Soldiers in light armor and guarded by defense runes joined the mages while wizards began to exchange spells with the other warlocks.
Elzen just hoped as he directed his shield before him that their people would make sure to cast their spells over his head. Quickly it didn't matter, however, as he sprinted into the front row of warlocks. Four were older and most likely teachers or veterans staying in the city. The fifth warlock looked younger than the mage was, and he wore simple brown clothes. If he was in Southwall that would have made him an earth wizard or maybe a researcher; but this was Ensolus and Elzen doubted that he was more than an apprentice level. The boy was certainly green and untested looking ready to bolt.
A fireball was cast by the apprentice with his eyes closed as he pulled back with his upper body as if trying to dodge a punch to the face.
"Sleep," the mage ordered the spell taught to him by Sebastian. His palm clamped over the boy's face instantly keeping the warlock's eyes closed as the apprentice collapsed onto the stone street.
His shield, retracted towards his skin, remained glowing just inches away.
"Shields," he called over his hands. The knife runes were tempting, but Elzen was a healer now. Fighting was fun for him, but combat was serious business. Too many of these were children being tossed into a fire fight that they were not ready for by any means. He couldn't bring himself to kill them, if at all possible.
Flames came for him in a torrent forcing him to face a more veteran foe that had hidden behind the boy. His shield rose instinctively turning the flames towards another warlock. Catching fire, he heard the scream even as the warlock dropped to the ground unable to defend himself against the oncoming attackers.
His harpoon left his right hand looping around the warlock's neck in front of him. The fire stopped and Elzen pulled the man towards him with the barbed wire biting into his neck. Face met rune shield hard dropping the warlock as the battle mage removed the rune line before his victim could drop to the ground.
Not stopping, the mage was into the next line seeing more frightened faces. There were no more adults before him. Refusing to kill them as the children cowered back unable to even cast their spells, Elzen used his sleep spells to drop more of them.
A fireball caught one of the young warlocks and she screamed in pain falling back. Her shield had crumbled. The girl's pain and fear rendered her magic useless.
"Night," he called enveloping the girl in black magic. The flames were drawn into the night. Either it worked to knock her unconscious also or the pain had been too much. If he wasn't stuck in a fight, Elzen would have healed the girl. These children weren't their enemies. They were cannon fodder for their elders.
The first group was nearly disabled leaving him a clear view of the next squad. Older warlocks altered their aim towards the victorious mages and soldiers stepping over the first squad.
Shield raised, Elzen led the charge into the next set of warlocks.
Raven Leros and his group of mages formed a wall between the first bits of resistance as they swept towards the west. They were to meet up with the larger force waiting there. Those hitting the gate rooms should have already fallen back towards them also.
Poking their enemy, the Southwall troops and their allies were the distraction and holding forces. It was believed that the monstrous part of the Dark One's army would come to the defense of those closer to the cave's mouth. Armored viles, trolls and more would be hard to hold if they had the kinds of numbers expected from the reports. Even their largest unit was unlikely to be enough against a city filled with beasts.
Wizards fired magic over them scattering soldiers. No warlocks had found them so far. His force had been small and was split in two besides. The other half of his force was meant to meet up with those coming from the east. Each group needed to keep moving to avoid being pinned down and wiped out.
The west should have built defenses, but if the city's center defense came at them from behind, they too would move. Mobility and surprise were their best allies.
It was like he could smell the magic of a large group of warlocks coming from the central towers.
"Keep moving," he ordered as the enemy recoiled from the wizards' attacks. "We need to keep away from those warlocks."
No one questioned his leadership, but the raven realized quickly that there was another source of magic moving to cut them off, even if it was unintentionally. He doubted that they knew which way his group was headed, but perhaps they hoped to attack the western defense from behind.
Leros led his men and women at a pace that he hoped the wizards could maintain or they would surely be cut off. It wasn't long before the man watched the wizards falter. They couldn't maintain the pace of the battle mages. Their training was much less physical. Mages needed stamina to offset their other weaknesses.
His eyes looked for a defensible position slowing the troops to allow the wizards to try and catch their breath. Without the wind to call a spell, they would be defenseless and in fact useless.
"Get ready to defend," he ordered as his mages slowed fanning out to watch multiple directions. The city was too large to speed from one spot to another. On the other hand, his enemies would have the same problem most likely.
New stone embankments formed low walls between them and the east. The buildings would serve to slow anyone down, even warlocks, but they wouldn't resist magic for long. Leros took a quick drink from his canteen and watched as his wizards grabbed food from their packs also.
The enemy hadn't altered course. They would actually miss them, but the warlocks and whatever troops moved with them would hit the western forces shortly ruining whatever defense they might have been against the monsters.
He took a falcon's shoulder and ordered, "You need to outrun them and alert the others. Go as quickly as you are able, son."
"I'll go with, sir. Two are more certain than one," another volunteered.
"Go, the rest of us will catch up as soon as we can."
With that the two falcons disappeared down the street to the north before turning west again.
The raven could hear fighting in the distance. It seemed to echo throughout the city and perhaps there were that many battles, but he had a feeling that the echo would also serve to confuse their enemy also. He could hope so and did. Leros waited for his wizards and waited for the next of the Dark One's forces to find them.
A troll backed away cut by the Hollow Sword charged with lightning. Skin and fur smoked from the hit, but it wasn't even close to dying. The owl wished that there was a better way to destroy the massive trolls, but they had been designed to be magic resistant. Their skin refused to burn. Lightning wasn't strong enough either, but it was still enough to harm them for now.
Magnus and Embrell worked using fire, but their efforts weren't enough for the eight trolls which had discovered them. They wore black armor breastplates and helmets, but hadn't apparently felt it worth putting on the rest since the creatures didn't know what they were facing and wanted to be there hurriedly.
The enemy aura wasn't far away now. He could feel it like ants running across his skin. The Dark One was so powerful that the owl wasn't sure what could be done to defeat him. He was going to have to call on their secret weapon, but not until the dragon mages fought their way into the emperor's lair.
A rumble from his left barely alerted him to a new danger. The wall crumbled and massive claws extended into the room. An armored vile turned towards the dragon mages and swung for the closest of them. Sebastian used his shield to deflect the creature's dangerous claws away.
There was little room to maneuver in the hallway with the massive creature pushing its way through the wall. He was stunned that they had brought even one of the beasts into the fortress. Whether it had been there as a guard or had been brought by a portal warlock, he didn't know; but as it pushed them back swinging its dangerous claws that could cut through stone like butter Sebastian knew that it didn't matter at the moment.
"Air la
nce," the owl called up the weapon he had found most useful against this kind of monster in the past.
He went for a weak spot in the neck, but found black armor. The spell was absorbed cutting his weapon in half.
"Dragon claw," Magnus cried out sending a red energy claw into the monster. It was a strong push and nearly toppled the creature backwards, but it was heavy and powerful.
Pushing against the dragon spell, it was the wizard who had to give up his attack.
It gave Sebastian another idea. "Dragon wings," the mage called and was answered with bird like wings on his back.
He turned letting the left wing swing forward towards the armored vile. His magic wing left a deep cut as it passed and Sebastian released the energy feathers driving them into the wound. The monster cried out pathetically and tried to protect its exposed belly. The initial wound hadn't been that deep, but the extended feathers were driven deeper towards its organs. Armored shredded, both natural and metal, the monster lunged back into its hole frantically.
The monster couldn't risk another wound or having the damage made deeper. Cutting its losses, the beast would look for help elsewhere; but its time in the fight was already over.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, the mage watched as the trolls gave way retreating down the corridor.
"Do we pursue them?" Embrell asked breathing through his mouth. Formerly just a wizard, the man had become more thanks to the spells he had learned from the mar'goyn'lya and che'ther. He didn't have the stamina for fighting that a mage had, but he had bridged the gap a bit like the rest of the wizards following Sebastian.
The mage looked for the emperor's aura and noted that the trolls were heading for it as well.
"Unfortunately they are going the right way to block us," the mage stated with a sigh. "Come on, we're almost there."
"If we are almost there, then we should all take a moment to catch our breaths," Falconi Martina stated. She was the highest rank and most veteran of those joining him.
Sebastian looked around him and noted that most of their wizards appeared out of breath as she had warned; but the falconi looked as ready to fight as ever.
"We'll walk, but be ready to fight. Another armored vile could come through a wall at any time."
The wizards reached into the packs at their hips or drank from canteens. It was a chance for them all to prepare for an extended fight. If this was the Dark One of legend, then it meant they would be facing a force beyond anything any of them had faced so far in their lives. Their forces were spread thin throughout the fortress, the squad who knew dragon magic were likely to be the only ones to find him soon. Sebastian knew that he could call a portal to bring reinforcements, but they needed time to orient themselves coming through the gate. The emperor could take them out before they could try to help if the owl timed it incorrectly.
Even walking, the distance to the chamber holding the Dark One shrunk quickly. A larger force of orcs joined the trolls before the last door leading to the emperor. Sighing at the sight, Sebastian readied to attack before leading the charge once more.
The clash was the most vicious yet. All the guards were armed with black armor and weapons. Their elemental magic was virtually useless, but light charged their Hollow Swords. Recharged on the walk down the hall, the dragon mages met the enemy in a brutal exchange. Light cracked armor. Black swords crumbled meeting Hollow Swords filled with light as well; but the enemy had the numbers and was still strong.
A sword glanced off his arm bouncing up cutting his cheek. It narrowly missed his eye even as the mage turned his head away to avoid being blinded. His defensive runes were tight to his skin for now. He needed room to fight and the shields would hamper his attack; but the mage pushed it towards the orc with the excellent luck.
Pushed back by the glowing orange runes, the orc's threat was minimized for now.
Falconi Martina leaped up past him on the right striking down on a troll's head with her sword. The helmet cracked as she cut him with an overhead slash driving the blade through the headgear through the skull and down almost to the nose. Its weight pulled the Hollow Sword from her hand as it fell to the side.
The woman cursed and rolled as she landed to cut at the orcs behind it with a blue mage shield out of instinct. Catching the black armor the shield faltered, but it had surprised them enough to let the falconi grab the handle of her sword. Wrenching it free in a splatter of blood and brains, Martina pulled back avoiding more weapons.
Sebastian drove forward with his rune shield giving her the space to withdraw and ready her next attack. The two mages began to drive the defenders back while the other men used their magic through the gaps between them or over their heads. Soon they were up to a pair of decorative doors.
The remaining guards were forced into a much larger throne room. The ceiling was high above them and the room opened up revealing a new trap. It wasn't unexpected. The Dark One was bound to be guarded and he had enough time to find a space conducive to defending himself.
A deep voice rumbled through the room to greet the dragon mages. "You are finally here. Good, now you can die."
It was the Dark One's judgment, but Sebastian and the others entered the chamber with their shields and swords ready. His eyes swept the room seeing more guards along the walls. Warlocks stood to either side of a shadow that held power that seemed somehow bright despite the darkness enveloping it. Magic that felt like that which he could pull from the earth was embodied in the single figure making those who guarded him pale; but they were clad in wizard hunter armor and powerful as well.
"Buy me time. It's time to bring help," Sebastian stated stepping behind the others a moment. Their half a dozen, already worn down from fighting their way to the Dark One, couldn't hope to fight so many along with the emperor.
"Door," he breathed creating his gate in the hallway behind them.
As if the word had been the signal, magic and guards attacked. Men and elves serving the Dark One joined orcs and trolls to try to crush the five shielded dragon mages in a burst of power. Warlocks unleashed their magic, but the Dark One waited a moment to see if they would be swept away without his help.
Night shields came to life taking the magic aimed at them and sucked the elements into the darkness. Light spells lanced out from the warlocks guarding the emperor from the stairs that they stood on and shattered the shields as the guards moved into attack range.
Rune shields replaced the night keeping the men at bay and swords lashed out cutting at their dark armor. Faces told the tale. The dragon mages' determination made them hold the line. Martina had the power of a mage, but the sword and runes made her the wizard's equal.
The wizards had power but weren't the warriors a battle mage was, but their weapons and magic made them powerful. Their various shields dealt with the attacks and their swords held light to beat the enemy back.
But they were outnumbered and the enemy also had power, magic and tools to fight back. The Dark One lashed out. Darkness struck the line. Their runes weren't elemental magic, but his power made them buckle and step back as their bodies felt the first taste of his magic. The sun had come to ground to burn them away, but they managed to hold on waiting for the assistance they needed very desperately now.
Sebastian returned. Bairh'loore was in hand and planted against the stone floor. He felt the power of the earth in the staff. His runes filled nearly to bursting while Bairh'loore held even more power within the staff. The jewel at its end glowed like fire. Nearly like a small sun itself, the mage felt the power beyond his own readying to fight back harder than he ever had before.
"Be careful, Sebastian," Darius stated walking towards the line. His grandsons had his back as well as two mar'goyn'lya and a handful of wizards most of which had the amulets of che'ther around their necks. "If you take too much power, he won't have to kill you. You will do it yourself," the immortal wizard warned.
"If it means killing the Dark One, then I will do what needs to be done."
&
nbsp; "Sebastian, do what you need to do," he heard Ashleen's voice and turned his head in surprise.
"You're not supposed to be here," he stated before returning his eyes to the enemy who waited watching the new arrivals as they moved behind the shields of the dragon mages.
"I go where you go," Ashleen stated and he felt her power begin to grow. Lightning rippled along her skin and her eyes turned nearly white with the light of her magic. The power of a wilder who could unleash a fury of magical damage stood beside him.
"You've come to try again, immortal wizard?" the deep echoing voice asked Darius sounding amused. "Will you send me to the void again? Who will you sacrifice this time to do it?"
Frowning at the dark shadow as it kept growing and shrinking in size. It altered shape and form, but always masked whatever was within. Sebastian couldn't tell what the Dark One was, but his magic continued to burn brightly within the shadows.
"We imprisoned you, but you refused our mercy," Darius stated in return. "This time we've come to kill you and end your threat. There will be no second chances for you this time."
That made the deep voice laugh and it seemed to come from everywhere. "Maybe I don't need a second chance this time. You don't have the relics of elves and dwarves to help you now."
"But I brought dragons instead of asking for the toys one kept in its trove," Darius stated. "Now, attack," the high wizard ordered quietly beginning to cast a spell.
A blonde haired, slim girl ran past changing into a blue che'ther as she did. Stone seemed to change to mud under several guards and reformed in an instant at her will. She had no amulet, but Cheleya had been helped by Sebastian to use a rune version to transform. While large, the che'ther body wasn't the largest of her kind. As they watched, however, the small blue dragon began to darken and grow.
Wings grew out and her claws swiped at the guards closest to her.
Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) Page 48