Chapter 19: Forceful Bondage
"General Kael, a pleasure you could make it…"
The Lord of Death's metallic voice never did strike any fear or grief at Raydric General whose gemstone eyes flashed menacingly.
"It is an hour past dawn and the enemy is still weak. Take a select band of your soldiers and ride to the abandoned monasteries. Taking that position is a vital spot."
Kael's amethyst eyes remained fixed on the silver-armored being without showing any signs of movement. The Lord of Death became impatient.
"I see, General Kael. I take that he is your friend, another hindrance to your path to power? Well, we'll just have to remove the opposition."
Raydric General's flaming gauntlet rose into the air while the rest of him clambered atop his ebony spectral horse in a spider-like motion. A band of raydric-knights saluted altogether atop their own mounts.
"Their eagerness alone is astounding, my lord."
"And they are yours to command. You'll have your first taste of commanding them right now."
Kael's blazing sword appeared in his gauntlet while he turned in the direction of the monasteries where he'll probably meet Necron again. He knows that the lord knight is there and would be a perfect target to test his new abilities as the Raydric General.
'I wish we could fight under different circumstances, Lord Knight Necron, but I am Raydric General and your existence is my obstacle.'
After riding past the ruined buildings along the dimly lit bloodstained streets, Raydric General made his mount whip around to face the soldiers following him.
"Twelve in all…Enough to bring down a lord knight."
Raydric General's burning figure turned to the direction of the monasteries again and spurred his mount to move.
The smoldering old structure was attacked by khalitzburgs but the monks had managed to hold them off and escape in time with the help of Champion Osiris and the blonde swordsman that always followed him.
Broken obsidian statues lined up the halls and seemed to shudder when the burning raydric's knights rode past them.
"Scour the area! Secure it before the lord knight does!"
Raydric General's cold and metallic voice echoed along the shadowy halls of the monastery. It did not take long before the loud sound of metal crashing and a ghostly horse crying out loud would follow. The burning raydric knew at once that one of his knights had fallen.
"Show yourself, Lord Knight Necron! Or are you content on letting lapdogs fight for you?"
The eleven remaining raydric-knights gathered around their general. The burning raydric looked around him and knew that they were in a wide-open space full of shadows and broken statues. An ideal place for an ambush.
Raydric General raised his blazing sword once again.
"Flush them out! When you find them, slice them open for me!"
Before a single raydric-knight could move, several explosives flew at their direction, blowing up half of them in a flash of blinding light.
Another explosive crashed on the ground before the burning raydric but this time, it spread grey smoke everywhere.
"Oh, now who's letting lapdogs fight for him, "General" Kael?"
The familiar sound of zweihander slicing past metal followed as the smoke slowly dissipated. Raydric General's eyes flashed as soon as he could see what was happening around him.
Pieces of shattered armor lay scattered everywhere and the figure of a lord knight with a flaming hand was walking towards him.
"Necron Lorthiras…"
Behind Necron were two other people. One was another lord knight but looked boyish and green-haired while the other was a shy-looking blue-haired alchemist.
Raydric General's gaze shifted from the dark-haired lord knight to the other then to the alchemist.
'Farina and Ark? Why would he bring lambs here?'
"Let's end this Kael. It is I or you who shall fall today."
Necron signaled Arkyhm to move away. The green-haired lord knight nodded, took Farina by the arm and led her away.
Zweihander gleamed in the dusk light as soon as Necron raised it parallel to his chest. Raydric General raised his burning gauntlet and sword in answer.
"Do not call me by my mortal name, Necron. Never dare!"
Heliotrope lightning erupted from his gauntlet and launched towards the dark-haired lord knight. Necron had locked his black sword just in time to deflect the electrical blasts but the force alone was making him skid backward.
"This is the hour of the raydrics! Why not come and join your old comrades in arms?"
The dark-haired lord knight tightened his grip on his sword. The lightning coursing through it would likely bounce back to Kael right about now but some would also scorch him at this distance.
"The Raydric Army is dead!"
A blast of roaring flames erupted from the zweihander's edge and made the lightning die out. Necron took a defensive stance and inhaled. The lightning attacks drain a lot of his energy even though it was blocked.
Raydric General's blades glowed with more intensity then all of a sudden, warp portals sprouted from behind him. Out of the portals came hollow suits of raydric armor.
"I have some friends for your pets to play with. These soldiers are sufficed to sweep the rabble aside!"
The raydrics lined up behind him and drew their claymores. Kael raised his blazing sword.
"I've been waiting for this, Lord Knight Necron!"
(A/N): Another really short chapter for the sake of balance. Oh, and Farina has returned but as an alchemist now. Don't ask how she got from Alberta to Glastheim because I'm not supposed to answer that.