A Skeleton and a Lich

by Michael Chatfield

  His wings turned gold as a red phoenix appeared behind him, solidifying and catching Tairlyn. Anthony heard Claire screaming behind him.

  He felt his heart twist but he dropped down. Penelope and Tairlyn followed him.

  “Always wanted to kill a Drafeng queen!” Troga yelled, riding on Anthony’s back.

  “Hold on.” Anthony pulled his wings in. He dropped down; the air whistled around him as Penelope and Tairlyn followed.

  They were like twin falling comets: Tairlyn holding on and gripping her hammer as Troga held on and gripped his halberd. Clan tattoos covered his body, glowing with power while Tairlyn’s heavily enchanted armor glowed with enchantments.

  They dropped below the bottom of the Tree of Defense’s canopy. Anthony and Penelope’s wings snapped open as they cut across the ground of the path, dodging the rocks and mud that had been torn up in the epic scale magical attacks. They sloped down as they continued forward, charging right toward the enemy.

  Anthony saw the chaotic forces gathering as the beasts fired off their chaotic blasts, like a line of cannons as Penelope and Anthony were forced to dodge.

  “I’ll give you cover!” Bruce yelled, appearing behind Anthony. He dropped to the ground and slammed his fist down. A crater formed and cracks appeared on the ground, charging underneath and ahead of the flying duo who were trying to dodge the incoming blasts.

  The ground shattered ahead of the beasts. A herd of bulls formed of mud and dirt charged forward, their eyes flashing green as they speared the unsuspecting chaotic beasts.

  They gave Penelope and Anthony the cover they needed as they flapped their wings. Troga and Tairlyn yelled as they jumped off. Troga rushed a beast three times his size; one blow sent the roaring beast flying. His body expanded, doubling his size as an ox appeared behind him.

  He threw a spear, cutting across the battlefield and over Tairlyn’s head; a beast that was jumping over to attack her was tossed back, hitting another. She jumped on another beast’s paw that struck the ground, sending rocks and dust flying. She sideswiped their head with her stone hammer as if it were second nature and jumped from the beast’s shoulder. They slumped down, dead; she fired a pistol. A cloud of gun smoke covered her as a regular Drafeng soldier was killed, their power bleeding off and returning to Dena as their patchworked, broken body was laid bare.

  Anthony let out a yell, running as he hit the ground. Penelope flew toward him and Bruce appeared from the ground, combining with Anthony once again.

  He used his blade to deflect a chaotic beam before he tossed his sword. It shot through the air, piercing two beasts. He ran forward, dodging a claw that cut through the air above him. A blast of red and golden energy tore through the beast he was under as his sword returned to his outreached hand.

  He dodged an attack and raised his hand. Black smoke appeared around two chaotic beasts, who turned and started to attack their masters.

  He looked to his left.

  Troga was clashing directly with a Drafeng. He turned, dodging the first swipe from its chaotic limbs; turned back again with the next attack, advancing inside the Drafeng’s range as they tried to lash out with their hoof. Troga took it off with an upward swipe. The Drafeng started to fall as he brought his halberd back down and around, taking off their head and cutting their long neck. He tossed his halberd to his left hand and threw a spear, catching a Drafeng off guard.

  To Anthony’s right, Tairlyn was covered in smoke. She fired one pistol; the Drafeng was hit but not killed as they cut out.

  Tairlyn dropped under their attack, next to another enemy. Her hammer came across and hit the underside of the Drafeng, lifting and tossing them to the side, into the wounded Drafeng as she holstered her pistol and took out another.

  She kicked up a rock and hit it with her hammer. The shards hit another Drafeng in the face.

  Smoke covered her again as the pistol went off. The round hit them in the sternum and went through it like butter.

  The three of them were like juggernauts, slamming into the army.

  Chaotic beasts rushed forward, slowing but not stopping the trio that forged ahead.

  The Drafeng drew in a massive amount of power.

  “They’re transforming into close-combat battle mode!” Tairlyn yelled.

  “I need a challenge!” Troga shot back as he held his halberd up. A beast slammed into the weapon.

  Troga let out a yell, turning and tossing the beast. He grabbed a spear from his back; it shot forward into the chaotic beast, ending it. Troga turned and released his halberd slightly, grabbing it from the end as it hummed with speed before catching another beast in the face.

  It let out a pained yell as it fell to the side.

  Troga ran forward, covering ground fast. A Drafeng challenged him. His spear glowed; an imprint of a horn covered it before he released it. The spear cut through their defenses and threw them aside. Troga tossed his halberd around, adjusting his grip. It flashed, leaving terrible wounds, killing or maiming those who challenged him.

  Anthony disappeared as a beast attacked him. There was only some dissipating smoke where he had been; he appeared beside them, their leg cut off. He shot back under them as they fell, opening their neck. He jumped up and his wings snapped out, missing a blast of chaotic power. He looked where it had come from.

  A Drafeng was covered in chaotic power. Their body was covered in a powerful glow that was hard to look through. But they grew taller and wider, while losing their length.

  “Shivas!” Anthony yelled as he charged forward. The light dimmed as the Drafegn’s head and long neck was now mounted on a large ape-like body with four arms and hands, each of them with a chaos-formed weapon.

  “I told you they were changing!” Tairlyn yelled as she leaped off the beast she had killed and landed on the ground, sheathing her hammer. She went underneath another Drafeng warrior. She fired the pistol in her left hand, grabbed another with her right hand and fired up as she tucked the left pistol away and grabbed another.

  The warrior didn’t have any protection and he fell to the ground, dead.

  “Three more left!” she yelled as she started to reload with her free hand, snapping the back open on the pistols and inserting premade cartridges. She grabbed her hammer. “It’s a sword, Anthony! I made it for cutting, not to act as a glorified shield!”

  Anthony used his sword to deflect the incoming blasts of chaotic energy. He folded his wings up and dropped to the ground as the warrior that was nearly twice his height attacked him with three limbs, a spear and two swords.

  Anthony smacked the spear to the side with his hand, grabbing it and pulling before leaping off the ground, missing the swords that would have cut right through him.

  He stepped on the blades that were as thick as his leg and charged forward. The last arm created a shield that appeared in front of Anthony.

  With a yell, his body glowed with power. He struck the shield, causing the dust around him to clear as he was tossed back through the air. His wings shot out. As his feet touched the ground, he charged forward again.

  Swords slashed at him. He ducked under the first, jumping and using his wings to clear the second. He intercepted the spear that shot out at him with his sword. As the second blade cut up at an awkward angle, Anthony felt his wings strain as he dodged the blow. It would only need one attack and he could cut the limb off.

  He raised his hand as white, red, gold, and black appeared on his hand. The blast slammed into the wide-eyed Drafeng’s face.

  Their body started to dim as Anthony used the outstretched arm to push off. His wings disappeared as he hit the ground and rolled, running forward at the queen.

  “Only a few hundred meters!” he yelled out, seeing the other two rushing beside him, waging their own battles.

  “Warrior commanders!” Troga cried out.

  More compact warrior forms of the Drafeng appeared. Their bodies were better developed, their power higher than the larger regular warrior versions.

>   Tairlyn fired her pistols at a commander she was facing as the way to the queen was blocked with all of the reserves the group had pushing forward to protect their queen.

  “We need a path!” Troga yelled.

  “Dammit!” Anthony was attacked by a commander. He started to draw in mana from the surrounding area and he started to chant under his breath. He felt power from his familiars flood his body. As power was drawn from them, their strength decreased, putting them into a dormant state.

  They freely gave up their power as he drew it into his body.

  Anthony had to focus on that and staying alive. He dodged one sword, hit a spear away, and deflected another with a kick. A sword came for his extended leg; he dropped to the ground and pushed back, then flipped up to his feet. The commander looked at him, stunned, as Anthony threw his sword out. It passed its defenses, striking it in the face. Power started to leak from them and Anthony consumed it, building up his power faster.

  The sword returned to his hand as he ran forward.

  “Group up!” he yelled. The other two moved in toward him, giving themselves a five-meter area to fight in as more commanders and regulars were trying to work behind their rear.

  “Focus on channeling!” Tairlyn barked. “Troga, you take the rear. I have the front.”

  The two of them split up, covering Anthony as the power at his core compacted further, turning into a whirlpool of colors staining one another and turning it black. Anthony felt an immense amount of power building inside him; a black miasma appeared around him. His eyes turned dark and he felt the lust for power. He felt the need to draw in more, to use more. That he could destroy all that he saw.

  “Move!” Anthony yelled.

  Tairlyn dodged to the side. She was battered and bloodied, covered in gun soot, sweat, and dust.

  Anthony’s eyes snapped open. They seemed to be drawing in the very light of the area as the runes on his sword turned black and a black smoke covered his blade.

  He slashed out with his sword. All of the power from his familiars, from himself, from the Drafeng he had consumed were focused along the edge of that blade.

  A half-moon black blade was cut into the air that shot out, killing those close and tossing away those who were far enough away.

  Anthony staggered at the sudden loss of power, feeling close to fainting. He bit his lips, bleeding and keeping himself focused as the black power circled his sword. He looked at the queen across the battlefield, just a few hundred meters away.

  He let out a yell, putting all of his power into one thrust. A beam of black light shot forward like a battering ram, tossing the Drafeng and beasts aside—killing many, maiming most. Black flames entered their bodies, consuming and burning their chaotic power, converting it back into the various forms of power that filled Dena.

  The blow struck the queen, leaving a gash on her side. Faint flickers of flames could be seen in her wounds.

  Troga and Tairlyn rushed down the path as Anthony dropped to a knee, panting. His familiars were fully dormant as there was no mana left within his body. Troga threw spears, piercing the queen while Tairlyn fired her pistol.

  The army around them, even wounded and on the verge of death, tried to slow and kill them with their last efforts.

  A Drafeng exploded. The blast struck Anthony full on. He was thrown back, slamming into rocks and debris.

  Those around him forgot about him as they tried to stop Troga and Tairlyn. Her hammer and his halberd rose up, closing down their attacks. They were hit and thrown, but they never stopped charging, working as one as they pushed forward.

  Troga pierced a half-dead commander as Tairlyn jumped up his halberd and hit them in the face with a hammer.

  Troga dragged his halberd free and he threw his last spear, piercing a monster that would have hit Tairlyn in the air. He ran forward as she dropped to the ground, taking a sword hit to the side. She was pushed to the side nearly a meter. She swung out with her hammer, striking the Drafeng’s leg, dropping their knee. She was completely exposed to the side as they aimed a spear at her.

  Troga’s halberd took off their arm and stabbed through their chest; they didn’t have time to reach as the halberd was torn from their body.

  Anthony saw two Drafeng gathering their power, ready to destroy themselves. He willed up power in his sword and released it.

  The blast hit them both as Tairlyn shot them both out of reflex.

  Drafeng around Anthony—those who they hadn’t killed and those who they had bypassed, making it this far—focused in on him.

  Anthony was hit by a chaotic beast. Scars appeared on his armor and he let out a yell. He rolled to a stop and forced himself up out of sheer will. He was drained, his mana gone, his mind on the edge. All he had was the limited strength left in his body.

  Keep it together. Protect their rear. Come on, don’t pass out on me now!

  He got to his feet, shaking. He felt light-headed and sick. The rushing blood to his head threatened to drop him right back down and cold sweat covered his body.

  He let out a yell, as a spear aimed at his neck. He dodged it and was hit with a sword. It cut into his armor. The grinding, high-pitched noise made him wince. As he moved forward, two shields met him and tossed him backward.

  Instincts, baked into his brain, made him roll as he missed a spear and an axe. He grabbed the ground and kicked his legs, forcing himself shakily upward and forward, under the axe Drafeng, and stabbed his sword into their stomach.

  He drew power through his sword, consuming it, filling his own need. Power started to return to his body. His speed increased as he missed the spear from the two shield-using Drafeng who pierced their dead companion.

  Two more were coming for him as he looked at Tairlyn and Troga. A commander was holding them back, keeping them from pushing forward.

  He didn’t think; he used all of the strength he had just gained, turning his body and flipping sideways as he hurled his sword out.

  It cut through the air, hitting the commander in the chest. He had a stunned look as he looked at Anthony and dropped to the ground. There were no more barriers between Troga and Tairlyn.

  Anthony cried out as the two shield-wielding Drafeng’s swords pierced his back and came out of his lower stomach.

  The chaotic power burned through him, consuming him from the inside.

  Anthony pushed forward, off the blade as his sword appeared in his hand and he threw it, striking the Drafeng’s arm. His sword flashed back. Anthony turned, grabbing his sword from the air, and hurled it out. Chaotic beasts were cut down with his sword but replaced with Drafeng warriors pressing in.

  His blows rang out and he felt the strength leaving his body.

  A spear hit his shoulder as he threw out his sword. The Drafeng’s arm was open as Anthony got his sword back and hurled it in the other direction, clashing with an axe and making its wielder fall back. The sword-using Drafeng attacked again, his blade still covered in Anthony’s blood.

  Dodging underneath the attack, he grabbed his sword and threw it out. They raised their shield and were forced back as the sword returned and Anthony threw it at the axe-wielder, cutting their leg and dropping them to the ground. He moved forward, holding his stomach as he coughed out blood. His sword returned and he threw it into the spear user, forcing them to retreat. The sword re-appeared in his hand as the axe user cut across.

  Anthony jumped up, letting out a roar filled with pain, forcing him on. He stepped on their axe, forcing it down and tilting their body more. Anthony’s sword appeared in his hand. The axe wielding Drafeng’s eyes were wide as Anthony brought it across their neck and jumped.

  Their head followed as Anthony fell to the ground, coughing. Blood covered his body. He could feel the power in his body being depleted by the chaotic power from the sword, stopping him from healing.

  “Guardians!” the queen yelled out, the rage clear in her eyes. She had no defenses to put up.

  Anthony felt fear in his stomach as the po
wer around the valley started to fluctuate.

  “Get out of there!” Anthony yelled.

  Troga let out a yell, raising his halberd as his body increased in size again. His tattoos lit up across his body.

  Tairlyn was grabbing pistols, firing those that she had reloaded and hitting the queen’s weak spots, making her stumble backward as she spun her hammer, turning it into a blur.

  Anthony started coughing, pushing himself up.

  Tairlyn reached the queen’s side, swinging her hammer with all her might.

  Troga’s body was covered in a massive ox, its horns coming together to meet at his halberd. The ox made one’s soul shake looking at it.

  The ox opened his mouth. “For Dena!” Troga and his clan spirit were one; Anthony could tell they knew what was happening, that this was their last charge.

  He made to rush forward, wanting to stop it.

  It was as if the mana in the world was sucked into the queen. Anthony, the rocks around him: all of it was pulled forward before reality returned as she released it all in one blast. Her body withered as a ray of chaotic power slammed through the defensive tree covering the fortress, tearing through its leaves and branches and hitting the wall. Mages rushed to defend and mitigate the damage as buildings were torn down.

  White filled Anthony’s world, covering Troga and Tairlyn. Anthony felt himself being thrown up into the air; noise and light removed his senses as he was picked up and tossed like a pebble.

  ***

  Claire looked at Anthony. She had taken him into the deepest reaches of the underground compound once she left Aila and Tommie in the main room. She took him down into her personal chambers. Mana passed through the ground, through the walls and through the air as it turned into thin threads that wove together, entering Anthony’s body. The blue glow lit up the room as he drew it in hungrily.

  The tattoos of his familiars lit up, causing his armor to glow with different colors.

  She reached down and touched his helmet, taking solace in the physical connection. She rose up. “When you wake up, then you should know everything, or nearly everything.”

  There was a knock at the door. She went over to it and opened the door. Damien stood there with a collection of papers.