Not many guards were stationing In Block A, mostly because there was almost nothing (serious) to protect. Few people that barely found magic within them and where foolish enough to practice it, get seen and reported. Collars on theirs neck were only a waste of this precious white onyx. Guards were literally fighting each other to get assignation to this block! Guards here we mostly playing cards, as higher ups never came to inspect them.
One of them has just lost half of his weekly salary, so angered he left the gaming table to take a walk so he could calm his nerves. And then he started hearing things.
* “WhooooOOOooOoo!” it sounded like child trying to scare their parents pretending to be a ghost
* “Who is there?!”
* “I am your guardian angel! And I have to say I am tired of your shit!” a feminine voice could be heard right in front of him, yet no one was there “Filthy sinner, gambler, onanist! You think I can’t see you touching yourself every night! I will tell you more – I can’t avert my eyes!”
* “Show yourself! You…”
* “Show myself? My ethereal, beautiful form, to you mortal? For what? So you could touch yourself while thinking about me? ‘Tis a dishonor I would not stand!... yet you still not believe me… very well, your friend that is coming this way is even worse than you, he uses his position to rape witches you captured! You were supposed to get rid of evil, not lie with it! As punishment, I will take away his manhood!”
Indeed, steeps could be heard from direction of other section of the block where guards from before where playing.
* “Stephan! Are you coming? Come on, maybe you will get your moneys baa…”
In an instant he started choking
* “Yesss, can’t utter a word? Now you know how women you raped felt! Suffer for you crimes!”
And then a blood started coming from area of guard’s family jewels, as if he was stabbed over and over again with knife, yet none could be seen. Then, his throat was horizontally slashed open and his whole body raised and tossed to the side.
* “Now you believe? Filthy sinner?”
* “I…I beg you! Please, have mercy?”
* “Did you have mercy for my pure eyes each time you touched yourself?”
* “I beg you…”
* “Yet, I am merciful….”
* “Thank you! Thank you!”
* “If you would swear that you would never touch yourself ever again…”
* “I swear, so please, have mercy!”
* “Very well…” a dagger dropped from nowhere on the floor in front of the guard “… make a sacrifice.”
* “W..What?”
* “You think I would just believe you? To trust words of human? After all the efforts I made to came in front of you? No, I demand proof. Cut it off.”
* “W..wha…”
* “Your manhood. You have to pay for you crimes and pledge to never do it again, we can do both in one go. Cut. It. Off.”
* “…I beg you… mercy…”
* “AM I NOT MERCIFUL YET?!” the air around guards started sparkling “You have three seconds. That or you will burn. One…”
Man started taking his pants off
* “Two…”
He grabbed a sharp knife
* “And thr…”
Suppressed squeal of pain filled the corridor and blooded gushed from the wound
* “I can’t believe… he did that…” this time it was male voice, from same spot as angel’s “That idiot really believed you…”
An illusion shattered revealing female in nun’s robes and man around his forties, man well-known to every guard in the castle – Jason, prisoner from block S
* “See, Jason, this is what this whole faith is. Some tricks with sparkles and idiots are ready to sacrifice their jewels. But I had my fun, sunshine…” she looked at the man weak because of the pain and blood loss “.. my dear, I would love to let you leave, just so this wound would remind you what idiot you are, unfortunately for both you and me, I can’t risk that… so… Sleep tight.”
Another slash, another dead body.
* “Now I will have nightmares about that. Thanks, Ay.”
* “Don’t complain! That stuff on the floor ain’t yours, is it? So no need to worry! Ok, there are three more guards playing by the table in next room, better not make them waiting, or they may start wondering where their friends went… Comin with me?”
* “Ladies first.”
* “Oh! A gentleman!”
* “No, after seeing what you did with those two I am never letting you behind me.”
Assassin snorted and entered the room. She moved around the guard, and looked into one’s cards, then she looked at table, moved to the side and whispered to another’s ear
* “Don’t move. Don’t let them know you can hear me. I am your guardian angel. Men on your left has straight flush…”
Jason only rolled his eyes. This woman is having far too much fun.
Group of guards were moving in the line through narrow corridor. They came to the crossing of two paths, yet they kept walking onward. 1st man passed, second followed, same was with number three, four and five, but when last man of the group was passing by crossing, a clawed paw came the darkened ceiling, grabbed him and lifted up. There was a cracking sound and a sword felt on the ground making grinding noise. The whole group turned around.
* “Where is Adam?”
* “He was just behind me…”
Shadow moved once again with speed making flames of the torches move. Another man went missing!
* “ALA…” someone tried yelling, but as soon as he opened his mouth he started choking. Himself. With his own hands.
Another guard brought his sword, but someone jumped on his pinning him to the ground. Man was about his thirties, his whole body was covered in dirt and certainly could use a bath. His hairs were formed into few punk-spikes and his whole half-naked body was covered in scares
* “PYROX WILL MAKE YOU KA-BOOM!”
A monstrosity dropped from the ceiling dragging two bodies with twisted necks along
* “No, Pyrox want make him Ka-Boom.”
* “Just… Boom?”
* “No.”
* “Little Boomy-boom?”
* “I will regret it, but show me what is a little Boomy-boom for you.”
Man called Pyrox grinned overjoyed and placed his head on guards forehead. Almost right away witch hunter got a seizure attack – rolled his eyes back to his skull and clenched his teeth.
* “Boomy-boom – no soundy, BUT ITS SPICY!”
… did that man just… cooked guard’s brain?
* “You could kill without a sound all along? Pyrox…” a beast turned into human and put his both hands of Punk’s shoulder “Go boomy-boom as much as you want…”
* “Mister, mister, We can’t feel more dolls in this block, except for those in cells…”
* “So we can start releasing them? Perfect… let’s hope Ay and Jason are done too…”
* “You took your sweet time, Zaaa-ri!” Ay yelled from afar sitting on the table behind quite the crowd gathered.
I looked over them appraising them quickly. Nothing special. Bah, you could say that quite disappointing. Indeed, mostly useless novice mages were put into blocks A I B.
They didn’t do much better, even if quality of C and D prisoners was quite pleasant, they quantity wasn’t.
* “Let’s count our little ride. Five S, eleven D, nineteen C… How about you?”
I asked titling my head
* “Twenty something C… and I am not even taking into consideration A’s.”
Stolen novel; please report.
* “So about fifty magicians… Our enemies are…”
* “Eight squads, each fifty plus commander. You are outnumbered 8:1!”
* “More than enough.” I nodded few times calculating our chances “Listen up, you maggots!” I raised my voice “Do you want to live? If not, feel free returning to your cages. Everyone else, right now I am in charge. We are about to storm the chapel, kill everyone on our path, burn this castle to the ground and then we would part our ways and everyone would go wherever he desires…”
* “Wait…” someone raised his voice “Couldn’t we run right away? We are almost by the gates, all we would have to do…”
* “EVERYONE! Attention! Don’t be this guy! This is why I am in command. From now, we only have about an hour till the change of guard, then they would notice us missing, sound an alarm and hunt us down. As we would move our own ways, we would lose the advantage of being a group, they would hunt as down one by one, for they have horses and hounds… On the other hand, if we would kill them right now, we would have at least few days till someone would visit this castle. Decide, attack – as we have element of surprise, or run away, and embrace the death!”
* “But… but some of us…”
* “If you say [some of us may die], I will kill you right on your spot. What have you been doing here all this time if no dying? If we would attack, indeed, there would be casualties. Who knows, maybe even half of us! Maybe more! But if we would run we all would die, maybe one lucky bastard or two would manage to flee…”
* “Don’t you want us just to keep them busy while you would run? Counting bodies would surly take some time and it would be harder to find five missing prisoners in the pile of corpses!”
* “… Fuck, I didn’t think about it… well, missed opportunity I guessed. I will tell you why it won’t happened. Because I will be in the first line… and you will be just by my side to witness it, I am glad you volunteered. Everything know what to do? No? Perfect! I always say, your enemy won’t predict what you are about to do, if not even yourself don’t know about it! Pyrox? Remember when I said I would give you a sign? A sign.”
You started [Raid] - Conquering of castle WergornRaid commanderZariel WhiteravenChampionsPyrox
Darik & Daria Shadecoat
Jason Jasny
Commander's morale effect- Commander is considered to be insane and unpredictable - [Fear] status effects used against your raid member will be 50% less potent
- Commander is considered to be clever - Possibility of raid member not executing commander's order is 20% less probable to occur
- Raid members are fighting for their life - it is highly unlikely that they would surrender, even if commander would die
… even if commander would die… I am not going to die, damn it!
S ranked grinned from ear to ear, moved to the edge of the wall and looked down. Couple of inquisitors were standing under him, over ten meter below. He casually jumped down. In midair his whole body was embraced by flames as if creating a shied shape under his legs.
He hit the ground causing explosion and sending his targets all around… well, at least parts of his enemies. Guards on the inner plaza needed few seconds to comprehend what happened. Pyrox raised from small crater that formed after his attack and while spreading his arm and flexing his muscles yelled with every bit of strength he could muster in his lungs.
* “I AM JUST WARMING UP!”
* “On Your position! One of prisoners escaped! Pyrox from block S! Stay cautious!”
Idiots didn’t even bothered looking on the walls, well, they wouldn’t see anyone but myself, rest was hidden deeper, far away from their gaze.
* “To every mage who can use fire, explosions or simplest battle magic of neutral affinity – I command the bombardment of the plaza. Aim wherever you wish for….
Fire within me, rise once again…” I started the chant
* “To rage in my heart, and manifest the bane,
May the spirits of anger, answer thy call,
So death itself from its pit would crawl…”
About dozen of mages behind me followed the chant. I looked on Jason
* “Spread misinformation. Try hiding Pyrox, if you can, try making some illusions on the walls, let them think that there is more of us.”
Photomancer sat on the ground crossing his legs and shutting his eyes, we didn’t have to wait long for first effects. Indeed, human-looking shadows started dancing on the edges of walls.
* “ON THE WALLS! Regroup! Get the crossbows!”
Gates to the barracks of the inquisitors were slammed open and groups of armored to the teeth solider marching side by side in steady formation flooded the plaza. In same time first spell rained down on inquisitors.
* “Darik, Daria, focus on rangers.” Twins nodded eagerly
About twenty men carrying crossbows formed two rows. First one kneeled seconds kept standing right behind them.
* “Steady! Aim!...” enemy commander started ordering around, yet in same time two witch hunters in the seconds rod begun acting weird.
One of them aimed at him commander and send an arrow in his stomach piercing his armor, second one pointed his crossbow directly at the head of kneeling ranger below him. Shot from such distance forced arrow to break helmet, pierce through head and hit the ground below him. Then they dropped their weapons and took of combat daggers from behind their belts and started stabbing their companions on the sides.
* “ARE YOU INSANE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING SOLIDER? FUCK! Twins! Look for the twins and eliminate them as fast as possible!”
* “Mister, mister, our head hurts…”
* “Mister, mister, it is hard to look into heads of people wearing those helmets…”
* “It’s fine, my loves. You did great. But you have to keep harder just a little but more! Not everyone are wearing those helmets, try prioritizing these one, ok?”
Pyrox was having his long awaited party. Pillars of flames erupted in random places forcing enemy lines back.
* “YOU CAN HIDE FROM MAGIC! BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM HEAT! BUUURN!”
He was laughing maniacally as fire storm erupted from his hands and flew coating small group in flames. They hide behind shields covered in onyx, but just as Pyrox said, it wasn’t as effective as against other kind of magic.
White onyx violated the structure giving shape to the spell. Energy – mana – gain certain shape after being covered in the spell. Mana was becoming a fire, it meant that after touching onyx fire was once again shattered into mana – which itself was harmless.
But fire, before disappearing was generating heat, and here Pyrox appeared to be much for skilled in manipulating fire that we could though.
Fire mages could create fire wherever they wished, simply, the closer it was to them, the easier it was, but there are various other factor that determinate how easy or hard task it would be. If I would tell you to create a huge fire that could devour the forest, and asked you where it would be easier for you to start – here or kilometer away, you would tell that here. But then I could add that kilometer away there is pool of naphtha – in such case all you needed was sparkle.
To create fire you needed vibrations of molecules, you were accelerating vibration gathering eve more heat till moment of ignition. And this is what he was using heat air for. Using wind he gathered hot air attracting even further oxygen and hydrogen from surroundings to the center of enemy formation.
* “And now you make ka-boom!” he turned around snapping his fingers “COOL GUYS DON’T LOOK AT EXPLOSION! YEEEEAH” he yelled raisings his hands making sign of horns as on metal concert
* “SOMKIN’!”
* “Stop attacking with just magic! Instead try using them to push objects! They may be immune to magic, but they are not immune on stones from crumbled towers! And tower above them aren’t immune to magic!” I yelled while sending explosive bolt at tower of chapel.
Part of building broke away and fell on people bellow. With corner of my vision I noticed two guys from block A working together to bring a brick from the ground and position it in the middle of air in front of girl from B. She started rotating it and using wind pressure send it flying in the middle of enemy squad, probably only thanks to luck it hit one of the guards in the head. There was no way he could survive that. Not with half of his forehead missing.
A single knight equipped feet to tip of his head in onyx appeared and raising his sword over his head yelled over the crowd
* “Protect the chapel!”
I knew I shouldn’t be doing that, but it was stronger than me. The urge that simply appeared and refused to leave me.
I did the same – turned D’iabel into sword, pointed it on the chapel and yelled in same voice
* “Focus the chapel!”
* “Don’t let them walk past you!” he yelled
* “Don’t even bother charging at them!” I responded. And then added quietly, just to my people “… I mean… why should we charge? We are mages and have better position… the fuck would we even want to walk past them? We will walk OVER them, as soon as they would be dead… Right?”
* “WALL OF SHIELD! Make a line bastards! Now! Up! Onward!”
As he was commanding, few dozen of warriors carrying tower shields ran through part of plaza standing in the middle and formed a line, then, they were followed by few man with crossbow that hide behind the line of shield. They started marching in our direction. Every time in a while one of shield would be moved by frontliners to the side letting the crossbowman fire.
One of arrow was flying in my direction. Hopefully I reacted in the moment when shield’s man started moving to the side. Arrow missed me by an inch or two… and hit the guy that stood directly behind me
* “Are you nuts? The hell are you standing in pack? You want to be easier target? Disperse! Jason! Wake up, damn it! Take few guyz that can shoot and get on the other side of wall. Shoot them from the sides and back. We won’t do much against those fucking shields! Pyrox! Back! For fuck sake! Back! The hell are you doing there alone!? My loves? Mind telling me what are you doing?”
But twins were holding their hands and staring blankly in the void. Their minds were away. I started looking for weirdly behaving witch hunters on the battlefield I found them pretty quickly. They weren’t wearing helmets and were walking in completely differ direction that rest of the group, one was carrying a torch. They opened the door to some storage room and dropped the torch inside.
I have never seen such explosion in my life. I have no idea what they were storing there, but flames that burst from the little hut forced few others building to catch fire. An Pyrox, Pyrox was letting out most primal scream that human’s lungs could ever draw as he worshiped the fire.
Their formation was in mess, still raising from the ground.
* “Take them with all you got! FINISH IT!” I yelled while jumping down “PYROX! Show me your greatest fire!”
* “I can do Sparkly? Really? Time for Sparkly? SPAAARKLY? NYA-HAHAHAHA! GO ON! LIGHT UP FOR MEEEE!”
He raised his hands high in the sky, every single fire in the castle seem to respond to that gesture as it started concentrating in the air, getting hotter and denser.. .and forming a weird shape… something like serpent?
Well, I didn’t have time to admire the view above me as I kept running through the plaza morphing on my way. I targeted those witch hunters which were first on their feet. I jumped in the sky landing perfectly among four of them. My claws made deep marks in shield as enemy solider barely managed to cover his body from my assault, still momentum of blow and my increased body mass send him once again on the ground. I moved my whole weight on frontal limbs and kicked man that tried stabbing me from behind.
Then I heard someone yelling – enemy commander – the one in onyx was charging at me. I was occupied with other swordsmans so I needed to take the blow on my scales. I tried to balance my body to make the blade slip over my body, partly I succeed, still few drops of my blood fell on the ground
I freed myself and jumped few times back gathering distance. Commander followed me right away, now it was one on one fight.
No, it wasn’t foolishness of his. He knew that I was the one behind this whole mess, if he would defeat me, they could have chances of turning their situation.
* “DIE! Vile creature! Your death will bring world one step closer to peace!”
* “World at peace?” I hissed blocking his swing “I would rather see world in pieces!” I pushed back.
We collided once again, he kept swinging from sides unleashing tempest of blows. I parried each of attack with claws and tail blocked with scales and parts of exoskeleton. I kept moving my whole posture on sides to make him focus his attention completely on my limbs.
And then I spat venom in his eyes.
He crumbled and fall, I couldn’t not using this opportunity. I pinned him to the ground. I sat on his waist so he couldn’t raise, I held his arms with my hands to further reduce his possibility to damage me, then I grow pair of bone sickles from my backs and started stabbing furiously his whole body frame. I couldn’t not notice how hard onyx was, it forced me to focus on gapes in armor and weak points- mostly where joints were located.
He cough with blood tainting his armor.
* “You look better in red.” I grinned showing him row of my needle-teeth “Let me help you changing your image.”
I continued my job, his body parts were falling off from massacred body, when I finished, there was no single white spot on his entire body
* “You are my finest masterpiece.” I said as farewell leaving his corpse in the middle of the field. I raised my head and looked in the air. Oh. Guyz, meet Sparkly.
Pyrox not only focused the fire, he also breath an existence into it – a spirit. In the sky a real fire elemental was dancing. Controlled summoning? Pyrox, you are astounding me!
The monster looked like wyrm and it was soaring through the sky.
* “Be damn, you who awoken me!” creature roared
* “SPARKLY! DO A TRICK! DO A TRIIICK!” pyromancer yelled to the creature
* “Foolish mortal! I am not mere pet that you can summon as you please!”
Technically… he just summoned you
* “DO! THE! TRICK!”
A single human in the middle of sea of blood and corpses commanding huge serpent made of fire flying above him. That surely made an impression.
* “I will give you the trick you desire so much, you arrogant mortal!”
The monster inhaled. For a second the whole castle became absolutely quiet. Everyone – mages and hunters alike were looking in awe and anticipation.
And then beast exhaled.
The sun was settling down as night was approaching, yet for a half of a minute everything was as bright as in the middle of day. Buildings collapsed from mere impact of the wind… and fire… fire followed next.
Mages quickly raised protection spells, hunter tired hiding behind the shields, but they were blown away and scorched in process.
The beast used most of its powers to perform this attack, and now it started vanishing
* “May it be a lesson – this is how fools that shows me no respect en…”
* “SMOOOKIN HOOOOT! SPARKLY! YOU DA BEEEEEST!”
As smoke vanished it revealed the posture of punk-guy. He was standing in same spot he stood a moment ago, the only difference was that tips of his hair-spike were burning a little.
* “AGAIN! DO IT AGAAAAIN!”
* “Im…impossible!” fiery eyes of monstrosity widened in disbelief “What are you?!”
The creature managed to squeal in disbelief for a moment before vanishing.
The flames died within a moment – the whole castle was ruined. Only one building remained more or less in one piece – chapel. Only small tower that I tore away few moment ago was missing.
Hunter were dead. Not only dead but mostly eradicated, vaporized. It was one sided victory. Yet no one cheered. Few were exhausted, few still couldn’t believe what happened and member of block S looked like they didn’t care.
* “Ooookay! Show is over. Off you go!” I yelled to the crowd “It was all nice and dandy, but it’s over. Nothing interesting! Nothing to see! Please disperse!.. No, I am being serious right now. You just earned couple of days. Go wherever you wish, we have no further use of you!” I turned back to my A-team “…So! Who wants to open the gift?”
I asked pointing in direction of the champel.