by Erik Weir
Lily glanced to Dawn and noticed the strange belt and plasma pistol against her hip. “Is that new?”
The elf nodded. “I enjoyed using the plasma rifle from the Xull realm so, I had Wynn send me something smaller.”
Lily gave a nod of approval before she addressed her sisters in battle. “Rescue the acolytes and we fly away. We don’t want to get into a prolonged fight.”
Mildra turned her eyes to the dozen gargoyles lining the tower edges. “I sense something is amiss.”
Lily nodded. “There is probably detection magic. They might be on their way already. Let’s finish what we came here to do.”
The group of women rushed to the lone door. Dawn was first to it, pulling out a small lock-picking kit from her leather belt. Glasses shining, she noticed the lock was mechanical and she didn’t detect any magical traps. Inserting the thin rod and needle, she worked the lock until it clicked open.
A staff appeared in Lily’s hand as the door opened. “Stay close.”
The small group made their way into the darkened entryway. The climb down was quiet. Torches lined the stairwell before they entered the top floor. Light flickered as they moved as one, reaching another door and finding it unlocked. Lily’s brow hardened as they stepped into a lush garden, the sound of trickling water echoing off walls.
The tension amid the group grew thicker until they made their way further into the garden. Lily pushed away a thick leaf to see a pond with several figures by it. A woman with faint blue skin and webbed hands lay against the edge of the pond while an orc woman and a female halfling sat back to back with books in their hands. All three were silent, lost to the serene garden.
“I smell a trap,” Vindrel said in a low whisper.
The three women by the pond turned their attention to the invading group. A long moment past before their bodies began to shimmer and they faded away.
Lily growled her contempt when a voice filled the garden.
“The bravery of Vala’s chosen is not exaggerated,” said the disembodied voice.
The seven women put their backs to each other, forming a tight circle.
“No need to defend yourselves just yet. My name is Damon Royy, Master council member for the Mage Authority. I commend you on your bravery, but the three acolytes you seek are here in the council Meeting Hall on the street level. I would not attempt to retreat just yet, the gargoyles on the roof have been animated and are waiting for you.”
“Why let us get this far if you could have stopped us on the roof.” Lily asked with a hard edge.
“Excellent question. One I will gladly answer when you make your way down to the council chamber. My fellow mages do not seem to agree on allowing you to make your way down here peacefully or through violence. We are voting on it as I speak.”
The group turned their eyes to the lilac-colored succubus.
Lily was silent for a moment before her lips parted, “We committed to their rescue and we must not fail, for Vala’s sake.”
“Glad to hear it,” the voice chuckled. “The council past the vote, seven to six in favor of violence. I wish you the best of luck surviving your descent,” Damon said with an amused edge.
“We fight,” Lily commanded before leading the group to the main doors, concern touching her heart as she readied for battle.
Six
Victor closed the distance between him and the goddess. Nephy stood, oval eyes drinking in Vala’s Champion as he approached, the invite in her hand. The goddess bowed her head before the invite floated up and disappeared from sight.
The group gathered around the goddess as she smiled politely. It was Victor who turned his attention to Nebb and then back to Nephy. The sun had set beyond the horizon and the cool evening descended on all gathered on the canyon floor.
“I’m pleased your relativity unharmed from your recent encounter,” Nephy said with a kind edge.
“Thank you for the assist,” Victor smiled. “The giant worm really helped turn the tide.”
Nebb coughed.
Victor looked to the spell sword and his smile grew wider. “I suppose you helped too.”
“These are truly strange times we live in with unlikely alliances,” Nephy said, her mystical eyes giving a slow blink.
“I know you mentioned you wish to help the great wrong that happened to Vala, but I have to ask, are you going to stay true to your word?” Victor asked with watching eyes.
“Little rude to ask that after we saved your asses,” Nebb scoffed.
Nephy looked to Nebb, “He has every right to be suspicious. What happened to Vala was a grave mistake, felt throughout all of the realms.”
The goddess turned her attention back to Victor, “Know this, Champion of Vala, I pledge my power to the resurrection of the Goddess of Love. What she endured cannot happen again. We must right the great wrong across the realms.”
Victor acknowledged with a head nod. “I’m glad. Right now, she needs all the friends we can get.”
Nephy reached up and touched Victor’s cheek with her mossy hand, “I am not the only one watching your movements. The gods and goddesses across the realms are preparing, some to stop you and others to aid you. I fear this is only the beginning of your trials.”
“Clearly. The four Champions that showed up weren’t here to give us a pat on the back,” Victor smirked.
Nephy nodded. “Redarr, the demon god of disease, is helping Baaldir. As is Tantia, Ibris and Roohr. From what I know, the four gods helped Baaldir, Hexnia and Luhorr to storm Vala’s realm and put her followers to flame before killing her. Baaldir is the strongest of all of them, but their combined might will be a challenge.”
“Are there others in the pantheon who are siding with Vala?”
Nephy pulled back her hand, sorrow touching her eyes. “I cannot say. Many of the pantheon have grown silent, content to watch as it unfolds. Only Baaldir and his fellow conspirators are against the resurrection. Luhorr is the only one who seems to be pulling away from their group. Hexnia is still madly in love with the God of the Hunt. Her unstable nature will not give room for a true judgement of her intentions.”
Victor looked away, “It seems we are still on our own.”
“No, you’re not,” Dorian said as he stepped closer. “With my gun arm, your skills, and the combined might of Vala’s Champion, even the gods will thick twice. We simply will not allow any to stand in her way.”
The Blade smirked as he looked to the Slinger, unable to stop the positive energy rising up. Victor felt doubt linger in his heart after every achievement and battle won. The closer they were to bringing Vala back, the more he doubted he would be strong enough to protect the goddess he loved. It was easy when he had to only care for himself, but now his heart was filled with so many beautiful souls, all worshipping a goddess who could reunite the realms, and it made him feel powerful and weak at the same time. Astor’s death clawed at his heart, as did the deaths of several friends and lovers. Victor’s mind drifted to Lily and the thought of something happening to her gnawed at him like a hungry rat. The deaths of his parents showed that he could still love despite the darkness at their perspective ends and for a faint glimmer of a second, the Champion truly opened his heart to loving once again.
Nephy noticed the moment and gave Victor a gentle smile. “You are beginning to understand what it means to no longer be mortal. Vala chose well.”
“No longer mortal,” Victor repeated, trying to understand what she meant.
Nephy turned and stepped away, Nebb joining her side. “I must prepare for the resurrection. When the time comes, know I am an ally of Vala.”
The small group watched as Nephy and Nebb entered the cave. Nebb shot back a look and a head nod before he and his goddess disappeared into the darkness of the cave. The giant worm moved and followed, its giant bulk slipping into the hole and the tail knocking against the roof. The group backed up as stone and debris fell, caving in the worm tunnel.
Victor waved goodbye before turn
ing to Dorian, Shyryth, and Night.
“We finished what we set out to…” Victor stopped as pain stabbed into his soul.
Night and Shyryth rushed to the Blade as he screamed in pain. Victor couldn’t control himself as pain flared across his nerves. An image of Lily touched his mind and the pain ebbed. Trying to catch his breath, the elf and dragon stared down on him in concern.
“Lily’s in trouble,” Victor said with wide eyes.
***
Arrows, lightning bolts, and crossbow bolts filled the wide corridor. Energy blasted at stone and wood while Vindrel blasted back with her lightning breath. Lily stood before the blue dragon woman, staff spinning and knocking out arrows and bolts from the air. Dawn was behind Vindrel, plasma pistol out and firing down the corridor.
A dozen gargoyles held their ground as they fired back magical weapons and wands. Another dozen broken gargoyle remains littered the corridor. Lily’s body didn’t stop moving, sweat covered her brow and clung to her limbs as she fought tooth and nail to protect the group. Vindrel wheezed as she pulled in a deep breath and fired another lightning bolt. A gargoyle shattered on impact, but several more took its place.
Lily eyed the way forward as plasma and lightning bolts shot past her. Nerin and Ida were in a side room watching Izy and with Mildra watching the door. A short time earlier, Izy had taken several arrows to the back as she tried to protect Nerin and Ida. The arrows were magical, exploding against her body and sending her to the floor. Mildra chose to stay behind to watch over them as gargoyles attacked from the rear. Lily and the rest spent the last twenty minutes fighting their way down to the halfway point of the tower and their side was taking having damage. Vindrel continued to fight, but Lily could see she was exhausting her dragon breath. At this rate, they wouldn’t make it another floor, let alone to the council chamber.
Dawn continued to fire back, plasma bolts blasting holes in gargoyle heads. The elf’s aim was true and her glasses saw through stone to see the enemy move directly into her shots. The blonde elf looked to Vindrel and the blue-haired dragon faltered and fell to her hands and knees, gasping for air.
“Lily, Vindrel cannot keep fighting!”
The succubus ignored Dawn as she knocked arrows and bolts from the air. Lily felt the tide turning against them. She lost her biggest guns and now Vindrel was too exhausted to continue. Thoughts flowed back to Victor and she pushed on against the rain of magical of attacks. The thought of disappointing him and Vala was too much to bear. It crawled under her skin like a knife’s edge and she refused to back down.
“Dawn, get Vindrel out of here. I’ll go the rest of the way,” Lily shouted over her shoulder.
Dawn stepped past the gasping dragon-woman and stood by Lily’s side. “I’m not leaving you!”
The succubus couldn’t hide a small grin as her staff and arms whipped around like a hurricane. The pair advanced another ten feet, Dawn firing away as Lily defended her. Stone gargoyles bunched up, ready to advance when plasma bolts cracked their bodies and a moment later, they shattered into heaps. For a brief second, Lily saw an opening when an arrow slipped past her staff and sunk into her shoulder. The succubus cried out and she shoved Dawn away, the arrow exploding a half a second later.
Dawn slammed into a wall, watching helplessly as Lily’s arm was blown off from her shoulder. The elf hit the ground and charged as Lily fell, her eyes in a daze. Dawn caught her with one arm and fired her plasma pistol with the other. Vindrel was on them, wings circling around and taking explosive damage.
Lily looked up, her mind screaming. She saw Dawn’s frightened expression and her lips moving, yelling words she couldn’t hear. Darkness touched the edges of the succubus’s vision and her mind and heart went to Victor. Disappointment filled her soul as she could no longer feel her left arm.
“Victor…” the succubus mentally sighed as darkness consumed her.
***
Victor moved on automatic. Hands up, he called on his new power to weave portals. Singular determination filled him as he spent five points of Wisdom and activated the power. A purple and black portal appeared in midair, pulsating like a living thing.
Victor turned to Dorian, Shyryth and Night, “Lily and the others are in trouble. We have to go to them now!”
No word of protest rose up as a bone sword slid into Victor’s hand and he jumped into the portal. Shyryth, Dorian and Night stepped through, the portal closing behind them and vanishing from sight.
Tension spilled into Victor as he flashed forward through the portal. Another opening parted and the Blade launched himself through it. A slight haze of confusion assaulted his senses before they became razor sharp. The corridor was filled with smoke and flying arrows. Vindrel grunted as her wings were shredded, Dawn on the ground and holding Lily. Madness touched the Blade as he saw Lily’s arm lying two feet away from where it should be.
Dorian stepped out of the portal and drew his pistol. One squeeze of the trigger blasted out a single mana-bullet. Night and Shyryth emerged from the portal to see Dorian’s bullet shatter gargoyle after gargoyle in seconds. Shyryth moved forward, a stream of fire pouring from her mouth as Night held up her hands, fireballs appearing above her palms.
Victor was diving for the floor, one hand snatching Lily’s arm and the other one out. Calling on his healing ability, he pumped his remaining five points of Will into it. Dawn looked over to see Victor sliding to Lily, pressing her arm to the stump and white energy pouring from his hands. The power pulsed and feed into the succubus. Victor watched as veins, bone and muscles connected and began to pull together. Skin regenerated and melded together. After a long moment, the arm appeared normal and Lily opened her eyes.
“What took you so long,” the succubus said with a wicked grin.
“I thought you had this,” Victor grinned back, his heart elated.
“There were complications,” Lily said as she was stood up and her staff appeared in her hand.
Dawn smiled as she stood back up and fired at what was left of the gargoyles. In mere moments, the gargoyles were decimated, broken stone scattered across the floor, Victor, Lily, and the group standing. Dorian holstered his weapon as the mana-bullet slammed into a stone wall and cracked it.
“Where are the others,” Victor asked.
“We left them a way back. Izy was hurt. Mildra, Nerin, and Ida were protecting her and us from the rear,” Lily answered.
Victor called up his stats.
Victor Hobbs
Acolytes Unlocked- 61/77
Divine Orbs- 15
Powers to Unlock-0
Spheres of Influence
Str (Gaia)- 4/15
Con (Nano)- 4/11
Int (Abyss)- 3
Will (Holy)- 0/6
Wis (Mind)- 9/14
Cha (Shadow)- 3
Swords
Iron Sword
Elemental Sword
Gun Blade
Bone Sword
Cursed Blade
The Champion saw that he hadn’t had enough time to regenerate his power.
Lily spoke to him as if reading his mind, “The three acolytes are held in the council chamber on the main floor. We were fighting our way there.”
Victor gave the group gathered a wide smile, “It looks like we arrived just in time to finish the job. Stay behind me while I clear a path.”
“Path is already cleared,” Dawn added.
Victor shook his head, “No, I’m clearing a path all the way to the council chamber.”
Before anyone could say otherwise, Victor charged. The sound of boot steps echoed off walls as he rushed ahead, jumping over mounds of broken gargoyles and sprinting toward the stairs. Mind working, he knew deep down that he had to truly become a force to be reckoned with if he was ever able to protect Vala when she returns from her celestial grave. Gritting his teeth, a bone sword slid into his into his hand while he mentally called up his stats. Holding back on spending Divine orbs was a mistake and he needed the boost if he was
going to show the Mage Authority not to fuck with him and his friends.
Unlocking 14 points, he started placing them in several stats. Five went to Strength, four went to Constitution, four went to Will and one moved to Wisdom. Power surged through the champion as a growl turned to a shout of power.
Victor Hobbs
Acolytes Unlocked- 61/77
Divine Orbs- 1
Powers to Unlock-7
Spheres of Influence
Str (Gaia)- 9/20
Con (Nano)- 8/15
Int (Abyss)- 3
Will (Holy)- 4/10
Wis (Mind)- 10/15
Cha (Shadow)- 3
Swords
Iron Sword
Elemental Sword
Gun Blade
Bone Sword
Cursed Blade
Reaching the stairs, Victor jumped down a flight at a time while one point of Strength charged the bone sword and four points of Will powered his Aura Shield. A white and yellow aura surrounded his body. The four points wasn’t enough to grant him a greater effect, but he figured it would be strong enough to protect him.
Reaching the main floor, Victor burst through the entryway, senses dialed to eleven. He hadn’t encountered a single enemy and that only meant they were waiting for him. The faint shuffle of creatures caught his attention and he charged toward it. Turning into another wide corridor, the Blade drank it in as animated bodied turned in his direction.
Two large doors were locked, taking up the entire end of the corridor while roughly forty gargoyles turned their haunting gazes to the lone man with a bone sword and glowing aura. A seething hiss filled the air as bows and crossbows came to bear. Swords and axes glowed as the small army stood between Victor and the council chamber.
“Just to be safe,” Victor whispered to himself as he pumped five points of Strength into his power and speed.
The moment turned into a storm as the gargoyles unleashed their power. Victor took a deep breath and charged. Time glowed into prolonged moments as the bone sword was raised as arrows and bolts flew toward the Champion. With a mental command, the bone sword vibrated and blasted out a roar of power. The contained space of the wide corridor caused a ripple effect as the roar knocked arrows and bolts from the air, bounced off walls and slammed into the gargoyles gathered. Bodies flew into walls and each other, some smashed to pieces while others cracked. Victor smirked as he blazed forward into the fray. With a leap, the bone sword glowed in the torchlight as Victor stared down at the mass of tangled gargoyle bodies. Time resumed and he crashed into the group like a freight train.