Chapter 50: To Save Your Friends

⁃ Sarai vs Tyrion

"Watch out!"

Thorfinn's yell, whilst vital in saving the lives of Jorvik and Mimosa, came too late for several soldiers from the Army of Wolves whom ended up bifurcated by a single strike originating from a giant poleaxe. The wielder, a man of medium height and with black hair bore a stoic expression as he stepped over the bodies and levelled his blood stained weapon at the two young knights before him.

"Tenebris Praesidium!"

Displaying quick thinking coupled with his skill with dark magic, Jorvik drew a rune in the air Wu hi he created a dome of purple light over him and Mimosa before then creating a series of additional cross bows within his defensive spell, that fired several bolts at opponent. However, the invader dodged the bolts with such skilful body movements that he managed to close the distance and launch a counter strike right towards Jorvik's head.

Yet, just as the top of the poleaxe was mere inches from being impaled in the young knights skull, a series of golden runes appeared surrounding the opponent before tightening in to contain him. "Flos Torque!" Taking a speedy look over his shoulder, Jorvik saw Mimosa Vermilion with both arms raised in front of her and generating her plant magic.

"Mimosa!"

As much as he wanted to fight by her side, and protect her, Jorvik new that the terrified scream that he'd heard announced the arrival of Noelle, Sarai and Thorfinn. And bringing up the rear, armed with swords and axes, were Amaya and Gyda.

"Hey, you big guy!" Thorfinn growled. "Mind telling us what you're playing at! Although, I have a feeling that your one of the bastards who kidnapped Zeren!"

Upon hearing the mention of Zeren's name, and Thorfinn's prognosis about this man; whom had attacked the convoy of troops heading to rescue him, Sarai felt anger surge through her. Standing up, she gripped her glaive spun around and bolted straight at the black haired man, striking him in the arm. Yet, as she prepared to swing her blade again she suddenly saw the man take on an expression which worried her.

Instead of appearing stoic, indifferent even, the man's eyes widened and his mouth became a wild sadistic grin.

"You! You are strong... I like fighting strong opponents. So..." and with a flick of his wrist the man created serval silver rune circles that appeared on the ground beneath Thorfinn, Noelle, Mimosa, Jorvik, Gyda and Amaya. "Let's play. Your friends lives now rely on you being able to entertain me. If you beat me then my spell will cancel but if I win, then we'll... your friends will all be blown sky high by my detonation magic".

"Explosion Magic: Divulsae!"

With ice cold fury now thoroughly running through her veins, a scowl on her face and a deep desire to behead the man responsible for threatening her sister and friends, the young female knight took a deep breath and charged straight at the man before her. With incredible speed and dexterity Sarai swung her glaive in an arc. As much as she wanted to cut him down, she knew, from Captain Vangaence's lectures, that she had to determine an opponents weaknesses before committing fully to any duel or fight.

Sarai had always sworn to herself that she would never use or be affiliated with anyone whom used dark magic, seeing it as unnatural and inhumane but since her friends all used some some degree of magic that originated from a sub branch of dark magic, she had reluctantly dropped her second belief. However, her determination to never use dark magic remained entirely iron clad. Therefore, to be able to fight mages on equal footing, Sarai had taken to martial weapons: her favourites being swords and glaives.

As her glaive swept past the opponents head, she scowled at the smirk appearing onthe man's face. 'He's enjoying toying with me' she mused angrily. "Coward!" She yelled, "you are a rebell against the Pentarchy. If you really want to defeat the kingdoms knights, then you shouldn't run!"

The smirk on Tyrion's face, momentarily became a frown before reasserting itself in gleeful smugness. "You should be wary of whom you speak to girly..." he cackled. "Some people could see you as arrogant, and get violent". Rushing forwards and casting out his arms wide Tyrion created a web of chains which he began to use as whips, attacking via distance and with extreme fervour for sadism.

A sudden whoosh of air pressure suddenly struck past his right ear, made him stifle his laughter and reach up with his hand to feel a trickle of blood on said ear. A mad grin stretched out across his face as he realised that for the first, in a very long time, he'd found someone who had actually drawn blood firm him.

"Fight... fight. We shall fight till bitter end!"

Throwing off his cloak before tearing his tunic and revealing his muscular chest, tattooed with magic runes, Tyrion jumped into the air and unleashed a barrage of explosive punches directed at Sarai. For the briefest of moments it looked as if Sarai was engulfed in red fire that rained down upon her, however the young knight used her opponents own explosions to propel herself through the air and bring her glaive down severing his left arm.

"Sarai!" Thorfinn and Noelle yelled as they watched their friend leap out of a massive swirl of fire holding a blood stained weapon. Yet before they could continue the man's cackling began anew. Only this time, as he stood up he made sure to flick as much of his own blood towards them; smirking as he did.

"Sanguinem Diaboli!"

As soon as those words left Tyrion's mouth, Sarai instantly knew what was about to happen. Spinning around she bolted head first towards the nearest blood splatter and implied her sword through a half formed torso, saving Mimosa and Gyda. The gargled scream that emanated from the creatures mouth, as it hurled up blood before crumpling to the ground made her flinch. Still, as much as she gotten used to killing enemies, Sarai had always tried to block out the sight and sound of someone dying from choking on their own blood.

Yet, at this particular moment the image of her father came back to her. Disturbingly. Shaking slightly, as she flicked the blood off her sword she noticed the worried expression that graced her sisters face. 'I'm fine...' she tried to show through her own expression but judging from the frown Amaya wore, the attempt had failed miserably.

Sarai barely had time to dodge as two more of the twelve blood creatures leapt at her. Flinging herself into another battle, the young knight stabbed her sword down at one of the horned blood creatures pinning it to the spot, yet as she did so that same blood devil slashed her stomach with its talons. Wincing in pain and exasperation from being forced to fight a lot of new foes, Sarai involuntarily took ahold of the staff that Zeren had taken from the Valerian's tomb and thrust it outwards.

At once the floating clock hands at the apex and centre of the staff began rapidly turning, and as they spun they generated a blinding golden that dispelled the bomb magic circles trapping the other young knights. Looking at the staff in her hands, Sarai felt a warmth spread through almost as of Zeren was stood beside her.

Taking reassurance from that feeling and for the fact that her friends were now free, Sarai raised the staff and wrote greenish-blue runes in the air. ᛞᛁᚠᛁᚾᛖ ᚪᚱᚱᚩᚹ. Before Noelle or Amaya could question about these runes, a series of ethereal white arrows appeared in front of Sarai before launching at the enemy.

'Divine Arrows... how did I do know this?'

Flabbergasted and perplexed by the spell she had just utilised, Sarai glowered as she flicked her hair out of her eyes and made the final charge towards the pale faced sweating opponent. Wanting to back her up, Jorvik, whom wanted to get back at the man for attempting to hurt Mimosa, raised his sword and allowed magic in the air to swirl around him.

Feeling the magic in the air pulsating into the sword, Jorvik then removed a dragon eye from his pocket and crushed it in his hand. Glancing over towards Mimosa, the redheaded boy noticed a look of unease on her face only for it to become a blush when she saw him staring at her.

Switching his vision back to the enemy, Jorvik used his dark magic and the crushed dragon eye to create a series of jet black vines that burst out of the ground, at his feet, and shot straight at enemy. "Venatione Vitium Corporis!" Simultaneously, with the magic that he was currently imbuing into his sword, the boy knew that he would only be able to use this attack once; as a blast of velocity that would aid in Sarai's charge.

'Massa Ruptis Celeritate'.

Bursting forwards in a blast of golden light Sarai's eyes widened as she felt an uncontrollable power surge through her body, whilst around her the explosive power that Jorvik had created thrust her forwards. Wielding her glaive in front of her, as Zeren's staff in both above her head, the brunette girl grinned as she saw a look of terror descend upon the visage of her opponent.

In a final moment of desperation Tyrion tried to self mutilate again, in order to bring forth more Blood Devils, however his arms and legs were then bound by black scaly vines. Screaming and cursing as he thrashed against the vines he tapped into his last reserves of dark magic, creating a troll bodyguard but both spell and rebel assassin were then bifurcated as Sarai reached them. And with her glaive and the staff respectively, she cut down both beings before her.

Looking haggard and with shallow breathing, Sarai teetered on her feet but was steadied by Noelle and Amaya rushing forwards to check on her. "I did it..." she muttered "I killed him". Wrapping her friend in a hug, Noelle patted the brunette girl on the back before suddenly realising that Amaya probably wanted a go as well.

Blushing, as she relinquished Sarai to her sisters embrace, the royal felt a hand on her shoulder and Thorfinn's voice whisper to her: "you really are a good person Noelle". She was just about to yell back, in blushing embarrassment, when the sound of a soft flautist melody wafted through the air. And then suddenly in a flash of blue and green, the blonde haired lieutenant; Nyau, appeared before them.

"You need to get going! The army is being held up by fighting between Nozel, Lïver and some other rebel. Fuegoleon has asked me to use my magic and send you straight to Neodymium Castle! So all of you come together, and you may want to hold hands that way you won't get separated".

Taking ahold of each of their hands: Noelle, Sarai, Amaya, Mimosa, Gyda, Jorvik and Thorfinn all stood together as Nyau began to blow out another tune on his flute. And within seconds the scene before them was filled with blinking purple and blue magic spots as they were transported to a new location.

Realising that they had appeared standing on a hill of trees overlooking grassland which sat below a rocky plateau upon which stood Neodymium Castle, they young knights saw that the apparent atmosphere here would be a great help in their rescue attempt. The castle was shrouded in mist. "Okay guys..." Thorfinn exclaimed, hand on the hilt of his sword, "let's go and rescue our friend!"