David’s face broke through the opaque surface. War air whooshed over him. His eyes traced the faces in front of him. He’d expected them to attack, but they stood as if ordered to. Eyes followed him as he broke through the portal. Behind him, Tez grunted and coughed as he pushed through. Tara came in next and then Zoey. Chloe screamed as Elisha dragged her through. Jeremy, Hana, and Claire came out last, their armor stained with fresh blood. They all looked as tense as David, weapons drawn and battle-ready.

This place was not a cave. It was a palace of some kind. The hall was vast, with tall great pillars carved from stone. The walls looked smooth from what David could see. Statues were carved into the pillars like large giants carrying the roof on their backs. Light oozed from the roof, illuminating all of them below. Chloe pulled David’s left hand and pointed up. David’s breath caught when he looked up. Somehow the roof had vanished and those lights were now stars in a large sheet of dark sky. David heard the gasps from the others behind and around him. Magic? Illusion?

“Krak,” Tez hissed, his voice thin as a wire. “Still hiding behind your tricks and games?”

David scanned the faces in front of them. Most were covered in helms and draped in different colors and types of armor. They looked like an assortment of war fiends–terrifying together. In front of the army of armored soldiers, eight hooded figures sat in backless chairs. Their cloaks billowed as if carried by a wind of their own making. Something flowed from them–essence; dark and twisting. It filled the space around them, crashing against each other silently. They looked like propped-up dolls, but David was sure they were alive.

“Tez, welcome back,” A voice said and the army of about a hundred or more split to let a new form move forward. This man limped forward, resting much of his weight on the stump of a staff. His robe of fine green, jeweled with stones so red they seemed as if they would drip red on the washed floor. Yet, even as he walked, David felt the power from him. It wasn’t just essence, there was something else there. Something otherworldly that David couldn’t comprehend. It made him shiver with worry. He hated not knowing. That was the very first thing Spectre had warned against when they trained him. Learn about your enemy. Know all there is to know about them until you know them like you know yourself. Knowing your foe limits surprises. Yet, all they had seen since they attacked the cave was surprise after surprise. He hated it. But there was nothing they could do about that. Krak was right in front of them.

You can study him now, Ignis said, his voice reaching David gently as if he’d made the thoughts himself. He felt somewhat reassured with the dragon with him. But he could sense a hesitation in Ignis. Not fear like when Chaos appeared, but some kind of disbelief.

“You still play with mirrors and smoke,” Tez continued. “Perhaps because you have realized how powerless you are? Has someone shown you that Balek is nothing but a wooden still of poor imagination?”

David thought he saw Krak wince, but the man only smiled. He waved his right hand lazily as he moved between the eight figures. The ground in front of the eight cloaks bulged up and then silently began to take form. The stones slid into place, each component finding its rightful slot until what was left was something akin to a stone throne. The head of a roaring beast stretched out over the seat. Krak settled himself into it and sighed.

“You have always been shortsighted, Tez. You and the others,” Krak said, his eyes moving from Tez to Tara, Jeremy, and then David. He hissed, his face brightening as a smile touched his lips.

“You have changed your friends, Tez. Now you walk with children and the weak, in hopes that you can what? Win?”

A green burst of essence shot from Zoey. It stretched for Krak and he lifted his hand with as much care as he’d shown when he made his throne. But Zoey wasn’t going for him. The light split as the arrow shattered into a dozen fragments. David saw the surprise in Krak’s eyes as they arched, each finding solid armor and tearing through to open the flesh within. Behind Krak, his army fell–-hitting the ground all at once. A small swell of pride filled David’s chest and then it faded as the fallen soldiers faded into large, dark tongues of smoke and reformed.

Krak grinned. “Shortsighted,” he said and then flicked a finger and the soldiers began to march forward in uniform thuds. Swords of different sizes and shapes. They gleamed with dark intent as the soldiers marched past Krak and the eight figures. Zoey let more arrows loose. These burned with a feral grin, screeching as they tore through the army of smoke. The soldiers died and reformed, and their movement continued. Those who fell were replaced and they simply continued their march.

“Tez, what is this?” Tara asked as she walked forward to stand in front of the group. His hair lit up as her crown appeared. A high-pitched cry tore through the hall as the structure groaned. Lightning shot from her randomly, crackling like a slaver’s whip and then that multiplied. In this form, she looked deified. Her feet lifted from the group, just a few inches.

“Han’s magic. The Divine Army,” Tez said. “I guess Krak has killed the fool and stolen his essence.”

“Yes, you miss your friend that you were about to kill,” Zoey said. “Does it have any flaws? You have seen him use it before, right?” A hundred streaks of lightning stretched from Tara, like webs of jagged lances. They tore through the approaching ranks, creating many tongues of smoke that only reformed again. Jeremy swung his sword and got the same result. They formed even faster now, moving as if being pulled toward them.

“Tez, doesn’t this bring back the old days?” Krak asked, shouting over the thuds of multiple feet on stone. “You recall our battle? You almost died. You were the weakest, you and Galan. Yet, you brought these children to die here. How cruel of you?” He laughed. “Han died trying to move from Gaora, you know? He was tired of the city and my rule. He thought there were better places out there. The cur! You are all fools like he was. There is nothing out there, only certain destruction. Amareth has no regard for life. His tower carries only death.

“That is why Lord Balek drives to free us all! Join me and you will receive power that is beyond anything that you have known. More than what you see n–”

“Tez!” Tara screamed, turning her light-filled eyes on the old swordsman. “How was Han beaten before?”

“Krak drained his essence,” Tez said. “Or we have to make him use another spell, something large enough to displace this one.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

David frowned. He could absorb them with Chaos’s gauntlet since they were formed with chaos, but he wasn’t sure how many he could take.

Your simple knowledge of essence is what is blinding you to the solution, Ignis warned as David walked forward to meet the army. But it seems someone else has noticed what have all failed to understand.

David whirled around to see Chloe summon her lute. The phantom script appeared in front of her, unspooling as pages stretched out and split into what looked like a thousand and more golden sheets. Her eyes moved about so fast until they settled on one and the rest started to shed like dry, flaky pages.

“Kill the child!” Krak screamed and one of the soldiers shot forward. David swung his sword but it passed through the armor as if it was air, then it reformed behind David. His heart sank and his eyes widened in fear. His body couldn’t move, even as he watched the soldier’s dark blade go for Chloe. Everyone seemed frozen and the moment stretched until Chloe’s coated finger touched the string of her lute and a wave of essence swelled like a rising wave. It crashed on the coming soldier and brushed it aside. Once the golden light faded, David saw the fragments of dark essence in the air. It shimmered and faded, vanishing completely.

“Kill them now!” Krak screamed, but Chloe was already playing again. Unlike before, this tune was harsh, it slashed and gnawed, trying to undo, yet restrained. Chloe’s essence rose above her like golden desert sand swept up in a storm.

Something formed within it. A face? No, something else with a mouth, hollow eyes, and a voice. The mouth opened and within it was the same darkness in the eyes. The sound from it merged with Chloe’s hard notes, and together they became even worse.

Krak’s soldiers were unmade one at a time. They fizzle, shattering into dark motes and then swept away in the storm of Chloe’s magic. David was glad for it. He held a pillar to steady himself, so he wouldn’t be swept away in the rush of the spell. The hall groaned and a fine crack appeared in front of David’s foot. One of the soldiers threw its sword at Chloe, but the sword disintegrated and the soldier followed shortly.

She can’t hold all of that magic, Ignis said. David could already see it. Bright tears sparkled on her face. Her eyes were shut tight and so was the golden spawn above her. Whatever she’d conjured was hurting her, but she wasn’t stopping.

She wasn’t very far from him, but he wasn’t sure how to stop her. He recalled Nurend killing her just to end whatever she was doing back then. He couldn’t kill her, but he could knock her out. He pushed slowly, moving toward her. A glance at Krak told David the old bastard was pissed. Good. There was a translucent dome around Krak and his eight figures. His face was pinched as he stared at his army being dispelled.

David cursed when he felt the force intensify as he got closer to Chloe. Something was keeping him away, protecting Chloe.

He pushed against it, seeing nothing but feeling the solidity of some kind of wall in front of him. He checked Chloe again and cursed when he saw her fingers were bleeding. He summoned Chaos’s left hand and struck the invisible barrier blocking him from his sister.

The Left Hand of Chaos has no effect on the Divine Light.

A vessel of Chaos can’t reach the light of Amareth.

You have attempted to taint the Bard of Amareth.

Amareth curses you!

Your curse has been nullified by willpower!

David ignored the messages as they reeled out in spools. He needed to get Chloe out of whatever trance she was in. Krak’s soldiers were gone completely, but the spell wasn’t stopping. David tried to think. His mind raced with pointless fears and thoughts, no ideas.

“David, move!” Zoey called. David turned to see Zoey pull her bowstring back. Her Vjognir floated beside her, its eyes bright with excitement. David shook his head.

“Are you crazy, you will kill her! We have to find a way to stop the spell, not hurt her. Tara! Te—”

Something slammed into him and his body spasmed. He arched himself up as his body was filled with so much heat his mind went black. He scrambled up, eyes wild with rage and a spark of hatred at the betrayal. Why would they want to kill Chloe? She was only trying to help. He felt the beginning of something, a darkness within him creeping up, blotting the edge of his vision. And a satisfied voice in his head that wasn’t Ignis.

Yes, damn them…kill them… is the weight of the Tilter too much, child? I will bear it for you. Give in to me, boy…give I–

“David!” Elisha’s voice sliced through the darkness to him. David blinked the voice away just in time to see Zoey let the arrow go. He tried to push off Elisha, but shadows wrapped around him, tying him down, making him watch as the arrow plunged into Chloe’s chest. For a moment, nothing happened, then Chloe stopped playing and then the voices stopped. Silence pierced the hall, and they all watched as Chloe fell back and started to convulse.

Zoey’s arrow vanished and Elisha’s shadows unwrapped David and slid back to Elisha.

David rushed to his sister, but Tara was already there, picking her up, and cradling her. David pulled Chloe away from her slowly and touched his baby sister’s cheeks. It was warm, and her jaw was locked too, but the seizure was ebbing.

Her body settled and her breathing regulated, but she wouldn’t wake up. David glared at Zoey. He was about to say something when he felt that familiar grip on his hand.

“David?” Chloe called. “Did I help you win?”

David gasped and then started to nod. He pulled her up into a hug, his heart hammering hard in his chest. For a moment, he had thought she was going to die. Then David saw Krak’s face behind Zoey and Jeremy. Shock, David thought. Krak was shocked by what Chloe did, but the swirling cloak of the eight behind him told David they had not won yet.

“You did good, Chloe,” David said, pulling from her gently. “Now you have to rest while we do our part. Yes?” Chloe nodded. David smiled. He gave Zoey a brief sharp look and then turned to Krak, his sword suddenly in his right hand and the gauntlet in his left.

“You are the curse that needs to be removed; a stain on everyone and everything,” David said, staring at Krak as he walked forward. Behind him, he heard the others follow him. He didn’t care about them, he would burn everything and make sure they paid for what Chloe just went through. The first cloaked figure moved, but David picked one of Ignis’s techniques that boosted speed by infusing his legs with more essence than he would naturally use.

Don’t use tha—

Sword Technique: Swift Blade

The hall blurred slightly, but David’s eyes were on the swirling cloak. The moment he appeared in front of the figure, it tried to use a spell, but David grabbed its face with the gauntlet.

Chaos has been Tamed

You have captured Essence Dolls. Increased willpower and chaos’ left hand to establish dominance and control, but your essence might be influenced and corrupted from prolonged use.

David growled, dragging the doll down with so much force the molded face within cracked and the dark essence within dispersed.

Essence Doll destroyed

Essence absorbed: None

“You are weak, just like Galan,” David said, turning to Krak. “Your essence dolls and the essence you have stolen will do you no good today. There is only the abyss for you to meet, and my blade will take you there.”

Krak chuckled. “Win before you brag, brat.”

David nodded. He felt the loud ache in his legs, but he ignored it. Moving with such speed had been a bad decision, but he was filled with such rage that all he could see in front of him was Krak bleeding from all the places David’s sword had stabbed him. His lips spread into a grin at the thought and in his head, the voice came again.

Now, that is what I like to hear.