Chapter 3: Prayer
"A little more patience. Yes, a little more. My victory won't escape that fool Haldivas' eyes."
After another minute of reflecting, Grand high priest Abraxil turned to a hooded figure that stood on a corner of the abbey.
"Your manifestation will have to be a grand scene, perfected genocide."
"Grand high priest!"
A priest was running towards him. Abraxil turned hastily at the priest then to the hooded figure. He gave a signal to it and it disappeared in a circle of teleportation.
"You're Excellency! I've…who was that?" the priest looked at the corner where the figure was a second ago.
"No one. Just one of the church's service helpers. It's no one really."
"I came straight from the aristocracy, you're Excellency. The wizard Dearthal Xamiur was found dead in the stairway to the culverts."
Abraxil put on a shocked expression then forced a frown. He had expected this to happen to that hot-blooded wizard. In fact, it was one of his 'agents' that were responsible.
"And Sir Kael Lukerion?"
"The young knight has been seen carousing with his friends in the feast. He is presumed not to know about the death of his…cousin."
"Dearthal's cousin has been given a pair of those elven ears stuffed in…something nice. He'll be happy for now. I'll have the burial rites prepared. Do not grieve over the loss of that man. The hour of glory waits this very day."
The priest bowed deeply before Abraxil before going out. The grand high priest made sure he was out of bloodshot before sneaking to a door that leads to a room he forbade entrance to.
He placed his hand on the doorknob which began to glow in strange runes. If anyone but Abraxil touches it, it would likely burn the person's hand. He turned it and opened the door just enough for him to fit and got in before sealing it again.
The embers flickered as soon as he walked through the forbidden room. It was dimly lit but when the grand high priest walked through it, the braziers began glowing in dazzling blue. There were different pods inside the room, some filled with green bubbly liquids while some were empty.
After walking past a few rows of the pods, Abraxil stopped in the middle of five gigantic closet-like coffins arranged in a circular formation.
The grand high priest raised his hands. The torches that gave the room an eerie feel exploded in a bright and dazzling red.
'It is almost time…'
Abraxil pointed to an obelisk that hung on the ceiling above him. He moved his other hand and started to draw runes in front of him. He spoke in the language of an unknown ancient incantation.
Violet electricity coalesced through the obelisk while the coffins opened. Abraxil stopped chanting and looked at the opened coffins. The sound of rusty armor turning filled the room and the smell of rotting flesh could be sensed.
"Come, my khalitzburgs. It's time to reveal what we were meant to do."
The creatures known as khalitzburgs were seldom used for military expeditions. They were feared skeletal servants of the church.
The khalitzburgs slowly lumbered out of their coffins. The gigantic skeletal monsters were wearing rusty Glastheimian armor. Each of them had a pair of rapiers hanging on their sides. Every one of the towering monstrosities looked like they were assembled together from several skeletons.
"Unleash our fury on all those who oppose us…"
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"For Glastheim! For the king!"
Necron gave a salute along with hundreds of other raydric knights, swordsmen, archers, and hunters and imitated the words. At the sound of the command, everyone turned around, and marched to the eastern gates where hundreds of large warp portals lay.
The raydric-knight held his zweihander which was covered in leather because it was too heavy to place in his side. He was going to lead the 4th swordsman division since his last one was decimated by the Knights of Heaven.
From afar, Necron caught sight of them. Each of them wore the same armor and medallion like before.
"At least they didn't do it deliberately…"
He entered stepped into one of the portals. The raydric-knight closed his eyes for a moment and expected a barrage of arrows from elven archers. After waiting a few seconds, he opened his eyes only to be taken aback upon seeing a makeshift base for the Glastheimian forces.
"I should have known…"
Payon had already fallen a long time ago and the Knights of Heaven made sure that no elf would dare return to it. The damaged buildings were reinforced to house the troops.
He held up his right hand. The 4th raydric swordsman division halted behind him. Necron looked around for the banner of the Glastheimian church. Grand high priest Abraxil had announced earlier that the priests, monks, and raydrics are to gather at that point.
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Lord Knight Salendriel wiped his bastard sword with a cloth. He didn't notice a blonde swordsman and Champion Osiris enter his room in one of the houses.
"Sorry to interrupt your…moment lord knight, but nearly all of our forces are through. Agranias reports that the Knights of Heaven will be arriving shortly."
Lord Knight Salendriel put down the sword and cloth and stood up.
"Let's leave Agranias to follow the grand high priest for now, Champion Osiris."
"Are you sure this siege will work? It's been two years already."
"Yes. Two years they have cowered in those caves. Their forces are broken. After today, the elves will be purged from this world."
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"Wait…"
Kael placed his hand on his broad sword's hilt.
"Khalitzburgs!"
The raydric-knight looked at the towering skeletal creatures that stood over eight-feet high. All of them were lumbering towards the mouth of the cave where a gate made of fresh shale stood.
"Bah! Who put those things in the army?"
He groped for the reins on his horse and turned around. Since he was just a fresh raydric-knight, he was given the liberty of being independent for a while.
"Necron is in the 4th division so he might let me in…"
As his horse started to run at full speed towards one of the cottages where Necron stayed privately, the raydric-knight spotted someone in the forests wearing heavy cloaks and a hood that hid the face.
"That one's not with the Glastheimian divisions, raydric or non-raydric."
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Necron looked down at the knights from Glastheim's main cavalry. All of them seem to be having a good time. A perfect way to bring up morale before the biggest fight in their lives yet.
"After two years. Finally…"
"Necron! It's me..."
The raydric-knight sighed and looked away from the window. Before he even knew it, a red-haired huntress was already beside him and was holding his arm.
"What is it, half-breed Kathris?"
The huntress put on a hurt expression and fumbled for something in her clothes.
"I may have been raised by those darned elves but I'm human. They only let me live so I could lure you to your own defeat. Poor fools they are…"
Kathris handed Necron a medallion.
"Kael told me to give this to you. He says it has the essence of a tarou."
The raydric-knight stared at the medallion. Was it Kael or Kathris that made it? Avoiding hesitation, he accepted it but put it in his pocket instead of wearing it.
"You seem troubled. Explain yourself."
Kathris looked at her enormous crossbow.
"It's a shame isn't it? Now, I have to slaughter as many of them as I could aim at."
Necron looked surprised after the huntress said that. He, too, looked at his zweihander that lay in the floor.
"We still have an hour before it's call to arms. Don't go running into the caves until then."
Kathris nodded but tears were forming in the corner of her eyes. The huntress approached the raydric-knight and held him in a tight embrace…