An: Welcome back!

I had an epiphany for the next story, which will be much more...spooky. Hopefully it will be up to what i imagine it will be.

Well fuck me, turns out that since i posted the last story, it has doubled in readers who read it start to finish, and this one has triple the amount of views a chapter. Quite nice.

Lets start, boys and girls!

Chapter 14: Spare Piece

The Librarian sat, frowning once more. The board had expanded to the size of a small pool table, as the sheer amount of pawns on the blacks side would have consumed the smaller board. They ungulfed the area around the king and queen, who moved towards the prize. However, that isn't what was causing his annoyance, as a new piece had entered the board.

It annoyed him because it wasn't a planned piece, and he did not like this one bit. The piece was of the Father knight, but was neither black or white, but a dull grey. It moved with the white party, but he didn't like this one bit. Watching the board, he spotted the pawns break off and charge directly towards the small group. If each pawn represented a battalion...he frowned, hoping that he wouldn't have to cash in a favour anytime soon. He was running low on those.

As the small group began to walk, the point of the goal became obvious; a massive volcano that did not match the landscape, spewing lava fiercely, the only thing of any height in the entire plains. Frowning, Finn pointed to it. "I thought the amulet was out of power?"

Smithy frowned, nodding. "Must be, that Volcano is puny compared to what it can do."

This disturbed Finn a great deal, the volcano double the size of the Ice King's Castle, and ten times as dangerous looking, rivets of flaming rock driving down the mountain. As he was about to comment on it, they found themselves looking down the horizon again, a wave of black coming towards them, the length of it was so great Finn had to move his head to see the edges of it.

"Is that...all undead?" Ice King spoke up, trying to strain his eyes by making a telescope out of his hand.

"...Fuck." Smithy spoke up, looking across the wave of undead.

"Well, nice knowing you guys." Ice King said, about to float away back to his castle, his cowardice out speaking his courage by a mile. However, he found himself still standing there, even with his mind screaming at him to run.

"Not leaving then?" Smithy spoke up, watching him grit his teeth.

"Apparently not, Smithy." He replied, sitting down to think.

"...I know what to do." Smithy said, biting a thumb.

"Whats that? You gonna make a "turn undead into harmless bunnies" rune?" The Ice King cried.

Finn frowned, and felt himself wishing he was back with Flame princess.

"No, I'm going to fight fire with fire." pulling the apron and shirt off, he rubbed the blood across many runes, and slapped his hands into the ground. This time, he spoke some form of chant, the runes on his body glowing fiercely, a rainbow of colours.

"Upon the Sacred undead I call, come to our aid. We need those who fought for the light to fight once more! Come to me, Blessed ones, let us strike down evil as a mighty force!" he spoke, the colours coming from his body causing Finn to wince and look away. He looked back, however, when the ground began to shake.

He watched a lake of hands to reach from the ground, pulling themselves from the earth. He looked at them, confusion on his face. They were dead, that was obvious. but their bodies did not show signs of decay. Each body was pale as a ghost, however, and armoured with various things. His shock doubled when he spotted Billy in the crowd of dead, wielding his famous sword. He yelled to him, and watched the massive hero turn and wave, smiling. Turning back, he watched the horde of dead continue to raise, and began tor recognize faces from the Enchiridion, Heroes that Finn had always thought of as more legend then reality.

Finn found himself looking towards Smithy, but suddenly realized the man was no longer standing, laying on the ground, his skin as pale as the dead that now walked again. Shaking him roughly he turned him onto his back, and the man coughed weakly, looking towards the boy. "You better Damn win, Little Hero. You better damn-" his mouth froze, and he looked about, his head not moving even if he tried. He saw a door appear, and a man open it and walk out.

"Silly Smithy,You only had to get the amulet,but you gave your life. Now, I would let you die..."the beared wizard laughed lightly, his strange rapid speaking that was still somehow broken, taking odd pauses where he had no need to beginning to drive him mad."...but, your wife was very...very...upset. After she assaulted me, I decided it might be best to make you another deal. I offered you two things for your job, a way back home and your wife. But, I will take away the trip home...in exchange for a transplant of power." he smiled lightly, tapping his chest with a single hand, a rush of power blazing into his chest. Time began to move again, and he heard his final words. "Rise...and shine, Smithy."

Finn watched the man, his skin turning from pale to flush in a instant, causing him to jump in surprise. He lifted himself up, and stroked his beard. "Might be my lucky day, boy. Now take Simon and the knight and go, We'll keep them busy!" he cried, charging towards the front of the army of Heroes.

He nodded, and the three began to run (well, in Father Knight's instance, you would call it stampeding, and Ice King flew using his magical beard) around the army, heading for the volcano on the horizon.

Smithy turned, and looked at the army he had summoned using his most powerful runes in succession. 'Come, Heroes of this world! We stand here, to destroy these hordes, to release them from the torment of forced service, and to fight for the lives of the living! Let us ANNIHILATE THEM!" He boomed, the heroes giving out cheers, the sound booming across the plains. They were outnumbered easily, but they wouldn't give up without ease.

Charging like mad men, the army of Heroes charged towards the fray, prepared to die once more.

The Lich floated over the ground, the trail of death being a very obvious trail, had anyone followed them. Next to him stood the mad pyromancer, whose very form was rapidly changing, the weak mortal body not able to contain the might of the power. The Lich heard feet pattering, and turned to see his Jester coming towards him The Jester had been with his servant for quite some time, but had disappeared when he had been stuck in that accursed sap prison inside the Yggdrasil, the tree that had sprouted inside the Candy Kingdom.

The jester had been his informant for many years, having created him many years ago as a scout. He looked to him, silently awaiting his report.

"It's as you feared, sire. The wolf man defeated the dragon, and the siege failed. Even worse, the Dragon gave him some sort of gift. Apparently, his Achilles's heel is now plated with steel!" he cried, his riddled way of speaking always annoying the Lich.

"So, he is near invincible now?"

"Aye, and he comes with way, a horde of lycans following. They wish to kill you both, and may just succeed if we don't make like tree's!" he screamed out, jogging next to his floating master.

"How would a few lycan be any danger to me?"

"Not few, sire. Hundreds, Thousands even! And they wear odd jewelry made of plants and such, that save them from your death touch! They will rip you apart like a child does to wrapping paper on christmas morning!"

Frowning, he looked to the mad pyromancer, the once girl jibbering about defeating someone called "the enchanted smithy" or something. This plan was failing rapidly, he decided, and may need a back up.

"Sire, if i may suggest, we should flee! That many Lycan would be a threat to anyone, and that body of yours won't survive very long against the furry fighters."

The pyromancer heard this and screamed at him, tossing black flame at him, which he dodged with surprising grace. "No FLEEING! Fight with ME or your an ENEMY!" she screamed, rubbing what he presumed was suppose to be her arms rapidly.

The Lich took the situation into context, and thought carefully. On one hand, they were much closer to the volcano then the heroes, but on the other hand, those lycan would reach them before they met the base of it. The lycan's would probably leave the pyromancer to the leader, and attack him. He could possess one, but they wouldn't hesitate to kill the packmate. As such, The Lich decided that his best move was to flee. Turning to the jester, he nodded and swiped the air, a small rift forming. The jester tossed himself into it, and the Lich flew into it, closing behind him, just dodging a black flame aimed for the undead nightmare. Screaming, the flaming woman charged at volatile speeds towards the volcano, refusing to lose to the heroes. "will get...will get get get get get GET GET GET GET GET GET GET!"