Of Myths and Legends (Emerilia Book 9)

by Michael Chatfield

  A massive power beam shot out from the Xelur citadel as the last of the Grand Demon Lords fell.

  Dave let out a shout. Orbs appeared from his hands as spell formations surrounded him. The beam smashed into the rapidly forming Mana shield, making it buckle under the power that was charging into it.

  The power was enough to tear the ground apart anywhere that wasn’t covered by the shield. The runic lines across Dave’s body and his clothing surged with power as he held off the attack with his power and that which was saved up in his armor.

  “We need to move forward!” Dave yelled, energy parting just feet in front of his hands.

  Jung Lee stood beside Dave, pouring his power into the Mana shield and pushing the Xelur beam backward.

  Malsour and Induca, circling overhead, saw the attack and unleashed their own at where the beam was coming from. The soul shield shuddered under the impact.

  Lu Lu shot back with her own lightning breath, reducing the power of the beam somewhat.

  “Use our power!” Lox and Gurren moved up to Dave’s other side.

  Streams of power came from their armor as the shield strengthened.

  “Forward!” Deia yelled.

  Party Zero and the Weapons of Power users who had fought beside them against the Grand Demon Lords followed as they pushed forward. More and more of the beams that were coming from the walls changed from hitting the dwarven formation to hitting Party Zero and the Weapons of Power users behind Dave’s shield.

  They forged forward. Any of the Xelur around the shield were torn apart by the rampant energies of the beam being broken by the shield.

  A roar came from the dwarves and various fighters advancing behind them, their fighting spirit surging as they pushed onward. Without the pressure of the beams and seeing their own charge forward, they doubled their efforts and picked up their speed.

  Deia looked to Dave, her eyebrows coming together in concern. If Dave couldn’t hold this shield, then they would all die under the power of those beams. She could see the toll that it was taking on him but still he continued to move forward step by step, gradually increasing his pace.

  “I’ve figured out a way to disrupt these arrays they’re using for the beams. I’m sending it to the citadels— they can smash the arrays apart. Good thing that the Xelur were so generous in using a bunch of different types to display their Magical Circuits!” Dave laughed as Deia and the others looked on in shock.

  He had been defending them against the beams while also using the time to come to understand how they worked and figure out a way to shut them all down. Few of them would have the presence of mind to do that in the middle of fighting for their lives.

  They walked forward step by step, preparing themselves for what was to come.

  “I can get us to the gates. It it will be up to the rest of you to hold off the enemy. I can breach the walls and collapse the main gate, but I’ll need five minutes to do so,” Dave said.

  “We’ve got you covered!” Lox said.

  “We’re with you,” one of the Weapons of Power users yelled out, the others with looks of determination on their faces. They would do everything in their power in order to help Dave take down that wall. If they could, then their own forces could surge forward with less of the soul arrays attacking them and a way right into the Xelur’s citadel. If they were lucky, it might even weaken the Xelur’s soul shield, allowing the three flying citadels around the Xelur citadel an opening to fire into the Xelur stronghold.

  Deia looked over her party, as well as the Weapons of Power people who had attached themselves to her group. Behind them were the people of Emerilia forces that were smashing through the Xelur forces, as well as various player groups that had entered into the fray. Here and there, a charge was led by the mounted forces to break the Xelur’s formations apart.

  The three citadels and their drop forces completely surrounded the citadel, not allowing anyone out as all of their fire was focused on suppressing the Xelur.

  The citadels were still being hammered by Xelur beams here and there but other than a slight discoloration the citadels were fine. They rotated occasionally in order to spread out the impact and power of the Xelur soul array’s effects. They welcomed the damage, offering themselves up as a willing target and taking it on instead of the Drop forces.

  All of that fire concentrated on the Xelur stronghold was making it hard for them to stay protected. Their soul shield buckled here and there under the constant pressure. They had nowhere to go and could only use their own soul energy to make sure that they weren’t torn apart by the furious energies that rained in from above.

  The sky was lit with different spells hammering down on the strong hold as well as the flashes of impacts against various shields or chaotic battles that raged along the front.

  Dragons and their protecting aerial forces came down out of the heavens. They poured their attacks down upon the Xelur stronghold and raked the Xelur forces that were surging out of the gates still.

  The Xelur forces that had built up within the citadel were on par with the drop forces of all three flying citadels. Here and there, Grand Demon Lords and a gathering of highly ranked Demon Lords would exit the Xelur citadel, pressuring the citadel’s drop forces, making the Weapons of Power and the players reveal their strengths in order to defeat them as the citadels supported them from above.

  In some places, these powerful Xelur made it to the dwarven or player lines, turning that area into chaos as the Xelur fought to break the drop forces’ lines while they tried to pull down these powerful Xelur.

  Deia withdrew her gaze from the battle and concentrated on the gate ahead of them and the walls that were unleashing soul energy beams against Dave’s shield, as well as hitting the Terra Alliance’s forces.

  ***

  Lox’s face was set in grim determination. None could see it as he was within his Devastator armor. Their pace had increased from walking to running. As Dave came to understand the beams better, he was able to mitigate their attacks. More and more attacks had come from the sides, however; the regular Xelur ground forces were adding in their attacks.

  “We’re only one hundred meters away!” Deia yelled out.

  “Induca and I won’t be able to support you this close to the wall in our dragon form. We’ll assist the forces moving up behind you,” Malsour said over the party chat.

  “We’re going to need them as soon as we crack open this citadel,” Deia replied.

  “I will do what I can,” Malsour said. Black flames ripped through the sky as metal beams seemed to fall from his wings, killing all of those that lay under him.

  A trail of destruction ran from Party Zero to just a few meters in front of the ground forces.

  Induca crossed over, thinning out the Xelur forces arrayed against the Terra Alliance.

  Those under the shield crossed the remaining one hundred meters quickly. The beams fell away as they were unable to hit the advancing force anymore.

  “Ready yourselves!” Deia called out.

  “Shield coming down!” Dave called out, sounding drained from working it.

  The shield fell. The war cries of those with Weapons of Power surged as they charged ahead. They might have needed to use numbers against the Grand Demon Lords but against the rather weak Xelur soldiers, one of them was able to handle easily half a dozen at one time.

  Those with ranged and area of effect attacks used them, clearing out any of the Xelur that remained in their way. More of them continued to pour out from the gate—not in the massive numbers that they had at the start of the battle, but enough that it pressured the group.

  Lox and Gurren stood on either side of Dave while Jung Lee took point and Steve watched their backs.

  Jung Lee, now combined with the knowledge and abilities of his Affinity spirits, was like a war god. He moved forward as if he were taking a simple jog. Xelur died all along his path, coming nowhere close to reaching his ability or strength. The Xelur tried to escape from the
slaughter but there was nowhere for them to go. Jung Lee carved a path to the wall near the gate.

  “This will work.” Dave pulled out a grand working. Gray Mana appeared around his hand as he punched the wall, creating a crater in it. Jung Lee, Gurren, Lox, and Steve fought off the Xelur that now pressed in on them as Dave inserted the grand working into the wall.

  Lox shield bashed one Xelur and sent them flying. As he cut down another, he headbutted a third, blocking a sword blow with his shield. His, his sword darted outward, opening up the attacker as he whirled around on his knee. Opening up three Xelur with one strike, he got to his feet, his sword and shield an extension of his body as he slaughtered any that dared to come into his range.

  The rest of the party was taking their time to deal with the stronger forces.

  “Done! To the wall on the other side of the gate, as far as possible!” Dave said.

  Jung Lee led once again, surging forth as they took up the same formation. It was all Lox could do to follow in Jung Lee’s wake, reacting to those that found their way into his own path, stopping them from getting close and putting them down ruthlessly.

  They got near the entrance of the gate but found themselves unable to push through all of the Xelur.

  “Don’t move!” Dave yelled. He adjusted the bands on his arm. Magical circles appeared under everyone’s feet as they quickly rose into the air, passing over those in the gateway and landing on the other side.

  “Nothing like the good up and over trick!” Steve yelled over the sound of battle.

  Once again, Jung Lee, Lox, Gurren, and Steve had to clear a path through the Xelur forces.

  The rest of the party and the Weapons of Power had created a fighting pit in front of the gates, slowing their progress and also cutting them down before they could reach the drop forces. It was making it hard for the Xelur that were still trying to exit to get anywhere.

  Once again, they reached the wall. Dave punched out a hole and placed another grand working.

  “They’re placed!” Dave said. The others didn’t have the time to look behind them as the grand working seemed to expand, reaching out like tree roots to break through the structure of the wall and work their way upward and outward.

  Dave stepped up to the line that the other four had made, adding his own sword to the fight. He pulled out his conjuration rods, creating twin swords. They flashed with Light runes down their blades as they sliced through the Xelur that were swarming them. The grand working on either side of the gate grew, expanding until they reached through the wall over the gate and growing until they reached the battlements at the top and stretching to the sides.

  Their growth was alarming. Only the drop forces could see it in the distance as those root-like structures continued to grow; their commanders ordered them forward into the fray.

  Swords flashed and feet marched in time with the dwarven war drums, like an impossible tide coming in.

  Lox fought alongside his brothers, each of them looking out for one another unconsciously, killing those that were eyeing the other. It was a bloody and hellish melee. As Xelur fell before them, they roared out their defiance.

  “Move toward the rest of the group!” Lox yelled out.

  “I’ll clear a path!” Dave yelled. He waved his hand. From his wrist, several grenades appeared shooting off into the ranks of Xelur, exploding in their depths.

  They surged forward, the stunned and weakened Xelur that were unable to fight back. Dave threw out more grenades; they appeared in lines in front of him, waiting to be sent off. With barely a thought, they rushed forward and lit up the Xelur lines. Where they had grouped together in strength, voids were made, allowing Lox and his group to surge forward into stunned and injured Xelur, quickly carving a bloody path through the Xelur lines.

  Their weapons cleaved a path through the tide of Xelur, fighting for every inch. They

  They reached the circle that the rest of the party and Weapons of Power users were in.

  In the center were the mages and ranged fighters, with the melee types on the outside, tanks on the front, and the faster and less armored groups in the second rank.

  Dave stepped into the middle, moving his arm bands. As he threw out orbs, they floated around the group. A spell formation appeared around Dave, one layer and then another, growing in complexity and power as they moved outward until they touched the outside ring of fighters. The flowing runes glowed with a gray light; smoke came from them on the ground as they pulsed with energy.

  Lox felt more power surge through his armor at Dave’s buff.

  Jung Lee stayed at the second rank while Steve, Lox, and Gurren replaced the injured tanks and those who weren’t proper tanks but taking over the role so that the formation didn’t come apart.

  They were an island within the Xelur forces that broke around them like a sea around a rock.

  The mages’ hands flashed as attacks poured down on the Xelur. The ranged attackers used their bows; with every arrow, another Xelur dropped. Their speed was incredible as arrow after arrow pierced the air in a matter of seconds.

  Jekoni was still using the Grand Demon Lord’s body, consuming its stored energy. With a lack of water around the Densaou Ring of Fire, Jekoni was now using blood to substitute, turning them into swords and minions, high-speed projectiles and curses.

  Suzy’s creations hid on the ground, becoming traps and making the Xelur off-balance as they fought those around the perimeter.

  Lox, Anna, Jung Lee, Steve, and Gurren stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the gates that the Xelur were pouring from and where the fighting was the hardest.

  Lox yelled inside his armor, pulling power from his armor and using the enhancements of the magical formation Dave had put down. He moved in a flash, his sword cutting down Xelur with every movement. His shield seemed to have an intelligence of its own as it blocked, bashed, and slammed Xelur.

  All of them were fighting with everything they had; there was no room for thought, only reaction.

  “Jung Lee, right! Gurren, watch that Demon Lord! Steve, pull back!” Deia called out to them, each of her words like commandments from an all-seeing god as they reacted with complete trust in what she said.

  “East side, get some healing potions into yourselves! Ranged support, east! We need to hold until the drop forces can get closer. We block off the Xelur here and they can speed up their advance!” Deia yelled out to all those in the formation.

  Dave’s formation surged with energy. Each Xelur that died had their power torn away and poured into the formation around him charging his soul gems that were being directed into a new spell formation he had created. He changed out the runes and altered the different spell formations. With every second, it became more powerful.

  Lox’s screen blinked angrily with notifications but he paid them no heed; to think of something else for even a moment would end him. He threw out grenades that Dave had given him; the Xelur thinned out slightly before more surged forth.

  “Incoming support!” Deia called out.

  Lox threw out more grenades; again hearing an angry howl from above, he glanced back. He couldn’t help but laugh madly.

  “You got a screw loose?” Steve yelled, kicking a Xelur backward ten feet. He stepped forward, his axe cutting through dozens of Xelur that couldn’t hope to reach past his long axe handle.

  “I just thought it was a good day for rain!” Lox laughed.

  Artillery rounds crossed overhead, falling among the Xelur outside of the gate and trying to attack the group holding out in front.

  Explosions threw Xelur and dirt up into the sky, creating ten-meter-wide craters that shook the very ground. Their destructive light illuminated the ranks of Xelur that charged toward the group. Many were tossed forward, losing their footing. The group didn’t waste the opportunity, cutting them down.

  The group’s morale lifted once again. They had been wounded and beaten down and ready to lay down their lives in order for the rest of the drop forces to make
it. Now, as that artillery dropped all around them, creating a hellish scene, they cheered. Cold light gathered in their eyes, their expressions a mix of focused fury and hunger.

  A wave of power expanded from Dave as a spell formation in his hand collapsed into one entity. The wave had healing properties, healing those within the formation. People stood up straighter, the wounds that they had gathered disappearing and their hope restored once again.

  ***

  “We’re ready,” the weapons controller of Goblin Mountain Citadel One said.

  “Get rid of those damn arrays,” the captain and leader of the Goblin Mountain group said.

  The weapons controller passed the confirmation to all of the different flying citadels that had converged on the three Xelur citadels.

  The flying citadels had positioned themselves so that they were an equal distance from one another and the Xelur citadels that they were attacking. Now, magical formations appeared underneath their soul gem formed islands of the flying Citadels; runic lines tore across the sky, between the different flying citadels, connecting them and creating lines around the Xelur strong holds.

  Inside these formations, another magical formation appeared directly above the Xelur citadels.

  The power from the surrounding area was pulled inward, as if the spell formation were a black hole. The spell formation became more complicated as more and more rings were added into the center.

  The Xelur arrays opened up on the citadels once again, with all of their strength.

  The spell formations dropped downward, creating funnels above the Xelur citadels.

  Power was channeled through these different layers. A blinding light filled the world as a twisting vortex of Mana appeared at the upper reaches of the spell formation. It turned for a few moments before it was grabbed by the funnel and shot downward, condensing and gaining power with every level it went through. But this wasn’t destructive energy.