Gerald glanced up at Alburet with a brief nod then concentrated on Dimitry. Alburet’s guess was put to the test when Dimitry began to attack in earnest again.
“Why the Faceless?” Gerald asked.
“They are almost perfect,” Dimitry said, his attacks coming to a stop once more. “They use your own past to make you unlikely to attack them… though that one Lunari looked like she went mad…”
As Dimitry stood there, clearly mulling over Fluff’s reaction to the Faceless, the raid got more damage in. The cycle repeated for minutes while they dropped Dimitry’s life with little worry about their own. The only real problem was when he would Whirlwind, but between Ioaniss and Ironhand, they were able to lock Dimitry’s legs in place after just a couple of rotations.
People in the raid had started to relax some as they fell into a pattern, so they weren’t prepared for Dimitry’s transition when his life dropped below one percent.
Dimitry Dracon aka Dragon Eater (Level ???)
899,137/90,000,000 Health
25,643/200,000 Mana
Twisted Class, Favored by Stein, Broken Mind, Dragon Transformation, Death’s Apprentice
“No, I shall not fall here… I promised…!” Dimitry shouted. Shaking his head while damage kept piling up on him, Dimitry started glowing a deep black. “Death comes now, for all of you!”
Gerald hunkered behind his shield, “We got this, just kee—”
Dimitry’s next attack killed Gerald instantly, even though the Defender had been at almost full health. Dimitry kept turning, catching Tiny next, who had just managed to shove Karen aside. Not pausing, Dimitry spun the other way, sinking his claws into another person.
“Run!” Alburet yelled. “Ranged, this is on us! Burn him down and do it fast. Healers, run for the stairs. Melee, be ready to hit him if he comes for you, but try to flee.”
Dimitry’s eyes focused on Alburet and he snarled, “You… this is all your fault. If you hadn’t given him the book, this wouldn’t have happened!”
“Ah, fuck,” Alburet sighed as Dimitry threw himself into the air. “Bob, I might need you.”
“I know,” Bob said, dropping into formation with Alburet alongside both of his Copies. “We’ll do what we can.”
“Help Alburet,” Violet shouted at the other Summoners. “Air screen for him.”
As the ranged continued to inflict damage on him, Dimitry chased Alburet through the sky above them. Every time Dimitry got close to catching Alburet, an Imp would sacrifice himself by flying right into the Vampire’s face. The second or two each Imp bought was more time for the raid to pour on their damage.
Doing his best to keep Dimitry in range of the casters, Alburet ended up with just Bob and Dimitry left in the air with him. “Come on, come on,” Alburet hissed, glancing back to see Dimitry just about to reach him again.
“Who has two thumbs and saves your ass?” Bob asked, dropping behind Alburet and throwing himself at Dimitry.
Dimitry snarled as the last Imp was killed, “Finally! Now it’s your turn!”
“No!” Marysue shouted from below them. “It’s your turn, Dimitry Dracon. This is for my husband.” She threw her one damage spell at Dimitry, joining the spells from a half dozen others.
“NOOOOO!!!” Dimitry screamed as he fell from the air. Slamming into the ziggurat, Dimitry left a spider web of cracks. He struggled to get back to his feet, his health bar blinking on a single point.
Vladimir appeared beside Dimitry, kneeling and bringing his blade up under his brother’s chin. “Goodbye, Dimitry. I’m sorry that it came to this.” Slamming his knife into Dimitry’s neck, Vladimir kept eye contact with his brother as the last point of life vanished. His hand rested on his brother’s lifeless body for a long moment, and he sighed when Dimitry vanished. “It is done.”
The black bubble that had enclosed the ziggurat vanished, letting the surviving members of the raid see the entire prison wing again. A battle was raging by the entrance, the guards there doing their best to keep a horde of undead from entering.
Chapter Fifty-one
“We need to get down there to help them,” Alburet said over the Raidstone. “Our dead will be coming back at that graveyard.”
“For Stoutheart,” Ironhand shouted, the first to start moving.
Weary, wounded, and in need of a break, the Alpha Company survivors still surged after him. Alburet took to the air while Karen and Fluff ran after Ironhand. Above the wing, he could see Delvers already in the fray at the gate, helping the guards. Looking over to the gate to the next wing, he frowned. Heart’s Light was nowhere to be seen.
Spotting Roberto at the back of the fight with the King and the other leaders, Alburet landed in their midst. “Sire, we’ve killed Dimitry and are here to assist. Gerald will be back shortly.”
“Very good,” Tyr nodded. “Lightfist took his Guild into the final wing to deal with Stein. We hope that when Stein falls, this mob will lose its drive and cohesion.”
“When did they go in?” Alburet asked.
“A minute after you did,” Roberto replied. “Hopefully they don’t take too much longer. From what we’ve been able to learn, nearly the entirety of the Dead Lands’ undead have been mobilized to stop us. The first gate was overrun, but we were able to cut off the portal to Stormguard before they pushed us back.”
“No more reinforcements are coming, then,” Alburet muttered.
“The Dark Lord is rallying all he can to send to our aid,” Yuna said. “It will be several minutes before he can open a gate to us.” She smiled at Alburet.
“Where are the handmaidens?” Aria asked, looking for them.
Alburet’s face went stony, “They fell in combat to Ophelia, but they did cost her her life.”
Aria sobbed once and shook her head, “Peace will be devastated. I must let her know, please give me a moment.” Leaving the gathering, Aria pulled out her Mindstone.
“That is grievous news,” Tyr said. “What of Ioaniss and Dracon?”
“We’re here,” Jones said, running up.
Vladimir was a few feet behind him, “We were successful, Sire.”
Tyr looked at Vladimir’s mangled shoulder and nodded slowly. “I see the cost was high for you as well.”
Kneeling, Vladimir spoke with conviction, “Sire, House Dracon has been purified of their heresy and is ready to devote itself to the Crown once again.”
“Stand, Lord Dracon. I will not let you face combat again. Your part here is done.”
“No, Sire,” Vladimir said, getting back to his feet. “I have a quest from Mother to assist Alpha Company with every fight here. I can’t fail this quest.”
“Mother, release Vlad from this quest,” Alburet murmured.
Vladimir blinked, looking shocked at something. “I… it seems I was incorrect, Sire. Mother has deemed my quest completed. What would you have me do?”
“Go back to Stormguard,” Tyr said, pulling a scroll from his bag. “Take this to the Castle, then see if you can be healed.”
“As you command, Sire,” Vladimir said, taking the scroll with care. Turning to Alburet, Vladimir bowed his head, “Thank you, Al, for helping me complete my quest.”
“It was our honor, Vlad.”
Vladimir was gone a moment later. Ioaniss spoke up again, “How bad is this fight?”
“We’ve been able to hold them back so far,” Roberto said, motioning to the makeshift command table before him. “The Two-souled who were here have been able to respawn at this graveyard. They’ve been our greatest asset, throwing themselves into the fight with everything they have.”
“Now we wait for Lord Lightfist to end this for us,” Tyr added.
Alburet felt a sinking sensation in his gut as he thought about what Tyr had said. “Benedict took his Guild in a minute after us and we’ve heard nothing back yet?”
“No, but we couldn’t reach you inside, either,” Roberto said, but then he frowned. “Your dead did start appearing before the bubble
fell, even if they couldn’t get back in to help. We haven’t seen a single Heart’s Light member respawn yet.”
“There is no way they haven’t lost at least one person,” Alburet muttered.
“Tyr,” Ioaniss said, having the same thought as Alburet, “can we send more people in after them?”
“We tried to send Delvers, but a barrier blocked the way shortly after they entered.”
“Sorry for my delay,” Gerald said, arriving with Marysue behind him.
“That’s fine. Have your Guild stand down for a few minutes and recover,” Roberto said, his face suddenly troubled. “We might have to ask you to do more for us.”
“Stand down,” Gerald ordered over the Raidstone. “All Alpha Company members, pull back and stay out of combat. See about restocking your potions and wait for orders.” Gerald nodded at Roberto, “We’ll be ready to assist.”
“Do you have someone watching the gate?” Alburet asked.
“I have Cal watching it,” Yuna said, “along with a dozen Destroyers, Imps, and Succubi.”
“Al,” Marysue said softly, “can I speak with you for a moment?”
Frowning, Alburet stepped to the side with Marysue, “What’s the matter?”
“Grimgar, Stewart, Almira, and Ferrin made it through the last fight, but it was close a couple of times. I want to know if you want to order them back at this point.”
Alburet hesitated as he considered what Stacia would say. “I’ll go talk to them. If the King needs me, let me know.”
“I will,” Marysue said, giving him a brief hug.
Walking away from the gathering, Alburet could see the people he wanted to talk to. Fluff and Karen were already with them, and his steps slowed as he got closer. Is it right for me to even ask? We’ve talked about it before, and this is their wish.
Fluff and Karen saw him first, pulled by his doubt. “Al?”
When he reached them, he looked over each of the four natives. “You made it through... I’m glad.”
“It was close a few times,” Almira said softly.
“Still committed?” Alburet asked. “Stepping aside is okay. It will help Alistern’s memory continue through you.”
“We’ve been over this—” Stewart said.
“Stew,” Grimgar cut in gently, “all of us almost died at least twice in just that last fight.”
Stewart hung his head, “Are we so worried about living that we’ll give up on our vow?”
“Teaching the next generation or two of Summoners isn’t a bad thing,” Alburet said. “Tabitha, what do you think?”
Tabitha looked away, “I will support my master’s choice.”
Her tone pulled Stewart’s eyes to her, “Tabbi? What do you think?”
“I… I just barely got you back... I don’t want to lose you again,” Tabitha managed to say as her eyes teared up. “But I also know how much you loved Alistern, so I won’t put my feelings ahead of yours.”
Stewart pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as he felt her tears begin to wet his chest. “I’m sorry, Tabbi. I didn’t even stop to think about how you must feel about this.”
“I’ll go with you,” Tabitha choked out. “I just want to be with you, for as long as we have.”
Grimgar’s hand landed on Stewart’s back, “We’re with you either way. We understand how she feels, but also the vow we made.”
“The Crowley name is already gone,” Alburet said with pain in his heart. “All of his daughters will marry into other families. I would bet that the King would grant you that last name if you asked. You were his brother, after all.”
Stewart closed his eyes as tears formed in them. “Is it betrayal to back out and take that, or would it be a bigger one to push on and possibly die?”
“Only we can decide that,” Almira said, going to Stewart’s other side. “We need to decide, though.”
Ferrin spoke into the moment of silence that had fallen over the group, “Lord Darkhand, I think I should back out of this raid, as well. My mother’s dream is on the cusp of coming true. I want to see it happen. Do you think that Lord Stoutheart would understand?”
“He will,” Karen answered for Alburet. “Go home, Ferrin. We’ve already lost too many good people. We’ll tell Gerald.”
Ferrin bowed to them, taking out his Homestone. “I will pray for your success.”
“We’ll go, too,” Stewart said, his arm tight around Tabitha. “I pray that Alistern would understand.”
“You know he would,” Alburet replied. “Just like you cared for him, he cared for you just as much. You can look back on what happened in the past and see that.”
“Aye, lad, ye be right,” Grimgar nodded. “Take these, ye might be needin’ them.” Grimgar turned over the remaining health potions he had in his bags.
“Mine, as well,” Almira said, handing them to Fluff. “We’ll be looking forward to your return.”
“You can have mine,” Stewart told Karen. “We’ll pray for your success in killing Stein and completing your quest.”
“Thank you,” Karen said, giving him a hug.
“Al,” Marysue called to him, waving him over to the King’s group, “we need you and Fluff.”
“Go, and know that we’re with you in spirit,” Stewart said, gripping his hand.
“Aye, lad,” Grimgar slapped him hard on the back. “Ye got this.”
“May the Dark Lord grant you his favor, though I know he already does,” Almira added, giving Fluff and Karen hugs.
“Karen, come with us?” Alburet asked.
“I’m not needed for the meeting,” Karen said.
“You’re always needed with us,” Fluff said, taking her hand. “Come on.”
“I can’t say no to you,” Karen smiled as she went with Alburet and Fluff toward the King’s meeting.
“We should be headin’ out, too,” Grimgar said as he watched the family walk away. “I be thinkin’... do ye think the Dark Lord will help us have a kid?”
Almira’s eyes sparkled, “There has never been a child of our mixed race before. But it never hurts to pray as we try to become the first.”
“My first son will be called Alistern,” Stewart said hoarsely.
“Aye, he would like tha’, ye daft git,” Grimgar nodded.
“Let’s go home, husband,” Almira said, taking his hand as they pulled out their own Homestones.
“I’m here. Sorry for the delay,” Alburet said when he got back to the King.
“The barrier fell,” Roberto informed him. “No sign of Heart’s Light has been seen. We must assume the worst and that Stein defeated them.”
“Benedict had Justice’s token with him,” Gerald mused, “which means we won’t be getting that extra help.”
“We’re holding out against the undead right now,” Roberto went on, “but more are coming and we will be overrun in time.”
“Which is why we will be using my plan,” Tyr said.
“Sire, I strongly object. Again,” Roberto said firmly.
“Noted,” Tyr said simply.
“I agree with Commander Roberto, Tyr,” Ioaniss added. “I don’t think you should go.”
“I agree with them,” Hammerhand chimed in. “Leaders should nay be on the front line.”
“Like you and Wildmane,” Tyr shot back.
“Never said I do what I should,” Hammerhand chuckled darkly.
“Sire, if you are going in, I will be going with you,” Woodbinder said.
“I will send the other Demon Lords with you, Justiceson, but I must stay here and coordinate the Infernals,” Yuna added.
“I must stay back now that… Since I’m now the leader of my Lady’s forces. I will send in an ample force to assist, though,” Aria said, looking sad for a moment.
Tyr shook his head, “Denied. I will go in with Delvers and Alpha Company. The rest of you will hold here. If we fail, then you may attempt to retrieve my items.”
“If that’s your answer, then I will remove my
forces from your command,” Wildmane growled. “I will not be stopped from facing Stein. If you accept me going in with you, the Pride will stay here to assist with the defense.”
Tyr met Wildmane’s eyes for a long moment before nodding, “I accept.”
“Same goes for me,” Hammerhand said.
“And me,” Woodbinder added.
Gamer for Love (Alpha World Book 8) Page 46