by Kyle J Cisco
The three of them, lead by Virgil with his pendant in the front. With fredrick in the middle, and Laura with her pendant watching behind them. He grasped the wall as he heard an audible crack in the step he landed on. His foot recoiled as the wooden step fell into the black abyss below them. His fingers swiped over the rough surface of the untouched stone. It looks like a natural made cave, but... Movement caught Virgil's eye as they crept lower into the hole.
Something was there...
He gave the signal to stop, as he glanced around with the pendant lifted up above him. The light scanned the area around the stairs, and over the side where the stairs continued to snake around into the darkness below. But there was nothing to be seen, but for the stairs that lead lower into the island.
A few moments after they saw it, a cage carved into the wall the bars peeled back from the outside. As Virgil neared the inscription above the cage, his heart dropped to his stomach as he read the markings which translated to The Consumed.
"What does it say, who was put in these?" Fredrick asked.
"His, personal guards," Laura said. "They are called the consumed, because they were once given a choice to be executed or life time internment within their armor, and buried with their master."
"This master is the Devourer of Realms, I assume?" Virgil asked.
"Yes, Chaplain," Laura said. "Good job!"
"Yeah, yeah. So what are these things, and how do we kill them?" Virgil said, as he grew more impatient.
A flicker of red painted the walls, as Virgil's mood changed. Though as quick as it changed it changed back into the normal white light again, as he took a deep breath to calm his mind. Scuffling echoed throughout the spiraling stairs from the lower levels. The sound spurred the group back into action. Virgil leap across gap of two missing stairs. The wooden stair under his boots groaned as though it too would snap from the sudden weight thrown upon it.
Closer the sound grew as they neared closer to the end of the spiraled staircase. As if it were that hope interviened they reached the end of the stair case where a tunnel lead deeper into the earth. Virgil unhooked the hammer from his back and moved into the tight tunnel with his pendant in the other hand. The tunnel was a cramped place where only one could fit through at a time and there were points were it was hard for Virgil's tall frame to fit through the opening. The faint echo of inaudible voices crept through the tiny corridor. His hammer was no use at this close quarters, but a light shone through where the tunnel opened up into a larger area.
The floor was covered in a mosaic of carvings that depicted the battle between, Banon's forces of Darkness, and the Mother of Light, and the forces of good. It featured the mother of Light standing tall in the face of a terrible onslaught of evil, she wielded an ancient war spear.
"Legend has told of the spear of Light being one of the most beautiful weapons that have ever been forged," Laura said, as she stared at the mosaic.
"Legends say a lot of things," Fredrick said, as he moved to look at the depiction of Banon. "You, see the horned fellow with the outstretched sword? That is the Devourer. We should continue on before we get the chance to meet him in person."
Virgil, nodded his agreement as they moved on, though he stopped for a minuet to look at the Devourer. Its long jagged horns, rose like four great pillars on top his head. A pendant of sometime hung from his neck, Virgil saw the Devourer in the depiction wore no armor. Does he have a need for armor? They pushed past the ancient mosaic, and through the entranceway on the far side of the room.
The expanse of the room was magnificent, its vast halls the ornamentation of the design. Then in the corner there it was two stone doors stand stood opened, the seal that had been placed in-between the two doors melted. The chill of the room grew in intensity as Virgil, and the other moved closer to the door.
"Please, come in and join us. We have been waiting for you," Xavier said, as he stepped from the shadows opposite the entrance.
Another two figures came into view one being a pale skinned woman with thick black hair, and the other...was a large black figure with four great horns, and a six pointed circle in the middle of its forehead. It bore a gnarled sword of onyx.
"Ah, yes I do not travel alone, young Virgil," said Xavier. "This is Liliana the Blackhearted, and my masters greatest General, but you may know him by another-"
"The Devourer Of Realms," Virgil said, praying he was wrong.
Yes, yes. Very good," Xavier said, as he chuckled to himself.
The Devourer raised a hand, and the doors to the tomb shut, the sound reverberated throughout the large tomb. With another flick of his wrist the room willed itself to life as the braziers that lined the circular room flared to life the flames a deep purple. This thing can wield magic too, Mother of Light.
Virgil waited no longer he lunged forward, as he charged in at Xavier.
"You, are mine," He said. Where are those who emerged from the cages that lined the stairs?
He rushed forward not, caring if the other followed behind him. Xavier's blade glowed as it came to life the purple blade of the ancients. The one that had killed Rex, just a few weeks ago. The hammer clashed against the blade. The blade hissed with the contact, but the energy behind the weapon did not falter. A tendril of black energy aimed at Virgil was intercepted by a blast of white light. He looked over his shoulder to see Laura had engaged Liliana the Blackhearted. Each holding a tendril of energy one black and the other white meeting in the middle of the two women was pulsing ball of gray. Where the two met and battled for control. Virgil broke the clash and swung the hammer around at Xavier's head. But it was dodged with a step that seemed almost casual in manner.
"Is that the best you have, Heir of Dvorak?" said Xavier. "You, must try harder then that if you wish to avenge Rex's death at my hands."
With that Virgil burst out with untamed rage, the wall of red energy threw Xavier to the ground several feet back. As he approached his fallen foe, Fredrick cried out. Virgil's head snapped in the direction of the cry. There the Devourer had Fredrick held before it, as he raised the sword in his grasp to run him through.
Virgil changed direction, and sprinted toward the demon who's back was turned to him. He dropped his shoulder tackling the demon to the ground, as the impact of the hit released the grip he had on Fredrick. He raised the hammer over his head as he got to his feet...but before the swing fell he was struck in the back and thrown into the nearby wall. The air was expelled from his lungs with the impact. His chest heaved for air he could not seem to catch.
A wall of energy buffeted him as he rolled over, he could see Laura, and Liliana fly back into separate walls as the energy stream became to powerful to control and exploded into the room. He managed to get to his feet, as he realized the blast had taken Xavier down once more. He raised his hand and brought forth a tendril of energy that curled around the legs of Xavier. It dragged him across the floor as he squirmed to escape the etherial clutches.
Virgil fell into his rage, and let the hatred for the man before him go. The tendril of energy coursing with a purple glow. He ignored the color and began to apply pressure to the mans neck through the stream of energy. Xavier took a deep breath as his windpipe was forced shut. Purple energy slammed into Virgil, just before he could get the barrier of defense up. His body slammed into the barrier, but yet he still stood. Virgil drew both daggers from each side of his hip, and charged once more... With a flurry of blows, he wadded into the combat. Slash after slash came at Xavier and each blocked in kind. A savage punch caught Virgil in the face opening his cheek. Blood trickled from the gash on the side of his face.
Virgil regained his composure and made another pass at Xavier, but he was caught off guard with a counter from Xavier. The other man's blade of energy, sliced easily through the thing leather armor on his upper thigh. Virgil could hear the sound of his flesh as the blade seared through the skin on his leg. He dropped to his knees. Daggers lay on the ground next to him as his hands flew down to the burned
leg. No blood came from the wound as though it had been cauterized.
Xavier's face bore fresh scars from the fight with Rex and Virgil from just a few weeks earlier. The row of tattoos that ran down the middle of his head were in stark contrast to Xavier's pale complexion and streams of blue varicose veins. The pain of his leg was fading, as the shadow of Xavier loomed over him. Virgil, looked up into the man's face, as he raised the glowing blade above him in a two handed grip...
11
Men stood in neat rows outside the entrance of the tomb, as Natasha and Deater stood just inside the doors of the tomb to monitor the interior. Something drew her attention to the hole leading into the tomb. I could have swore I heard. Then there it was again the faint sounds of battle came from below.
"I have to get down there," Natasha said, her heart beating like a war drum.
"I can't let you go in there," Deater said, as he moved in her path blocking her off from the staircase.
"Get out of my way, Deater," she said, as she tired to pass him.
Deater recoiled only a foot and went for his sword, but before it was half way out of the sheath it was too late. Natasha had already struck him in the neck, causing the man to double over choking on the ground. Men pilled into the tomb as the commotion started.
"You, ten with me now. They need our help down there," she said.
She headed down the stairs not waiting for a response from the men, but only about 6 steps into the staircase. She could hear the clattering those who followed her down. A man at the top of the stairs tossed a torch down to her, right as light filtering into the hole faded the deeper they went. To her surprise she heard the sound of Captain Deater.
"So, you, decided to come?" she said.
"Not by choice," He replied.
"Oh, I am sorry about hitting you."
"We, will get back to that later."
It only took a few mins as they descended the stairs before they were in the larger hall that lead to where the sounds of battle were emanating from. They rounded a corner where the tomb room was set in the alcove to the left of where they entered. Shit! What the hell are those?
Before them stood five men, gilded armor, and bright red tunics that flowed out from under the magnificent armor. Natasha drew her cross bow, as the other men charged in to meet the foes. She fired in rapid succession with her repeating crossbow. The middle figure she fired at simply dodged the incoming bolts while also managing a fatal strike on the battle brother that charged him. She fired another shot at the one far left, which also was casually blocked. In one smooth motion she dropped the crossbow, and drew the sword given to her by Popavich. She held the sword straight out pointed at the middle warrior.
Natasha closed to within three feet of the foe, throwing a strike that was instantly caught by her foes smooth onyx blade. But that was her plan. During the swing of the blade she was already moving the other hand to the hilt of the dagger on her left hip, and drove it deep into the gap between the front and rear plates on his torso.
However there was no reaction to the wound. This can't be human. But... A gauntleted fist caught her in the side of the head. Which sent her to the ground, the sword slipped from her grasp during the impact with the ground. Its strong whatever it is. She rolled. To dodge the incoming blow the onyx sword sparked as it scraped the floor. Natasha managed back to her feet and drew her second dagger.
She rushed forth with refreshed energy, she ducked the incoming blow while still she moved closer to the target. The dagger slicing at the area, on the thigh. While the other blade caught only the armor of the things forearm. It stumbled but corrected and moved into combat with her, the blows were heavy and designed to tire whoever confronted it. But Natasha was just to fast avoiding the blows, while landing a few of her own in the process. On the ground beneath it the evidence of the wounds sustained showing now as red began to pool around its wounded thigh. But on it came hacking and slashing at her as she danced around him.
She landed on the ground after a jumping dodge from a low swing. Her right leg gave out upon impact with the ground. Then came the shooting pain, and wet of blood. The pain emanated from just next to the shin guard on her right leg.
Enraged Natasha ignored the pain and charged head long at the armored thing. She caught a glimpse of the red eyes, that began to glow as she made her move. She stopped in her track not of her own will.
The things arm outstretched in a fist, a dark black cloud like coil of energy was wrapped from wrist to shoulder around the man, and his arm. Of course they use magic too. This must have been what was caged along the stairs. The thing moved in methodic steps around Natasha. Pinned in place she waited for the blow to come... Her body became her own once more, as she turned to see Deater locked in combat with the foe. There was only this one and another of the strange warriors. Bodies were strewn about the halls alcoves floors. Only three of the ten had survived the encounter.
"Go, get the Chaplain. Ive got this one," he yelled, as her previous opponent bared down on him. She rose to her feet and made for the tomb door. She could see the flashes of light and other shadows that flickered within the room. She unslung the crossbow from her back.
Fredrick lay with a pool of blood coming from the back of his head, Laura in a desperate hand to hand slugfest with another woman. Panic spread through her, as she saw Virgil on his knees. With Xavier baring down on him. Without hesitation she fired her crossbow the bolt striking Xavier in the shoulder. Get up Virgil! As she willed it, he did so. Virgil charged in on Xavier, but was struck by something large...
The thing had four horns, and grasped a jagged sworn in one hand, pointed a clawed finger at Virgil. Who lay motionless on the ground. The thing picked up Xavier and headed out toward the other end of the room. As Natasha reached where Virgil had been laying he was gone.
"Where is Virgil?" Asked Natasha, to Laura who was sitting against a pillar near the wall of the tomb.
"He.." She coughed, a bloody tooth into her hand. "Followed them..."
She spun at the footsteps coming from behind her, to see Deater and one other man, their armor covered in blood.
"Not ours," he said noting the blood. "Poor lad got his head removed, and split... where's the Chaplain?"
By the time she heard it Laura was already in full sprint toward the door in the back of the tomb.
"Just take him up, and gather the men, and bring them down here," Natasha said, as she was already moving in the direction of the door. Damn, you Virgil.
12
A section of wall melted away as the Devourer carried Xavier, through the new door. Virgil sprang into action as he grabbed his fallen hammer. Stairs was all he saw as he went through the door in the wall. Virgil bounded as he climbed the stairs higher. Foot falls could be heard, and they got louder the more he let the hatred for Xavier boil inside him.
The door slammed shut as he jumped up the last three steps to the landing. He ran full force at the door throwing a rage filled shoulder check into the dog. That ripped it from its ancient hinges, and crashed into the ground with a shower of dust. Through the door he could see the outline of a cave exit in front of him and the shadows of his folly moving into the light.
His eyes adjusted to the light, and he saw Xavier and the Devourer heading toward the small dock where one sailing boat sat.
"Xavier!" Virgil yelled. "Fight me, or have you no honor as a warrior?"
Xavier stopped in his tracks, and turned toward Virgil's voice. The black cloak falling from his shoulders revealing his stark black plate, with the ends of each plate accented with purple. His dark energy brought the hilt of his sword of the ancients to life.
"A worthy challenge. To think I have let you live so far. Do you want to die...?" Xavier said. Taking a two handed grip on the hilt of the unusual blade. "Finally a man worth killing."
With hammer in hand Virgil, sprinted full bore at Xavier, who stood his ground until Virgil foot trotted upon the wooden boards of the dock. They leap into the
melee each throwing heavy handed blow at the other. The shaft of Virgil's hamer caught the blow. Using the shaft of his hammer he checked Xavier back onto the dock. As he followed up with an overhand blow that obliterated the wooden planks. Virgil continued over the broken planks that sat slit in half, the jagged ends of the wood piercing the waters surface. A whip like stream of black energy crashed into the planks at Virgil's feet. Making him step back and into the hole that his hammer had created just seconds before. As he struggled the bring his leg out from between the two broken boards, Xavier struck out the etherial blade caught Virgil's chest plate in a glancing blow. He yanked his leg up, he could feel the sharp splinters of wood as they entered the skin of his calf. Virgil deflected a blow from his foe before getting up stuck.
His hammer whirled in an arc, before it met its mark. The spiked end of the hammer caught Xavier right below the elbow his grip on the sword went limp as it toppled into the waters below. Virgil removed the pointed end, and made his way to Xavier who was now on his knees. His hands covered in the blood as he desperately tried to stop the bleeding.
"That's why I prefer steel over, your, blade of the ancients. Blood makes a man panic when he sees it," Virgil paused as he kicked Xavier in his bloodied arm.
Bringing forth a howl of pain.
"Stop that. You don't yet know true pain...nor of suffering yet," said Virgil.
A blast of energy pummeled Virgil. Throwing him off the dock which was about 10ft behind him. He rolled and got to his feet, but yet another purple stream of energy came for him. He ducked, letting the whip pass him. Then with his own purple tinted energy cut the stream of energy.
Without pause Xavier was on him. Virgil ducked another feeble attempt at magic. His hammer hit the ground as he grasped onto the book at his side. But he could not feel a connection to the light in that moment only rage. He charged in, as he shifted the power from his rage once more into his hands. The red glow, spread across Virgil's hands as the momentum in his charge increased.