‘So what exactly are you suggesting I do next?’ Alex asked of Tyler.
‘Head over there to the Tower of Tartarus,’ said Tyler, ‘but don’t go by yourself–let the rest of us go with you to protect you. Then you need to get back the Clarent Sword from the Braxians, and either stop them from summoning Brax, or if it is too late and he has been summoned already, you must slay him. At all costs Brax must be prevented from getting hold of the Clarent Sword. And if or when we encounter a Braxian champion in a dark blue robe with a huge scythe, the rest of us must protect you from him at all costs.’
Alex nodded, tight-lipped, his jaw clenched tight. ‘Alright, time mage. I am trusting that what you say is true. We make for the Tower. Together.’
‘Come on everyone!’ Horatio said, rallying the party together. ‘You heard Tyler! We protect Alex at all costs!’
As they formed up around Alex and began to sprint towards the Tower again, Horatio realised that he had forgotten about becoming the hero to wield the Clarent Sword himself. It had been a momentary fantasy which had faded into the background in the face of the seriousness of their situation. This wasn’t a time to play with delusions of greatness. This was life and death. This was the chosen hero of destiny. This was the fate of the whole of Gard, which hung in the balance, depending on what happened in the next few hours.
It seemed now that every monster in Brax was swarming straight towards them, and they were just about to reach another group up ahead.
‘Defend Alex!’ Horatio yelled.
Battle 3
More and more monsters were coming towards them, seemingly from nowhere, groups of orcs appearing from over the red rocked-ridges, bats swooping down from the shrouded sky, fire spirits hissing up out of the lava flows.
‘They know we’re here!’ said Horatio. ‘They’re all targeting us!’
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‘Tyler’s arrival must have alerted them to our presence somehow!’ said Primus.
‘We can’t do anything about that now!’ Horatio replied. ‘We’ve got to keep going and get Alex to the Tower!’
They ran on, so close to the Tower now, only about a hundred paces away. But the whole land, the very air, was thick with monsters.
Battle 4
After they had fought off yet another group, there was a noise of creaking metal, and the whole earth rumbled underfoot.
Horatio looked in the direction of the noise.
The Tower’s massive metal doors had opened.
Straight out of the doors flew a huge, horned, blue-skinned, winged demon. It cut a path right through all the other monsters, making straight for the party, and reached them in a matter of moments, landing on the rock just in front of them.
It was even bigger than the dragon had been, the size of ten men put together at least, with a muscly humanoid body, two vast leathery wings and curved claws on its hands and feet each as long as swords.
‘Is this the death-worshiper you warned us about?’ Horatio asked Tyler.
‘No…’ said Tyler. ‘It doesn’t match the description I was given… But we should go carefully all the same…it could be the same champion, only in a different garb.’
‘Why do you speak of me as if I do not understand you?’ said the demon in a peversely shrill voice, opening the jagged maw that served for its mouth. ‘I am not the champion we call “Death”, though I will gladly be your deaths! Do you not realise how pitiful your plight is, you miserable insects? The Leader of our Cult has obtained the Sword you call “Clarent”! And now he will complete the ritual and summon my Master back to Gard to cover the whole of it in his glory!’
‘No!’ cried Alex from the midst of the party’s encirclement. ‘You lie, foul demon! Your kind only know how to lie! The Leader can’t have got the Sword yet!’
‘Ahahahahahaha!’ the demon cackled, throwing back its head. ‘Oh but he has!’ he said. ‘But it does not concern you anywhow, insects, for in a moment you will all be dead!’
The demon launched itself at them, claws forwards and glinting.
Boss: Demon