The Doomsday Saga, page 22
Hubert was laying there whilst this fiend was eating him, he felt every bite, as he slowly felt his life force leave his body. Then he saw a purple blast head toward him in his mindless fervour he though his god had saved him.
‘Is this what his Gods embrace looks like?’ but it missed and hit Oman. It coated him with a purple hue and Hubert saw the hellish visage of Oman morph into a beast with large almond eyes and the image of a snake like black tongue. Then it ran and scaled one of the properties in the street leaving its kill and from several bite marks and the burning spread of the contents of his stomach Hubert was no more.
BRYANT WAS IN THE ROOM, he was revelling in the pain and suffering he was causing. Although these were unrighteous offerings to his god Bryant sensed he was worshiping the god of war as the power although miniscule fuelled his strength. There was a tall man with his back to Bryant
‘You there get and fight!’ Bryant shouted whilst parrying a one-armed woman, this woman was wearing shreds that just about hid her ample figure and modesty. She would have been physically attractive if she was living. The only thing that made a difference was the reek of rot and decay and half her face was frozen in a visage of pain and anguish. The man turned around and he did not have a face. A vision of shock came over Bryant's face. He then felt a stab in his shoulder. This woman had only stabbed him with a small hand dagger.
‘You bitch’ he shouted as he wrenched the dagger out of his shoulder revelling in his pain. He changed his grip and beheaded this woman and watched her crumple like a sack of grain. The man without a face gambolled towards Bryant he was just as tall as Bryant but about half as wide. Bryant noticed that this being did not have any formal fighting stance he was writhing around like a dancer, holding a short spear loosely in his hand. Clearly in life this man had the build and dexterity of a dancer. The man reigned down a barrage of swings and thrusts which none hit. Bryant could not do this all night. So, he grabbed the spear and locked it in his armpit, he then slashed with the sword in his right hand severing the beast at the elbow. However, that did not stop this fiend he proceeded to hit Bryant and Bryant felt the ecstatic sting of nails dragging through skin. He released the spear and thrust it up through what would have been this man's chin he heard the squelch of metal through muscle, tendon and brain matter. This fiend fell forward and the spear propped him up.
The horde seemed to stop momentarily as Bryant swung his sword at a young boy must have been about fourteen his head rolled of his blade as his body tipped to the side He chanced a looked around the melee a look of horror came over Bryant he saw his love face off against a white skinned woman and he was overjoyed as Emile pushed her scimitar through this feast of beauty but equally dismayed as the white woman seemingly unharmed try to throttle Emile. He looked around trying to establish if there was anyone that could get to save Emile, his eyes scanned the ruckus there was a purple flash it momentarily dazzled him, and then he heard a roar. First thing Bryant saw a brunette woman, with a purple axe, recognition flared over him it was the woman from the bar in Rafterwurst. His rage bubbled up to the surface and he went mad with battle lust, hacking left and right through bone and sinew. He had to kill this whore. Franz and this serving girl conspired to kill Paul. He also saw two dwarves and a thick set Hindwell guard their charge turned the tide slightly. He looked back at Emile, the white woman still had her hands around Emile’s throat, this spurned him on the love and lust he felt for Emile won over the anger and rage he felt towards Franz and his whore. Bryant had to save Emile as he got within sword distance of Emile and the white woman he slashed her arm, the sword strike was eerily easy like slicing parchment, and to Bryants surprise the white woman just disappeared.
Emile was now free of the death grip and slowly Emile picked up her scimitar and Bryant saw her hit Franz across the back of the head with the butt of her sword. He smiled to himself he will get what is coming to him, he then saw a flash of blue light aimed toward Emile. He grabbed one of the Dead wights and was surprised to find it was as light as a feather and threw it at Emile as luck would have or a blessing from his Father, the wight took the full force of the blast. Emile looked at Bryant and just manged to roll out of the way from another blast.
‘Get Franz, keep him safe, I love you. Emile shouted above the ruckus. What was equally surprising was that Franz was lying on the floor holding a shield, a wight was bearing down on Franz and suddenly there was a loud ringing in Bryant's ears. Disorientated Bryant saw half the wight army fade to dust. He saw Emile and she started to run toward Franz he smiled and joined her.
KIERON HAD TO MOMENTARILY hold his stomach contents in as he was transported to the famous banquet hall of Hindwell castle. Kieron had only been there a couple of times one time her briefly remembered, was Jacob’s retirement, he had done his full contracted cycles. There was joyful dancing music and revelry, none of that now, it was a macabre dance of dead and newly dead things. Time seemed to pass so slowly. It took him back to the night with Molly, how many dead things did he slay that night? He had to focus he saw the twin daggers of Alexa’s spin around in a lightning arc. Although he had fought by her side earlier tonight, he was still fascinated by her method she was like a typhoon a cut to an abdomen, a slice through chest, a slash across a neck, he noticed her acrobatics, a back flip here and there, clearly he had only faced a minuscule amount of her skill back at The Stag and where she was slicing the enemies their skin blackened and withered and in a matter of seconds after the charge she had felled half a dozen enemies. He looked around to get his bearings Emile was with Franz both were fighting, Emile had a scimitar while Franz had a long sword, there was a male across from them he also had a long sword and was facing off against a woman. That must be the other Dark worshipper Jacob spoke about.
In the meantime, the dwarves had charged seemingly, without a cause for concern, Kieron momentarily was deafened by their battle roar. The time sped up as the massive hoard of undead came around to the new threat. There was a man and a woman clearly part of the stewarding staff, holding back several wights the woman was in a bonnet that used to be white, but it was now caked in funk and gore and had taken a brownish tinge. She was throwing plates at the enemies while the male, had a candelabra and was using this as a mace. Kieron although he had decided to leave the Hindwell military, he was duty bound to protect all, It dawned on him it was one of the duties in the Order of light as well. He was working his way through the throng, killing as he went, he lopped of heads and arms as he went by his eyes were firmly on the couple he could see that it was a losing battle. The woman had used up all the plates and was holding a chair to try and keep the wights from her but even her efforts were failing, Kieron saw a handful of wights start to tear at her arms then several more pulled the chair away and then started to tear at her eyes and face. He heard her scream and thus stole him onward. The male steward looked round and was using the Candelabra as a hammer setting fire to the wights, but he was dismayed as he saw some armed wights start to strike this mans back As Kieron got closer he could smell the stench of blood, decay and burning flesh it made him gag slightly, but he had innocents to save.
Kieron got to the couple but he was too late the woman had succumbed and blood was soaking through her outfit. The male was laying next to her with the wights continually hacking at the mans back. Clearly he was dead so Kieron fought on he sliced the wights necks and his sword cut through the flesh like water and they fell. Kieron was momentarily hopeful maybe the steward was still alive. He turned him over and all that Kieron saw was the glassy blank stare of the man. What was even more surprising was that this man had a ring on, it was in the shape of a coin with an inlay of an eagle clutching a snake. ‘For the greater good’ Kieron whispered in this mans ears.
Kieron was angry all of his rage and frustrations came to the surface. He has faced so much death Molly, the townsfolk of Kidstock these two innocents. He found himself automatically hacking and slashing, muscle memory setting in, he was impassionate he knew that these fiends were innocent once he did not care, he would kill everything. For the greater good!
He came across a few skinny short fiends, no taller than children their lifeless stares malevolently looking at Kieron a multitude of short swords and daggers in hand and they charged. The first child fiend was on him it impaled its self on his sword, it seemed unfazed by the pain that would have killed a normal person. Kieron could not wrench his sword free. Kieron backed off slowly and felt a burn on his leg, he was standing by the candelabra he picked it up it had a good weight. Plus, the candles were still alight, barely! He pushed the makeshift lance into the fiend and it immolated as if scrolls were burning. Kieron reached into the fire and pulled his sword free. He only felt a brief pain as the flames licked around his hand, but he knew it was worse than it felt as he was filled full of battle rage. The other fiends were now on him he felt the jarring hits of blunted weapons on his armour and was thankful. Kieron was momentarily blinded; he felt the heat and the feeling of thousands of pin pricks all over his skin and the constant jarring stopped. He saw the remains of a lightning strike he looked around and saw Merenne looking at him. She then turned away and started hacking at the dead with her purple axe that magically materialised again.
PARIS STOOD ON THE church spires apse. And her calmness returned, after all she was a Bellatrix. She saw the wights try to overwhelm the mages then she saw the might of magic. Coming from the Vanishing Archipelago the madness of magic was only reserved for the mad old crones, the ones that would, chatter aimlessly, but if anybody was ill the crones would help. She was snapped back to the present by a burning smell and she saw that the mages had surrounded themselves in a white ring it looked like fire and as the mages charged, the wights were burnt to dust. The next thing she saw was the towering beast cast a purple blast direct at the mages she looked away for the briefest of seconds she did not want to see them destroyed, she had felt enough loss. She chanced a glance, not sure what she will see but Paris saw the purple blast harmlessly bounce of a bubble of pale light. Her heart skipped a beat.
Paris had to act quick as the beast was starting to lumber towards the mages with his massive staff. He was swiping his staff in arc’s left and right, moving his own army out of the way. The whole multitude of the army of wights got out of his way. Paris loosened a brazier and lowered it. Automatically Paris strung her bow, pulled an arrow out and lit it on a brazier. She took a deep breath, and muscle memory took over, whilst the commands were in her head, Light, knock, draw and loose, she repeated the action three times not waiting to see if the arrows were true, her gut instinct was that they were and the howl that reverberated around the plaza confirmed it.
I CAME ROUND WITH A pain in the back of my head, did somebody hit me? I look around quickly to try and get my bearings, my sword was several feet away, The revolting smell of rotted bodies still hang around heavy, I heard the grunts and metal hitting against metal. The dead things were still attacking I turned around quickly where was the white woman, I immediately wished I didn't. My head swum and my knees buckled. I saw Merenne her fighting stance mesmerised me, her movements were so fluid and the grace that she weaved her purple axe around. It dawned on me her axe it was glowing purple. I rubbed my eyes no it was definitely glowing. I was pushed by a fiend I felt its nails dig into my chest, the pain was excruciating. I elbowed this cretin in the face and I could see I dislocated his jaw. Thankfully this was enough to get him away from me. I crawled I do not know where to but My head was swimming. I felt something metal in my hand then I felt a thump to my back. I looked around and I saw a ghastly visage of a man with half of is mouth missing, as well as one eye. He was hitting me with a human arm, he kept pummelling me and I grabbed the metal thing and I saw it had a whitish glow about it. As soon as I grabbed it I felt better, it was strange my nausea ceased my focus came back. I felt like my normal self, then a thought dawned on me could this be a magical shield, could it be the magic shield.
As I kept defending myself I saw white writing on the inside of the shield between the arm rests it read “Ordaím duit an eitleán seo a fhágáil, díbirt mé thú” I did not know what it said but yet I could read it. I though and thought about the words and normal words formed in my mind. I had no explanation. I found myself whispering the words and the constant clanging stopped. The fiend without a jaw that was attacking me stopped and faded to dust. I got up and put the shield on there was a tightness around my arm with slight heat. At the top of my voice I shouted in the common tongue
‘I command you to leave this plane, I banish you!’
Magically around half of the wights faded to dust. I saw Emile and Bryant both come at me I also saw Merenne and Marx come at me too. I gulped and picked up a loose sword. I saw a blue light aimed toward Emile, but a wight took the force.
3
KELLER, FOUND HIMSELF hacking and slicing and where his sword, touched the undead’s flesh, it caught alight like a torch to parchment. Keller missed this, the thrill of war, he did not expect to but he was smiling, he felt like he was just practising the various sword forms all Albioni nobility had to learn. It felt like he was dancing, a sword through the torso of a fiend about Keller’s build, then an outward arc to sever a woman from under her arm to the side of her cheek. He turned around cast forked lightning and killed half a dozen wights. Then Keller was torn begrudgingly from his meditation by an almighty howl. Taking his eyes of the wight army temporarily he saw Tenebris he was alight, then he saw another, flash of fire shooting through the sky. It was coming from the tower of the church.
Keller thought now would be a good chance to bind the beast's essence, but sadly the window of opportunity was fading. Tenebris was burning more rapidly. His army however were spurred on and the wights seem to double in number as well as the newly dead. Keller looked at Magda and the others, There was no fear they could manage without him. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye he saw Magda run at him and push him out of the way, then he saw a throwing axe buried in her chest. Next thing he saw was Albi running toward Tenebris then Keller saw the reason why, Tenebris was falling and he had let go of his stave. Albi had run and caught it. Where Albi touched it his skin was turning black and there was a loud scream. Keller was sure Albi’s scream would haunt him forever. As cold as the thought was he knew Albi had helped as the staff rested on Albi’s dead corpse. The only blessing in this fucked up situation was that as Tenebris lay dying the power that bound the wights faded and they slowly wilted back to the dead corpse they were, even the new members of Tenebris’ horde just fell where they were. The battle had been won, Hindwell was safe, but at what cost! Keller then saw Tenebris’ corpse wilt and then the corpse took a purple hue. Keller ran to where he had stashed the vase and opened the top and mystically the purple essence of Tenebris was sucked into the vase.
He felt pain at loosing Albi, He was a good warrior and a good mage. He sacrificed himself to save the Revenants massive staff from breaking on the ground. Keller looked at the withered corpse majestically lit by the purple hue of the stave. Even-more shocking was the rasping and ragged breath of Magda. In defending Keller she took an axe right to the chest. She was in Abe’s arms and Abe was holding his hand over her wound and saw a dusty yellow light manifest around her wound.
‘My lord she needs a medinus, she will not survive. I am just prolonging her suffering.’ Abe pleaded
‘Go, good sir, thank you for all you have done. Tomasz you go and take this with you. Put it in the Golden Towers vault’ Keller said whilst handing the vase to Tomasz.
‘Aye, sire but what about you?’
‘I need to see if the Princess is safe.’
‘I must come with you’ Tomasz said
‘I am giving you an order, go and keep the vase safe.’ Tomasz begrudgingly nodded
‘I will be back.’ Tomasz said vehemently
‘Go’ and then there was a flash and Keller was standing on his own amongst the corpse’s One flinched and as quick as he saw it it was no more a bolt of lightning made sure of that. Keller had to do something about all the dead bodies, But first he had to see who was instrumental in their victory.
Keller levitated toward where the arrow came from and Keller saw a young girl no more than twenty, she wore the colours of the Bellatrix, Gold’s reds and greens. She looked at Keller with surprise. And then pointed her Bow at him. Keller stuck his hands up in surrender and slowly levitated toward the girl, she drew her bow, and Keller landed on the walkway.
‘Easy I am no foe.’ Keller said in the common tongue this girl did not flinch. ‘What is your name young lady?’ She was still unmoved she was like a sentinel Keller noticed her piercing stare and had no doubt she would have buried an arrow in his chest. Keller notices Paris had one of the Revenant stave's. Facing down a fully trained Bellatrix, he did not want push the question further,
‘I am Keller, High Mage of the Albion Isle. I am an ally’
‘I am Paris of the Small oaks.’
‘I can see you are a Bellatrix. May I talk with you?’
