A Skeleton and a Lich

by Michael Chatfield

  “Uhh, that one,” Tommie pointed at a room.

  Damien, to his credit, didn’t even pause, just straight up ran through another wall, with a coughing, spluttering, and nearly headless gnome.

  “A little warning next time!” Tommie yelled as Damien shook back and forth. With everything going on, Tommie was just a little testy.

  The two guards inside the room yelled and charged Damien.

  He stepped forward through their attacks as if they hadn’t existed, his right axe slid through the guard on the same side’s guard, opening their neck as his left axe, cut the second guard behind the knee, he turned and his right axe hit the second guard in the neck.

  The two guards dropped to the floor dead and Damien faced the new pillar.

  Tommie couldn’t take the sudden movement and the sudden killing, losing his breakfast while still maintaining a death grip on Damien’s neck.

  Damien stilled. “Did you just puke on my back?”

  “Well, your shoulder. I think some is inside,” Tommie said. “You were moving all over the place.”

  “Gross! You puked into my shoulder joint!”

  “Sounded a bit squeaky? Extra lubricant.”

  “Dude. Not cool,” Damien complained.

  Tommie snorted a bit and then got a whiff of his last meal. “Yeah, not good. Okay, so hit that squiggly line thingy right there.”

  “Are you sure you know enchantments?” Damien swung at the enchantment.

  “Will you two hurry up or get a room?” Aila yelled from the doorway.

  “There.” Tommie pointed to a new spot. “I’m not really sure what these do, but, you know, easier to break things than build them and all that.”

  “That’s something we can agree on, little buddy.” Damien chuckled as he landed a few more strikes. The sleeve fell apart, revealing the old enchantment that started to repair and spread faster than the others had before.

  “Damn, that’s fun! Next!”

  ***

  “Guardians.” Yakish looked down at the woman who had flown through the air, killing tens of his Drafeng regulars as well as the converted chaotic beasts that had once been saints and guards.

  He had been working on a project, sending one of his serving Drafeng to meet with the other Drafeng commanders. As soon as he felt the Guardian power, he had alerted all of the Drafeng and they’d rushed to deal with the threat.

  “Ah, another Drafeng commander. I smell the reek of corruption upon you.” The woman looked up and let her illusion fall.

  “A lich?” Yakish looked at her with surprise. “Ah, you must be a fallen Guardian. Looks like you used your powers for darkness. What is this? You’re much too late to atone for your sins. Do you think the Guardians would thank you?” Yakish laughed as he started to gather power.

  She fired attacks up at him.

  Yakish dodged them all. He was over ten foot tall in his combat form, but his speed and control was exact. He reached out his hand, forming a spear in four of his limbs, and hurled them toward the woman.

  Szante and Inras appeared, attacking as well. She dodged them all lightly and shot back attacks of her own.

  Nura rushed the woman to end her once and for all time.

  The woman flashed across space, reaching out to Nura, a calm look on her face.

  “Find damnation.” Her voice was sickly sweet as she touched Nura’s arm, tracing it lightly. She then disappeared in a blurry flash.

  Nura contorted in pain as her arm turned black and withered away. Her chaotic power spewed all over the place as her physical body was no longer able to contain it.

  The mage charged forward again, dodging through their spells.

  Yakish flew through the air. His blades and weapons protected him as he closed with the woman and stabbed his blades into her.

  Huh? He backed away, sensing something was wrong. The lady he had attacked disappeared in motes of light.

  It was a projected image! He dodged to the side as five spells shot out. He was missed but Inras and Szante were hit. Yellow and black chains bound them and they dropped to the floor below, trying to be free of their bonds.

  A glowing spell formation appeared, two of them overlapping one another as a pillar of flames slammed into the ground, followed by a column of lightning.

  The bound Drafeng commanders, unable to move, could only scream out as they were torn apart by the magical forces.

  Yakish burned his power, and activated the enchantments in the Church of Light. The white glowing power that traveled up the enchantments changed, turning into the rainbow of chaotic colors that clashed with one another.

  Drafeng regulars and chaotic beasts landed around him, attacking the mage all at once.

  She put up a barrier and tried using Project Image. It distracted some but there were so many attacks that it was destroyed and her location was revealed as she tried to fight back.

  Inside the Church of Light, the mana was now warping and changing. Clouds started to form and rumble as mana from across Dena was drawn in. Veins of chaotic power started to extend through the church and the surrounding land.

  The stone cracked in places as the chaotic veins carved their own path through it.

  Yakish saw the mage being overwhelmed and charged forward with several regulars. They charged ahead. She was still powerful, even cornered and defending herself. She downed three of the Drafeng regulars when they reached her barrier and started slamming their weapons into it. The power started to drain from her shield and from her.

  Two more died. Yakish saw his opportunity and slammed down on her shield with two hammers.

  She shot down toward the ground, cratering the stone below. Water poured out of the broken fountain. Sections of broken bridges and walls, people, chaotic beasts and Drafeng lay on the ground.

  Guards charged forward to attack Yakish and the Drafeng that were dropping to the ground. They had enhanced their bodies with their familiars’ power, causing their eyes to glow different colors.

  Yakish waved his hand, casually sending out spikes of chaotic power that raced out, hitting them and exploding, warping their bodies and draining the power of their familiars so they would be unable to recover and find a new master.

  A noise came from the fountain. Yakish looked over to see the knight that had slammed into that statue starting to rise.

  He saw the back of his armor, the tree carved into it.

  Yakish felt a thread of fear, before it turned into mirth. He laughed as power flowed into him like a raging torrent, the entire Guardian tower pumping out chaotic energy.

  The chaotic beasts recovered from their wounds faster.

  Power rushed up from the floor below and passed through the church, which had been turned into a massive conversion tower, pulling at everyone’s clothes and hair.

  “So how the mighty have fallen. The Tree Knight, Anthony, and his little woman, Claire, the war mage.” Yakish opened his hand and released the channeled chaotic power in a beam, hitting Anthony head on as the Drafeng regulars charged Claire, who was recovering.

  She shot out of her crater, missing an attack aimed for her, and shot out attacks at them. She was much weaker than before but she was so quick that it was hard to hit her.

  Anthony was pushed backward by the blast but Yakish felt that there was something odd as he wasn’t being destroyed. He grabbed his weapons and with a movement of his wings, he was carried toward Anthony.

  Anthony raised his sword at the last minute and jumped forward, attacking Yakish. Yakish was stunned but he stopped Anthony with his swords; using his wings, he retreated.

  He must not have recovered enough for him to use his wings!

  Yakish looked back to see Anthony’s face reforming. Black flames of chaotic power ran through his body, burning him from the inside.

  “This will be the end of you both!” he yelled and looked at the battle mage. Instead of dread, there was a look of anticipation on her face.

  There was an explosion and then a
whistling noise that could be heard through the cathedral.

  Yakish dodged to the side as a seven-colored staff shot through the air, finally returning to its master.

  Claire grabbed the staff and slammed it into the ground. The mana in the area shook as several spells were cast at the same time. Instantaneously, lightning and water combined together and burned through the ranks of chaotic beasts, killing tens of them. Fireballs and metal spikes were combined, hitting the enchanted disk below her feet, causing the entire tower to shake.

  Anthony turned, channeling all of his power into one strike. He stuck his sword into where the Lord of Light statue had been. Cracks rippled out in the floor and Yakish threw his hands forward.

  Anthony turned; the hordes of chaotic creatures and Drafeng rushed him.

  “Claire!” he yelled. His fists and legs became weapons, throwing combos all over the place. He threw chaotic beasts, kicked up a block of wood and then kicked it, turning it into shards.

  “Geronimo!” A voice came from above as a large knight fell from the sky, holding a massive war hammer. Blue runes traced over him and his war hammer, creating a massive narwhal projection over his body.

  Claire cast magic with her staff, which seemed eager to please. She stepped on spell formations in the sky, walking over the chaotic beasts as she dodged through attacks. It didn’t look as if she were fighting: she was dancing.

  She reached Anthony. Grabbing each other’s hand, they flung their bodies away; a blast flew in between and Anthony brought Claire back in close, missing a charge on one side. She came out of the spin, firing her staff, sending attackers flying with the power of her blasts as Anthony booted a chaotic beast in the face and jumped. A spell formation appeared underneath his feet as an attack went underneath. It disappeared and he grabbed his fist with his other hand and slammed it into the chaotic beast’s back. Claire’s staff hit them in the face, discharging an ice spike into their head. As she cast a ray of prismatic light, those caught in the ray were hit with different kinds of attacks.

  This all happened within a few seconds, as Yakish saw the famed dance of death.

  The narwhal knight’s hammer missed his point of aim but his stomach hit the hilt of the sword, smashing it into the ground.

  The air in the cathedral seemed to explode outward, silence falling even as there was still fighting.

  The war hammer knight got up with a new dent on his armor. He ran forward and started to spin. His hammer connected with chaotic beasts as he used his momentum to carry through. It was an inelegant fighting style, but it was destructive and he seemed to have figured out how to alter his trajectories to make the most of each swing. He left a wake of destruction behind him.

  The air rushed back in from across the city, being drawn into the fire that had gone out at some point.

  The grounds started to crack as the covering floor was destroyed and the true floor beneath was revealed.

  A purple beam shot out of where the white flame had been. Shooting up and into the ceiling, it charged upward. The purple power of Dena raced along the enchantments in the floors and up the walls, tearing apart the coverings of the church. Stone and brick rained down as the cathedral started to repair itself in real time.

  Chaotic beasts and Drafeng on the walls tumbled down. Sections of bridge and wall crashed into the lower levels.

  People fled from the cathedral in droves, standing with the guards of the city as the face of the Church of Light collapsed to reveal the Guardian’s tower.

  On the outside, the white of the walls had changed. Now it was a deep black with purple lines tracing through it. It wasn’t as elegant as before, simple and unadorned.

  The walls cracked away to reveal the Guardian emblem on the exterior walls.

  Anthony reached his hand out and his sword appeared in it.

  Wings appeared on his back, red and gold mixed together.

  He cut out with his sword, leaving a glowing blade of power through the air, clearing a twenty-meter space where it passed.

  The war mage hit her staff on the ground. The rocks and debris around started to form into knights and an army of golems, rushing to meet the chaotic forces.

  The ground started to transform and attack them, turning into spikes and stone blades that attacked them from underneath.

  Yakish unleashed a blast of chaotic power. The Tree Knight deflected it with his sword into the side of the tower. It left a mark for a few seconds before it was repaired.

  Yakish sent out multiple attacks, all of them deflected by the Tree Knight.

  Panic started to fill Yakish as he made to dodge and get higher. I can feel the power of Dena around me like a cage. I can convert it but it will take longer.

  Anthony wasn’t going to give him that time. His wings flapped, clearing the dust over the battlefield for all to see as he shot upward.

  Yakish hit his wings and his body with chaotic power, but he charged up, deflecting the other blasts.

  Anthony sent attack after attack at Yakish. The chaotic beasts and Drafeng couldn’t help Yakish as they were fighting their own battle.

  Yakish felt that there was something wrong, as if Anthony was holding back. “What are you waiting for, Tree Knight!”

  “My friends,” Anthony said.

  There was a cracking noise above as purple power shot through one of the three spikes at the top of the tower. A purple beam shot out of it and into the other spires.

  The white flame in the middle of the spires shook as the spires were returned to their former glory. The white flames turned purple as they were raised up. A new raging purple flame appeared above the Guardian tower.

  Yakish looked at that purple flame in horror. The Guardian’s flame is lit once more. It will be lit across the land.

  Yakish let out a cry as Anthony cut his side. His sword came back again, intending to cut his limbs off.

  Yakish defended, using power to disengage.

  He was looking for a way out. He needed to tell the rest of the Drafeng; they needed to open the gates now. With time, the Guardians were sure to establish their strength again. Just the Guardian flames in the different cities were enough to start removing the chaos and fear that they had spent centuries instilling.

  “Tell the others, move ahead with our plans!” Yakish turned and tried to fly away.

  “You think you can leave just because you want to?” A hammer was in Anthony’s hand.

  Yakish burned more of his power as Anthony’s hammer rung out across Ascen, causing the air to shake.

  A courtroom appeared in midair. Sitting on it were all dignified leaders and heroes of the different races. The court was formed from purple power but it seemed that life had been breathed back into these people as they looked as real and lifelike as any other.

  “A Drafeng commander,” the gnome judge said.

  “Defilers of the tower, defilers and chaotic forces that have attacked the heart of Dena. Attacked its people!” The hobgoblin shook with anger, looking at the fleeing Yakish.

  Purple chains shot out from the walls. Yakish hit them with his weapons. But he wasn’t able to damage them and he was captured like a fly in a trap.

  The chaotic forces were pinned to the ground and the Drafeng were picked up as well.

  “You have clouded people’s minds but we will free them,” the elf judge said.

  Purple flames shot out of the tower, racing through Ascen and the lands beyond.

  Devout followers of the Church of Light, those who had been blessed with his flames, dropped in pain as the power in their bodies returned to Dena’s power and the chaotic energy in their bodies was purified and destroyed. They collapsed across the city: in the streets, in their homes, in the fields.

  The court and Yakish were carried upward, to the top of the tower. Projections appeared around the tower as Yakish squirmed against his chains.

  “While you have been in this land, what have been your disguises?” the beast kin asked.

  Yakish
’s form reverted against his will, showing him as a knight, as the anointed leader of the Church of Light. Beast kin, elf, gnome, human, goblin, and dwarf: there were hundreds of people he had impersonated or become over the years.

  “These people who you have copied, what did you do to them?” the gnome judge asked, leading the court.

  “Killed them,” Yakish spat.

  “What and who are you?”

  “I am a Drafeng commander. My name is Yakish.”

  “What is your purpose here?”

  “To create chaos among the people of Dena so that when the invasion comes there will be less resistance.”

  “The Church of Light—was that your creation?” the human judge asked.

  “It was.”

  “How did it come about?”

  “We manipulated the original Order of Light. They desired more power. We exacerbated things between them and the Guardians. We tore the Guardians apart through different groups and then had them turn on one another. The Order of Light was the last one standing. We came as envoys of the power of Light, giving them the enemy of the other races. With the influence that comes with having the chaotic power within the races of Dena, they descended into insanity and became our tools. Then we let the humans rule themselves, to see how far they would go with the groundwork that we created. We guided them to make as much strife as possible. Ignited wars with the other groups, made the races separate out and be wary of one another.”

  “Who were the leaders of the Church of Light?”

  “We were.”

  “What happened to those who rose from the ranks? Were they Drafeng as well?”

  “Drafeng? Those useless greedy creatures? No! They were the best pawns.” Yakish started laughing. His laughter carried a deep satisfaction with it. “You know what we did before we killed them? We told them the truth—we showed them the truth. Guess what they did?”

  Yakish continued to laugh. “They said that the Lord of Light would smite us! They were so wrapped up in the thing that we had created to sow chaos that they believed that they were chosen. They were people who had showed that they were more vicious than all of the rest. The torturers, those who killed villages out of boredom—we gave them the power. Then, when they found out where it truly came from, they didn’t repent; they just tried to kill again. Worthless.”