Diablo
The Awakening of Chaos
Chapter Seven
New Tristram's Fall
As the beast neared him, Rua launched himself into the air with this Driver attack. The beast sailed by under him, and the green-eyed warrior landed, begun to chant, and turned. The tusked demon was turning around when Rua's Pulse Laser struck it in the shoulder, pushing it back. Rua readied his blade and made his own charge at the monster, slashing quickly and repeatedly as he arrived. The demon bellowed and backhanded him. Rua caught the attack on his shield, but he was still thrown away from the demon. He landed on his feet, however, and charged again. The monster was ready and slashed with its claw as the red-caped warrior drew near. He slapped the claw away with his shield and struck once more, his blade sliding across the monster's other arm, and as the magical energies were released from the gems in his weapon, more damage was inflicted. He rolled out of the way before the demon could retaliate.
The monster turned and lunged at him before he could do anything, knocking him to the ground. Rua was pinned under the demon's weight, and he struggled to free himself. He somehow managed to jam his sword between himself and the demon as they fell, and he violently dragged it across the monster's chest. It bellowed as it pushed itself off of the green-eyed warrior, and he saw his chance. He chanted and cast a Flare spell at the demon, and the cone of fire forced it back away. He pushed himself off of the ground and backed away from the demon, preparing himself for another attack. When the demon stepped forward as it recovered from the burning assault, Rua flung a fireball at the monster. It exploded against the beast's chest, but the monster smiled horribly. The spell hadn't affected it at all, and Rua frowned. He jumped back and flung another fireball at the same time, and the beast roared, stepping through the flames unharmed. It suddenly broke out into a run, and the green-eyed warrior was forced to dive out of the way. Rua twisted around and brought his blade up to attack, and then flung himself at his opponent, slashing down between the beast's wings.
The monster bellowed and whipped around, its fist crashing into Rua's side. His armor absorbed most of the impact, but the green-eyed warrior still staggered back. His blade flashed out in a rising arc as he regained his footing, causing the monster to step back, clutching its shoulder as violet blood ran from the wound. Rua danced back out of the angered demon's reach, flinging another fireball at it. Again it didn't affect the monster, but the beast roared in pain as Rua followed up with a lightning bolt that took it square in the chest. The red-caped warrior's eyes widened in surprise as he witnessed this. He jumped to the side as his opponent made another lunge at him. He turned and cast another lightning bolt at the demon… and watched as it bounced harmlessly off of its backside, the bolt streaking away and blasting out a portion of a building. The demon turned and slowly advanced on Rua. The green-eyed warrior cursed as he backed up cautiously. When the beast started to growl, Rua made his move.
Rua streaked by with Phase Shift, slashing the monster across its ribs. As he reappeared two spans away from the demon, he turned and flung a fireball spell at the demon, smiling in satisfaction as the demon stumbled forward, snarling in pain as the flames licked his back and wings, charring some of its greasy hair. Rua's eyes narrowed in fury as he realized the demon's secret. It can't be hit by the same element twice in a row… he'd have to alternate his elemental spells for any lasting damage. The beast turned around while roaring once more, lifting one claw in the air. Rua raised one eyebrow, looking at the demon in tense suspicion, and then flung himself to the side as the monster threw a very large bolt of lightning at him. It slammed into the wall of a building beside him.
Rua turns back to face the monster, only too see another incoming bolt. Unable to do anything else in time, he threw up his shield to defend himself, and let the bolt slam into it. The green-eyed warrior yelled out as he was flung backwards from the blast, skidding across the street. The beast advanced on him menacingly as he tried to get up. It roared again as it raised both of its fists into the air, but before it could attack, two arrows appeared in the demon's chest. The beast stumbled backwards, looking angrily at the offending arrows from between his tusks. Rua pushed himself up off the ground, backing up and readying his sword and shield.
The green-eyed warrior looked to his side and saw Alasea rush up beside him, nocking two more arrows into her longbow. Before they could say anything to each other, the beast screamed in fury and launched itself through the air, heading straight for the two companions. Rua readied himself as Alasea leapt skillfully away from the demon. As it closed in, Rua rolled on the side in a tight half-circle and rose up behind it, slashing upwards with his gemmed longsword. The beast roared in anger as the blade slid up its backside, and it attempted to swing around to retaliate. However, as it did, two more arrows embedded themselves in its shoulders, and another grazed its back. The monster roared again as it ripped out all of the arrows sticking out of its body, then twisted around and flung a lightning bolt at the blue-eyed woman. She skillfully danced out of the way of the bolt, nocking another arrow in her bow and letting fly, this time glowing blue and leaving a blue-white trail as it flew. It struck the raging demon, and ice soon covered the wound. The beast shrieked in pain, and Rua dashed forward and struck out several times at the monster. Dark blood layered his blade when he retreated, and the demon, seemingly unfazed, turned to attack the offending human. Alasea fired two more arrows into the demon's back, and several more through its wings. Rua immediately cast a Pulse Laser.
As the azure beam struck the beast in the stomach, Rua launched himself into the air with Driver. The monster stepped out of the way as the green-eyed warrior descended, gaining a couple more arrows in the side for its trouble. Ignoring the pain, the demon punched Rua in his armored chest, knocking him backwards. As he fell back, Rua cast a lightning bolt at it, striking it in the chest once, causing the beast to cry out as it burned its shoulder. The monster fell backwards, roaring in fury as it grabbed at its wound. Alasea was suddenly by his side, helping him back up from the street. As Rua got up, words for a new spell entered his mind. He made a quick glance at his ring; it was glowing blue again. After he sheathed his blade, Rua closed his green eyes as he began to chant. He held up his free hand, clenching it in a fist as his chanting quickened. Alasea had once again taken up feathering the demon with arrows, dashing around in a quick circle to avoid the monster's retaliations, her years of dancing keeping her safe.
It was about to attack the woman with a lightning bolt when Rua finished the chant to his Impulse spell and opened his eyes. An aura of dark blue light swathed his unclenched hand, and the green-eyed warrior shouted out to the demon, catching its attention, and made a throwing motion at it. Its eyes widened in surprise and a snarl was etched on its face when a glowing ball of magical energy issued from the green-eyed warrior's hand and blasted through its chest, causing gore to spray out as the monster was thrown backwards. Rua waited tensely before deciding that the beast was dead. He was disturbed… he'd never come across a monster quite like this in his travels. Just what in the name of Heaven was that thing? He wondered. He looked over at some movement and watched as Alasea approached him.
Rua gave the woman a flat stare as she stopped in front of him. "You don't listen, do you, Alasea?"
She seemed unfazed by his look. "I couldn't just leave you here, Rua."
"I told you… I can take care of myself. You should've gotten to safety."
Together the two of them started walking along random streets, noticing that the numbers of demons were thinning out in their area of the city. They had ran into only a few demons, most of which were slain from Alasea's skillful shots. Rua never knew the dancer to be so adept with a weapon… but then again, Rua hadn't seen her fight at all until the chaos that was happening this very night.
Ziatoch leapt off of the other end of the building he had been standing on when he had confronted Brewer, Tamriel, Dai, and that annoying dragonet. As he landed, he heard his injured Dracolich roar a challenge at the four companions, and he smiled. He didn't think the monster would kill them, but it'd easily keep them occupied long enough for him to take the Resurrection Stone from Dragonheart. Fool, thinking he could keep the Master of Darkness away from his goal! Complete, stone-brained fool… however, a dangerous fool. The green-eyed warrior was getting strong ever since he had given him those three scars on his face, the ones that Rua had refused to have healed, finally laying his hands on one of the seven pieces… the ring, the Halo of Love, much like his amulet, the Eye of Anguish.
Ziatoch concentrated on another spell, this one to try and locate the lifeforce of Rua Dragonheart. He already knew that the spell to locate the resonance from the Stone was too complicated for the hectic atmosphere of New Tristram, but it didn't matter. If he could locate Rua, he'd locate the Stone. And then his plan would finally be set in motion. Already he had ideas, spawned from the Tomb of Resurrection, on where the other seven Stones may be hiding. After casting the spell, the Master of Darkness waited for a response. He cursed as more moments passed by. He was about to give up when a faint resonance from halfway across the city came to him. The dark warrior's eyes narrowed as he smiled cruelly. The red-eyed warlord gripped Kasra casually as he dashed down the street towards his rival, only killing anything that got in the way of his dash and ignoring the ones that were smart enough to stay out of his path.
After a while, humans began to fling themselves into Ziatoch's path. Each one was killed, whether by Kasra or the demonic magicks granted by the Armor of Hell's Darkness. Black fire and multicolored lightning would lash out at waves of his pitiful enemies; gray-green fog and crimson maelstroms would decimate groups of his human opponents. Human. He didn't know if that name could still be applied to him. He was much, MUCH more than a simple human… he had already felt the subtle changes growing in him after all of these years since he prostrated himself in front of the Lord of Terror, within his inner sanctum of the Chaos Sanctuary. He was stronger, faster, and smarter.
And easily the most powerful, most feared war leader since Bartuc.
The Master of Darkness felt the resonance again, much more closer than before. His excitement and fury rose as he felt the green-eyed warrior's presence in a pavilion next to the street he was on. An entire general store exploded against his magical onslaught, giving him a way through to the square. The fiery shrapnel tore through multiple humans, but the wreckage headed his way bounced off a magical barrier he had erected before he destroyed the building. As he walked through the flaming ruin, the heat never reaching him through the shield, he spied Rua battling a few demons in a long, rectangular space decorated with two fountains. One of them was partially destroyed, and leaking water around the pavilion. Thunder rolled in the stygian clouds overhead. Ziatoch smiled darkly. "So, we meet again, Dragonheart."
He had hefted Kasra up and pointed it straight at the green-eyed warrior. His smile widened as a black orb of energy emitting an unholy red glow formed at the Soul Crusher's tip.
The streets were still more or less calm as Rua and Alasea walked through them, both on the lookout for approaching demons or undead. They had been silent for a while, but Rua decided to speak up as a sudden thought entered his mind.
"What happened to that girl?" he asked his blue-eyed companion.
"Girl…? Oh! After I left, I found the party that was escorting Deckard out of the city," she replied, "They still haven't escaped."
"Are they okay?" the green-eyed warrior asked her, concerned about the old man.
"Yes. He had a few of the soldiers carry some chest for him and the books we laid out for him. The library is gone. I think he destroyed it."
"I see." There was no question as to who he was.
They continued on a little longer, both wondering why the demons had stopped appearing to attack them. It was strange… demons were crawling all over New Tristram, yet none of them seemed to be in their area. They both knew that the battle still raged on, as sounds of roaring, screaming, and steel crashing against steel could be heard in the air. After a while, Rua came to a decision concerning Ziatoch and the battle to be fought… he hadn't found him yet, but they would fight and Rua would put an end to this.
"Alasea."
The blue-eyed dancer looked over at him. "Hmm?"
"I know I can't get you to not help me with these monsters," he told her, "But when I find Ziatoch… you have to leave."
"What! Why?" she exclaimed.
"You know why. He'll kill you just to get at me. You can't beat him, Alasea… and I'm not going to let you die."
"Rua…" she said sadly.
"Promise me you'll leave once we find him. And don't come back for me during our fight."
She looked at him stubbornly, almost like she was about to refuse. His raised eyebrow stopped her, however, and she sighed and nodded. "You win."
Rua nodded and motioned for them to continue. After a while, Alasea spoke up. Seemed like both of them were perturbed by the absence of monsters in the area.
"Do you think it's a trap?" she asked.
Rua looked at her briefly, and then went back to watching the street. "Yes," he replied.
"So… he'll be waiting for you?" the blue-eyed dancer inquired.
"More than likely. If there's a trap, he'll have planned it. So if it springs, go. Find Jordan and Re. There'll be two women with him… an assassin and a sorceress."
Alasea looked at him curiously as he mentioned Rayne and Kaelynn's occupations, but said nothing for a while. When Rua opened his mouth again, she spoke.
"Don't worry, I'll go," she said, "But if you die, I'm making your afterlife miserable."
The renegade paladin looked at her in surprise, and then burst out laughing.
"You've got a deal."
They stopped when they reached a pavilion. Multiple monsters looked up at the two of them in surprise, and then they began to growl, awaiting the green-eyed warrior's challenge. The area itself looked to be a war zone… one of its two fountains was shattered at the side, and a pool of water was widening around the hooves of a Blood Lord. There were some fires here and there, and a few human bodies littered the ground. A few of the buildings around the pavilion had been reduced to rubble, and they were burning. There were three large towers among the buildings surrounding the place, and when the lightning flared overhead, the silhouette of Monastery Castle could be seen nearby. But that wasn't what was now suddenly bothering Rua. The growling and snarling of the demons intensified.
"He's near," breathed the green-eyed warrior.
Alasea looked at him sharply. "What?"
"Ziatoch," he stated, "is close by. You have to go."
"Are you sure, Rua?"
"I am… I can feel him."
The blue-eyed dancer looked at him with a look of concern. However, as a few of the demon's stepped forward, she nodded to the renegade paladin and took off, back down the street. She looked at her friend one last time over her shoulder, seeing him ready his blade one more time, its blade seeming to glow from the elemental energies imbued in it. Be careful, Rua! She prayed. She would look once more before losing sight, but what she would see would make her heart pound in fear.
The green-eyed warrior struck first as he flung a Thunder Blow into a crowd of Dark Ones and flung himself into the pavilion as the wave of eldritch blue flame incinerated the small devils. As he rushed into the midst of a new battle, his Fanaticism aura sprang up again, and his blade cleaved through the bones and black robes of a Vampire Lord, causing it to explode into flame. He twisted around and slashed out the throat of another monster, not even watching as the thing toppled over, gurgling and drooling black blood from its mouth. He cast a Pulse Laser spell that sheared through three Goatman before launching himself into the air with his Driver attack. He landed on the Blood Lord that had been standing in the pool of water by the broken fountain, his blade impaling the monster through the chest, and fire, lightning, and cold mist burst out of the wound in a tiny wave.
As a Thunder Blow spell vaporized several more demons, Rua realized that there wasn't too many monsters to begin with, and that his fight was rather easy. The green-eyed warrior, being the fatalist that he was, was wondering when the first surprise was going to pop up, and from where. His mind seemed tense; he still noticed that feeling of menace in the air, the feeling that he almost always felt whenever the Master of Darkness was nearby. He would be here soon, and then they would battle. His longsword swept off the head of a Balrog, and he turned and spilled the entrails of another that had approached from behind. Suddenly, a building at the edge of the pavilion exploded. The shrapnel flew everywhere, striking down many of the demons. Rua paid it no mind as none of the wreckage came close to his position. He flung a fireball at a Succubus that swooped down from above, the orb of flame tearing off one of its feathered wings as it exploded against the demonic woman. He felt something creating a magical force somewhere in the pavilion, but he was too preoccupied with the monsters he was fighting to investigate it. Thunder rolled in the crimson sky as lightning danced through the
Quite suddenly, the magical energy he sensed swelled. Instantly he was able to pinpoint it, and a fierce crimson light shone from the Halo. As he whipped around, he could only stare in surprise and horror as a large orb of stygian energy slammed into the ground in front of him, exploding into a dome of black energy. The green-eyed warrior screamed as he flew through the air and struck down on the street spans away. The shield that his ring had erected absorbed most of the impact, but Rua's body still ached, and his aura quickly died out. He forced himself up from the ground to see Ziatoch, fully armored, cape billowing, and Kasra drawn, walking down from the ruins of the exploded building, a cruel smile etched on his face, making him look slightly insane.
Rua steadied himself once more, his Fanaticism aura still illuminating the ground he stood upon. He readied his sword and his shield, and his eyes burned with fury. The remaining demons were fleeing in terror as their master appeared before them. Thunder rolled again, much louder than before. A bolt of lightning struck down into the pavilion, silhouetting them both from the blast. The Master of Darkness' eyes blazed, and suddenly, he attacked. He had charged across the pavilion, his dark sword raised overhead. Rua stepped back, eyes wide with surprise, and swung his own blade out to meet it. The swords met in a loud clash of steel on steel, and Rua's arm shuddered under the force of the blow. Rua forced the blade away and thrust with his weapon, only to have it glance off of the Emblem of Destruction. The red-eyed warlord raised his armored foot and kicked Rua in the chest, knocking him backward. As the renegade paladin fell, he flung a fireball at the Master of Darkness. Snarling, he slashed the orb of flame, splitting it into two smaller balls that flew past him harmlessly. Rua had regained his footing, and was about to attack, when suddenly, his opponent was very close to him, his sword sheathed and his right hand open and pointing at his midsection. Ziatoch blasted him with an Unholy Bolt spell that flung his green-eyed nemesis away from him. Luckily, he had managed to raise his kite shield in the way of the attack. His feet had skid across the ground as the dark spell forced him backwards, and when it dissipated, he fell to his knees. His shield had been partially melted by the spell. He was exhausted, and he fell forward, catching himself with both hands, his sword pinned beneath them.
Sweat dripped from his face as he was looking at the street, breathing heavily. His mind whirled. How had he gotten so strong? He thought frantically, is there still a way to win? And he honestly didn't think so… it seemed that… this was the end. And he hated it. He had failed… failed and broken his promise to avenge his sister. But… why didn't this feel like the truth…? Thunder rolled overhead once more, and a few drops of water plopped down on the pavement he kneeled on. His eyes widened in surprise as…
What the renegade paladin didn't know, however, was that Ziatoch was already using a spell to break his will. This time, the dark warrior wasn't taking any chances. And it was working! He smiled cruelly as he gazed down at the green-eyed warrior. He drew his sword and held his arms out wide. "So, I shall defeat you now, Rua Dragonheart…"
A feminine voice whispered in Rua's mind. Don't give up now… it said, and a warm presence filled him. Kalia? He thought.
"… and then you will open the door and lead the world into everlasting darkness!" The Master of Darkness raised Kasra up over his head, seeming to be stuck in slow motion. More drops of water fell from the sky, striking his black and violet colored armor, and another lightning bolt lanced out and struck the ground, illuminating the area, quickly followed by the sound of thunder.
You haven't failed me, Rua… I believe in you! Don't give up!
The Soul Crusher cleaved the air as Ziatoch brought it down using one hand with all his might, determined to end the nuisance of Rua Dragonheart.
Rua! Kalia yelled out in his mind. The pupils of his eyes contracted, and he looked up sharply. Steel clashed on steel once more as Rua threw up his blade to meet Kasra, and another thunderclap sounded. Ziatoch growled as he grasped Kasra with his other hand, but Rua, filled with new confidence and fury, activated his Fanaticism aura once more and flung the dark blade off of him, causing a shower of sparks as the two weapons slid across each other.
"Forget it, Ziatoch. There's no way I'll let you win."
The new rainfall started to strengthen as two combatants readied themselves for one more showdown, as the sound of thunder, screaming, and war echoed into the crimson night sky.
The one-winged Dracolich looked down imperiously at Jordan, Rayne, and Kaelynn. Relayia had taken to the air again, far above the Dracolich. The young dragonet had previous encounters with these monsters that she didn't care to repeat. As she watched down at the upcoming battle, she wondered where Rua was, and if he could come help them. Thunder rolled across the burning sky.
Jordan, despite the danger, started to grin as he readied his blade for combat. Shouldn't be too hard, thought the sandy-haired brigand. He heard the assassin and sorceress behind him ready their own weaponry. The monster before him growled furiously and stepped forward. Almost immediately, Kaelynn was chanting for a spell, and before the Dracolich could do anything else, blades and chunks of ice bombarded the undead dragon from the air. It screeched as it stepped backwards from Kaelynn's Blizzard spell, the frozen chunks bouncing off of its rotted hide and bones, holes being torn in its remaining wing. Jordan and Rayne made their moves and charged.
Jordan made his attack at one of the beast's legs, while Rayne used her Dragon Flight technique to land a flying kick into its face. It growled and made a snap at the young assassin, but she nimbly leapt out of the way, soon finding her way back down to the street. It snarled at her, only to have a fireball explode against its face. The beast roared in fury as it turned towards the offending sorceress, who was readying another spell with her staff, and its eyes began to glow red. It took a step forward towards the raven-haired spellcaster, when an audible crack was heard, sending waves of pain up the degenerated nerves in the monster's left foreleg as Jordan's massive blade slammed into it, fracturing the bone. It bellowed and slapped the bandit lord away from itself.
A psychic burst slammed into the beast's face just as a lightning bolt struck its throat. Its eyes flared red as it screamed in fury and layered the ground with its acid breath weapon. Kaelynn leapt backwards, turned, and dashed out of the way. Rayne had already been out of the range of the attack, and she countered by slamming a Mind Blast into the beast's face in an attempt to disorient it. Meanwhile, Jordan was forced to dive underneath the enraged beast's torso in his efforts to escape the burning fluids. When he realized just where he was, he gazed up at the monster's ribcage, and the glow he knew to be inside. Most of the ribs were covered in rotting flesh and scales, but the light of the trapped soul within escaped from gaps in the hide. He began to slash awkwardly and wildly at the rotted skin, but his weapon made little impression on it, but then he noticed ligaments around the edges of hide, attaching it to the ribs. He desperately swung with his giant sword, and managed to shear two of the bindings of flesh in half.
The undead dragon reared up on its hind legs and roared, its cry overlapping the sound of the thunder. Jordan saw his chance and escaped from the beast's underside. The enraged monster slammed its forearms back down into the street, causing the ground to shake and making both Kaelynn and Jordan lose their footing. It ignored the pain that shot up the left leg as it did. The three warriors regrouped, and Relayia fluttered down and landed on Jordan's shoulder, fur sticking up and growling at the undead dragon.
"Well, what now, Brewer?" Kaelynn asked the bandit lord.
"Yeah, didn't you say you've fought these things before?" Rayne inquired tensely.
"We gotta break its ribcage," replied the sandy-haired brigand, "and then hit the soul with magic."
"Fine," exclaimed the sorceress, "We'll just have to figure out a way to leave itself open for us to attack."
"Gotcha! Let me handle pissing it off!" Rayne shouted, and readied to fling herself at the monster.
Jordan also readied his weapon. "You'll take care of its weakness?"
"Yes," she said to the brigand, "I will banish the soul."
Suddenly, three devices began firing lightning bolts at the Dracolich, causing it to screech in surprise and bringing Jordan and Kaelynn's attention back to the battle. Rayne had laid the three Lightning Sentries down to distract the monster, and charged forward at the beast, prompting Jordan to do the same. The beast, meanwhile, shielded itself with its remaining wing, effectively blocking two of the devices' projectiles, and roared defiantly at the two charging humans. Its eye sockets burned, and when it opened its maw, an orb of black energy blasted out at Rayne, instead of a glob of acid. Rayne leapt over the offending energy as it exploded against the pavement, and countered with another Dragon's Flight technique, suddenly appearing beside the beast's head and slamming her booted foot against the fleshy part of its temple.
The beast cried out as its head rocked to the side. The assassin quickly fell back down to the street, launching herself off of the Dracolich's upper forearm. As she did, she noticed a small number of ligaments holding the flesh on the ribcage. When she landed, the blue-eyed assassin twisted around and flung two throwing blades at the undead dragon's torso, aiming for one of the ligaments. However, the beast shifted its stance and the lethal projectiles ricocheted harmlessly off the monster's foreleg. The Dracolich looked down at her in surprise and fury, and used its arm to bat the woman away from itself. It then roared and leapt forward at Kaelynn.
The raven-haired sorceress was prepared for it, and when the giant beast lunged, her Meteor spell took the monster flush in the snout. It roared in surprise and anger, and the sorcerer began pelting it with Ice Blasts, forcing the temporarily blinded monster back. The Lightning Sentries that Rayne had laid earlier threw a few more bolts at the undead dragon before deactivating and falling apart. Jordan quickly charged in and slashed apart another ligament holding up the fleshy shield guarding the soul. It roared again and leapt up into the air, glaring downward at the bandit lord as it fell back towards the street. He stumbled backwards as the monster descended. As it landed, the street buckled from the impact, and the sandy-haired brigand was knocked off his feet from the shockwave.
However, when it did this, the Dracolich had temporarily forgotten about its fractured left foreleg. When it landed, a resounding snap was heard as the fracture worsened and finally gave way, and the beast bellowed in pain as the leg suddenly bent out of place, the jagged end of bone tearing through the remaining flesh on the leg. It pushed itself up, its leg hanging uselessly, but before it could do anything, Rayne had darted in and, while gripping the flesh with her claw, cut two more of the ligaments with her scissor katar. Jordan also closed in and severed some of the ligaments and then grabbed a good chuck of the flesh and pulled, trying to keep from sicking up at touching the repulsive creature. Rayne sheathed her weapons and grabbed hold too, and together, the last ligaments began to tear as they yanked the flesh off. The beast slammed itself back into the ground in anger and desperation, successfully forcing the two warriors off of its body, but not before too much damage had been done. The hide covering its torso had been mostly torn away, leaving the ribs and its soul exposed.
The beast forced itself back up from the ground with its good foreleg, and then roared as it proceeded to drench the two stunned heroes with its acid breath weapon. As its eyes began to burn crimson, a Glacial Spike collided with its head and shattered, issuing cold mist across the side of its face. The beast roared again, this time in surprise, as the remaining flesh and bone began to freeze and the red glow in its eyes began to fade. It turned towards its third opponent and began to growl, its eye sockets glowing red once more. Kaelynn cast an Energy Shield on herself and readied her own weapon, the chants for several spells ready in her mind. The beast threw its head back and roared, then flung it back down, flinging an orb of black energy with it at the raven-haired sorceress.
Caught unprepared, the hazel-eyed woman was forced to leap back, but as the attack exploded in front of her, she was sent flying backwards, showered in rubble. She coughed violently as she forced the offending rock and paving off of her, and her ears were ringing, but they easily picked up the menacing growl she suddenly heard above her. The one-winged Dracolich glared down at the raven-haired sorceress with empty eye sockets. The dragon's soul imprisoned in the ribcage bathed her in a cold glow, and she saw her chance.
Thrusting both hands out in front on her, one of them gripping her staff and crossing it in front of her, Kaelynn chanted and lashed out with her Inferno spell. The large gout of fire blazed out from her outstretched hands, swarming over the monster's midsection. The flames consumed the hanging flesh, and the beast fell back and cried out in pain as its trapped soul wavered. It backed away, visibly weakening, and Kaelynn stood up and advanced on the beast, still holding her hands out and burning away at the beast's body, and at last, the soul winked out of existence. The undead dragon's body collapsed in on itself as the power that held its rotting and degenerated corpse together disappeared, and only then did the Zann Esu woman cancel the spell and lower her hands.
Rayne and Jordan stumbled over to the now burning remains of the Dracolich, and a thoroughly shaken Relayia fluttered down to land on Kaelynn's shoulder.
"Eh… wasn't too hard," said the bandit lord, earning him a pair of angry glares from the women, which he conveniently ignored, "Now what do we do? Follow Ziatoch?"
"Oh, that'd be a brilliant idea, wouldn't it?" Relayia yelled at the brigand.
"Quit yer whinin', cat," Jordan grumbled.
"I say we try and find Rua," Kaelynn said, "If Ziatoch has gotten as strong as I suspect, he'll need our help."
Jordan sheathed his giant sword back on his back. "Well, we better get started finding him." His three companions nodded their assent. Thunder rolled overhead, and the sandy-haired brigand felt a few raindrops strike his shoulder as he turned to head deeper into the city.
"Where do you think they'll—" he cut off as something struck his chest and recoiled back. Jordan looked down to see a reddish-brown haired woman sitting down on the ground, a bow slung over her shoulder. She was cursing softly, and she looked up at what she ran into with cerulean blue eyes.
"Aw, hell," Jordan swore, offering a hand to the fallen dancer. "Does Rua know you're here, woman?"
"Yes," she said, taking his hand and lifting herself up, "He told me to find you and your new… friends."
The two other women raised eyebrows at the newcomer, but said nothing as Alasea continued. "He made me leave him behind. When I looked back, he was fighting Ziatoch. We have to help him!"
"We were on our way to that, girl, don't worry," Jordan reassured her, ignoring several more raindrops that struck his body. The assassin and sorceress nodded and were both readying their weapons when a very loud thunderclap echoed across the city, seeming to be much closer than any before, and all of them felt a light shower start. Relayia shivered and opened her mouth.
"We can't," the dragonet stated.
"The hell we can't, cat!" Jordan growled, turning to the creature that was perched on Rayne's shoulder.
"We don't have a choice anymore!" she yelled at the bandit lord, "Rua and I both know what that thunderclap means! We have to go! NOW!"
"What are you talking about, Re?" timidly asked Alasea.
"The spell that Ziatoch made takes advantage of the barriers that were weakened by the Worldstone's destruction," the flying cat explained, "and that last bit of thunder meant it was going to get worse. Face it. This city is doomed."
"But… we can't just leave him here!" the dancer exclaimed, "He needs our help."
Jordan laid a large hand on the dancer's shoulder and shook his head when she looked at him. "I think the kitty cat's right. We gotta go… Rua can fend for himself, we both know that."
The girl sighed and gave up. "Fine. You win," she spat. Relayia launched herself off of Rayne's shoulder and landed on Alasea's, and she nuzzled her cheek. Alasea scratched the pink animal's head, smiled, and nodded to the three others. "Let's go."
As the five of them took off towards the streets, Alasea looked back just as the sky seemed to open up and flood the city. Good luck, Rua!
The rain poured immensely down onto the rooftops and street corners of doomed New Tristram. The townspeople fled as warriors and mages battled the Hellspawn that had been unleashed in their home. The rain washed the streets clean of the blood that had been shed, but the fires springing up in the city defied the torrent, still trying to consume whatever building they had ignited. Thunder rolled overhead, and tines of lightning struck the ground and shredded through buildings. The rain had intensified into a torrential downpour, and the humans were fleeing… all but two. In a ruined pavilion near the center of the city, two warriors had engaged in a duel, one of many. One sought to finish off the source of his troubles, while the other hoped to completely end this madness.
For Rua, it felt as if Heaven were close. The sky seemed to be bearing down upon him as he countered the opening blows of a battle he fought for revenge. Of a battle he fought for solace. Of a battle he fought for hope.
The green-eyed warrior leapt backwards as Ziatoch slashed downwards, flinging a fireball at the dark warrior. The shield that he had erected absorbed it, and the Master of Darkness countered by lashing out with a series of Unholy Bolts. Rua managed to dodge each of them, and moved forward on the offensive, his blade flicking out at his nemesis' face, throat, chest, and stomach. The Master of Darkness skillfully parried each blow, then dodged the last one by side-stepping out of Rua's reach, causing him to overextend, and his armored boot lashed out and caught him in the back. Rua fell forwards, skidding across the drenched pavement, the water soaking into the exposed sleeves of his tunic, his trousers, and his tattered cape. He managed to turn it into a roll and then pushed himself off of the ground, dashing away as an all-too-familiar bolt of red lightning lanced out from Ziatoch's demonblade and struck the bit of street he had previously been skidding across. The green-eyed warrior had already been chanting for a spell, and as he faced his far-off attacker, his Pulse Laser pierced the rain, punched through Ziatoch's energy shield and into his shoulder, causing the red-eyed man to stagger backwards.
Rua dashed forward at the human monster with his blade ready by his side. Ziatoch, already recovered, swung the Emblem at the incoming warrior, missing completely as the renegade paladin sidestepped out of the way, but the red-eyed warrior smirked as he followed up by swinging Kasra in the same direction as his shield. Rua was forced to catch the black sword with his own battered shield. The green-eyed warrior thrust his blade at the dark warlord. However, Rua's blade only glanced off of the black-and-violet shield that the Master of Darkness carried, and both warriors leapt back and attacked again. Ziatoch managed to parry his opponent's first pair of swings and countered with an upward swing of the Soul Crusher, catching Rua off guard. The red-eyed warlord's jubilation was cut short as his weapon's blade only made a minor gash on the green-eyed warrior's breastplate, having managed to step back far enough to remain uninjured. Ziatoch growled and flung himself forward, his blade screaming as it cleaved through the rain and air.
Water was flung in all directions as Rua and Ziatoch traded blows back and forth, the water being flung off from their swords and armor. The rain continued to drench their clothing as the two opponents sought to kill each other, their blades flicking out over and over again as each hoped to land a hit on a vital weakness—difficult for Rua, whose nemesis was covered in demonic armor created by the Prime and Lesser Evils. The green-eyed warrior was forced to utilize the many auras he had acquired during his training as a paladin, switching back and forth with them to keep up with the unholy strength and speed that Ziatoch possessed.
It was suddenly Ziatoch's turn to be surprised as Rua cast a lightning bolt spell in close quarters, barely giving him time to dodge. He succeeded, and the Master of Darkness spared a moment to watch as the lightning bolt lanced out through the water-thick air and blast apart a bit of rubble on the ground. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck, and Ziatoch twisted back around. Stepping back, the red-eyed warlord brought Kasra up in a tight arc as Rua's blade swung downward. Sparks flew as the blades grinded against one another, and finally Ziatoch leapt backwards from the attack. His armored foot splashed into a puddle of water as he landed, and Rua's sword rang as it struck the paved street. Rua immediately leapt back himself and brought his blade up into a ready stance, as the two fighters glared at one another.
Where in Hell is he getting all his power? Ziatoch's mind screamed frantically, Brewer was right! This fool really has gotten stronger! The dark warrior's visage was twisted into a malicious sneer. No matter! It is time for him to die! He sheathed his blade and held up one black-gauntleted hand, and a large ball of stygian black energy began to form in front of it. Rua raised an eyebrow at the dark warrior, and readied himself for his enemy's attack. The orb grew to the size of Ziatoch's head, and started to vibrate slightly as faint beams of black light emanated from it. Shoving it forward, Ziatoch unleashed his Shadow Beam spell. Rua threw himself to the side as a beam of unholy black energy blasted out, emitting two rings of black energy from the focal point. The Shadow Beam tore through the support of a building, causing it to collapse in on itself as the beam faded away into nothing. Rua picked himself up and glared again at his red-eyed opponent.
Lightning flashed overhead, and Rua darted forward. Ziatoch dodged his first slash and danced out of the way, drawing Kasra in the process. The dark glow sprang up around the black blade, and he struck. Rua barely managed to twist around and catch the Soul Crusher with his own sword, and his arm shuddered under the blow. He flung it off of himself and slashed downward, and before Ziatoch could jump out of the way, his blade made a clean cut down the red-eyed warlord's armor. Unfortunately, the weapon couldn't pierce the enchanted metal and it began to repair itself. Rua stepped forward and punched with his shield arm, striking the Master of Darkness squarely in the chest with the battered kite shield. Following up, the green-eyed warrior yelled as he backhanded the dark warrior with the same arm, his shield knocking him off of his feet. Ziatoch shouted in anger as he fell onto his back from the blow.
The Master of Darkness rolled out of the way and got to his feet just as the enraged Rua stabbed downward at the spot he had just recently occupied with his sword. Blood ran in a rill from his mouth, and the rain quickly scoured it away. Ziatoch swung upwards with his sword to parry Rua's next attack as it streaked down through the downpour. Steel rang on demonic steel, and the dark warrior forced the gemmed longsword away from him and slashed at Rua's unprotected legs. The green-eyed warrior leapt backwards and danced away, preparing for another round of attacks. The Master of Darkness snarled and reversed his grip on Kasra, thrusting its blade through the paved street. He mentally channeled his unholy power through the blade and into the ground. The road exploded underneath Rua in a shower of rubble, and he yelled out in pain and surprise as he was flung backwards through the air. Miraculously the renegade paladin managed to right himself in the air and land on his feet, but Ziatoch was waiting. He had pointed the unholy demonblade at his nemesis and unleashed a flurry of Unholy Bolts at him. Rua's eyebrows rose as he watched the incoming barrage of dark magic and he threw up his shield, silently praying for his ring to help him.
Sure enough, many of the bolts that didn't strike his shield were repelled off of a faintly glowing blue barrier that had suddenly appeared in front of him. However, as the last of the bolts stopped, Rua looked up just in time to see a black ball of energy throwing off red light streak towards. It exploded against his shield and the barrier in a dome of black magic. He was thrown backwards across the pavilion, skidding through a puddle of water before rolling to a stop. The green-eyed warrior forced himself back up onto one knee, grounding the point of his longsword to prop himself. He stared coldly at the slowly approaching Master of Darkness. His armor was even more battered, blood ran from a tiny cut above his eye and from the corner of his mouth, and he could feel more blood running from cuts in his arms and legs, where the rubble from the explosion had sheared through his clothing and the skin underneath. His body was soaked, but he barely felt it. He was still warm from the heat of battle. Only death was cool.
"Do you see how little it all matters?" Ziatoch asked suddenly, raising his arms to his sides, "How easily I can take it all away, should I choose to do so?"
Rua stared back defiantly and said nothing. Lightning flared across the crimson sky, and the rain fell harder than ever.
"Beware, Dragonheart! Beware, hero!" the red-eyed warlord shouted across the pavilion as he strode across it, "The Abyss is all around you! You float or fall into it at my whim!"
The Master of Darkness suddenly pointed his dark blade at the renegade paladin, a large black ball forming at its tip, throwing rays of black light off of it. Rua rolled to the side as the Shadow Beam blasted through the rain towards him and slammed through the first undamaged water fountain. The fountain exploded from the magical onslaught, throwing shrapnel in all directions. However, none of the debris struck Rua, and he was left unharmed to retaliate. He had been chanting in his mind the entire time, and as he came out of the roll, his right hand was swathed in a blue glow. He dropped his sword and threw the Impulse spell at the enraged Master of Darkness. The glowing blue orb shot through the air, evaporating the rain in its way, and slammed into Ziatoch's body, throwing him backwards.
Ziatoch easily righted himself and stayed on his feet. He glared coldly at his green-eyed opponent, who readied himself for the next attack. Fool, the dark warrior thought darkly. Once more he sheathed his unholy demonblade and held up his empty right hand as he began to chant. His eyes closed as he reached deeply into himself and drew on the dark power granted by his master's gift, the Wings of Chaos. Rua's eyebrow rose curiously, and then he froze in horror as an orb of blue electrical energy formed in front of Ziatoch's gauntleted hand. The renegade paladin started backing away as black and purple electricity entered the spell's focal point and morphed the ball into a dancing cacophony of blue, purple, and black lightning forced into a tightened orb as Ziatoch's chanting continued.
Ziatoch's eyes opened and landed on Rua just as the green-eyed warrior turned and dashed towards the other side of the pavilion. The orb of electricity swelled with power in his hand. "It's time for you to die, Dragonheart!" he screamed as he hopped forward, crouching low, and flung his Chaos Bolt spell high into the air from an underhand swing. Rua watched anxiously as the multicolored orb of electricity streaked through the rain and into the sky. And suddenly, it exploded. A widening shockwave of energy spread out across the sky, changing colors rapidly, before it faded out of existence. Rua braced for impact.
The true effects of the spell hadn't even begun and the ring burned crimson. The barrier had been thrown up automatically just as the green-eyed warrior sheathed his blade and threw up his kite shield. The sky roared as the first gigantic lightning bolt blasted out of the epicenter of the magical orb's explosion. The dark blue tine lanced out into the remains of the fountain destroyed by Ziatoch's spell and obliterated it. Rua threw himself out of the way as another bolt, this one black, shot out towards him just as more bolts struck down at various other parts of the pavilion, each either blue, purple, or black in color.
Another black bolt lanced down into the edge of the pavilion and seemed to move forward, its energy shearing through the base of a tower and the vital supports beneath. An ungodly groan tore through the air as the building began to topple over. Rua immediately looked up at it and hastily scrambled out of the way as the leaning tower fell through the air, finally crashing into the ground. The concussion following knocked the green-eyed warrior off of his feet, causing him to fall forward through a puddle. The breath was knocked from his lungs as he touched down, the combined force of his armor and the street finally doing him in. He could still feel the blood flowing from his wounds as he pushed himself up off the ground with his right arm. Kneeling on one leg, the renegade paladin reached into his pouch and drew out his last healing potion and downed it before tossing the bottle away. It was one of the weaker potions, and his wounds didn't fully heal. He looked around at the damage created by the Chaos Bolt before the spell finally dissipated.
It was a picture of devastation. Both fountains and been reduced to nothing from the lightning, the holes that had been created from the blasts were filling up with water, and rubble had been thrown everywhere from the many ruined buildings around the pavilion. One of the entrances had been completely blocked off by the fallen tower, and another tower had collapsed into the other buildings. The lightning storm that still danced around the air, combined with the multiple fires dancing inside the ruined shops and inns illuminated the ruined area in an eerie crimson glow. The rain fell harder than ever. The Master of Darkness stood at the other end of the pavilion, his head thrown back as he roared with cruel laughter, his now-drawn demonblade surrounded in its unholy light. As he did, mist began to fill their destroyed arena.
Rua grounded the point of his gemmed longsword into the street and used it to push himself up. The blade spun in hand once as he readied himself for combat once more. He glared at the Master of Darkness, feeling nothing but cold fury even as the heat of battle warmed him and prevented him from feeling the chill of the rain and fog. He threw his head back once, managing to toss his water-slick hair out of his line of vision. Ziatoch had stopped laughing and was gazing silently at Rua, and then he started to smile. Another chant rose from his lips as he continued to peer darkly at his nemesis. Four large spheres of blood appeared around him, revolving around him at a slow pace that soon began to increase. The Master of Darkness was drawing on the well of power that was entombed within his helm, the Gaze of Terror.
Rua cursed again as he saw Ziatoch renew his assault with a spell just as powerful and as dangerous as the last one he had used. The bloody orbs began to spin around the dark warrior faster and faster, and then exploded. Droplets of blood were flung into the air, only to be sucked back around the Master of Darkness as the whirlwind continued. The red-eyed warlord seemed to be encased in a shield made entirely of blood. And just as suddenly, the droplets multiplied as the spinning began to expand outward. The mists swirled furiously as the maelstrom whipped it into a chaotic frenzy.
The renegade warrior chanted quickly as he launched two fireballs into the swirling vortex of Ziatoch's Blood Storm spell, and quickly followed up with a Pulse Laser. Unfortunately, the spells were too weak to break through the unholy spectacle, as the fireballs were caught up in the windstorm and thrown away, and the mana beam of his more mysterious ability seemed to evaporate into an azure mist that was swallowed by the fog as it neared the tornado. The spell's effects widened as it grew faster and faster still, the whirlwind catching up the rubble born of Ziatoch's previous attack. Rua leaped back as the Blood Storm grew closer to his position and danced away, dodging whatever chunk of rock that broke free of the maelstrom and was thrown through the rain.
Meanwhile, Ziatoch decided now was the time to strike. In the middle of the Blood Storm, the Master of Darkness threw down his sword and shield and concentrated on two particular spells. He held out both of his hands as he chanted, and the black orb for the Shadow Beam appeared. He continued his chanting, and red lightning began to swarm all around it. The orb grew larger still, and stygian fire seemed to flare up within. Stepping forward, the red-eyed warlord pumped both of his hands forward and attacked. The Shadow Beam blasted out even larger than before, now emanating a red light and surrounded by crimson electricity. It ripped through the bloody wave of his previous spell with ease, just as it was about to die out. Rua stared in horror as the black energy filled his vision as it neared before throwing up his shield, closing his eyes and praying for his ring's assistance, even though it still glowed brightly. More shrapnel from the Chaos Bolt's fury flew at him from odd angles thanks to the dying effects of the Blood Storm.
The explosion shook the entire pavilion as black energy bloomed from Rua's position. The fog filled in the absence left by the strengthened Shadow Beam, and the rain fell still. The Master of Darkness willed his sword and shield back to him before stepping forward, walking out of the area cleared by his Blood Storm spell. He started laughing as he took in the rubble strewn around the smoke that was slowly being scoured away by the falling rain. He soon quieted, and smiled cruelly at the carnage.
"It's over," he declared triumphantly.
The smoke was beginning to thin as the rain slowly evaporated it. Ziatoch's face twisted in a snarl when he recognized a human figure standing up within the smoke. The smoke cleared to reveal Rua, unharmed him his assault. The green-eyed warrior still had his kite shield up, and his sword was drawn and at the ready. He opened his eyes and stared confidently at the Master of Darkness, a smirk etched across his scarred face. "No," he stated, "Not quite."
The dark warrior's eyes narrowed dangerously as his grip tightened around Kasra's hilt. However, before he could attack, he noticed the glowing blue orb at the tip of Rua's longsword, and Rua made an upward slash with it. The orb flew straight up in the air and then shot downward of it's own accord, and before Ziatoch realized what was happening, it had touched the ground before him and a blue ring of energy shot out around it.
The red-eyed warlord was flung backward violently as the wave of eldritch blue flame blasted upward from the Thunder Blow attack. His energy shield had absorbed most of the attack, but he had been surprised and unprepared, and the amount of damage that he received staggered him. He skidded across the drenched street before rolling to a stop. His black cape was soaked and in tatters, but already trying to knit itself back together, thanks to the enchantments placed on his armor. He pushed himself up off the ground onto one knee, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his gauntleted hand. He stared cruelly at Rua, who was now standing and slowly advancing on him, like Ziatoch had done before. He opened his mouth to speak, as if to respond to Ziatoch's earlier question and warning.
"Come," the green-eyed warrior said coldly, "It is time to die."
The Master of Darkness stood up and readied his own blade. He no longer felt the pain caused by Rua's attack; his sword was already using its power to rejuvenate him. His dark blade was held out before him, pointed at the green-eyed warrior, who stopped and peered warily at his foe. Elemental energy began to gather at the Soul Crusher's tip, and formed into a sphere. Dark magic was soon being fed to it, and although the orb grew more powerful, it shrank, seeming to recede into the unholy demonblade that Ziatoch carried, and it soon disappeared, causing his sword to vibrate violently. The two warriors' narrowed their eyes at the same time.
They struck at the same time. Ziatoch's spells ripped its way out of Kasra, becoming a gigantic orb of negative and elemental energy. A golden light sprang up around Rua as he swung his gemmed longsword in a tight arc with one hand. The illuminated warrior's blade struck the red-eyed warlord's spell head-on, and light flared everywhere as Rua's glowing power reversed the polarity of the attack. He felt his sword heat up through the leather gauntlet he wore, and heard a sizzling hiss as his blade struck the magical force. Ziatoch's eyes widened in shock as his spell flared outward with bright light. He screamed; Rua screamed; the world exploded in fire.
Alright, all completed chapters are up. Nice little cliffy, eh? I thought so. I'm nearly completion on Chapter Eight: The Aftermath, so keep an eye out for it. C'ya.
Rising Dragon