Whatever this dark force was, it was upon them, and Max knew he was being drawn to it, and it toward him. Max stared into the dark swirling cloud. It was eight feet tall, two feet across, and filled with a million dark nightmares. It stopped moving a few yards away from Max and then began to move slowly from side to side in a swaying motion. Mixed with its swirling whirlwind motion, this had a dizzying effect. Max felt as if something was calling to him lightly and gently, a sound felt, not heard, and a sound at odds with the dark chaotic mass that faced him.
Hidden in the dark swirling mass, Max thought he could detect specters writhing within. Deep in the chaotic depths, mouths reached out, teeth and gaping maws, silent voices screaming in terror and anguish, offering pain and destruction or domination. Strangely, and against every sinew of his being, this nightmare was tempting to Max. He was drawn toward it, mesmerized, and it was like staring into the deep dark eyes of a deadly predator, hypnotized and beguiled even though they promised only death.
Max checked the stats on this dark entity before him.
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> Name: Dark Whirlwind
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> Status: Hostile
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> Attack: Suffocating
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> Threat level: Dangerous
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All around, time seemed to stand still, Elderon and Anita moving far too slowly. Then the Whirlwind started moving in a quick jerking motion, darting from side to side, closing in ever closer with every sudden jerking move like a predator dancing in front of its prey.
Then Anita’s spell was cast, a Bonus to the party. Max felt his abilities rise, as if every sweep of his shortsword was sure to strike and deal damage, as if every bullet from his catapult would be on target.
Time returned to normal. Max’s ears filled with a dread screeching from the Dark Whirlwind and Elderon’s stern and calm call to action.
Max loaded a bullet, his catapult brace pressed hard against his forearm before the bullet leapt away.
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> Max attacks Dark Whirlwind.
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The bullet just passed through the black cloud and out the other side.
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> Dark Whirlwind immune to attack.
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Anita launched a bullet from her sling. Again, the bullet passed harmlessly through the cloud. Elderon cast Magic Missile. Six glowing missiles slammed into the Dark Whirlwind.
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> Dark Whirlwind takes minor damage.
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Max was shocked to see Elderon’s Magic Missile do so little damage but at least it did some damage. Max started to cast a freshly prepared Magic Missile of his own. But before Max could cast it, the Whirlwind lunged at him. It moved so fast, it was terrifying.
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> Max casts Magic Missile.
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> Magic Missile failed.
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The black cloud smothered him. The casting gestures were spoiled as he raised his hands to shield his face, the incantation lost as he gasped in fear. The screaming voices and twisting, writhing bodies assailed him on all sides, mouths yelling into his face, long sharp nails on bony fingers clawing at his skin. He closed his eyes to block out the horror, but the dark images wrapped in the cloud were still visible.
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> Dark Whirlwind attacks Max.
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> Max has been silenced.
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The Dark Whirlwind moved off, moving away a few yards before twisting on the spot and flying back in. Max tried to cast, but his voice had been stolen from him, the world plunged into silence.
Anita was casting a Magic Stone for her sling. She shot it at the cloud as it came back in. The bullet passed through the cloud, but its magic power burned a hole through the Whirlwind and caused minor damage.
Max took aim with his sling. He loaded a superior bullet he’d taken from the Bandit wagon and shot it at the dark mass.
The bullet passed through, but thankfully caused some damage.
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> Dark Whirlwind takes minor damage.
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And then the black mass was on him again. He was trapped inside. He could see Elderon cast another Magic Missile, the six missiles slamming into the cloud. Max could see the tortured souls twist in agony as the missiles hit.
The fingers clawed at him again, making him feel so cold and lost. The cloud moved off, leaving Max staggering in its wake.
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> Max has been overcome with terror.
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Max was petrified. His fingers fumbled at his bullet pouch, and he dropped it to the ground. His staff was lost. He could not take hold of his sword, his fingers were so weak.
Anita attacked the Whirlwind with another Magic Stone.
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> Dark Whirlwind takes minor damage.
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The cloud turned on Anita. Max saw the Whirlwind envelop her, her body twisting inside the cloud. She thrashed about with her staff, but it only churned the cloud, the twisting shapes, fingers, and screaming mouths sweeping around her before moving off.
The cloud left Anita bedraggled and confused. She stumbled this way and that, lost, unable to see.
“Tempt the Dark Whirlwind to you, Max,” Elderon said.
Max could hear Elderon, and although the old Mage was only a few feet away, it was as if he were speaking from a vast distance. Max struggled to understand the instruction. He could see that Elderon was casting a spell, but otherwise, Max felt totally confused.
“Only elemental power can defeat the cloud,” Elderon shouted. “It is not of this world but a dimensional enemy.”
The Dark Whirlwind twisted and appeared to focus on Elderon. Max regained some of his composure. He had scaled fifty-story buildings and not been afraid of a little bit of wind; he could face up to this little Whirlwind. He dived in the way of the Dark Whirlwind, his sword in his hand. It felt feeble in his grip, and he still could not speak, trapped in a world of silence, but he held the sword in defiance of this dark enemy.
The Whirlwind rushed toward Max, and again, he was enveloped.
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> Max takes suffocating damage.
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The Whirlwind released him, but his health was plummeting. Max thrashed on the ground, unable to breath, as Anita rushed to his side and cast a spell.
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> Anita casts Extra Healing on Max.
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Fine white tendrils of light spread over Max, and he felt his Health recover. He took a breath, gasping and spluttering.
The cloud came back at him.
Max knew he was too heavily wounded to survive another suffocating attack.
At that moment, Elderon cast his spell.
Overhead, a bright light appeared and lanced down directly to the ground.
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> Elderon casts Summon Light.
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The light punched into the heart of the Dark Whirlwind and burst out from the darkness in curved sheets. The souls inside the Whirlwind screamed, and Max could hear again. The Whirlwind twisted and appeared to be blowing itself out as the light striking down from high above vanished. The winds inside the Dark Whirlwind slowed until it was nothing but a gently twirling mist. Then the dark remnants of the whirlwind settled on the ground and sank deep into the soil.
Max stepped forward and stared at the point where the Dark Whirlwind had sunk into the ground. He saw the ground was writhing, the grass moving, the soil twisting.
“Back away, Max,” Elderon said. “Prepare yourselves.”
Max stepped back, his eyes still fixed on the writhing ground. He loaded his catapult and moved toward Elderon. The ground started heaving as if it were boiling. Anita came forward on Max’s side, her sling twirling, a bullet loaded and ready to shoot.
A few feet away from Max, the ground erupted, soil spewing upward. And then away to the right, then further ahead. In all, Max could see six places where the ground had begun to heave and churn.
Max saw the first white bones appear on the surface of the ground, a heap of bones being spewed out from the earth. And there . . . another heap of bones. Then the bones merged and fused together to form Skeletons. They rose up to their feet, each armed with a club formed from a tangle of roots.
Max still felt the residual tingling fear that the Dark Whirlwind had inflicted on him, and now he was staring into the empty eye sockets of a skull. He felt a cold sweat on his back. He could not shake the fear, and then he felt the effects of Anita’s Bonus spell wear off. Only the firm, confident voice of Elderon gave him courage.
“Stay together. Here they come.”