Fledge was the first to address the newcomer, "Zorbak?! What are you doing here?"
The blue moglin responded nonchalantly, "Meh... you guys have an undead invasion and I do not even get an invite?" He narrowed his eyes at the trio.
Talon whispered to Fledge, "You just asked the necro-moglin what he's doing outside of the Necropolis..."
"Look, it's a legit question," Fledge replied, although hoping that the attractive Mage wouldn't think less of her for it. At her feet, Tyloria wiggled her eyebrows mischievously at her mistress, who frowned back. "Not now, okay?" The little dragon only giggled.
However, Artix was focused on another matter at hand. "Someone is coming..." He tensed visibly, one hand on the hilt of his sword.
Movement caught the Angels' eyes. Out of the shadows walked a feminine figure clad in dark robes and a hood, a slightly-damaged magenta crystal floating behind her. A low, cool voice spoke, the movement of her lips obscured by the hood's shadow. "I must say, Rogue and Mage... I'm surprised that you and your friends defeated my army of undead minions."
"So you are the Necromancer behind this!" Talon accused, shoulders squared. Fledge stood beside him, Tyloria waiting for action.
"Necromantress! With an... 'ess'."
Zorbak suddenly straightened, gasping, "Oh man... it's HER! Meh. I've seen this girl around here before, Fledge and Talon! How is my fur? Do I smell ok?" His paws busily smoothed his blue coat, all the while he gazed at the woman with an expression the trio and dragon hadn't thought possible for the ebil moglin.
"'...This girl'?! Hrmph! I am the most powerful Necromantress in the entire Necropolis. I aced all of my finals," the self-identified Necromantress (with an -ess) boasted.
"Your finals?" Fledge asked, wondering if it were possible to con information out of the dark-robed woman.
Zorbak beamed, "Ebil AND smart... I think I'm in love!" The heroes could practically see the giant hearts glowing in the moglin's red eyes.
"Yes, the Necropolis is home to the largest school of necromancy on the face of Lore, and I was the top student," she continued to brag. Fledge made a mental note of their current location.
The hearts in Zorbak's eyes doubled in size. "She is... so... PERFECT!"
Artix and Talon exchanged a glance; both were becoming more restless the longer they stood still. Talon turned back to the Necromantress and raised his voice, "Your army has already been defeated, you are powerless. Surrender now... or else!" The Paladin and the Mage tightened their grip on their weapons.
They guessed she was smirking beneath her hood. "Hahahaha! Said like true heroes. You and your little blue pet there..."
"PET!?" The lovey-dovey gaze in Zorbak's eyes shattered as his voice jumped a few octaves higher. Returning to his normal pitch but shouting indignantly, he stated "Meh... you listen here! The only one who is going to take over the world is me! So you might as well quit that necro-chump club right now and join me." He paused, lowering his voice, "Or... meh... at least give me your number."
"ZORBAK!" The heroes groaned.
He shrugged carelessly, "What...? Meh, she is hot!"
The Necromantress shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Well, it has been nice chatting but I have souls to steal and a new army of undead to..."
She broke off as a shadowy shape rose from the ground, and a voice like the the darkness of the deepest cave on Lore rumbled "You summoned me, master?"
With only half a glance behind her and at the creature's sudden appearance, the Necromantress stated "Excellent timing Alpha. Heroes, I'd like you to meet my senior project... the Alpha Abomination! I made him myself! I must run, heroes, good to see you." Her only instruction to the creature was "Alpha... take them to school!" before she turned and disappeared into the shadows of the Doomwood.
Zorbak stared at the creature, open-mouthed, for a moment, then spoke quickly, "Sorry Talon and Fledge... an ebil moglin's gotta do what an ebil moglin's gotta do! Hey, Necro-girl! Wait for me!" He scurried off after the Necromantress faster than Tyloria could gobble down her dragon "puppy chow".
Now it was just Fledge, Tyloria, Talon, and Artix staring up at the towering menace before them. "Woah! The Necromantress may have just made the world's largest evil undead Mr. Potato head!" Artix grinned, then charged forward with his rallying call: "BATTLE ON!"
The other three swiftly joined him. Fledge grabbed her light-aligned daggers, instructing Tyloria "Use light attacks if you can," before unfurling her wings; flying forward, she blinded the monster with a couple of slashes to the eyes, then retreated as her dragon attacked the raging beast. Beside and below her, Talon and Artix blasted light at their target as it fumbled to land a blow, missing the four.
Dodging its swinging arms, Fledge took advantage of the Alpha's large shadow, and did what a Rogue does best; stealthily blend in, hovering in place while she waited for an opportunity. While Tyloria flew in to scratch the Alpha's ankles, Artix raised his hand above his head, bringing the "Light of JUSTICE!" down on the monster. Talon paused beside Fledge to fling energy magic at its chest, static crackling through the air.
Fledge remembered her blinding strike was only temporary, and would wear off soon, so she darted in again, flying up the Alpha's side, dragging her daggers through its flesh, blood spurting out. Tyloria conjured a tornado around the massive monster, throwing off its balance in the strong wind, but it didn't topple. The Alpha appeared to be regaining its vision, but Artix changed that with a blinding light shot from his sword.
"We're nearly done!" called Talon; flying right up to the Alpha's heart, he aimed an enormous burst of magic at it, opening the rib-cage. The explosion of magic blew back his hair, the illuminating the male Angel's features; Fledge felt her insides flutter as she took in his confident blue eyes and slight frown of concentration. So focused, so determined...
She almost didn't notice the roaring Alpha turning to bring its fist down on her until Artix shouted, "Do it now Fledge!" as he brought his weapon down on the monster's leg. Snapping back to the present, Fledge let out the Celestial "Cry of Destruction", a raptor-like war-yell meant to bring the fear of mortality to the opponent, as she dive-bombed the Alpha, striking through the hole in the rib-cage, piercing the heart, and exiting behind like a living arrow. The Alpha stood there, wobbling, a gaping hole in its chest, before taking a few steps back, then forward, then slowly crashing to the ground, falling on its side.
"Victory!" Artix yelled gleefully, "Moonridge is saved!" He waited for Talon, Tyloria, and Fledge to land before he said "So, the Necromantress is behind the attacks. And once again she has escaped into the dark reaches of Doomwood."
Fledge spoke up, "That's not the only thing we've learned today, Paladin. The Necromantress said she went to school in the Necropolis. If the monsters we've faced came from only one student, I hate to think of what an entire school and city of Necromancers below our feet could do. Artix, you're right..."
Talon completed her sentence, turning towards the stone entrance to the underground city, "We MUST get in that door!" He smiled, "And this is going to be when things start to pick up the pace."
Fledge nodded, "But I know that we can handle it. Necros ain't got nothing on two Celestials, a Paladin, and a baby dragon!"
*Later that night*
Vanessa Wood poured half of a health potion into the bottle filled with a different red liquid, before swirling it around, and hesitatingly taking a few sips. Initially the metallic taste made her sputter, but the pain from the gash on the side of her face eased with each sip, so she continued to drink until she had consumed all of the mixture in the second bottle.
Her green baby Earth dragon growled; footsteps were approaching her tent. She corked the potion and slipped the two bottles into her backpack. There were two voices; she recognized one as Fledge Northstar, the other was a male voice she didn't recognize. They stood outside and talked for a minute more while Vanessa magicked up a floating light orb, then settled herself on her sleeping bag with her new book, dark curls falling against her pillow. She had read about half-way through the prologue when Fledge entered, Tyloria at her side. While the grey dragon greeted Draco, the Angel sat down on her sleeping bag, smiling as she ran a hand through her bangs.
"So I met a guy, Nessa," she breathed as she flipped open her sketchbook and grabbed a pencil.
Vanessa turned a page. "And?" she asked without looking up.
"He's the first Angelic guy to address me without my full official title. He's something else..." She lightly drew a circle on a blank page.
"He's disrespectful, that's what," the Mage girl frowned, briefly glancing at her friend. "No one calls someone they just met by their nickname, even if it is well-known."
The Rogue shook her head, "Well, it's nice to be addressed formally, but I prefer that when I'm among strangers at a formal event. If I take a liking to someone, I might ask them to call me Fledge, but they instead call me 'Throneheir', or 'Majesty', or even 'Princess', if they're not familiar with Angels." She paused, looking up from her sketch. "Did you see the boss fight?"
"Only the beginning," Vanessa answered, "Then Nathaniel and I went to chop down some Deadwood trees the Necromantress sprouted up in her wake. I didn't see how it ended, but judging by the cheering we heard when we returned to camp, I presume success."
Fledge nodded, elaborating as she continued to draw, "His name is Talon Swoopingeagle; he and I flew and fought side by side against the monster. I don't consider those I fly and fight beside strangers. Talon walked me back to my tent a few minutes ago; he apologized for not addressing me by my title, but I said it was okay; at times, like in the heat of battle, it's a mouthful!"
The girls shared a laugh; Fledge bent a little as she did so, and Vanessa glimpsed her sketch of a male face. She decided to tuck this observation away in her "mind palace".
"Well, we need to go to sleep soon, so I'm getting ready for bed." She was already in her nightshirt, so she crawled into her sleeping bag and turned off her floating light.
However, moments later, a soft light illuminated the interior of the tent. "Just because I'm not a Mage doesn't mean I can't do some magic," Fledge whispered. "This nightlight should discourage any baddies that wanna come near, so I'm leaving it on. Besides, I'm making art."
Vanessa pulled her pillow over her head, mumbling "Fine; don't stay up too late. Night Fledge."
"Goodnight Nessa."