AN: I've had this chapter ready for a while, but a massive writer's block resulting from the death of a friend resulted in me not writing or posting anything for a while. Anyways, here's the chapter!
Chapter 14: Wizard
Meanwhile, deep in the dungeon:
The wizard walked across the stone floor of the dungeon, his footsteps echoing. He held his gold and ruby staff in front of him, letting it cast a red glow across the hall. He knew that the spirit of Darkness was down there somewhere, but he could not see where. No, not even the wisest could. He was hiding himself well, but the wizard knew he would be coming face to face with him today. They would have a battle of wills, and one would break. A hero had defeated him, but his spirit lurked within the dungeon. One crimson alter remained, and he knew he could not slay him. He was simply delaying the inevitable. He did not want him to return to his Earthly form just yet.
As he thought about all these things, he nearly bumped into a pair of huge metal doors. They were ornamented with rows of black spikes. He knew that this was it. He twirled his staff around and unleashed a red gust of air, which blew open the doors. As he stepped inside the room, he saw that it was eerily lit by red torches, and skeletons hung from the walls. At the very back of the room was a spiked black throne, and on it sat a glowing purple entity.
"We meet again, Xyvaren!" The wizard said loudly, smashing his staff against the ground. Xyvaren laughed coldly.
"Wizard, if it isn't you. You are too late. I am back already, and now not even you can stop me. Behold my power!" He said, his voice smooth and dark. He stood up, and with a sweep of his hand, all the skeletons on the wall suddenly broke free of their chains. They stood up and lumbered towards the wizard, picking up rusted weapons off the slightly wet floor. The wiard pointed his staff towards the advancing hoard, and, with a pretentious twirl of his staff, blew them all into the wall. Bones shattered and weapons broke.
"If you really knew me, you'd know that a few skeletons can't stop me." The wizard laughed. He walked towards the Xyvaren, but was suddenly thrown off his feet. He hit the ground with a loud thump, and slid a few feet. Xyvaren was now holding a black staff with a strange purple triangle at the top. "The shadowbeam staff..." The wizard mumbled. He stood up, blood running from his nose. He threw off his cape and drew his sword, charging forwards. Xyvaren fired a bolt of dark energy towards the Wixard, but missed. It bounced around the dungeon, and eventually faded away. He fired again, this time a bolt burning a hole through the wizard's hat. The wizard aproached calmly, standing face to face with the dread lord himself.
"Foolish wizard. You cannot withstand my power!" Xyvaren said steadily. The wizard suddenly stabbed Xyvaren with his sword, and blasted him off with his staff. Xyvaren leapt up, ignoring his injury. He blasted the wizard off his feet and sent him crashing against the wall. He wiped some of the blood from his forehead and knocked Xyvaren to the ground. They continued throwing eachother across the room, neither side seeming to have the upper hand. That is until Xyvaren caught the Wizard's staff. He laughed and smashed the wizard into the ceiling. He was now covered in cuts and bruises.
"Is there nothing you are capable of, wizard?" Xyvaren laughed. The wizard barely dodged another purple beam. But even without his staff, he wasn't powerless. He held in his hand an ancient spellbook, from which he released volleys of cursed fire. One happened to land on the wizards staff, which knocked it from Xyvaren's hand. He grabbed it and fired a red beam towards Xyvaren. It burned a hole through his black armor, and sent him crashing against his throne. It shattered, and the pieces scattered across the room. But as the wizard rose his staff up to finish Xyvaren for the time being, he was suddenly hit in the eyes by a blindingly bright and hot beam. The wizard cried out and fell to the ground. He could barely see, though he could easily discern the looming outline of Xyvaren. He coughed and backed up, waiting for the lord of darkness to kill him. But he didn't. Xyvaren summoned a coil of glowing red rope.
"Ah, you're going to tie me down while I'm weak, are you? Coward!" The wizard coughed. Xyvaren chuckled and tied the wizard up, the wizard growling and protesting the whole time. Once he was done, he pulled a strange purple potion from his pocket.
"This will probably put you in a lava filled cavern or other hazardous area. Prepare to die." Xyvaren said coldy, pouring the potion down the wizard's throat. His vision blurred further, and eventually turned to black.