Chapter 51
The main gate of Styx exploded spectacularly in a fireball. Balthazar stepped forward past the gates, stepping carefully to avoid burning debris. The soldiers were less cautious. They ran frantically along the ramparts, to neutralize any defenders before they recovered from the shock. General Conrad wasn't far behind them. He approached the Magus who was standing in the middle of the main street. Where there once had been carts and vendors was now bare of anything except rubble.
"Magus, where is Odin?" asked Conrad.
Balthazar held up a hand. "Be still General, we'll deal with him later."
Conrad followed his gaze to two figures silhouetted by the smoke from the fires. The smoke began to clear, revealing two more Magi standing together.
"Greetings my friends!" said Balthazar extending his arms.
"You don't know the meaning of that word!" spat Gaspar.
"What madness has possessed you Balthazar?" begged Melchior.
Balthazar grinned fiercely. "I have seen the truth!"
"Poltergeist has poisoned your brain!" snapped Gaspar.
"Sacrifices have to be made!" Balthazar spread his arms to the sides, "I alone have been permitted to see that!"
"What purpose does sacrificing this city serve?" demanded Melchior.
"It brought you here," replied Balthazar with a twinge of regret.
Gaspar and Melchior exchanged horrified glances as Balthazar began to cast.
"Sprits of flame, heed my call.Fire!" shouted Balthazar
"Mighty force of heaven, bring retribution down to the unworthy.Bolt!" chanted Melchior.
"Arctic winds, blow through and freeze the blood of my foes.Ice!" called out Gaspar
Blue sparks emerged from the ground and began floating between them. Their hair and clothes began to levitate as if weightless. The spells erupted and quickly fizzled out. Balthazar grimaced while Gaspar smirked.
"You can't win!" said Gaspar triumphantly.
"I don't have to," retorted Balthazar, "You just have to lose."
His eyes flicked to the shadows of the ruined buildings. All the other Magi saw were flashes of red and gray. Gaspar gasped in pain and slumped to the ground, bleeding from his side with Marcus standing over him with a bloody dagger. He heard Melchior scream and turned to see her lying in a pool of blood at the feet of Serpentarius, holding the Atma Key loosely in his grip. His white robe was covered in silver blood. He touched his fingertip to some on his face and began to tremble.
"Damn, she's an Esper!" shouted Marcus.
"Melchior!" cried out Gaspar.
Melchior opened her eyes weakly. "Don't kill him."
Gaspar crawled over to her, the Raj still too much in shock to stop him. He cradled her in his arms and stared in horror at the bloodstains slowly spreading around her stomach.
"Don't.kill him.Gaspar," she said, clutching his shoulder.
"Melchior." said Gaspar his voice breaking.
"Forgive me," she said weakly.
"For what?" he asked.
"For your son," she said.
He followed her gaze to Serpentarius.
Serpentarius paled and dropped the sword. "No!" he screamed.
"It's your fate!" taunted Balthazar, "Just accept it!"
Serpentarius roared and held out his hand. The Atma Weapon levitated on its own and swung toward the Magus blade first. It struck him in the throat, knocking him back. Balthazar slumped onto the ground. Serpentarius walked slowly over to him and pulled the sword free. Balthazar grabbed his ankle.
"Free.." he began. His smile hardened, then his head fell back limply.
A column of red light burst forth on the horizon. Far in the distance, it looked like a delicate glowing thread.
"That's coming from the southeast!" said Conrad in wonder.
"The Temple of Poltergeist," said Marcus dumbly.
Serpentarius dropped the Atma Key and began to walk towards Styx castle. His form began to shimmer blue and became translucent.
"Ghost!" yelled Marcus.
Serpentarius turned to him. Only his glowing blue eyes were visible in the dark folds of his hood. The rest of his body was twisted into folds of tattered dark gray cloth.
"Not Ghost," said the apparition, "Phantom."
With that the specter floated off towards the castle. Conrad stood there mutely, then turned to his troops.
"Don't just stand there!" he barked, "Follow that ghost!"
The main gate of Styx exploded spectacularly in a fireball. Balthazar stepped forward past the gates, stepping carefully to avoid burning debris. The soldiers were less cautious. They ran frantically along the ramparts, to neutralize any defenders before they recovered from the shock. General Conrad wasn't far behind them. He approached the Magus who was standing in the middle of the main street. Where there once had been carts and vendors was now bare of anything except rubble.
"Magus, where is Odin?" asked Conrad.
Balthazar held up a hand. "Be still General, we'll deal with him later."
Conrad followed his gaze to two figures silhouetted by the smoke from the fires. The smoke began to clear, revealing two more Magi standing together.
"Greetings my friends!" said Balthazar extending his arms.
"You don't know the meaning of that word!" spat Gaspar.
"What madness has possessed you Balthazar?" begged Melchior.
Balthazar grinned fiercely. "I have seen the truth!"
"Poltergeist has poisoned your brain!" snapped Gaspar.
"Sacrifices have to be made!" Balthazar spread his arms to the sides, "I alone have been permitted to see that!"
"What purpose does sacrificing this city serve?" demanded Melchior.
"It brought you here," replied Balthazar with a twinge of regret.
Gaspar and Melchior exchanged horrified glances as Balthazar began to cast.
"Sprits of flame, heed my call.Fire!" shouted Balthazar
"Mighty force of heaven, bring retribution down to the unworthy.Bolt!" chanted Melchior.
"Arctic winds, blow through and freeze the blood of my foes.Ice!" called out Gaspar
Blue sparks emerged from the ground and began floating between them. Their hair and clothes began to levitate as if weightless. The spells erupted and quickly fizzled out. Balthazar grimaced while Gaspar smirked.
"You can't win!" said Gaspar triumphantly.
"I don't have to," retorted Balthazar, "You just have to lose."
His eyes flicked to the shadows of the ruined buildings. All the other Magi saw were flashes of red and gray. Gaspar gasped in pain and slumped to the ground, bleeding from his side with Marcus standing over him with a bloody dagger. He heard Melchior scream and turned to see her lying in a pool of blood at the feet of Serpentarius, holding the Atma Key loosely in his grip. His white robe was covered in silver blood. He touched his fingertip to some on his face and began to tremble.
"Damn, she's an Esper!" shouted Marcus.
"Melchior!" cried out Gaspar.
Melchior opened her eyes weakly. "Don't kill him."
Gaspar crawled over to her, the Raj still too much in shock to stop him. He cradled her in his arms and stared in horror at the bloodstains slowly spreading around her stomach.
"Don't.kill him.Gaspar," she said, clutching his shoulder.
"Melchior." said Gaspar his voice breaking.
"Forgive me," she said weakly.
"For what?" he asked.
"For your son," she said.
He followed her gaze to Serpentarius.
Serpentarius paled and dropped the sword. "No!" he screamed.
"It's your fate!" taunted Balthazar, "Just accept it!"
Serpentarius roared and held out his hand. The Atma Weapon levitated on its own and swung toward the Magus blade first. It struck him in the throat, knocking him back. Balthazar slumped onto the ground. Serpentarius walked slowly over to him and pulled the sword free. Balthazar grabbed his ankle.
"Free.." he began. His smile hardened, then his head fell back limply.
A column of red light burst forth on the horizon. Far in the distance, it looked like a delicate glowing thread.
"That's coming from the southeast!" said Conrad in wonder.
"The Temple of Poltergeist," said Marcus dumbly.
Serpentarius dropped the Atma Key and began to walk towards Styx castle. His form began to shimmer blue and became translucent.
"Ghost!" yelled Marcus.
Serpentarius turned to him. Only his glowing blue eyes were visible in the dark folds of his hood. The rest of his body was twisted into folds of tattered dark gray cloth.
"Not Ghost," said the apparition, "Phantom."
With that the specter floated off towards the castle. Conrad stood there mutely, then turned to his troops.
"Don't just stand there!" he barked, "Follow that ghost!"