Irma's Tale
By Lost Prince
Disclaimer: I don't own W.I.T.C.H.
"What are you two reading ?" Asked a voice from behind the boys. Alex's head snapped up looking at the source of the voice, "Jenny?"
A slightly chubby teenage girl put her small black bag on the table in front of them. She was clad in a red top and blue skirt. Her wavy brown hair reflecting nicely on her pale face as she took her seat opposite to Alex. "Hi guys, what are you reading?" She asked again.
Alex stuttered and his face gaining a red tinge to it, "Ahh...um ..."
"We are doing our sentence, oh excuse me, our homework for Mr. Smith, on gathering info's on uncommon mythology so that later on, we can write a ten page essay that most probably will get a D once he sees my name on it." Ahmed cut in, saving his friend with a sarcastic remark.
"If Ahmed gets less than a B, I'll throw myself from the school's roof." Alex said regaining his ability to think and talk normally.
Jenny smiled then asked Alex, "Is this his tenth complain or did you lose count as usual?"
Alex answered with a grin, "I lost count long time ago".
Ahmed made a hurt expression and said, "And here I thought my friends would care for me".
They all laughed quietly, then Jenny said, "Guess I'm lucky that I don't have Mr. Smith, huh?"
"You have no idea." Ahmed replied, emphasizing his point, slamming his head on the table.
"Oh be quite you, every class except math and science is boring to you." Alex said with an accusing finger.
"Well duh, they are the only classes that make sense. The rest are just...ahh...how do I put it...words fail to describe my feeling of boredom and misery." The last part was said in a dramatic way with pose and all.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Alex asked no one in particular, shaking his head sideways.
"Life never gets boring near you two, huh?" Jenny stated with a chuckle.
They both grinned and Ahmed said, "Wait till you see us play a game".
"By the way Jenny, you didn't say why you're here." Alex questioned her.
"Well, you do know that I'm the one in charge of the school's paper, and to tell you the truth, we're just out of ideas and have nothing to write for the next week, so I thought I might find something of interest in the library," then she pointed to the book, "Anything interesting in there?"
"Well, we just started reading and didn't go past the first chapter, but it looks promising," said Alex, while Ahmed nodded his head in approval.
"I didn't know that Ahmed approved your choice of books Alex." Jenny said looking surprised.
Alex snickered, and a scowl formed on Ahmed's face.
Jenny looked puzzled at the boys "What?"
He laughed. "Would you believe me if I told you that it was Ahmed who picked the book?"
She turned her gaze at the said boy "And you say history is boring".
"He said the book called him," Alex laughed again.
At this, she gave Ahmed a questioning look and just as she was about to open her mouth, Ahmed cut her off, "Don't…even…start, Alex gave me enough teasing for the whole year, thank you very much".
Alex snickered again and Ahmed said, "I would like it if we stopped picking on me, and continue reading please".
"Can't you first give me a summary of what happened in the first chapter?" Asked Jenny.
"Well it goes like this, you see…" Ahmed started but was interrupted by Alex. "A power crazed necromancer wanted to take control of the world, got imprisoned for 50 years, and then escaped".
"You know, when you put it that way, it sounds way too boring." Ahmed said annoyed.
"You're just pissed that you didn't get to tell the story in your, way too long exaggerating way." Alex replied smirking.
"Well, at least mine is more fun." Was Ahmed's comeback, folding his arms in front of his chest.
"Okay I get it, now can you boys just stop it so we can read?" Jenny said in an attempt to prevent any further bickering.
They each gave the other a look that said 'I'm not done yet', but Ahmed gave the book to Alex, who opened at chapter two and started to read.
--
' Chapter two: Mistake's Price
Minister David Black said:
...I had known that some mistakes would lead to some kind of a problem, but for a mistake to lead to this kind of an outcome. It was as if all hell broke loose, it was a massacre, a massacre I tell you...'
Once word spread of Lord Cedric has escaped, the generals of Holy Army of Meridian dispatched a unit to investigate the truth of the said news, but as a precaution, they issued a search party at the same time to track down anyone who had snake traits, no matter how little the said traits are.
The investigation didn't bring anything new; he just disappeared without any trace.
As for the search party, they brought some people who were too thin, (looked like snake), those who talked oddly (talk like snake), or those who limped (the unit said that they leave a trail in the sand similar to that of a snake). In the end all turned to have to no relation to the Necromancer in any possible way.
One bit of news they brought had something to it. After two weeks of the escape, a child was born in Heatherfield Village -the nearest area to the cave- who had a birthmark on its neck that resembled the head of a snake, and according to the villagers, the child brought bad luck to the village from her first hour.
However, no actions were taken to look into this matter, because the child was the daughter of one colonel, soon to be General ' Tom Lair '. He defended his daughter furiously, saying that a birth mark isn't a trait, and if they don't have anything else, it is considered a closed case, and he demanded to cut the tongue of anyone who talks about ' Irma' in that manner.
Even though the subject was dropped officially, some people would still talk about the cursed girl and how she should be dealt with. While people were searching for Cedric all over the land, he was in his hiding place, under the ground of the forest area in the south, thinking on how to free himself of the curse that had been place on him 50 years ago.
Even thought he had escaped his prison, he still felt chocked, for the curse acts as a suppressor to his magical energy, putting a limit to his ability to use spells and other stuff that use magical energy, meaning he can only use 5 of his original capacity.
He didn't even manage teleporting himself from the cave entrance to his chamber in one go, and hence, he is reading from one book to another, desperate to find a counter spell.
He never thought that the curse would still be in effect after 50 years, let alone limiting him to this degree.
After searching all of the books he had, he felt annoyed.
He didn't manage to find a counter spell in any books of his huge collection, though he did find a way to remove the curse. The problem is he must find a very strong mage to do so. With his limited power, he can't force such mage, and due to his reputation, none will help him, even if he asked nicely or begged, so the only way left was trickery, and that meant a lot of hard work and careful planning, hence the bad mood he was in.
After resting awhile, he decided to go to the surface and search Meridian for a strong mage. So he disguised himself as a mute old man, for he knew his way of talking and his forked tongue, would give him away instantly, with the prophecy being put on every wall in Meridian, he didn't want to take any chances.
In the meantime, a small girl was celebrating her birthday without a care in the world. She had fair complexion like all others who were there. She had straw-colored hair and wearing a light blue dress that went nicely with her blue eyes. The birthday party was held in her room in Kandrakar, the royal palace of the new capital of Meridian. For today, Elyon Brown, would be two, and she'd celebrate it along with her family and their friends.
Queen Weira and Prince Phobos were standing on her sides as she blew out the candles. They had the same hair and eye color as her, as if it was a mark of royalty. The Queen was wearing a royal blue dress, her hair made in a bun, fixed around the crown. While the Prince's hair was straight, reaching a little below his shoulders falling freely behind him with the exception of two braids that came in front of the red robe that he wore.
Other than The Royal Family, a few people also had some of the spotlight:
Minister David Black and Captain Adam Kareem were chatting with some of the guests. The minister was the Queen's right hand, and her trustworthy advisor, as well as one of the few people that the Prince respected. He was a little bit full and somewhat short dressed in a white robe, but his graying short hair and trimmed beard combined with his deep black eyes gave him the look of true wisdom.
On the other hand, his black haired friend was radiating alertness. Captain Kareem's honey-colored eyes were sharp and piercing, noticing every moment that occurred in the big hall. He was ready to jump into action if the situation called for it. Hours spent in the sun left its mark on his skin and with him wearing the knight's silver armor with a dark blue cape that swooshed behind him gave him all the more of an intimidating look. After all, you can't become the Queen's Personal bodyguard if you weren't made of the right material, or well equipped for that matter which he was, as the tip of a silver spear decorated by red rubies can be seen over his cape.
A thin man was standing near the queen also held an air of importance; he was the Duke of the old capital Arkhanta, Harold Hale. While he shared the blue eye color and light green outfit with his small family, he differed from them in the hair color, where he has short brown hair, his wife Elizabeth and daughter Cornelia both had long blond hair.
Not many would believe he is the strongest and richest man in all of Meridian, but looks can be deceiving. Being a smart strategic with leadership skills gave him command over The Knights of Arkhanta, the elite unit of meridian's army, as well as the Ninjas in the central area. And even though he was a kind ruler that most Arkhanta citizens loved and respected, there were rumors going on that he is plotting to take over the country whole.
But in the moment, all of the guests were enjoying their time in this grand birthday party that the Prince threw in Elyon's name, it had jesters, musicians and all.
Not that it mattered to Elyon, because at the age two, all she cared about was the cake, gifts and playing with her friend Cornelia.
Nor that it was for showing their high status, for the number of guests was to those who were close to the royal family and some servants who Elyon grew attached to, all of which knew the status of the royal family.
It was as if he was trying to busy them from the bad news of the prophecy, from the huge responsibility that fell on their shoulders, from this crisis, trying to lift the mood a little.
It had been tough on Queen Weira, especially since she was still having difficulty to cope with the death of her husband, King Zaden. He had died two months ago due to some illness, adding that to the escape of Cedric, and that she is now 43, which meant that she had to give up her throne in less than seven years and most importantly after what she heard from the Minister, Sir Black.
For you see, there are a few rules in the Royal Brown Family, or traditions would be a better term. These traditions state that only a Queen can rule the kingdom, and that she must give up the throne if she reaches the age of 50 years, in order to keep peace and prosperity to Meridian.
Three years ago, the council held a meeting to discuss the future of Meridian, for there was no heir to the throne except the 14 years old prince Phobos, and according to the law (or traditions) of Meridian, he can't rule the kingdom, but in ten years the queen will have to give up the throne, and somebody has to take charge.
After a long and heated discussion, a decision was made to announce that after 200 years of the Brown Family Queens ruling one of the northern kingdoms, and 50 years of ruling over meridian, Prince Phobos will be the first king to ascend the throne in the Royal Brown history.
Prince Phobos was expecting this result, for he has been working hard, trying to prove his worth in every possible way, from proving his self to be a powerful mage, being a pupil under the Elders for political lessons, to attending all of their boring discussions. In the end, it was worth all the trouble, for he would be the future king of Meridian.
However, when the Queen had Elyon, two years ago, that raised some issues, since she is the rightful heir to the throne, and will still be a child when the queen gives up her throne, there was an argument on which law should be broken.
Make Phobos king and break the first law but keeping the second, or extend the queens rule till Elyon is of proper age, thus breaking the second law in favor for the first one. They kept arguing but no decision has been reached, and they stated that the matter will be decided when the queen reaches the age of 50.
As of lately, Sir Black told her some rumors that caused her a great deal of distress. Rumors that the council will probably strip the prince of his title, in favor of Elyon, a thing that the young prince won't take lightly, and being young, she feared that he may act rashly, and do something he may regret later on.
He told her that it would be better if she was to prepare him for the worst, and that he shouldn't keep his hopes too high.
She had been trying to tell him for the past month, but she couldn't bring herself to break his heart, to tell him that all his hard work was for nothing. She heard him number of times dreaming of making this land a better place, and how he would do this or that. She didn't find the strength to shatter these dreams, and now when she looked at him, laughing with his sister, doing a magical trick of some sort with his hands, her heart ached.
Deciding that she will talk to the council to rethink their decision later on after the party, but as for now, she will enjoy the party that Phobos put so much effort in preparing.
A knight stood by the entrance of the hall holding a message in his hand. Kareem noticed this and made his way out of the hall.
Outside the party room, the knight saluted him "Captain Kareem, sir".
"At ease. What's going on?" Asked the Captain.
"We have a message from the southern area sir, it is directed to the Queen, requesting a quick army for reinforcements sir." Said the soldier, handing him the message.
"I'll take it from here, you're dismissed." Ordered the Captain and as the soldier walked away. Kareem scanned the letter and went inside.
The Captain knew that the aim of this party was to distract the Queen from all this madness, so he went to The Duke and the Minister.
"Excuse me your Excellency, Sir Black. There is an urgent matter that needs your attention." He said in a hushed voice, then he added as a second thought, "It involves Cedric sir". Not to bring any unwanted attention, all three men made their way to the next room as quietly as they could. But it didn't go unnoticed by the prince.
They followed the bodyguard to the closed room, "What is it that you got?" Asked the Minister.
"The rangers in the south areas have reported an increase in the number of the demons, and in the frequency they attack the villages, requesting aid from the royal knights army as fast as possible." Stated the captain in a calm lazy tone.
"How much is the aid they requested?" asked the Duke.
"Five units, four at least your Excellency." He replied in the same tone of voice.
"WHAT? That's like half of the knights; they can't be serious now, can they?" Sir Black all but shouted, and as if on cue, the Prince entered the room looking alarmed "What's going on here?" He asked the gathered men.
The Captain saluted. "We were discussing what to answer the request of the rangers from the south, in which they need at least four units of the knights to aid them in their battle with the demons, after the rise in their number and activity, your highness." He said it in the same calm lazy tone.
The prince, who was used to this man and his annoying way of speech, answered him, "Send six units away at once".
"But your highness, you know we can't afford to send four units of the knights, let alone six to aid the rangers, half of the knights are searching for lord Cedric all over the land, and the other half is put on alert, ready to any sudden attack on Kandrakar, which could happen at any moment." Replied the Minister.
"I know all that, as I do know that there has been no lead whatsoever on anything concerning this matter, this is the only bit of news that may hold something, and for all we know, that Necromancer could be the cause for all this." Answered the Prince annoyed.
"Why do the rangers want five units Captain?" Duke Hale asked, ignoring the argument that is going on around him.
The Captain smirked "They need two units to protect the road from the south and up to the old capital, one unit to help them evacuate some of the villagers near the forests where most of the attacks occur, and three unit to be put on hold on the front lines, just in case."
"WHAT? THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS," The Prince shouted in fury.
"That's it?" The Duke asked calmly, and the Captain nodded as an answer.
"Tell them that we can only send them two units at this moment, one to help them evacuate, while the other will protect the road to' Redstone' city, where lays the Ninjas headquarters. There they can hire some ninjas to help them with the other tasks, and the council will help to pay for the ninja services, if that's all right with you gentlemen." Duke Hale directed the last part of his speech to both men in front of him.
"WHAT?" The Prince looked beyond shocked at this, "You want our Elite Unit in the Army, the Royal Knights, to work as some watch boys to those arrogant rangers? And pay for mercenaries, they would hire? This is pure madness." Stated Phobos still shaking with rage.
"My Prince, what Duke Hale offered seems very reasonable to me, you see..." But the Minister wasn't able to finish his sentence, for the Captain cut him in mid sentence.
"Allow me the talk, old man." He said. Then looked at the Prince "Listen Prince, it's like this, the rangers have high pride, and don't know how to ask for help, and if they did ask, that means that this matter is real serious".
"By serious, you mean putting the Knights on watch duty, or putting them as a backup plan just in case?" Phobos said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Yes to both actually, the watch duty as you like to call it, is of the utmost importance; to ensure a safe line that connects the southern areas to Arkhanta, so we can send supplies and reinforcements if needed. And they can flee by the same way if things get even worse. It prevents them from being isolated in case of a siege. As for being a backup plan, that is a 'show off' strategy, to make the demons afraid to attack, thus giving the rangers the time they need to evacuate the front lines of villages, and lay traps in their place, prepare ambushes, but like the minister pointed out, we can't afford to give them all the support they need, but with hiring ninjas, this problem is solved."
The Prince seemed to think this through when the Captain said to him. "We await your orders, your highness." In a serious tone, gone all the laziness and boredom from his face, and it was replaced by the military business-like expression.
"Minister Black, you are in charge of this matter, do whatever you see fit, that is all." Phobos stated.
"As you order your Highness," It was said in a slight bow, and as the Prince was heading outside, he heard him say. "Now Duke Hale, if you could help me with..." The sound got faint as he exited the room.
--
The rangers managed to defend their villages successfully, but the demons started to change targets. Every few months, the demons would attack another part of the country, focusing on some city or village for some time, then move to another. The last target was the new capital, and after that the demons returned to attack the southern areas again, only this time, the rangers had their defenses ready for them, and held them at bay.
(Caleb's note : 'It is just a theory of mine, but maybe the increase in the demons, and the frequency of attacking on some village, then changing to another, can be explained by the prophesy, as following Lord Cedric from one city to the other, in his search for the strong mage. Since his base is hidden in the south, that would explain why it was the first and the most area under attack. Of course, this is all just my speculations though'.)
Even thought not one month would pass without a raid or two from the demons, on the villages of the south, people got used to it and continued to live their lives. But with the continuous attacks, poverty spread through most of the kingdom, and now bandits came as the first threat, then comes the demons and the rest of the other disasters.
--
Seven years had passed and now in Kandrakar, the faithful day has finally come. The council would start his closed meeting with the Queen, and give its final decision today on which of the rules would be broken.
The guests, along with Prince Phobos and Princess Elyon, who grow up to be a pretty and kind young lady, were waiting in the Great Hall, located in the second floor. Its northern wall has a set of chairs for the Royal family and the council members, while a big fireplace is located on the southern wall, and has a set of golden doors on each of the remaining walls, leading to a set of stairs, that would lead you directly to the east and west main gates of the palace.
The tables were filled with every kind of drink and food, and the hall was well decorated and you can see the blue eagle, the insignia of the Meridian, on every wall and table.
It took some time but then the Queen came in, followed by the council members, and once they all took their seats, an old man from the council, who appeared to be in his late sixties wearing green robe, stood up and faced the crowd.
Sir Edward, head of the council, after he coughed a little and gained everyone's attention, started the speech: "People of the Holy Kingdom of Meridian, we have all gathered here to tell you the final decision, on the matter of the future ruler to this kingdom, and this is what we came with…" He looked at the people in front of him and the Prince, took a deep breath and continued.
"…We, The Council of The Holy Kingdom of Meridian, hereby deem that, Prince Phobos Brown, unfit to rule over the throne of the kingdom, thus losing his title as the heir to the throne to Princess Elyon Brown. However since the princess is still short of age, we will allow in this exceptional situation, to extend the duration of Queen Weira Brown's rule over Meridian for six more years. At that time Princess Elyon will be instated as the new Queen. That is all." Just as he finished, people started whispering among themselves.
"Unfit." The Prince said in a low voice shaking his head sideways, then he raised his head and addressed the man in front of him in a load commanding voice. "What do you mean by unfit, councilor?"
"Your highness, you know the traditions of Meridian, it must be ruled by a Queen." he answered.
"The same traditions that states that once a Queen reaches the age of 50 she must step down, but that didn't stop you from changing the traditions did it? You just do what you see is better for you, Edward." He spat the name out.
"I know you can get what you want from the council, especially after my father died, this kingdom was practically ruled by you and your group, and all the bad things that happened since then and this kingdom's poverty is your doing".
Sir Edward went into a stage of shock, Minister Black emerged from the crowd and rushed to the old man trying to calm him, while Captain Kareem stood in front of Phobos "Prince, that's enough".
But the Prince ignored him and continued his speech "And when Little Elyon becomes the Queen, she won't know what to do, and you will manipulate her as you wish".
The Minister's attempts to defuse the situation were futile, as the old man's shock turned into rage and he shouted while shaking "How dare you say that, you know nothing on how to run a kingdom".
"I know better than to be a blood-sucking traitor." He replied.
"YOU DARE QUASTION MY LOYALITY YOU INSOLANT BRAT".
"I AM YOUR PRINCE, KNOW YOUR PLACE VAMPIRE".
"ENOUGH." The Queen's shout put the room in complete silence.
"You have gone far enough by accusing Sir Edward, whom I made the head of the council, and I will not tolerate such disrespect to my council members or my decisions." She finished.
"I didn't mean any disrespect to you mother, I was just..." But the queen cut him off. "I don't have a son that does this kind of behavior".
Then she raised her head a little and ordered. "Guards, throw this man out of this hall immediately." Pointing her hand at Phobos, then at the door.
Everyone was dumbstruck, no body made a move.
The Queen faced the guards to her right. "I said throw him out, NOW." Her shout snapped the guards out of their momentary daze, saluted and went to the prince who was still stunned.
Once the guards put their hands on Phobos's shoulder, he snapped back to reality and pulled his arm. "Take your hands off of me." He shouted.
He looked at his mother, his face showing a mixture of anger, pain, and betrayal, and then he said to the guards, "I can find my way." With that, he stormed out of the hall.
Most of the people were still having difficulty believing what just happened in front of them, when Sir Edward spoke quietly "Got what he deserved".
Apparently he didn't say it quietly enough, for the Captain stepped toward the man, his face clearly showing anger, his hand moving back to his spear's handle "Why I ought to..." but Minister Black held his hand in front of him and shock his head 'no'.
When the Captain seemed calm enough, the Minister faced the Queen and bowed "My Queen, you must be tired from the commotion that happed, if you would like, we can let Sir Edward continue with whatever needs to be done".
The Queen looked at the Minister and gave a heavy sigh. "I think I will retire to my chamber." When she looked up and saw the Minister was still bowing face down along with Captain Kareem, she knew what they wanted and gave another sigh "Minister Black, Captain Kareem, I have some matters that I need to discuss with the both of you".
Both men looked up "As you order, your highness", and all three went to the Queen's Chamber.
Just when the door closed, the captain turned to the Queen. "You know, you could've just ordered the guard to kill him; that would be less humiliating".
"Adam, I'm not in the mood for you right now." She said rubbing her temples.
"You went overboard by what you did." He waved his hand in front of him as he said that.
"HE SHOULD'VE SHOWN HIS RESPECT TO ME!" She screamed, her eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill, then she couldn't hold it and started to sob.
Adam gave a sigh as he dropped his hands to his sides, his head hanging down, then he turned his gaze to his friend with a look, asking for his help.
Sir David coughed a little, then said quietly, "My Queen" and waited until she looked him in the eye.
"We know you didn't mean what you said, but what you did hurt the Prince more than what Sir Edward did." He then glanced at Kareem, who nodded his head to continue.
The minister then looked back to the queen and said, "You didn't have to disown Prince Phobos in front of everyone like that".
"I didn't mean it like that, I...I just..." She turned her face from the men in front of her and said in a low voice "I don't know what gotten into me, it's just that, the things he said, I...I..."
She paused a little, took a deep breath in, and continued in a shaky voice, still facing the wall. "After the death of my husband... it was my most inner fear...That people would think that I have a weak personality...That people would think that my council takes advantage of me...Uses me...And when Phobos said it in front of everyone like that... I just kinda of lost my mind for a second." Then she looked at both men with a tear stained face. "Oh, what have I done? What have I done?"
Just as Sir Black was about to say something, a loud sound echoed in the palace, then the ground shook a little.
"What's that?" Asked Sir Black, looking at the captain.
"It sounded like an explosion. I'll go see what happened, stay here with her Majesty" and with that, the captain rushed outside.
--
Back to when Phobos stormed out of the hall
He headed to his chamber, through the empty corridor, shaking the ground with every step he took.
He reached his chamber, went through the open door and slammed it behind him, and started to talk to himself "How dare that ol-". He stopped at mid sentence as he turned his head and stared at the door for a second as realization struck him.
There were no guards stationed in the hallway, and the door to his room was opened.
Alarmed, he readied his magic, red flames covering his hands, and turned around and saw something he didn't notice the first time he entered the room.
Across of the room, a young blond-haired male in brown cloak, sitting on a chair leaning forward, his pale face resting on his left hand; which was at the window's edge.
He was staring out of the window when he said, "Nice view you have here", then he stood up and looked him in the eye. His cold blue eyes sending shivers down the prince's spine, after a moment of silence, he said. "But of courssse, it would be more beautiful, if it was under your rule, your highnessss." A forked tongue is seen escaping his lips with some words.
The former Prince took a step back, his flames are all gone, and his face showing his fear as he said. "Y-You're him".
The young man bowed down, one knee to the ground "Forgive me your highnessss, I am but one of your loyal subjects that couldn't ssstay put at the injustice that been inflected upon you, your highnessss".
"Y-Your here to kill me aren't you? Just like how you killed the guards out there". He said as he took another step back.
Then he swooshed his hands in front of him, as flames reappeared, covering him whole this time and said "Well I am Prince Phobos, and I never go down without a fight. So come and try if you dare." His eyes daring the Necromancer to make the slightest move.
Cedric smirked and said, "You have just been disssowned by the Queen, you are no longer a prince, let alone heir to the throne. What would I gain from killing sssomeone like you?"
Phobos got enraged by this, and just as he was about to strike him, Cedric stood up and said. "I am here to make your wish come true".
Phobos got confused by this, but didn't let his guard down "What do you mean by that?"
Cedric looked Phobos in the eye and said "I am here to give you your birth right, to let you have revenge on those who lied and humiliated you. I am here to announcess you as the true king of Meridian, once and for all."
Phobos flames died down as he got interested by what he heard, "But how could you do that? I am no longer a prince." He reminded the man in front of him.
Cedric's eyes shone and he held a dark purple orb in his hand, then let it float in front of Phobos. "Power, power grantsss you what you wish for, and with it, you will force them to make you the king".
Phobos looked at the swirling orb and asked "What's this?"
"This is the power of Necromancy, and with it I almossst conquered all Metamoor, so making them rethinking their desscision won't be a problem." He smirked as he said the last part.
"And if they still refused?" Phobos asked liking what he heard until now.
Cedric waved his right "Why sssimply just kill them all, along with Elyon and the Queen, then there won't be anyone fit to rule this kingdom but you".
Phobos seemed to think for a second, then he shook his head "No, this is wrong".
Cedric came from behind him and said, "What is wrong, is for the Queen to disssown you like that. What is wrong, is for her to humiliate you the way she did".
Then he moved to his other side "What is wrong, is for the council to make her ssstay on the throne, and then put that child Elyon, as the heir inssstead of you, you the one who did everything you could to ensure the better future of this kingdom, and thisss is how they repay you?".
He was now standing in front of him, he moved his hand and brought the orb in front of Phobos face. "With this, you can correct all that is wrong, and all of Meridian will bow down to you as itsss true ruler."
A small smile played on Phobos's face when Cedric said the last sentence. Making up his mind, he reached to the purple orb, and just before his fingers touched it, he stopped and withdrew his hand. "Where's the catch? There is no such thing as free money, and there is definitely no such thing as free power and kingdom," giving Cedric a suspicious look.
"There is no such thing as a catch my dear prince. I'm simply returning what is rightfully yours," He said bowing his head a little.
Phobos looked at him skeptical, "And you would do that because...".
Cedric smiled and said "If I told you that it was an act, out of love that wouldn't sound right now, would it ?".
Then he turned his head to his side and a distant look was in his eye, "I know what it is like to lose everything you were working so hard to get, I have wanted to rule over Metamoor, and ssspent most of my life planning how I would do that, and then jussst after the first step, everything fell apart, and I lossst it all, I have lossst my power, lossst my freedom, I have lossst everything, and there is nothing left for me, nothing but this little bit of knowledge that I kept, and my final wish is that it won't go extinct, and that my legacy shall not be forgotten".
Then he looked at Phobos, "I have sssearched the lands in the past seven years, looking for sssomeone to carry all of this, and my search have lead me to you Phobosss. You are the only one who understands this kind of ssstuff, and not label them as cursed magic or demon actsss."
Then he took a step towards Phobos, the orb moving in front of him, "You were destined to carry on my legacy, destined to take thisss power, as you were destined to rule over Meridian. You sssaid that you don't go down without a fight, didn't you?" He raised the orb a little, "Fulfill your destiny, and take your rightful place as Meridian's absssolute Ruler".
Phobos finally gave in to the temptation of power, and took the orb in front of him.
Once his fingers touched the glowing orb, it started to swirl around his right arm, up to his shoulder and all around him, and in its trail, his arm is covered in flames, which they started to change their color from its fiery red, to dark purple, then turned to black flames.
The flames covered the right half of his body, then moved on and covered the other half.
While Phobos was watching his hands, a crazed look in his eyes, and maniac laugh escaping from him, Cedric didn't look that happy.
"The flames didn't cover him whole with one go, only one half at a time, he still needs more energy so that I can remove the curse." He thought to himself, as the flames died down around the Ex-Prince.
Cedric bowed to the prince. "If you would like, you can test your new powersss on the prisoners in the lowessst floor. From there, you can attack the great hall, and make the council under your command, but before that," He then took out his right from within his cloak, and held an old black leather book to Phobos. "This is the necromancy book, it will help to master all of its ssspells and artsss, and show you how to increase your magical power and energy".
Phobos then looked to Cedric, gone the look of the caring and loving prince, and in its place was the look of a power crazy man. "You mean that this is not its extent? That what I feel now, is only a part of it?" He said as he took to the book offered to him.
Cedric smiled "Thisss book can increase your magical energy to levelsss, no man has ever reached before".
Then he bowed one last time and said "I mussst take my leave now, I have taught you everything you need, and the ressst is on you" With the last word, he teleported, vanished from the prince's sight.
The Ex-Prince looked from the book to the place where Lord Cedric was in just a second ago. He raised his hand, a black fireball forming in his palm, and said in a low voice, "I will play along with your plan for now, but once I figure it out, you'll be the one to play in my hands, demon".
Then the fire swooshed around him and vanished as he turned around "But for now, my loyal army awaits me in their cells." With that, he marched out of the room.
Once he reached the entrance he ordered the guards, "Open up, I have some questions for these bandits". The guards immediately saluted. (The news of the Queen disowning him didn't reach them), and they opened the iron door to Phobos and just as one of them was about to follow him inside, Phobos turned to the guard, and gave him a threatening look as he said in an ordering tone. "You will stay here and lock this door, I want to ask them without any disturbance".
The other guard was about to protest when Phobos said, "Do I make myself clear", fire dancing in his eyes.
"Y-Yes, Yes Sir" Both guards answered, and did as they were told.
Phobos walked into central area of the prison that held around 200 prisoners and shouted, gaining the attention of everyone there. "WHO WANTS TO BE FREE?"
Everyone was quiet, and the heads turned to see the one who said this.
"WHICH OF YOU SWEAR TO SERVE ME, PRINCE PHOBOS, AND I SHALL GRANT HIM FREEDOM?" He shouted again.
The prisoners started talking among themselves and one of them said in a mocking tone "Like we would believe something like that".
Phobos looked to the man who spoke and said, "Just like I have put you there, I can get you out. All you have to do is prove your loyalty to me, and I swear it on my name, that I will set you free".
The prisoner seemed to think about this for a second, then he said "What do I have to do?"
Phobos extended his hand in front of him and said with a grin on his face. "Nothing, all you have to do is die." A black fireball hit the prisoner face square on, who fell on the ground, writhing and crying out in pain. When the fire died down, he was laying still on the ground, all of his facial features gone away with the man's soul.
Phobos then turned to the entrance of the prison, and when he saw no attempt on the guards side to see what is going on, despite the ruckus the prisoners were doing, his grin widened, and turned to the trapped screaming men, a crazed look in his eyes, and started burning everything in sight, and when all of them were dead. He summoned the book to his hand from a flame, after chanting something unintelligible.
He started flipping through the book "Ah, here it is. Oh, I forgot to leave some of them alive to test the other spells on, oh well". He then raised his head and closed the book, which got engulfed by the flames and disappeared.
He then extended both of his arms and started to say the spell words, a ring of black flame surrounded him, and as he raised both arms, the ring expanded, reaching every corner, and as fast the fire came, it disappeared.
He lowered his hands and waited, and once he saw all the dead bodies stand up, he gave a small chuckle "Care to have some appetizers before the main course" then he went to the iron door and shouted "Guards, I am done, now open this door".
Once the guards opened the door, Phobos dove in between the two guards, turned around, and placed his hands on their chest plates, blasted them inside, where the zombies and skeletons started to have their first meal.
The necromancer raised his hand and all of the zombies stopped and looked at him as he said "Now for your next meal, we head for the great hall", all of the zombies gave a roar like sound, and they marched to the said hall, led by Phobos, who was laughing like a mad man.
--
Captain Kareem rushed the hallways, his eyes darting from one corner to another, searching for the cause of this chaos, till he saw some soldiers heading towards the great hall. He yelled for them, and once they saw who it was, they rushed to him and saluted, and the Captain didn't waste a second as he immediately asked, "What's going on?"
The leader of the small group answered, "It's P-Phobos Sir, Phobos is attacking us with a demon army".
The Captain shouted in disbelieve, "WHAT?"
"Yes sir, he made an army out of the bandits' corpses, and started attacking us. He blocked the west gate, wiped out the third and fourth squad, then he raised them from the dead, and right now, he and the majority of his army is headed towards the great hall." Finished the soldier.
The Captain nodded his head, "Alright then, follow me to the great hall" and all of them rushed there.
Once they reached the hall, they saw all of the council members and all the guest piled up at the wall, shaking, sobbing, some trying to comfort their loved ones, while others were holding their families and openly crying.
Princess Elyon was seen between them, soft sobs escaping her as she trembled in the embrace of one the maids, who was trying her best to calm her down, but failing miserably.
Around 30 soldiers were blocking and barring the west door with everything they can put their hands on, being that tables, chairs or any other kind of furniture.
Captain Kareem went to the soldiers "Lieutenant, what's the situation?"
The Lieutenant saluted. "It is bad sir, real bad, we can't fight them back, and this door can't hold them off for long, and it is even worse at the east gate, we had to blast the stairs that lead to the great hall to stop them from getting in here".
'So that's the explosion we heard back there' Kareem thought to himself.
One of the council members shouted, "Oh no, we're trapped." "We're all gonna die here." and the crying got higher.
The soldiers looked to the Captain "Captain?" Their eyes showing their despair.
Kareem turned to his men, a small smile on his face, it brought hope to the gathered men. He walked to the fireplace in the hall, and then he looked at two soldiers "You two, pull this fireplace out".
They did as told, and in its place, there was a long passage. The Captain then turned around "Everyone, theses secrete passages lead to an underground tunnel, which ends in the nearby forest to the south of here, so everyone just calm down, and will get you all out".
He then ordered the soldiers "Ten of you will lead the people here under the Lieutenant's command. The rest of you will organize them in a line and tail them from the rear. I'll go to the Queen, and all of us will meet at the forest, is that clear".
The soldiers saluted and then the Lieutenant and his group rushed inside followed by a line of people.
Just as Kareem was about to get out, Princess Elyon ran and threw herself at him hugging his waist "I w-want to see m-my mommy, p-please take me with you, please". She begged with a strained voice, red eyes and a tear stained face.
The captain knelt down and collected the young girl in an embrace. "Shhh. It's going to be alright." Then he stroked her head as he said, "You're a big girl now, big girls don't cry, okay". Once she calmed down a bit, he lifted her chin and looked her in the eye "But if want to come with me, you have to ask me in a princess fashion, and begging is not a princess's way to ask."
She backed up a little, wiped her tears off, and said, "I would like you to take me to my mother please".
Kareem bowed his head, "As you order your highness." Then a smirk appeared on his face. "Because of your crying, we are gonna have to hurry, so we can catch up to them", and he took her right in his left and they headed to the Queen's chamber.
On their way, he said to her in a calm slow manner, while his gaze was towards the hallway "Never beg again Princess, no matter what happens, always keep your head high, and be true to yourself, be true to what you believe in, what you stand for".
Then they stopped in front of a door that they both know too well, and once she saw it, she broke from his hand and ran inside crying out, "Mommy".
The Queen was pacing the room when her daughter came in, and immediately she hugged her. "Oh baby, I was so worried about you" Both of them started sobbing.
Sir Black, who was standing near the door, smiled warmly at the family reunion. Then he looked to his friend who just entered the room, with a serious expression on his face, an expression that sent fear into the old man's heart, but before he could ask anything. Kareem went straight to the fireplace in the room, pulled it out, showing the same passage, then he went to the Queen and knelt down, "I'm sorry my Queen, but we need to leave now".
"What is going on?" She asked feeling panicked.
"We need out as fast as possible, I'll tell you on our way." He said as he stood up and turned into the passage.
"We are under attack. It seems that Prince Phobos knows some necromancy, and right now, he has the castle surrounded by zombies. This is the only exit left." He said it as he was leading their way.
"What? That can't be true? Necromancy is a cursed lost magic, and my Phobos would never do something like that." The Queen heatedly returned.
'People tend to do the strangest things when they feel desperate or betrayed' Thought Black to himself.
Elyon put a hand over her nose, and waved the other in front of her face "What's that smell? It stinks".
"That's the smell of roasted flesh, dear sister." Phobos's voice rang in the narrow passage, as he emerged from the shadows, blocking their way, a sadistic smile on his face. "And if you liked that, you're gonna love this." As he raised his arms, three burned corpses stood up, two zombies and one skeleton, and with a wave of his hand, they took their swords and attacked the small group.
Elyon shrieked and fell backwards; the adults were petrified, looking pale as ghosts, unable to comprehend what just happened in front of them.
The undead moved fast, and now they were an arm reach, Elyon shrieked again, snapping the adults back to reality, Kareem sliced one zombie with his spear, and blasted the other with a fireball from his left , while the Queen took the skeleton out, with a white ray that shot from her hand.
Sir Black went to the trembling Elyon and held her tight, as Phobos maniacal laugh echoed all around them.
Kareem looked at Phobos, anger evident in his eyes as he shouted. "Phobos, what happened to you? Yesterday you were the role model to everyone in the kingdom, everyone looked up to you, and now you're this crazy man who murdered all of these people. What changed you?" Some tears were running down his check at the end of his talk.
Minister Black said in a quite tone. "I know there is still good in you prince, and deep down you know what should be done".
Queen Weira looked to her son, a pained expression on her face, and said in a concerned tone "Honey this isn't you, snap out of it".
Since Kareem started his speech, Phobos stopped his laughter and lowered his face, so that his eyes were hidden from sight, and when the Queen finished, he raised his head, looked them in the eye, his eyes colder than ice. He snapped his fingers, the whole passage lit up with flames, showing the huge number of zombies behind Phobos and behind the Minister (being in the rear trying to protect Elyon), ready to strike at the first order from their master.
Phobos then raised his hand and said in low voice, "This is my answer".
Just before he lowered his hand, a strong light shone, blinding everyone, and they heard the Queen voice say "I hope one day all of you will forgive me". Black, Kareem and Elyon felt a magical energy coating them, and the Queen's voice was heard again. "I love you Elyon...David, Adam, my daughter is in your care".
Minister Black understood what was going on and shouted "No my Queen", but it was too late, for they were now teleported to the nearby forest, as the Queen's final words echoed in their heads, "Save this kingdom...Save Phobos...From the demon's clutch...From my mistakes".
--
A meeting was held in the war council room in Arkhanta, where four out of the eight members were present at the moment. Duke Hale and General Lee, both who should have been at Kandrakar for the closed meeting, hadn't returned from their journey to check on the southern area, although they have sent a message saying that they should reach Arkhanta by tomorrow morning.
As for General Mark and General Philip, they still haven't returned from the mission of searching for Lord Cedric's whereabouts.
So that leaves the four Generals, General Raythor, General Frost, General Khor and General Gargoyle to have this meeting, and discuss any new information they have.
General Raythor was sitting at the head of the table. He appeared to be a skinny but muscular man, known for his tactics and impressive sword skills. At this moment he was the head of this meeting.
To the right of him sat General Khor, a prideful short old man with a short temper.
In front of him sat General Frost the brute, big, muscular, with shoulder length blond hair.
Lastly to his left was sound of reason in this group, General Gargoyle, a heavy bald man.
All of them were wearing the official outfit of a general, a silver knight armor, a feathered black helmet, and a black cape. Each of them commands a unit of the knights, the smallest of them consist of 1500 knights.
They were in the middle of the meeting, when the doors burst open, and a massager came running in.
Frost shouted "What's the meaning of this?"
"I'm sorry General, but a soldier just came in from Kandrakar with urgent news sir." He then took a breath and said "Kandrakar, has fallen to the demons, sir".
Raythor stood up, knocking his chair backwards "What did you say?"
Khor shouted, "Bring that soldier here immediately".
The massager saluted, and in a moment, an injured soldier wearing Kandrakar's uniform, limped in, then he straightened his posture, saluted "Prince Phobos, after being disowned by the Queen, gathered an army of undead, trapped everyone in the tunnels, then the slaughter started. He killed most of the people in cold blood, and those that were lucky to survive the first attack, were taken prisoners".
Gargoyle asked "And how did you manage to get away?"
"I was left so I can deliver this letter sir" The soldier then limped to Khor and handed him a sealed letter.
Khor opened the letter and started to read it aloud. "It says: To the fools who run Arkhanta instead of Hale: I, The Necromancer Phobos of the Royal Brown Family, have appointed myself as the new ruler over this kingdom this morning, since there is none of the royal family left to rule. You can try to avenge the death of whoever was there. I shall be at the main entrance of Kandrakar until sunset, waiting for you to submit to my rule, and surrender your pathetic excuse of army and city to my command, or you shall face the same fate that those who opposed me faced. The nerves of ...GRRRAHH." Khor was shaking with rage as he crumpled the paper and tossed to the ground.
Frost slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "I say we go right now and show that scum his place, show him his true worth".
"We are the Knights of Arkhanta, the Elite Unit of Meridian's army and its pride, we shall not let the death of our Queen go unavenged." Khor shouted with rage.
Gargoyle said from his seat, eyes closed. "We also don't lead our men to their death General, this is obviously a trap".
Frost replied heatedly "We can take on any trap he lays in our path, we will crush him, and make his trap his grave." His hand was forming a fist with at the end of his talk, then his head snapped to the injured soldier "Who much is his army?"
"I would say 300, 500 at max sir".
Khor spoke gruffly "My unit alone can take him down, but I know you want revenge on him too". He then looked at one of his men and shouted "Send a message to all the units to be ready, we leave in an hour".
Before the massager could get out, Gargoyle told him to stop, then he said calmly to the angry men in front of him "I suggest we wait until Duke Hale returns. He is our commander after all".
Khor turned to the bald man and was about to say something, when Raythor raised his hand "I disagree with you. Phobos is a necromancer, and the more time we give him, the bigger his army gets. He could go to some graveyard, or may find a way to control the demons that lurk around the palace. If we want to strike, we strike as swift as possible".
Gargoyle gave a loud sigh, then he stood up and faced Raythor "So what's the plan?"
Raythor said, "We strike him as one with full force" Then he shouted, "Generals, prepare your men, we leave now." With that, all of them went outside, headed to ready their units.
--
They were near the entrance of Kandrakar, in three hours, it was noon, and the four generals were side by side, leading behind more than 6,000 knight.
They stopped once they saw Phobos standing in front of the palace, wearing a black robe with red rim, standing behind him was no more than 70 zombies and 30 skeletons.
Phobos moved forward with confidant steps, then he shouted. "All you have to do to save your puny lives, is to submit under my rule, and obey my every command. I'll think of something else later." He said the last part looking at his nails.
Khor was about to charge at him at that moment when Raythor held his hand stopping the old man, he then looked at Phobos "In the name of the Holy Kingdom of Meridian, we shall execute justice upon you Necromancer, for all the death you've caused, and avenge them all. Do you have anything to say in defense for yourself?"
Phobos's face twisted into a sadistic smile, "Face my wrath and the dead", and he hurled a black fireball at the troops of the knight, that exploded on contact with a blinding light.
When Raythor's eyes began to see again, he saw Phobos raising his right up, smoke coming from a black fire on his palm. The smoke covered the sky, blocking the sun, then from under the ground, hands came out grabbing them, pulling them down, Raythor turned around, he saw zombies in the middle of his army, slashing, stabbing and even eating his men alive, and what made things worse, the other soldiers didn't seem to notice them, like they can't see them.
Frost shouted from over his horse. "What are you fools doing? Don't let them take you by surprise, attack those zombies" But the soldiers just looked at the general as if he had two heads.
One of the soldiers near him said. "Maybe fear paralyzed them sir, we need to save them before it's too late". Frost looked to Gargoyle who nodded his head and the men near him "Follow me men, let's save these cowards." Both generals lead small groups to where the zombies are attacking the army.
They started killing few of the zombies, but the more of them they kill, the more they found their selves surrounded by them, and more would emerge from the earth.
Frost looked to Khor, who suddenly appeared behind him "We can't win like this Khor." He said as he was deflecting an attack from the right. The old man replied while cutting down a zombie "I'm ready for any suggestion".
"Kill Phobos", Gargoyle's shout was heard over the clanging of the swords and the war screams. He was over his horse going to the front of the battle-striking zombies on the way "Kill Phobos and victory is assured".
Frost throw the one in front of him and shouted "Everyone, aim for Phobos, leave those punks for later, Phobos's head comes first".
Just then, Frost saw Raythor heading to the back of the battle field. Frost shouted "Where are you going Raythor? The other way, Phobos is the other way around." And to add to Frost's surprise, when Raythor saw him, Raythor's face turned at first to utter shock, then turned to determination and rage, he changed his course and now is headed towards Frost and he was shouting "You fool, Phobos is standing right behind you, watch out."
Frost spun around but all he saw was Khor, who was striking down zombies right and left. Frost turned to see Raythor raise his sword and bring it down on Khor, who deflected the sword by his own, and was about to counter, when they heard Frost's shout "What are you both doing, Khor, Raythor, Phobos is the enemy, he is laughing at us from his place, while you two are killing each other".
Both men looked confused for a second, but when realization downed on Raythor, it downed heavily on him, he took a few steps back, dropped his sword and put a hand on his face "Illusions...all of this is illusion".
He turned around and shouted as high as he could "STOP ATTACKING, THERE IS NO ZOMBIES AMONG US, IT'S ALL A TRICK, AN ILLUSION." His words fell on deaf ears, his voice lost in the sounds of the on-going battle, some soldiers started attacking him shouting, "Die you zombie". Raythor shouted, "STOP". But it was all in vain, for when the generals managed to take control of the situation, it was too late, and when they turned their gaze to the front of the battle field, they saw Phobos snap his fingers, and all the illusions stopped.
The sky is clear and blue now, there were no zombies coming from the ground, in fact the soil wasn't even disrupted as they thought it, all of the fake illusions of Phobos disappeared, but the worse part of it, all of the zombies they have killed were their brothers in arms, the same army they were leading.
Everywhere in sight, lays the dead bodies of the knights. They killed more than half of the troops they had, and those who remain were wounded, tired both physically and psychologically, and were in no condition to fight.
To make the matters worse, Phobos raised a black glowing hand, and all of the corpses on the battlefield raised to its master's command, so now the undead army have the knights surrounded and outnumbered.
Phobos order was heard though out the field. "I want the rest of you alive, so do not struggle, for if you do, you shall face a fate worse than death, you have a necromancer's word on it." He said the last part with a smirk.
After hearing that, the generals and the remaining knights felt an inner fire. They didn't stand down and went for a last round, they fought with determination and bravery, throwing their lives in the depth of the battle, but the numbers won over courage, without killing any of the knights, the undead just wounded them enough to the extent of not being able to fight back.
The once proud generals and knights of Arkhanta, the Elite Unit of Meridian's army, is now nothing but war prisoners, thrown on the dirt, their hands shackled behind their backs, pushed and led by a group of zombies and skeletons.
Phobos was standing in front of them, tall and mighty, he looked at them with despise "You have been defeated even before the battle started, and that shows the difference in our level. The weak is to be defeated by the strong, and the stupid dance according to what the smart sings".
Raythor tried to get up but the zombies held him down, then he shouted "How did you manage to make those illusions? Fire mages can't make illusions."
Phobos grinned, "But necromancers can, and you can say I am a talented one." Then he gave a small chuckle, "Not bad for a first try, wouldn't you agree?"
He laughed again, then turned to them, "It really didn't matter if you struggled or not, I was going to do my experiments on you anyway, the only thing that changed, is that now you can't resist me." Then he added as a side note, "Not like you could have anyway, but figure speaking."
He then turned to the zombies, "Take them to the dungeons, and lock them up, I don't want any one of them to escape or die till I'm done with my plan." Then he added mentally, 'Hopefully before Hale manages to pull something up, and ruins everything.' Without delay, the zombies did as they were ordered.
--
After sending some zombies to get the required ingredients, and a number of failed trials on some knights, his experiments succeeded, now standing in front of him was his new collection of pawns to order.
He had turned Raythor to a vampire, pale skin, long sharp teeth and pointed ears. Khor was transformed into a gray werewolf, unable to change back to his human form. Whereas Frost was changed to a blue ogre like creature with his long blond hair. Gargoyle is now what may be called a stone golem, even though the intended result was to be a mix of vampire and a werewolf, Phobos was satisfied with what he got.
Once the former generals saw Phobos, they lunged at him, throwing the guards to the far end of the room. Khor shouted, "Phobos, you'll pay." A claw hand aimed to Phobos's head. Just before it made contact, Phobos held his hand up, and all four of them were unable to move.
Frost said alarmed, "What's going on?" Fear replacing the anger, Khor said through clenched teeth. "I can't move a muscle." Gargoyle gave a weak roar, since that's all he can do after losing the ability to speak.
Phobos then started to close his fist ever so slowly, and with every movement of his fingers, the generals felt the most agonizing pain, as if it was their soul being ripped out.
Phobos was taking a sick pleasure from the screams that escaped them, from the emotions that showed on their faces, bearing in mind not to close his hand completely. After a moment, which seemed forever for the four men in front of him, he released his grip, and instantly they fell on all four, panting heavily, the necromancer then stepped forward. Hands clasped behind his back, stating very slowly. "You don't own your bodies, you don't own your lives anymore, your mine now to do whatever I wish you to do. Failing to do so, will only cause you suffering, which I'm sure you don't want any of it." Then he moved past them and said in low voice, "Keep in mind that I can keep you in that state till I feel satisfied".
Then he said in a commanding voice, "I have a mission for you. Tomorrow before down, we will move out to Heatherfield Village and raid it". He then extended his hand, and all four men were engulfed in black fire, but instead of burning them, it healed them, and they felt new power within them.
Phobos said to the former Generals. "Now you can each gather your own army, or the very least raise the dead." Then he threw a fireball on one of the prisoners killing him, and turned to Raythor, "Raise him." He ordered.
Raythor stood up and went to the burnt corpse, mimicking Phobos's moves, while focusing on bringing the dead back, to his surprise, a skeleton slowly raised ready for his orders.
Phobos looked content with the demonstration "If you train enough, you can even make vampires and werewolves. I expect to see my army ready before dawn," and with that he exited the room.
Once Phobos was out of hearing range, Raythor indicated for his friends to come close, and then Khor spoke barely containing his anger. "I almost had him, my claws were this close of taking his head off...ARR, I can't believe I just said CLAWS." He said the last part while clawing at his face unable to contain his rage anymore.
Raythor took a hold of Khor's hands, and moved them away before they do more damage, then he said quietly. "Have patience my dear friend, we shall have our revenge on that devil, if it the last thing we're going to do".
Frost looked to him with glee, his ears perked up "You seem to have a plan ready Raythor." The vampire smirked, "In fact I do." then he said in a low voice. "We know we can't win in a direct confrontation, but we can turn his own magic against him, all we have to do is make our own army that listen only to our commands, and strike him when he least expect." He then concluded, "All of us have to master this new power, and then our revenge is assured".
Khor said annoyed, "It will take a long time". Raythor smiled, his fangs showing "Revenge is a plate better served cold." Gargoyle gave sound that they understood as an approval, then Raythor said "We have to play as he says for now, but once we get the hang of things here, we will see who will suffer." With that, they all went to their own way, making the army for tomorrow's invasion.
--
At dawn, Phobos was leading the army of undead, and right behind him was his 'Death Lords' as he liked to call them, and when they reached the out skirts of the small village, he stopped the march and turned to his generals. "The aim of this raid is to capture as many experimental materials as possible, and to leave this town in a state, that the mere mention of our name will strike unimaginable terror and fear into the souls of our enemies." Then he looked at Raythor, "You shall take the lead, I expect great results".
Raythor bowed his head, "You shall not be disappointed Sire". With that, the invasion started, and within an hour, the town was burned, now it was nothing but piles upon piles of ash that covered the whole place.
Raythor went to the necromancer, "Sire, it has been done as you wished, and not a single body was left on the ground". Phobos looked delighted "Job well done," then he turned to Frost and handed him a letter. "Attach this to a spear impaling one of those things you call elderly, and make sure to leave him a noticeable place".
After that was done, they returned to Kandrakar. Phobos sat on the throne and was laughing manically. He then turned to his death lords, "In less than two days from now, Duke Hale will bow in front of me, announcing his surrender, and begging me to spare his pathetic city and the lives of its inhabitants, and with the fall of Arkhanta, the rest will fall effortlessly".
True to his word, Duke Hale came the next day, doing exactly as Phobos predicted, thus giving him what he wished for, the path to dominate Meridian.
'Minister David Black said:
…I had I known that some mistakes would lead to some kind of a problem, but for a mistake to lead to this kind of an outcome? It was as if all hell broke loose, it was a massacre, a massacre I tell you...but do you know what the real tragedy is? It all could've been prevented '
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AN: To those who didn't read the comics : Arkhanta is the parallel world the w.i.t.c.h go to in after defeating Nerissa. As for Redstone city it was mentioned in the 26 issue, where Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin went to in a student exchange program (I think).
For those who didn't see the cartoons, Gargoyle is a giant one eyed stone golem that appeared in the first episode. All that said:
My thanks to all of the readers, especially who left me a review : XV-Dragon. You have my gratitude.
Another thanks to my friends for their support and endurance.
Lastly, I would like to thank 'Girl of Light Writer' for betareading and improving this chapter. I t went through a drastic changes thanks to her.
This chapter was fun and somewhat easy to write, I kinda of enjoyed writing crazy Phobos and Satan Cedric (he was like a Satan there, don't you think?). The hardest part was Elyon's party, It took me forever to write it out and then I had to changed it more than three times till I got this version. Thank Girl of light Writer or else the old draft would've given you headaches just from reading it.
You can expect Irma to show up in the next chapter, though it would take some time. Leave a review please. Thank you.