The Final War
Chapter 4:A person, or It
Artix looked confused. The strange dizziness grabbed at their health. Soon they looked like they were going to pass out. Elizabeth, the only with a bit of health left, charged at the portal. She disappeared. Robina got up, dusted herself and shot an arrow. There was a faint shout, or scream they couldn't decipher. The portal looked stronger, then Artix lunged his great battleaxe and the portal had some health left. When Robina shot another arrow, it went into the portal, and there was another faint shout or scream.
"Robina! It must be Elizabeth you're shooting! The arrow went through the portal, so Elizabeth must be in there."
"I think your right Artix. I'm going to use my whip instead." Robina agreed.
"No! Ranged weapons won't damage this…thing, but Elizabeth!" Artix shouted.
"So you want me to go through?" Robina asked confused.
"If you want. You could see how Elizabeth is doing or you could stay around. Best if you go in the portal." Artix replied.
"Fine," Robina said. She jumped into the portal, and there was another scream. "I hope I didn't put them in danger" Artix thought. The portal's mysterious and black hand grabbed at Artix, but he had dodged. Then another claw came up and whacked Artix hard on the head. Artix flew back a couple feet and saw someone young, with a huge battleaxe.
"Who are you?" Artix muttered, but only loud enough for the young adventurer to hear.
"Call me, Azfire." He said.
"Azfire, we shall stop this portal. We cannot let it rule us! Do you know resurrection?" Artix asked.
"I'm a necromancer," Azfire hissed.
Artix gawked at him. "Then why are you helping me? Did Obesida tell you to sabotage me?" Artix sneered.
"My fellow, this is the Final War. All must work and help or destruction upon us all," Azfire sneered, as if he were talking to a baby.
"Then let us fight, or death shall be upon everywhere." Artix said, understanding. Then there was a faint noise, more like a scream. The portal's big hand came out again, and searching for something until it hit or inflicted pain. Unfortunately, it hit Artix when the claw was right near them, but nearer to Azfire. The young adventurer had his great battleaxe ready (possibly from Yulgar) and threw it at the portal.
"NOOOOO!" Artix cried. He looked terrified.
"What's the matter? Scared of a little damage to the portal?" Azfire sneered.
"My friends, are in there," Artix replied, still recovering from shock.
"Oh," Azfire said, his face pale. The battleaxe had clung to the portal somehow and dislodged the system. Azfire and Artix tried to yank it out and then the claw reached out. Suddenly there was a CRACK! Like the sound of Robina's whip.
"Check your grammar again, Artix," said a grinning Robina, who stepped out.
"Robina! What happened?" Artix cried out.
"Hey! My questions first, and then my answers. So, who's this young man?" Robina said, with a smile towards him.
"I am Azfire, one of Obesida's top necromancers." Azfire said with a pleasant smile back.
"ARRRGH!" Artix yelled out in pain. There was a huge cut in his armour and underneath that, a huge gash. It was bleeding badly. The blood poured out and the claw again reached out and put the huge hand on the blood. All of it was drained and the claw went back into the safety of it's portal.
"Artix! Are you alright?" Robina shouted.
Artix groaned. "A bit, yes." When he said that he tried to get up, Artix grunted with pain. It was bleeding a bit more, and the claw came out and drank all of it, making the portal bigger and stronger.
Azfire looked paler than before. He said, "At least I become a lich." He turned to Artix. "But resurrection will just lead you to your death!" and he cackled with laughter.
"Tell Obesida that I send my sympathies when my paladins attack your lair," Artix sneered, but putting more pain into himself.
"Stop! Remember what Lord Cyrus said, Artix. All must work together, not one, but together." Robina said, pushing Azfire aside.
"You were there?" Artix asked.
"Overheard a few things…" Robina muttered. "But aren't we supposed to destroy the portal?" she demanded.
"Yeah," Artix yelled back.
Azfire looked angry enough to kill Artix himself, but instead charging at the portal once more. The portal shrank, but only a tiny fraction. The claw started coming out again when Robina shot an arrow and it shrank back.
"Nice going ranger," Azfire said.
"Yeah, and nice going to you to, warrior." Robina grinned. Artix just lunged himself and accidentally landing himself inside the portal. It was just plain black. Then the claw next to him shot out, but did not touch him. Another arrow was shot, by Robina. Even though the steel tipped arrow was flying straight, it went through the portal and swerved. It struck Artix in the arm.
There was a faint scream. "Azfire, what's that scream?" Robina asked.
"When anybody is in that portal, ranged attacks go through the portal into a different world. It hurts anybody nearest there." Azfire replied without sneering.
"That's where Elizabeth is!" Robina exclaimed. "I'm going in there."
"NO! You must not! Artix is probably searching for her. Besides, I can't destroy this thing by myself." Azfire said, blushing.
Robina looked at him. "Fine, you bring up a better point. But when the portal is almost dead, I shall go after him, and you must do no more damage. We shall get out." Robina replied sternly, a bit stubborn.
"Thank you. Now you are talking some sense." Azfire said satisfied. With that he stabbed the portal with the great blades of his battleaxe. There was a huge crackle, and then the portal grew smaller.
Artix looked around. No one was there in the darkness. His arm was bleeding, and the gash he had earlier had stopped.
"Wait…No one here? Elizabeth got pulled through! I must search for her, dead or not," Artix thought. But there was some electricity crackling, and his exit was getting smaller. Artix got up, grunting, and began looking around. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He decided to try again. Artix could not mutter a sound!
"I can't see in this darkness…" Artix thought, frustrated. "I'm a paladin! I almost forgot! I can use Holy Might for a couple of seconds." Artix thought, and used Holy Might. It lit the way for an extraordinary amount of time. Artix looked around, and then the claw grabbed out and nearly crunched Artix, but went through the portal. Then when the claw came back with a bit of necromancer blood, Artix took out his battleaxe and tried putting a cut. Yes, it succeeded, but cost Artix a lot of mp. The claw was now dangling by pieces, not as strong as before. Another arrow shot out, swerved, and hit Artix. This time it got his uncovered hand, and he gasped in pain. The paladin pulled the arrow out. Drops of blood trickled the arrow, not much had come out.
"Elizabeth! I can't worry about myself!" Artix thought. He walked further into the darkness and saw a dark figure in a lit sky ahead. It was tall, sleek, and aware it was there. Artix had his battleaxe out and proceeded with extreme caution. The figure ahead began to be clearer. Artix trudged right in front of the stranger.
Azfire looked at Robina with huge eyes. He had never seen a ranger before, not one as skilled as this. He looked around, wondering if Robina saw him staring at her. Azfire had always felt uncomfortable with a ranger around, a necromancer's enemy. But this one seemed to take control of him, and Obesida would not be happy about that.
"Come on, let's make the portal smaller," Robina said, poking Azfire to see if he was sleeping or not.
"Explain why the portal must be smaller again," Azfire said in embarrassment.
"We can get in there and rescue Artix and Elizabeth." Robina said.
"Who's Elizabeth?" Azfire asked.
"CLAW!" Robina shouted.
"She can't honestly be the claw." Azfire said in doubt. But then a almost severed hand was trying to grab at him. Azfire, in fright took out his battleaxe once again and chopped the arm. There was a groan, and many shouts of pain. Azfire and Robina cheered.
"What or who is Elizabeth?" Azfire repeated his question.
"One of the master ninjas, sleek and tall." Robina replied, almost annoyed.
"If she is sleek and tall, how can she fit in the portal?" Azfire said, but trying to put off time.
"She lunged through the portal, you know, straight as an arrow." Robina said, even more annoyed.
"Did you eat these berries yet?" Azfire asked anxiously.
"Why?" Robina asked, frowning.
"Because I'm starving and I don't know if they're safe." Azfire replied.
"Same here," Robina replied.
"I'm going to try one of the berries, and after an hour let's see if they're alright." Azfire said, bravely.
"Good idea," Robina said.
"Here we go," Azfire said, picking one of the berries and swallowing it. "Wow! Delicious," the young necromancer said, eyes bold and bright.
"Then let me try one," Robina said. She grabbed a handful of berries and felt an extraordinary sensation. Her wounds began to heal and her body was all refreshed.
"Lets keep some on our journey." Azfire replied, still in a dreamy state.
"No," Robina said sternly. "We should take the whole bush!" and began picking as much as they could. Azfire ate another one, and nearly choked.
"Help…me…" he rasped. Robina began forcing water down Azfire's throat.
"What happened?" the ranger asked.
"I just got excited about the refreshment, so then I nearly choked," Azfire explained, cheeks bright red.
"Nothing to be ashamed about!" Robina exclaimed, seeing the look on his face.
"But I nearly died from a berry!" Azfire shouted.
"I once fainted at the light a golden arrow gave." Robina smirked. "Come on already, lets get my quiver full of berries."
"There's a problem, we don't have any berries on the bush left."
There were some more bushes back there."
"But we shouldn't leave the portal to strengthen." Azfire argued.
"Then who shall stay here?" Robina asked, very annoyed.
"Me," Azfire said, head held high and proud.
"Then you go do that, while I collect some berries. Come running or shout if something weird happens," Robina said, turning her back to leave.
"Sure, but I don't think you'll be hearing any shouts," Azfire said, showing off.
"You never know," Robina commented, already halfway there. Azfire leaned his back against a tree and put his necromancer hood down. He stayed like that until he heard a buzzing electricity sound. The portal was pulsing, and throbbed. Azfire looked up, got to his feet and took out his Darkeye he had purchased from Valencia. He stood prepared, clutching some berries incase. The portal just throbbed and weird noises came out.
"It must be growing stronger," Azfire though. "It'll be ok. Robina will come back and we'll weaken it for Artix and Elizabeth to get out." Azfire looked disgusted. "Robina must favor Artix," a voice in his head said. "Well no duh, she knew him longer than you!"
"But Artix is a paladin. She favors paladin leaders more."
"They are best friends, so I don't give a damn!"
"If you like her, recruit her into the necromancers,"
"Obesida would hate that! Robina is friends with a paladin leader!"
"Then quit the necromancers,"
"Never! Get the damn out of my head!" Azfire ate some berries.
"Common, Obesida's lair is like hell."
"But I am the second leader in my group. I can't give up now."
"Then there's only one solution here."
"What? I'm dying to hear it."
"You kill Artix."