly to roll out of the way of its coming attack.
“Hold on, Lyr!” Halcyon’s voice cut through the fog that clouded my mind, just as two large balls of magic slammed into the side of the Knight, visibly rocking it from side to side. “We’re coming!”
The Knight bobbed unsteadily as its damaged leg struggled to keep itself upright under the onslaught of magic, the axe in its hand waving wildly in the air in an attempt to restore its balance. Taking advantage of my temporary stay of execution, I rolled my body to the side and put some distance between me and the heavily armored creature, feeling my lungs protest from the exertion. Once I felt I was at a safe distance, I rolled one more time onto my stomach, and let out a wet sounding cough that sent a spray of blood misting through the air, coating the floor beneath me.
Staring at the blood numbly as I struggled to take in a deep breath, a near deafening shout of rage, followed by the sound of tearing metal and even more shouting voices forced me to keep moving. Pushing myself up off the ground with a shaking hand, I turned as fast as I could manage back towards the Knight, all while coughing up another spray of blood from my damaged lungs.
“Hit the leg!” Drace’s voice boomed over the cacophony of combat that had erupted in the few seconds it had taken me to regain my feet. “Take it down then finish it!”
Completing my turn towards the noise, I saw that both Lazarus and Drace had managed to join the fight, or perhaps more aptly in Lazarus’s case, rejoin the fight, his body having clearly been healed since the last time that I had seen him. The pair of half-giants had flanked the now singed looking Knight, keeping the creature contained as Constantine, Alistair and Amaranth rushed around the floating crystal.
Legacy of the Fallen (Ascend Online Book 2) Page 44
