Unconventional Heroes 2 - Two Necromancers, an Army of Golems, and a Demon Lord

by L. G. Estrella

  They fought their way toward the huge crystal that made up the heart of the golem. If only they could have studied it more closely – Katie would have liked to know how it could absorb, produce, and transmit so much magic to the other golems. It was a masterpiece of sorcery and artifice. She sighed. They needed to stop this thing now, which meant they’d just have to smash the crystal. Perhaps her master could find out who’d designed the golems. They’d been told it was a dwarf, so maybe they could buy that knowledge. She bit back a cackle. Zombies with magical crystals inside them had the potential to be incredibly useful.

  “Look at that.” Avraniel gaped at the crystal. “Are you sure we have to destroy it? Can’t we just steal it? I’ll split the profit with you fifty-fifty.”

  “No!”

  “Fine.” The elf scowled. “Let’s do this.”

  They attacked the crystal together. Radiant white flames and black shadows slammed into it, but all they could manage was a small crack, perhaps the size of Katie’s forearm, which wasn’t much considering the crystal was a sphere that was taller than Avraniel. Before their eyes, the crack began to close. Katie pursed her lips. The crystal must be self-protecting and self-repairing. And given how much magic it still contained, it could be days, maybe even weeks, before they managed to break it.

  That was when the rats that had hitched a ride with Avraniel presented a solution. The little critters hastily assembled something out of all the parts they’d salvaged from the battlefield. It was an explosive built around dozens of smaller crystals that had been inside the lesser golems. They gave a few squeaks then handed the weapon to Avraniel.

  “See if you can make another crack in that big crystal, twerp. I’ll power this thing up and then shove it in before the crack can close.”

  Katie nodded. “Right.” She shaped her shadows into a large spectral axe and smashed them into the large crystal over and over again. A small crack appeared, and she shoved her shadows into it, prying it wider. “Do it now!”

  Avraniel drove as much of her magic into the rats’ device as she could and then threw it into the crack that Katie had made. “Come on.” She grabbed the girl as the rats latched onto her cloak. “We need to get out of here. We’ve got ten, maybe twenty, seconds before that thing explodes.”

  They darted for the hole in the golem’s chest, and Katie leapt out, wrapping some of her shadows around Avraniel and using the others to form her wings. A few moments passed, and she wondered if maybe the rats had miscalculated. If they had, then they’d have to go back in there and –

  BOOM.

  For an instant, she thought the sky was breaking. The whole world turned white, and a solid wave of sound rushed past her, knocking her out of the sky as an impossibly powerful cloud of heat and force hurtled outward. She was vaguely aware of Avraniel’s magic wrapping around them, shoving the blast away, before her master’s surviving zombie wyverns grabbed them and shielded them as best they could. She was screaming, but she couldn’t hear herself over the ringing in her ears. And she couldn’t see anything either. Everything was too bright.

  All she knew was that she was falling, falling, falling.

  They thudded into the ground, and she flailed about in a pool of mud, blind and deaf. She was vaguely aware of the explosion growing stronger, so much so that she could barely stay standing. And then her master’s arms were around her, and the world was gone, held at bay by a dome of magically reinforced stone. She pressed her face into his chest as the explosion raged outside their makeshift shelter. Her ears still rang, and the brightness she’d seen had scorched the blackness behind her closed eyelids white.

  After what felt like forever, the explosion died away. She could hear and see again. The stone around them gave way, and her master helped her back onto her feet. She gasped. There was a crater more than two miles wide where the golem had been. The massive machine had been blown completely apart, and bits of it lay scattered across the countryside around them. The zombie titan, which had been at the heart of the blast, was all but gone. All that remained were a few bones and dragon scales. The land around them had been scorched black.

  “Are you okay?” Timmy asked quietly.

  “I… I think so.” Katie flopped onto the ground as Avraniel punched the air and screamed about how they needed to try that again to see if they could make an even bigger explosion. Her lips curved into a smile as she noticed Gerald lying on the ground nearby, Cezanne and Rembrandt perched on his chest as the other rats gave a few cheers of their own beside Avraniel.

  They’d won.

  * * *

  Timmy ambled across the former battlefield and whistled a happy tune as he poked the wreckage that littered the scorched plain and whacked a few of the battered golems to make sure they were dead. He smiled. Today was a good day. He had another victory to toss on the pile, and through some miracle, they’d only destroyed about a third of the town. Sure, the mine had collapsed, parts of the mountain had caved in, and the area outside the town was a disaster zone, but, hey, nobody was perfect.

  The titanic golem had done them all a favour by having the decency to explode far enough from the town that the settlement had survived. Heck, the townsfolk should be happy. They had their town back – well, most of it – and they even had a nifty new crater that could serve as a lake only a few miles away. All they needed now was some rain and several cartloads of fish, and the townsfolk would be able to enjoy a day out on the water. Yes, this ought to win him a few more points with the Council and hasten his pardon along. All in all, it wasn’t a bad day’s work. The only downside was that he’d lost almost all of his zombies, including his zombie titan. Oh well, he’d just have to order in another frost titan corpse when he had the time. After he got paid for this mission, he’d certainly be able to afford it.

  He would, however, have to talk to Avraniel and her rats. That last explosion had been a little too big for his liking, and they’d been lucky that none of them had ended up dead. Katie had been exceptionally lucky. The elf had managed to shove the worst of the flames out of the way, but the shockwave had still thrown them out of the air. Katie would not have shrugged off a high-speed encounter with the ground the way Avraniel would have. But he’d gotten there in time, and everything had worked out. Even Gerald would be fine with a few days of rest and a lot of food. Cezanne had already started the healing process by whipping together some kind of potion to speed the bureaucrat along.

  Timmy had his remaining zombies – and there weren’t many of them – running errands. One of them was headed off to find the fleeing townsfolk with a message telling them that it was safe to return. Most of the others were scouring the area for anything they could salvage and to make sure that all of the golems were dead. As for Avraniel, the elf and her rats were busy stripping the battlefield of anything they considered valuable. They’d already made off with dozens of the crystals that powered the golems. Timmy had asked her to keep some for him and Katie since Gerald only needed a few to hand over to the Council.

  What worried him was the maniacal gleam in the eyes of the elf and her rodents as they gathered the crystals and anything else they could salvage. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what they’d come up with next. And now they were busy loading up his one remaining zombie wyvern with all of the loot they’d secured. It was a good plan. They could get all of it out of there before the Council showed up. Gerald was still unconscious, so he wouldn’t even have to lie about anything – and he was a terrible liar. The only downside was that Timmy had a sneaking suspicion that someday soon he’d wake up to find a rodent-built golem trying to kill everything.

  Although most of his zombies were gone, some of the most fearsome and gruesome ones had survived. He had them doing regular patrols and keeping an eye out for trouble. The last thing he needed was for bandits to show up thinking there was plunder to be had. Well, if they did, they’d find out just how fearsome a zombie basilisk-chimera-boar could be. And speaking of his zombie basilisk-chimera-boar
, it had just spotted a group of riders headed their way. He ordered the zombie to let them pass and then walked over to meet them.

  “James.” Timmy sighed as he got a good look at the person leading the group of Council mages and warriors. And he’d been having such a good day too. The jerk must have been somewhere nearby if he was already here. It wasn’t like he could have missed the explosion, which had happened only a few hours ago. “James Frederick Arthurs.”

  He waited patiently, one hand on his shovel, as the other man dismounted a dozen yards away and then walked over. It was not a coincidence when a few of his remaining zombies wandered over too, the largest of them drawing worried looks from James’s retinue. Timmy couldn’t feel the other man’s magic yet, but he’d dealt with it enough to know that didn’t mean things would go smoothly. James was powerful – like everyone else on the Council – but it was the speed with which he could use his magic that made him terrifying to face, as opposed to merely very scary.

  Right now, James was wearing a tunic, trousers, and cloak, all of it in the greys and whites that he’d favoured for as long as Timmy had known him. Naturally, it was all made of the finest fabric money could buy and tailored with exquisite skill. As usual, Timmy could hear the jangle of coins in his pocket. His lips curled. James always had a pocketful of coins with him. It made his magic that much more deadly.

  James was a tall man, perhaps six feet and four inches, with broad shoulders and dark hair. His blue eyes took in everything, from the scorched earth to the zombies at Timmy’s back, in a single quick glance before coming to a rest on Timmy. More than once during their days at the same academy, Timmy had heard love-struck schoolgirls describe the other man as handsome, but Timmy preferred to think of him as a not-exactly-hideous jerk. At least he wasn’t smirking. Timmy would have had to wipe that smirk off his face with his shovel, which would not have boded well for his pardon. Hmm… now that Vicky was on the Council, perhaps she could legalise hitting James with a shovel. Timmy would even write the legislation himself if she promised to table it at the next Council meeting.

  “Timothy.” James smiled. It was not a happy smile. However, his voice was smooth and cultured. Refined. “How wonderful to see you again. It’s a pity you’re in one piece.”

  “I could say the same.” Timmy smiled back. His smile was distinctly toothy. Avraniel would have been proud. “Your timing is as good as ever. You always show up right after all the hard work has been done.”

  James scoffed and waved one hand in the general direction of the crater that marred the plain. “And, as always, you leave a mess behind you whenever you show up.”

  Timmy was vaguely aware of the fact that the others – minus the still unconscious Gerald and Cezanne – had gathered around. Katie hung back, her green eyes coolly assessing the situation, her mouth firmed into a thin line. Her magic stirred ever so slightly. Good. He’d managed to pass on his dislike of James quite nicely. Still, he could handle this himself. And if he couldn’t, then Avraniel definitely could. The elf’s clothing was a bit tattered in a few places, which was what happened when someone went around beating golems to death with their bare hands, but she didn’t seem to care as she stomped past Timmy and made a beeline toward James.

  The elf leaned forward, right in the councillor’s face, and Timmy had to give him credit for standing his ground. The elf’s magic filled the air and turned it hot and dry. The ground at her feet cracked and smoked. James’s escort reached for their weapons, but he simply raised one hand to hold them back while he continued to meet Avraniel’s gaze. Fire rollicked along the edges of her cloak and hair, and flames whispered across her skin.

  “So, you’re that bastard I’ve heard so much about. You’re a poncy-looking son of a bitch, aren’t you? You fit right into that Council of Limp-Dicked Wonders.”

  Timmy sniggered, and James glared.

  James stepped forward and tried to push Avraniel back, but the elf didn’t move so much as an inch. Elves tended to be much stronger than humans, and from what Timmy had seen, Avraniel was remarkably strong, even for an elf. “Say that again.”

  “Gladly.” Avraniel smiled that utterly psychotic smile of hers. “You’re that bastard I’ve heard so much about, and you’re a poncy-looking son of a bitch. Oh, wait. I missed something. Yes, you fit right into that Council of Limp-Dicked Wonders.”

  James’s eyes narrowed, and he slipped one hand into his pocket. Timmy tightened his hold on his shovel. James was a proud man, but he had more than enough power to back it up. He wasn’t about to let an insult like this pass either, especially not in front of his escort. What happened next took place in a blur of motion. James had always been incredibly fast, but Avraniel was no slouch in the speed department.

  There was a high-pitched hum, and the elf leapt back. She tossed a bolt of fire, and James darted to the side as several shiny projectiles streaked through the air. Avraniel twisted away from each of them, but they curved back around, gouging deep cuts into the earth. A wall of flame sprang up, but the projectiles sailed right through it. Avraniel dodged again and then jumped clear as the ground where she’d been standing exploded. She landed and fired a narrow shaft of flame that melted one of the projectiles on its way toward her. She caught the melting object in her hands and drew the heat out of it, so she could take a closer look. Timmy already knew what she would find: the half-melted remains of a copper coin.

  Avraniel threw her head back and laughed. “Not bad at all. You threw those coins so fast that I could barely follow them. And that explosion – I don’t know if that’s just from the coins hitting the ground or if you’re doing something else, but you’re not as pathetic as I thought you were.”

  “And you’re not as stupid as I’ve heard.” James kicked the broken earth at his feet, and several bits of rock rose into the air around him. Timmy knew from personal experience that all it would take was a thought and the rocks would be hurtling through the air incredibly quickly. “No wonder the elves had so much trouble with you, but you haven’t seen anything yet.” The rocks trembled and then split apart. A handful of projectiles became a dozen, then four dozens, and then too many for Timmy to count. Then they fell to the ground. James’s magic receded. “But I’m not here to fight you, not today. I’m here on behalf of the Council. Keep picking a fight, however, and I might just oblige you, elf.”

  “Right,” Timmy said. “So, how long were you watching, and why didn’t you help?”

  “I was under the impression that your… group had everything under control. At least, Victoria assured me that you would be able to handle this. As usual, she overestimated you.”

  Timmy scowled. “You were probably hoping that giant golem would step on me.”

  “A little bit, yes. Nevertheless, you won. Wonderful. The Council will now be taking formal control of this area while reconstruction takes place. We also need to secure the remaining golems and any wreckage involved in this incident. All of it is Council property.”

  Timmy was glad that the rats had already loaded up what they needed, and his zombie wyvern was already winging its way back to his castle. It was a good thing that the sheer amount of residual magic left after the explosion would make any sort of scrying spell useless. There was no way that he’d let James waltz in and take everything of value. They’d killed the golem, so they were going to get their fair share of the loot. He wasn’t a metallurgist by trade, but he knew enough to make replicating the golems’ armour a possibility. Zombies with armour that could shrug off lower level magic would definitely come in handy. And if he could replicate the giant golem’s more effective armour, there was no telling what he could do although a zombie titan that was practically immune to magic did sound very nice.

  “I’m also here to assign you your next mission.” James glanced past Timmy and stared at Cezanne. The old rat was fussing over Gerald. “Is that a rat on top of Gerald?”

  “Yes. It’s a long story.”

  “I’m sure it is.” James shook
himself. He’d grown used to Victoria’s smaller eccentricities, but Timmy had always been odd, even for a necromancer. “About your next mission…”

  “Since you’re here to deliver it, I’m assuming it’s something horribly difficult and possibly suicidal.” Timmy pointed at one of the larger pieces of the giant golem that had landed nearby. “Not that this mission was much better – nobody told us that those golems could make bigger golems.”

  “We didn’t know they could.” James’s expression darkened. “The dwarf we commissioned neglected to mention that. Believe me, we’re not pleased either. We wanted an army of loyal golems not an army of rebellious golems. As for your next mission, it is going to be difficult, but you do have this incredibly annoying tendency to survive and even thrive when thrown into dangerous situations. You’re like a cockroach.”

  “I could say the same about you.” Timmy and James had made at least a dozen semi-serious attempts on each other’s lives over the years. Neither of them had so much as lost a limb yet although Timmy did consider himself the winner for managing to smuggle a hydra into James’s office. “Okay then, what is my next mission?”

  “Since I’m feeling generous and because I want to secure this area before you steal anything else – since I’m sure you’ve already stolen something – I’m going to give your group a chance to rest first. I’ll also need Gerald awake when I explain, and he doesn’t look like he’ll be stirring any time soon. He’s not seriously wounded, is he? Victoria will not be pleased if something has happened to her favourite bureaucrat.”

  “He’ll be fine. He should be up on his feet a little after nightfall.”

  “Good. We can talk over dinner.” James turned to his escort. “Scour the area. Secure everything. One of you, go meet the returning townsfolk. Make sure they understand the situation.”