The rain lashed down like stair rods as Clara led the charge through the deserted streets of Arcadia. It seemed as if all of the undead had either been ordered to the inferno that had consumed half of the terrace of houses where they had been hiding or had been drawn there by the flames reaching up into the dark sky. They rounded the last corner that would lead them to the palace courtyard to find three figures directly across the main street from them.

For a moment, she panicked; there was no way they hadn't been spotted. That was until one of them raised a hand in a wave. Emerging from the shadows opposite them were Olivia, Arthur and Achak, the latter two looking a little worse for wear. She couldn't help but breathe a relieved sigh.

That precious moment only lasted a split second as, with a deafening screech, a huge, black, winged creature that seemed to be made of shadow soared out through the archway and down the street. She had no idea what it was, and, as it flew into the distance, she knew enough to know that she didn't want to find out. Opposite her, Arthur peeked around the corner into the palace courtyard, and with a nod to the two next to him, he moved forward, motioning for Clara to do the same with her group.

The courtyard was eerily silent, a far cry from what it had been when she had gotten close to the palace earlier. Her eyes darted to every dark corner. Huge puddles had formed in the craters that scarred what would have once been a beautiful space, the last remnants of the precursor war. Beyond the rubble that still littered the area, two enormous doors stood half open.

'Why is it so quiet?' Achak asked as the two groups converged. If it weren't for the rain hammering down around them, it would have been silent. There wasn't a soul in sight. 'I don't like it.'

'Me either,' Olivia said, echoing Clara's thoughts. She could feel the hairs standing up on the back of her neck, her head constantly turning, expecting someone or something to leap towards them at any moment. They moved as one, slowly picking their way across the courtyard, eyes in every direction. In some ways, she would have preferred it if they had been faced with another mob of undead; at least then they would be able to see any threat.

The wind whistled around the courtyard, driving down the temperature. For a moment, she was sure she saw a handful of flakes of sleet amongst the rain. The palace loomed over them, casting long shadows despite the sun having long since set. Growing up in the village, even the adults dreaded the night. There was something about it—something about this place—that seemed to draw it in.

'Help me!' Achak cried from behind them, the sound of water splashing.

Reaching up from one of the deep puddles, a black, smoky hand clutched his ankle, sending him tumbling to the ground as it pulled him back towards the puddle. Around them there were more splashes, and huge, smoky guards rose up from the puddles, each seven or eight feet tall and towering over them. Olivia leapt to his side, grabbing his arm with one hand as a cluster of radiant daggers formed in the other, slicing at the hand that held Achak.

'Get inside!' Clara shouted with a glance at the shadow guards advancing from the gateway, blocking their escape.

Shadowy hands jumped up out of the puddles, grabbing at them as they ran for the doors. 'Arthur, get them to the archway,' Olivia said, pulling Achak free from the grasp of the shadow, both of them scrambling to their feet. 'Everyone else, protect them!'

Clara tripped and stumbled over the rubble, with Arthur and Robyn on either side of her. The sound of stone grinding filled the air, and she realised that it was not her being clumsy but the rubble itself moving into her path. 'Which way?' She said as the doors towered over them, illuminated by the flashes of light and fire behind them as Olivia and the other precursors tried to beat back the shadow guards.

'Left!'

She skidded into the entrance hall, her wet shoes sliding on the smooth marble floor. With a crash, she fell, slamming into the ground as pain shot up her left arm and into her shoulder. 'Come on,' Robyn said, grabbing her under the other arm and helping her up. Dazed, she allowed Robyn to lead her.

The ground around them shook violently, almost toppling her again as a huge shadow fell over them. A dully illuminated corridor sat before them, a gargantuan stone humanoid figure blocking their path, piercing purple eyes staring down at them from at least twelve feet up. Rubble from the floor slowly drifted towards it, adding to its form as it seemed to grow. Glowing purple like its eyes, the stones melded together to form an enormous great sword, held together by the energy.

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With an almighty swing, it brought one hand down, the gigantic stone fist cracking the floor as the three of them leapt out of the way just in time. Separated, it seemed to eye them up as if trying to work out which of them posed the greatest threat to it and what it was guarding.

'Go! Use the stairs!' Arthur shouted as he pulled a vial from his belt and hurled it at the stone golem. 'I'll draw it away.'

'Go!' Robyn hissed, pushing her forward as the concussive vial exploded against its leg without leaving so much as a chip in the stonework. It was enough to draw its attention in Arthur's direction as he scampered back to avoid a swing from the enormous sword.

'A little help in here,' he called out as he passed the door.

As she ran up the stairs after Robyn, she glanced back. In the torrential rain, the weapons of the Cimant warriors caught the light of Robyn's incendiary vials, with the five of them battling a swarm of shadow guards each. Olivia appeared in the doorway, her array of radiant blades sinking into the stone golem to no effect. 'What's the plan?' Clara heard her shout to Arthur as the greatsword slammed into the ground once more, dividing them.

'Buy them time,' he replied, nodding in their direction as they turned along the balcony. A hundred or so feet ahead of them was a doorway, the balcony collapsing just short of it to leave a haphazard staircase back down on the other side of the golem.

A giant stone fist swung round in Arthur's direction, Olivia's conjuring a giant hummingbird to take the blow just in time. Robyn reacted quickest, seeing the danger Arthur was in. With a concussive vial of her own, she drew its attention as it exploded on the golem’s shoulder. She shoved Clara ahead of her as a huge chunk of stone flew over their heads, shattering against the wall and raining down on them.

Down below, Clara heard more bangs as she scrambled for cover in a small alcove. 'Here, take this and finish the job,' Robyn said, forcing the explosive vial she had been saving into her hand. 'I need to help them; it can't focus on all of us at the same time. Go, quickly. Stay low.'

Without another word, Robyn darted away from her, popping up at the edge of the balcony to hurl a vial into the entrance hall below. Before she could move, there was a deafening screech like that of the winged creature they had seen leaving the palace. 'He's here!' She heard someone shout down below.

Just as Robyn threw another vial over the edge, the balcony where she stood exploded, and she disappeared in an enormous cloud of dust without a sound. In the entrance hall, she heard a horrific scream. She didn't make it to the edge of the balcony before there was a huge explosion that shook the entire palace. In the end, it was lucky for her that she hadn't moved; a piece of the huge great sword, still bound by the purple energy soaring over the banister and hitting the wall.

Instinctively, she ducked, rubble raining down around her. As she looked up, her eyes locked with a familiar pair. Russell stood in the doorway at the end of the balcony. For a moment that felt like forever, he stared at her as he cocked his head quizzically. Before her eyes, his features shifted to match those that resembled Emily's description of Kannan, and he darted down the makeshift staircase that she had been heading for.

'Well, look who's found their way free of my chains. You've brought friends as well,' an icy-cold voice echoed around the entrance hall. 'He told me you were powerful; you'll make a fine crux when I'm done slaughtering them.'

Clara edged towards the banister, keeping low as she peered over the side. Standing at the centre of the room amongst the rubble of the golem was a man in a thick, red and gold cloak, his jet-black hair flecked with white tips. Shadows swirled around him, tendrils lashing out at Arthur and Olivia. They encircled them like ribbons, constricting them tightly. No longer were there flashes or sounds of battle in the courtyard; the eyes of the man she assumed to be Tristan were staring at the other side of the entrance hall.

Through the settling dust and a golden bubble, she saw Lewis, his eyes a piercing white, one hand still outstretched. A trace of a golden thread drifted from his fingertips to where a small chunk of the golem still hung in the air. The black ribbons around Olivia and Arthur drifted as the bubble over Lewis faltered. 'They needn't have died. All of them could have accepted me but now they are dead because of you, Lewis Vandemark.'

'Don't worry, you'll join them soon,' Lewis spat.

With a blinding flash, the thread flashed like a bolt of lightning, cutting through the air towards Tristan. Ten feet from him, it stopped dead, as if it had hit an invisible wall. Tristan laughed, watching as the crackling energy spread out around a bubble of his own, the shadows engulfing it slowly. 'Brave. I see the shadows have taught you nothing since we last faced each other. It's hopeless. They'll all die and then you'll join them in the darkness.'

Tristan's wrist flicked, and the bubble disappeared, golden lightning striking out in every direction. Chucks of stone were blasted from the walls and ceiling wherever they struck, a new golden shield shattering the moment it appeared between Lewis and Tristan. The rubble melded together, a swirl of burning daggers streaking towards Lewis as Tristan laughed.

She watched in horror as they tore into the black cloak he was wearing. Fumbling for her belt, she pulled the explosive vial Robyn had given her free, throwing it over the balcony and praying that her aim was good enough. Ducking down, she sprinted in the direction Russell had gone. A thunderous boom sent stones tumbling from the ceiling, but she didn't look back; she had to get to the archway.