"Your too late, my brothers have escaped you," the demon's voice echoed in the mind of the paladin. The sounds of battle reverberated throughout the chamber as the young necromancer and the Vizjerei sorcerer that traveled with him held the master demon's minions at bay. This was his chance; he could slay the lord of hatred here and now and avenge his brethren.
"It doesn't matter if your brothers are not present demon" spat the paladin, "I will find and kill you all."
"Young mortal, your belief in yourself is commendable; I shall enjoy breaking your soul and listening to your eternal screams as your world collapses around you. At this Mephisto's four arms came together with bright, glowing energies gathering at their centers. A large ball of swirling, white lightning was sent flying toward Dystrin. He jumped out of the way and it slammed into a nearby wall, cracking and splitting it until the wall collapsed.
The whole place shook for a moment, as the paladin readied his body to strike. The moment the quake stopped, Dystrin leapt at the creature, his trusty crystal blade pointed at its black heart. Seeing this, Mephisto's soul mist flared up creating a wall, a wall with which Dystrin found himself soon acquainted with.
Mephisto grabbed the paladin by the neck and lifted him up off the cracked, stone floor. "Your soul will belong to me soon mortal," hissed the demon, "but first you will suffer, suffer until your hate is so pure that it has no direction."
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Zaren was in the middle of a revival ritual when the quake suddenly hit. Her dagger was sent flying off into the ranks of the demons that she was working against as she tried to stabilize her body. 'Damn!' she thought, 'now it will take twice as long to raise this thing to its feet.'
The demons recovered quickly after the quake stopped, and the sorcerer would have been killed had one of Zaren's skeletons not blocked the foul creatures axe. The mage took no time to start chanting his incantations again; helping the few minions that Zaren had managed to raise to defend the paladin's back. The sorcerer's power wouldn't last forever though, and she was also running low on potions to restore her spirit energies.
With one last word of power the deceased demon before her pushed itself to its feet. It charged into battle with the rest of her faithful dead soldiers. The ghoul found itself right back by her side, however, when a bolt of red lightning sent it flying back there. One of the corrupt council members walked down the steps, throwing Zaren's guardians aside. He had her dagger.
"I told you fools that you shouldn't have come here," the fallen priest said, "and now it looks like I will have to kill you for your insolence." Zaren's minions resumed holding the rest of the creatures off as to her command. She just hoped they could holdout until the magician and she could kill this tainted human.
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Lightning pulsed from Mephisto's hand into the body of the paladin. His felt as if his very soul was burning up, he almost wished he were dead at that moment. The Lord of Hate threw the warrior into a nearby wall, and began summoning up some more energy.
Dystrin turned around and dodged a bolt of lightning. Steadying himself, the paladin faced the dark lord. Mephisto glared at the warrior with such hate that Dystrin's armor began to rust. The paladin charged the creature, shielding himself with his own virtue. White light poured over his armor as he neared the demon, the crystal blade flew forth and pierced Mephisto's lower left arm. The magic of the blade discharged into the arm and froze it solid.
The Demon backed off, screaming with such anger that the very ground beneath him lit ablaze. The hellfire melted the frozen arm as a bolt of holy energy stuck the flame barrier. The demon's hellish eyes turned once more to the mortal man before him. With all of his unearthly might the demon charged the paladin, pestilence radiating forth from his corrupted body.
Dystrin raised his shield to meet the frenzied demon. Mephisto slammed into the blessed shield causing Dystrin to move back several feet. The poisons pouring from the demonic body of the lord of hatred quickly invaded the paladin's body. Dystrin immediately felt weaker; however, a quick prayer to the heavens filled his body with purity and clarity. His strength returned just in time to block Mephisto's claws from cleaving his body in two.
Backing off, the demon raised its hands to the ceiling. Dystrin felt electric energies from all around the room gather to Mephisto. Then a wave of electricity emitted from its body. Dystrin knelt down and prayed again; a lightning barrier forming around him in response. The wave passed by the paladin with little ill effect.
Standing up Dystrin was caught off guard when an angry spirit appeared before him and punched him in the face, sending him flying back. The lord of hate laughed wickedly as he sent another huge ball of lightning flying toward the paladin. Dystrin sat up too a white light.
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The mage and Zaren both flew back as an unexpected bolt of red lightning hit their chests. The necromancer recovered first, summoning up some of her necrotic power, and sending a few bolts of poison flying at the deformed creature. It blocked a couple but most of the bolt hit their mark, rotting the nearby flesh. The creature howled as many little spots all over its body rotted threw.
The mage had been chanting, and when he finished his body flashed with a bright red light and a flaming humanoid form ran out from this flash and collided with the evil priest. Even as it was flying backward the creature threw a fireball at the mage. The sorcerer was prepared this time however and had covered himself in a mana shield. The fireball hit the shield with no ill affect on the mage.
Zaren had finished her own incantation at this time and a spear of bone pinned the once holy man to the wall. A wave of flames flew forth from the mage's hand and slammed into the wall where the hellish priest was pinned. The charred creature forced itself off the end of the spear and screamed in pain and fury.
As it screamed a ball of pure magic caught it in its torso, knocking it into a nearby pillar. The creature recovered in an instant and charged the mage, as its flesh continued to burn. Zaren thanked her patron as a few of his teeth buried into the fallen priests back. She was too late, however; it had jumped at the sorcerer as her bone teeth, and the wizard's fireball hit it. Its body violently exploded two feet from the mage, tearing his body apart as well.
Zaren approached the mage's remains and pulled her dagger out of what was once his chest. She also saw he had used all but one of his mana potions. "Sorry my friend," she said grimly, "but I'll need this more than you." She turned back toward the entrance and found that her minions were few and badly injured. She summoned up a wall of bone in the doorway and had her remaining servants bring her some fresh corpses.
She performed a quicker ritual on a couple of them, hoping to fill her army's ranks before the demons broke through the bone wall. The skeletons of the monsters ripped through their own bodies and rushed over to the failing gate. On the corpse of a rather large humanoid, Zaren decided to perform a revival ritual. A minute later the wall collapsed completely as a fireball hit it from the other side. The huge brute was just 'waking up' as this happened; he charged at the doorway knocking back most of the demons bent on getting through.
Zaren's face fell when she saw another one of the corrupt priests pushing his way toward her. She muttered a little prayer to Trang-Oul and ran her dagger across her hand. The blood that dripped onto the floor began to bubble up and grow. Flesh began forming as it grew larger and bones began sprouting out to hold the golems form. Once complete, the blood golem charged the evil priest and torn into him with its first slash.
The as priest and golem fought, Zaren began summoning all the necrotic energies she could find into her soul. Praying to Trang-Oul, and chanting a long incantation, the necromancer focused these energies. Deep blue flames engulfed her body, and as she pointed her hands forward, a screaming soul flew from these fires. It slammed into the corrupted priest, tearing his soul from his body and returning, with the soul, to the necromancer.
The bone spirit reentered its realm through her body and she fell to one knee in exhaustion. She drank the last blue potion she had, and looked toward the horde of demons still trying to force their way in. She really wished that paladin would hurry up in there.
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"Ahh!" Screamed Dystrin. The ball had hit him full in the chest before he could shield himself. His body cracked against the stone wall. At this time his left gauntlet decided to split and flew off his hand, carrying his shield with it. Pulling his reluctant body to its feet, he sheathed his crystal blade and took out his old silver two-hander.
Mephisto tossed another bolt of electricity at the paladin; however, the silver blade absorbed the energy of the bolt. Dystrin swung the blade around and the bolt it had absorbed flew out at the very Demon who summoned it. A spirit appeared in front of the demon lord and took the blow for him though.
Seeing this, the paladin realized for the first time that he would get no where fighting fire with fire, especially when his was the weaker flame. He had to think; this demon drew its power from hate, from the hate of the souls around him. The demon was too busy gathering the hatred the spirits had into itself to notice the paladin's demeanor change. An aura of hope and redemption surrounded the holy warrior and, one by one, the spirits let go their hate and listened to the hymn Dystrin was softly chanting.
Mephisto's power ebbed slightly as the hostile feelings in the room began to dissipate. The master demon screamed in rage, protesting the paladin's hopeful chant. He charged Dystrin, but was shocked when the very spirits he had drawn his power from held him back. A soft white hue surrounded the paladin and an angel's faith possessed his soul. His large blade was alight with white fire and Mephisto struggled with all his unholy might to get free of the spirits.
"This is not your realm demon, nor will it ever be," the paladin's voice sounded with all the authority, and power, of an arch-angel. The demon screamed one last time as the blade plunged into its black heart. Mephisto's last sight was of the burning white fire in the paladin's eyes.
Dystrin picked up the glowing yellow stone before rushing off to see how Zaren was fairing.
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Summoning many bones to armor her body, Zaren and two skeleton warriors stood facing a slowly advancing horde of demons. She was firing off bolts of ethereal energy at any of the creature than dared get within ten feet of her. Her spiritual energy was dangerously low however, and she had no way of replenishing it. Right at this moment she realized just how much she missed fighting side-by-side with Dystrin, even if he was a holy ass paladin.
A small pygmy skeleton jumped at her from her left side. The skeleton there was more that a match for it, but this was what the rest of the creatures had been waiting for, a distraction. They charged full force, and would have kill the necromancer if a wave of white fire hadn't swept through their ranks.
"Come on girl!" yelled the paladin. She never thought she would be so happy to see his smug face. Barely resisting the urge too pounce on him and hug him to death, she ran with him.
"Where are we going?" she suddenly asked, realizing they were running deeper into the temple.
"I found another way out" said the paladin simply. They ran until they came up to 'the way out'. She stared in disbelief.
"Isn't this the gate to hell!" she screamed at him, not thinking that he actually was thinking about going through it.
"Yeah," he said "I think it is." She didn't like the way he was smirking. "Ladies first" he laughed, though she couldn't tell if he did it out of fear or humor. Sighing deeply, and hearing the nearing screams of the damned, she stepped through. Half-way through, however, she turned around and grabbed the paladin's arm, pulling him in with her.
They were flying through a tunnel of flames and darkness, the necromancer hugged tight to the holy warrior in spite of herself. As they tossed and turned, flying at an incomprehensible speed, a fork in the tunnel appeared ahead. The right tunnel was white and had an angel guarding it, the left was the same as the one they were in now.
The angel stopped them and pushed them into his tunnel. They went faster and faster until white light was all they could see. The next thing they knew they were laying on the floor of the last angelic bastion before the gates of hell. Zaren heard some weird gurgling sounds and peeked up at the paladin's face, it was purple.
She let go, stood up, composed herself, and tried to stop blushing. Meanwhile Dystrin didn't move except for his sputtering and coughing, trying to regain his breath.
"What is wrong with you lady, your type isn't supposed to fear death," he said standing up, and rubbing his neck.
"Hey, just because we don't fear it doesn't mean we want to throw ourselves into it!" she yelled, getting defensive. "Besides, I have a quest to fulfill and would hate to be called a quitter," she stated as if death was a choice in their situation.
"You know what I think," said the paladin. Zaren groaned; he had that sly smile on his face again. "I think you like me; why else would a necromancer fear dying if not for losing the one they love?"
"Well," she started. "First reason, I don't want to suffer in this hell for eternity; second reason, I have a job to complete; last reason, I cannot let you take all the credit," grinning when his face fell in disappointment.
"Hypocrite," the paladin muttered as he hurried past her to get his armor repaired. She walked over a lady standing nearby and bought some potions. The paladin was standing at the top of the stairway over looking a decimated land when she finished. "So this is our next step…"
"Hey!" Zaren said loudly right behind him. He jumped and started falling forward. He spun around and grasped on the only thing he could find, a startled necromancer. They tumbled down the steps and ended up landing at the base of the stairs.
The necromancer sat up and realized they were surrounded by demons. She looked down at the paladin she was sitting on and they both yelled at each other, "Idiot!"
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Just thought I needed to have all three hellish brothers in this story. :) This is the thrid and final chapter for now.