Part 6

Before long, they noticed the ground beginning to climb slightly. They had been told that Azdalin resided in clearing, surrounded by hills, so they slowed their approach, and began to move more quietly. Alyindar pointed out tracks that could only have been made by a huge, heavy, clawed animal. Eala gasped at their size.

"Oh Aly, what is this about? That creature must be huge, how on earth can the two of us defeat him!"

The ranger simply shook his head, wondering the same thing. Silently, he prayed to Tunare to protect them in whatever lay ahead.

As they neared the clearing, sounds of a battle reached their ears. Confused, the cleric and ranger looked at each other in consternation. Were they too late? Had someone else found the wurm before them? Sprinting to the top of the hill, the two looked down on a scene of complete mayhem. One armored figure appeared to be unconscious, lying not far from a weapon which had to be the Wurmslayer. Another person was backing away from Azdalin, who had his fangs bared in a soundless roar of rage. The upright figure – obviously an enchanter, appeared to be trying to mesmerise the wurm, but the spell continually bounced off his scaly hide.

As the enchanter backed up some more, they stumbled, and the hood of their robe slipped off. Aly and Eala gasped in amazement.

"Dark elves!" growled Alyindar. "Filthy creatures! How dare they try and gain such a weapon! As if any of their despicable race is worthy of it! We should let him finish, then try ourselves once they are dead." He stood, and made as if to walk away.

"Wait, Aly!"

The Fier'Dal looked at Eala in astonishment.

"What? Eala? What's going on!"

"I… I don't know! I feel… gods Aly, what's happening to me? I feel as though I have to help!"

"WHAT!" shouted the ranger, heedless of the raging wurm just beyond the hill. "Are you out of your mind? Help a Teir'Dal! I'd rather die!"

Ealandariel didn't answer. The feeling inside her had grown so strong, it felt like she was about to be torn apart. Something inside of her pulled, insisting that she aided the Dark Elves.

As Alyindar stared in incredulity, the cleric stood, and started towards the battle. Her gaze fell on the fallen warrior, and as she focused, a light appeared beside the figure. Tunare stood there for an instant, pointed at the warrior, then vanished again. Eala took a deep breath, and began to chant her most powerful healing spell, move her hands in the intricate gestures required.

Suddenly her spell broke off as Alyindar grabbed her arm.

"What do you think you're doing!" he yelled at her.

"I'm doing exactly what Tunare has instructed me to do!" Eala retorted.

"Tunare telling you to help Dark Elves?" Aly shook his head in disbelief. "Maybe you're right Eala, maybe bringing me back did do something to you… I can't believe I'm hearing this!"

Eala pulled her arm free, and glared at Aly, but he continued his tirade regardless.

"That's an enchantress down there! How do you know she hasn't manipulated you? Charmed you? Made you believe that you saw Tunare when She wasn't really there? Eala, you cannot help those… those fiends!"

The cleric rounded on the ranger furiously.

"I know when my Goddess is here! I know what her prescence feels like! It's not something that an enchantress can duplicate with paltry mind tricks! Besides, I think that "fiend" down there has enough to cope with at the moment, how on earth could she have the concentration to cast on me!"

Turning her back on Alyindar, Eala began to cast again. This time, Aly didn't stop her, just gazed at her, eyes burning. The cleric ignored him, and concentrated on her spell. The armored form raised its head as Eala completed her chant. Slowly, the person got to their feet, looking around them confusedly. Then as they realised that someone had healed them, the helmet's visor was lifted and purple eyes gazed at Ealandariel. Recognising a High Elf, those eyes widened in amazement. What on earth was going on?

Kalamia tried to pull air back into her lungs, gasping with exhaustion. She had managed to root Azdalin to the spot for the moment, and had moved outside of his claw's range to consider her options. The wurm stood between herself and Lanari, who lay unconscious not far from the Wurmslayer. How had it all gone so wrong?

At first, Lanari's plan had worked wonderfully. The Shadowknight had engaged Azdalin, nimbly dancing out of the way of his claws and teeth, and darting in to jab at his soft underside. As soon as she was confident that the wurm's attention was on Nari, Kalamia had begun to cast her detrimental spells. First she slowed Azdalin's movements, then weakened him, and lowered his resistance to magics. She also cast spells to improve Lanari's performance, then, to finish the job, she sent orange sparks flying at the wurm, which surrounded his head, cutting off his air, making him choke. As anticipated, this drew the beast's focus towards Kalamia, and with a roar he charged at her. Lanari chased after him, shrieking insults, and slashing at his softest scales. It was at that point, that things went horribly wrong.

For a moment, the great creature seemed torn between chasing the one who had weakened him, and turning to confront the one who was even now still taunting him. Then with a snarl, he spun, and lunged for Lanari. She dodged out of the way of his gaping maw, but slipped on the slick grass as she did so. Azdalin whirled again, his snake-like tail whipping around Lanari's waist, picking her up, and hurling her to the ground. She landed not far from the object of her desire, and every shred of her being willed herself to get up and reach it. The soul was willing – more than willing! But, unfortunately for the dark knight, her flesh was too weak. With a cry of anguish, Lanari sank into oblivion.

Kalamia had watched in horror as Lanari was flung to the earth. Now that the threat to his vulnerable parts had been removed, Azdalin turned once again to the enchantress. In a panic, she hurled a stun spell at him, to buy her time. The wurm froze for a moment, his eyes burning with hatred. Kalamia desperately cast a mesmerisation spell, only to have it bounce off Azdalin's scales. Again and again she tried, to no avail. With her last drop of mana, she hurled a root spell at the advancing monster, and nearly sobbed with relief when it held.

But what now? The root would not hold forever… she should run! Yet Lanari was still lying there. Conflicting emotions warred in the enchanter. Nari was her friend, yet loyalty was something rarely taught to Dark Elves. However, if she didn't do something to save Nari, she would never get her Iksar illusion spell… and she would be completely alone on a foreign continent, with miles of hostile lands between her and the nearest Teir'Dal outpost… what could she do!

As Kalamia pondered her choices, she suddenly noticed a blue glow surrounding Lanari's prone form. What in the name of Innoruuk…? Who was casting? As Lanari got to her feet, shaking her head confusedly, Kalamia realised that someone had healed her friend. Looking around in amazement, she saw a figure in white standing on the hill above the clearing. Further back was another form, slightly smaller, and in silvery-green armor. Narrowing her eyes, she realised that the one in white was a High Elf! Blue sparks flickered around the pale woman's body for a moment, making it clear that it was her who had healed Lanari. Kalamia's mind boggled, however she quickly realised that this was not the time to be considering the implications of the Koada'Dal's actions.

While Kalamia had been standing, dazed, Lanari had recovered her wits enough to dash forward and pick up the Wurmslayer. With a yell of triumph, she plunged the weapon deep into Azdalin's side. Whereas her sword would have simply bounced off the wurm's hardest scales, the new weapon cut through them as though they were made of silk. Azdalin roared in agony as the weapon pierced his heart. Whirling, he tried to lunge at the puny creature who had wounded him so, yet he found his limbs strangely unwilling to respond. Still staring in astonishment at the shadowknight, Azdalin fell to his side, and breathed no more.