Interlude: Retaliation Part One
Keziah the High Priestess of the Celestial Coven raised her staff as she and her acolytes herded the civilians of Misthaven away from the darkness that spread through the earth, sapping all life it touched of it's lifeforce. Those people who had been too late to escape the dark magic had immediately been mutated into horrendous soulless monsters. The creatures of the forest had been twisted into bloodthirsty beasts.
"There is no escape!" A crimson portal barricaded their path as Necrolai and the current host of the cursed wolf spirit, Wolzard stepped out of it with a squadron of hidiacs.
The Acolytes raised their staffs.
"Why are you doing this?" Keziah asked, her white hair glistening silver as she channelled the power of the moon. The golden runes etched into her amber robes flared to life as she let loose a blast of cosmic energies at the villainous forces. The blast threw them backwards. Keziah joined her arms and a spell circle appeared underneath the two, immobilising them.
"That won't hold them for long." She said. The hidiacs pounced at the scared villagers, only to be held back by her coven sisters.
"What do we do?" Roselyn asked her.
"You protect the villagers." Keziah said sombrely. "I fear there is only one way to stop this blight that plagued our lands."
Her eyes narrowed as mutants and beasts leapt out of the darkness on the other side. She could hear their growls and the sound of their claws and hooves as they charged at them.
She drew a sword, a single tear rolling down her cheeks.
"The Master Blade! You can't… No…" Roselyn murmured softly on recognising the sword.
"Promise me, you will lead our coven and our people to a prosperous future." Keziah pleaded, turning towards her.
"I will." The red headed witch gulped.
She dug her sword to the dirt, dragging it along with her as she ran at the army of darkness, the friction causing sparks to fly out of the sword.
With a yell, she swung the sword, a slash of golden energy escaping the blade and becoming a huge wave that passed through the mutated creatures, reversing them to their former states and reviving the forest. The golden light spread through the realm, purging it from the dark magic.
"NO!" Wolzard broke free of the spell circle and pushed the acolytes and villagers out of his way as he charged at Keziah, only for her to smirk at him before she exploded in a shower of silver sparks and her sword dropped to the ground with a clang.
The Knight Wolf stopped momentarily before his eyes drifted to the weapon the priestess had dropped. "Such a powerful weapon… The Master would be pleased."
"Too bad you are not getting it!" He turned around to see Roselyn walk towards him with puffy cheeks and teary eyes. She was glowing in an ethereal aura as she thrust her arms and screamed. Blazing white star fire erupted from her and consumed the knight, destroying his body. A cloud of purple smoke dissipated to the skies and a wolf howl echoed throughout the battlefield as Koragg's spirit escaped back to the Underworld.
Roselyn sighed, falling to her knees and breaking down to hysterical sobs.
The hidiacs had been vanquished by the acolytes and Necrolai hastily retreated.
The villagers sighed in relief while the acolytes joined their arms, praying for the soul of their departed leader.
While his soldiers razed the magical realm, expanding the borders of his Dark Kingdom, the Master stood in his throne room and lifted his staff. His general, Morticon, a minotaur in obsidian armour and his chief warlock, the Heretic bowed down to him as the monsters roared victoriously.
Suddenly, the chamber shook and a blazing light shot down through the abyss.
A team of five mystics led by the Mystic Mother herself tore through the hidiacs and stormed towards the Master, their vibrant magic lighting up the gloomy hall with colour and magic.
"You dare attack me in my own home!" The Master yelled, his eyes flashing with rage. His golden ornaments darkened as crimson lines spread across his body.
"Kill them all!" He commanded his armies.
Zanna the Mystic Mother pressed her palms together and let loose a blast of white magic at him, which he blocked with a barrier of crimson energy.
"Our Academy still stands, despite your attempts to destroy us." Zanna spat.
The Master laughed scornfully. "But not the Queen or her precious palace."
"What have you done!" Ullin the Snow Prince shouted, as he turned towards the Master, his blue eyes widening in terror. He lunged at the villain with his sword only to be blocked by Morticon.
"Queen Undine and her royal guard are no more! Misthaven has fallen and so has the Mystic Force!" The Master announced.
Zanna yelled furiously, her magic breaking through the barrier and slamming against the Master, pummelling him to the ground.
"Master!" Morticon howled, only for the Snow Prince to strike him with his sword. Ice fractals crystallised out of thin air and cut through the minotaur.
Morticon roared, rampaging at the mystic, only to be hit by a volley of blue fireballs. He turned around to see a blue skinned maiden scantily clad in ivory armour. A garland of skulls hung around her neck. She was Kalika, the Grim Guardian.
She leapt at the general, slashing at any hidiac who tried to obstruct her with her sword.
Morticon tried to throw her off as she dug her sword in his back, her eyes blazing with fury.
An additional pair of arms sprouted from her shoulder and a silver trident appeared in them as she struck the monster with it.
"What are you!" Morticon stuttered as he fell back.
"Vengeance!" She snarled, slicing him into half with her sword. After giving the Snow Prince a curt nod, she turned around, mercilessly tearing through the ranks of monsters and hidiacs.
"Your tyranny ends today!" Zanna declared, lifting her hand to deliver the finishing blow on the Master, only to gasp and look down to see a blade of dark matter sticking out her abdomen. The light energy that restrained the Master shackled as the Mystic Mother fell forwards as the blade receded.
She turned around to see her attacker – the Heretic.
"Did you really think you could win so easily?" The Heretic laughed.
The Master joined in the maniacal laughter, his eyes glowing with crimson energies.
"Any last words, Zanna of Eltar?" He sneered.
"Just one. Soulfire!" Golden flames burst out of her, throwing back the Master and the Heretic as well as incinerating the surrounding hidiacs.
The Master howled as the flames caught on his robes and spread through his body, refusing to flicker out.
"Mystic Mother!" The other four mystics came to her aid.
Sabine the Dragon Knight let loose a burst of flame from her palm that knocked the Heretic unconscious.
Arella the Lunar Paladin helped Zanna back to her feet as she placed her hands on the gaping wound, silver light stitching it back.
"Time to end this once and for all!" Kalika narrowed her eyes at the Master.
The Grim Guardian struck the Master with her sword and stepped back uncertainly as a crack appeared in his form and crimson light filtered out.
"We need to leave now!" Zanna called out urgently as the Master's body shattered and giant tentacles lashed out against the walls, shattering it as the Underworld started to collapse on itself.
"What has he done?" Sabine said horrified as Zanna encased them in a sphere of golden light, that protected them even as the ground crumbled and they got a clear view of what the Master had become as he along with his subjects fell to the Abyss below.
"The darkness he accumulated twisted his soul into a demonic entity…" Zanna said, her voice trembling. "An eldritch terror!"
As a tentacle shot out from the darkness towards them, she clapped her hands together and the five mystics disappeared in a flash of white light.
Hope you liked this chapter and the OCs I created. Kalika and her mystic mode are inspired by the Hindu goddess Kali. Arella appears in my other story "Power Rangers: Galactic Onslaught" and Zanna is the mentor in my PR HP crossover "Power Rangers: Patronus Paladins".
Reviewer Thanks: RPM Shadow (Glad you liked it! I did post another Gatekeeper chapter before starting the Interludes in case you missed it. Oh, that is a nice coincidence. I am guessing it's probably Marlene since that's the most normal name I used. Yes, both Nick and Clare are royalty and Udonna is the current queen though that doesn't mean much considering that the kingdom was in a state of ruin after the War. I won't lie, the castle was the source of inspiration for this. As a kid, when I saw Young Udonna in the opening scene, I thought she was a princess and I wanted to make that true in this story.) and D.J. Scales (Thanks!)