The cat leapt down from one branch to the next until he was on the ground. Juxta jumped on top of him, and they bolted towards the castle. Juxta rode through the castle gates. William shouted, "Close the gates!"
William and Simon both owned scratches from Teldren's Shraeker. Lisa chanted a low chant in Ancient, and the wounds healed. Juxta dismounted the cat and walked over to William and Simon. Lisa said, "The wounds are poison. I've stopped the bleeding, and I think I countered the poison. The Tree Nymphs taught me some healing."
William clenched his fists and looked at Juxta. "He's raising an army straight from the bowels of hell!"
"The blades we salvaged from the Lost City should hurt beasts from hell," Robert said as he materialized in a whirling storm of grey and black smoke.
"Yes," Simon said. "But we only have three hundred of them, and they're already assigned to rangers."
"Those rangers are going to have to hold the wall," Juxta said.
William drew a box with his fingertips. "There's no way, the wall is too long for 300 men to guard."
Juxta said, "No…"
William shook his head back and forth. "300 men can't hold our wall."
"We only have to hold one side," Juxta said. "The nature of Balron's force requires him to keep everybody grouped together to maintain control. He'll only attack one front."
William laughed.
Simon said, "You're serious?"
Juxta nodded. "There's a limit to how far out he can spread his forces."
William said, "How do you know this?"
"How do you know the best counter to a thrust?"
Simon said, "OK, he'll attack from one side."
"Juxta, scry on Balron's forces," William said. "Count them. How many do we face?"
Juxta withdrew his scrying orb and poured power into it. The enemy encampment teemed with activity. They prepared siege weapons, cutting down trees, making ladders, towers and battering rams. After a thousand, Juxta quit counting.
"There are thousands." Juxta let out a little whimper. "And the portal is still open."
William grimaced.
Simon grabbed William's shoulder. "We'll die on our feet!"
"Start evacuating the city," William said. "Tell everyone they must leave now."
Simon rubbed his chin and pointed into the fortress. "What about the guardsmen, my liege? There are over a thousand men in this castle."
"They can escort the city folk. Have them head to Weslan," William said.
Teresa joined them by then.
Simon said, "You need to get your family out, William."
"I'm not leaving," Teresa said with a violent glare. "The safest place is behind these walls."
William sighed.
Chapter 47
Two days--it took two days for Balron's army to prepare their weapons of war. Horns began to sound in the great distance, and the defenders took to the wall. The army of undead warriors, necromancers, and demons stood within shouting distance of the castle. Balron stepped to the front of his army and spoke into their minds, Give me my crown and my sword, and I'll show mercy on Lynken.
William shook his fist in the air. "Never, Balron! You must try and take them!"
Juxta's power flowed like a mudslide, and he rained sheets of lightning down on Balron's army. Every creature in it seemed to have its own magical shield. Juxta targeted one creature at a time, and the shield would hold for a few moments and then cave obliterating the creature in question. With over a thousand enemies, killing them one at a time didn't seem like it was going to make enough progress to hold the wall.
The enemy charged. They threw up ladders and pushed forward towers. The rangers fired their first barrage of arrows only to see them deflected by some magical force. They all cast their bows off into the courtyard. They pushed some of the ladders off, but the climbers were too many and too heavy while the rangers were too few. The men drew their blades and howled. Six Kergian cats sat evenly spaced in a line inside the courtyard.
Necromancers rained fire and lightning on the rangers. Matthew shielded them as much as he could, bouncing his shields around to where they could do the most good. Stopping a lightning strike here, and intercepting a fireball there.
One by one demons and undead warriors reached the wall only to meet the rangers' steel. The demon Teldren led a great battering ram towards the gate. Matthew tried to destroy the ram with lightning, but the demon's magic protected it.
Balron targeted a great bolt of lightning at Lisa. Her shield held at first then she started to crumple on the ground. Juxta lifted her body with force lines and set her down lightly in the courtyard. Juxta's rage flowed anew, and he projected Pain into Balron's mind. It seemed to affect him at least for a few moments.
The first ranger died then another and another. They fell, and Juxta started to pray to the God of War pouring more power into it than ever before. The God of War spilled the power of rage into the rangers, and their blades flashed like lightning. Spirit warriors rose up from the very castle walls, rangers every one. William and Simon were caught up in the melee on the wall, dispatching undead warriors and demons left and right.
Teldren's battering ram reached the castle gate and pounded on the wooden door. Wounded started to disengage from the onslaught, and Lisa tended to them one by one. Fresh rangers waiting in the courtyard would pick up the arcane blades of the fallen and rally to the castle's defense. Juxta started raining lightning down on Balron singling him out. Lardic helped Balron in his defense though, and it held strong. Juxta's rage grew in great leaps and bounds.
A dark, brackish cloud began to form over the battlefield. His Dragon's Fire ring started to grow hot. Still, Juxta channeled his power through it raining destruction on Balron. Lardic and Balron drew power directly from the gods of hell. Juxta heard the gates below crash and decided it was time to do something about the demon Teldren. He raced down the stairs to the courtyard. The first soldier lunged for the beast and was cut in half by the cruel blade of the creature. More and more rangers fell off the castle wall.
Juxta tried a massive bolt of lightning on Teldren. It crashed down but did nothing. William looked over at Simon. "That demon is ours!" William and Simon took off in a run to the courtyard. William shouted to the rangers in the courtyard, "Guard the gate!"
The three massive dogs entered the courtyard, and the cats separated into pairs to engage them. The cats spread out and the dogs followed suit. Two of the cats charged dogs, but the other two on that side raced left, so that four cats faced off against one dog. Claws and teeth flashed.
William and Simon both had their bloodstained blades raised high. They approached the demon side by side. At ten paces, they started to separate, circling the demon. Teldren laughed.
Juxta tried using force lines to contain Teldren, but they had no affect on him. The rangers holding the gate held their own, not that it mattered, for the wall would fall soon, even with the spirit warriors and even with fresh rangers taking up arms from the dead. William and Simon had Teldren circled. They charged him both aiming for his heart.
Teldren deflected William's sword with the Shraeker and Simon's with his shield. Then he smashed the shield in Simon's direction, and Simon flew back onto the ground. William continued to hack and slash at Teldren who blocked every thrust. He smacked William in the face with his shield knocking him back. Simon had regained his footing by then and engaged the demon head on. Simon scored a deep wound on the demon, but it was to its stomach, just a scratch to Teldren.
Rage gripped Juxta, but at himself, for his weakness. Then it clicked for him, the crown, the great sword, tools for magic, even if dark magic. Juxta took off in a run to the secret room where the crown and great sword hid. They were aglow with light. Juxta put on the crown and took up the great sword in his right hand with his amethyst staff in his left. He ran back to the courtyard.
Juxta pulled power out of the crown and great sword. He emerged into the courtyard and saw William and Simon were
both bleeding badly with splatters of blood all across the ground. Simon's left arm was covered in blood, and it looked like just a little bit of muscle held it in place. Juxta's very soul blazed with fire and hate, and he could feel the evil of the crown and great sword flowing through him. Right before Juxta could cast on Teldren, Monroe leapt on to the back of the demon piercing his body through with an enchanted blade. Teldren cried out, "Argg!" and fell to the ground, dead. Simon collapsed in a heap. Lisa ran up to him and started healing.
Juxta surveyed the battle, and it raged on the walls, maybe a hundred rangers still stood their ground. Juxta pulled forth all the dark magic he could from the crown and great sword. It seemed like a thousand trapped souls granted Juxta power all at once. Balron spoke in his mind, Good, feel the power within them. Bring them to me. Serve darkness.
Juxta shouted, "No!"
Can you see their names, Juxta? We wrote down their names…
In his mind, a scroll with countless names seemed to burn. Images of people being tortured to death to feed the insane wizard Isher's arcane craft danced through his vision. Juxta did his best to shake the images out of his head and concentrate on the task at hand.
A demon struck down another ranger. Something inside Juxta snapped, and he sent a bolt of black lightning at the demon. It cut through the demon's magic defense and splattered the body all around. Juxta raised his staff above his head and raised the great sword high. He drew triangle after triangle with his mind blasting demons and undead warriors left and right. Juxta cleared the wall of enemies within a matter of moments. Rangers started pushing ladders down to keep more abominations from reaching the top.
Dead piled up around the gate. Juxta wanted to get through. He almost cast a great fireball to incinerate the dead in his path, but he realized he'd kill his own people with it. Part of the evil creeping inside him egged him on trying to get him to destroy his own. Juxta fought off dread from the crown and great sword, and he pushed his way to the front of the men at the gate. He threw a great ball of white fire ahead of him vaporizing everything in its path.
Juxta stepped out of the castle to face Balron's army. He cast bolts of black lightning on every enemy that even looked sideways at him. Fresh rangers were busy collecting arcane blades. William shouted, "Push them back! Rally behind Juxta!"
Juxta's power expanded beyond his control and killing by the score is all he could do to quench it. Juxta shouted out with his mind at Balron, Where are you? It's time you died.
Juxta started throwing great balls of white fire in every direction pouring enough power in them to destroy Balron's forces in waves. Juxta pushed forward with William and a troop of rangers behind him.
An open path formed in the army of undead, and Balron stared with gloating eyes into Juxta's very self. At Juxta's command, a great bolt of black lightning rained down. Balron died.
A trembling wave coursed through Juxta's being. Black tendrils of power climbed into his fingertips. The demons and undead under his view started to spasm and fall to the ground. Juxta looked upon his opponents, and they simply fell dead. The corpses began to decay with the quick edge of disease.
William shouted, "Look at the ground at your feet!"
In an ever widening circle, the grass was dying. It turned brownish then black with decay.
William and his rangers began to slowly back up. Juxta turned to look at the men. William said, "Don't look back! Run! Get out of here!"
Juxta discarded the great sword and threw off the crown. He started to run, heading east.
Robert materialized in a great haze of ethereal fire and laughed.
Chapter 48
With the death of the demi-god by amethyst, the end of days will commence. - Archon Scrolls.
Robert cackled. He looked William in the eyes. "Juxta is the doombringer, and the prophecy is fulfilled! His death touch will grow stronger and stronger until it spans this entire continent!" His gaze fell on the scores of rangers with blood drenched swords. "None of you will see another sunset."
William shook his fist at the ghost. "You knew this would happen!"
Robert nodded and smiled.
Lisa approached with Simon right behind her.
"This is the elder gods' way of starting over," Robert said. "They'll remake humanity in a more perfect image. I was the chosen one for my people. I killed everyone and created the Weslan Forest. They never loved me. Balron needed to be flesh, enter the God of War. When Juxta killed Rivek the first time, neither was strong enough." He looked at Lisa. "The elder gods will restore me to life after Juxta finishes, and I'll be the first magic user of a new era."
Lisa's eyes squeezed into tiny, narrow, burning slits, and she began to pray to The One True God.
"My cue to depart," Robert said. He disappeared into thin air.
One of the rangers pointed in Juxta's direction. "Even now the death is spreading."
A great dark cloud loomed to the east, and everything was decayed and dead. Trees, grass, Balron's army, all dead.
One of the rangers shouted, "To the horses!"
William raised his right hand. "Wait!"
The rangers paused.
One ranger shouted, "You can't ask it of us, William!"
Simon said, "He can, and he will!"
William raised his voice. "I need everyone to pick a direction, and herald the approach of Juxta's doom. Tell every peasant and farmer to flee its coming. I'll head west and do the same. We must have riders going every direction, including to the east. You must save my people!"
Rangers nodded.
William shouted, "To the horses!"
"I need to get to my son," Lisa said as she transformed into a hawk and took flight.
Everyone took off in a run towards the stables. Teresa stood next to a loaded wagon with their three children. Both of William's sons wore blades on their hips. William and Simon ran up to Teresa. "You're ready?" William asked.
Teresa pulled a dagger and pointed it at the piles of dead bodies. "I had a bad feeling about this battle."
As men were leaving, each with an extra horse in tow, they shouted out "North", "South", "East", or "West". Simon tied four extra horses to the back of Teresa's wagon. Then he slapped the last of the mounts on the rump. William hopped on the wagon and whipped the beasts into a gallop. Juxta's doom rested like a great, black blotch in their vision. They rode hard to the west.
*
Juxta ran. Everything in his view turned dark with death and decay. The stench around Juxta burned in his nostrils, turning his stomach into a twisted mass of tensing muscles. The dark tendrils of power itched their way up his fingertips until they reached his palms. Juxta ran until his lungs ached, and his calves threatened to quit forever, if he didn't stop. He slowed his pace.
A farmer didn't see the doom spreading, and his life cried out in pain as Juxta's magic killed him. Juxta pushed at the dark magic to try and rid himself of it, but that caused it to expand even quicker into his palms spreading the doom out by the mile. He consumed a small village in one great sweeping motion of his mind.
Juxta stopped moving. He sat cross-legged on the ground and tried to think of nothing but calm and quiet. The spreading of the dark magic slowed to a crawl, and the spread of the doom stalled out almost stopping. Juxta smiled.
Then he twitched a bit and the doom spread out a wide span, and he sensed it as the blight destroyed his cat. He did his best to calm his senses.
A mist started to grow in the distance, and a tall, half naked figure of a woman appeared in the smoke. The God of Nature smiled just a little bit. "We used you, Juxta. You're a pawn."
Anger sparked in Juxta, and the doom picked up its pace once again. Juxta breathed in and out settling his mind. He whispered, "I'm a master."
"You know you might have the strength to destroy me," Nature said. "I've prepared myself for death, but I'll fight you."
Juxta said, "No."
A horse neighed in the distance, and he knew the God of War approach
ed. The War God was in true form, with plate armor on, drenched in blood. The God laughed. "We used you like a rag, and we'll discard you when we're finished with you."
Juxta closed his eyes. "So be it."
The God of War shook his head. "It's time to rage, Juxta. Don't you want to strike me down?"
The black tendrils in Juxta's hands began to pulse and quiver. They definitely didn't leave him.
The God of Nature turned to the God of War. "His hunger will get to him. He won't be able to fight it forever."
The God of War smiled. "Yes, you've known hunger before. What was it, three days, when you became a thief?"
Juxta shook his head.
The gods left him.
He lay down on his back to catch a glimpse of the sky, but overhead was just a black cloud. The doom began to creep outward, a foot here, ten feet there. Juxta began to try and think. Robert was already dead, he said to himself.
Juxta said, "Robert!"
The ghost didn't appear.
Juxta summoned just a bit of power, and the doom spread out by the yard, consuming another village. Juxta shouted, "Robert!"
After a moment Robert appeared in tears. His misty form was thin. He whispered, "You've destroyed me forever…"
Robert's mist faded away. Juxta sighed.
Juxta began to walk. The sun started to set as he came upon a stream. He stripped naked and lay down on the smooth rock bed, letting the water cascade across his body. He closed his eyes and started to pray to The One True God as the doom spread.
*
William rubbed his hand on Teresa's leg. He whispered, "I love traveling west. I love watching the sunset as I ride."
Teresa grabbed his hand in hers and held it tight.
Simon looked behind him. The doom was a black line partway across the horizon.
William said, "We might as well stop for the night."
Their entourage had grown to a dozen wagons. They made fires. Men with bows went out to snag ducks, rabbits, deer, and anything else they could find to eat.
Juxta, Magi Page 33