Chapter Forty-Four: The Acquisitor
In Samarkand Connor and the others stood before the massive black sandstorm wall that blocked their way into the buried city.
"Who wants to go first?" Voltage asked looking to the others.
Reaching his hand out Connor put his hand into the dark magic barrier grunting when he felt sparks hit his hand and pulled back, "Yeah that's gonna hurt, this is the plan, everyone holds hands, we go through quickly, do not get separated! If you get lost in there the barrier will kill you, anyone who wants out, speak up."
Hearing no one say anything Connor narrowed his eyes and looked down to Roscoe who suddenly was picked up under Kyler's arm and he stepped forward, "Everyone behind me, form a line and do not let go of the person in front of you!"
"No, I'll lead Kyler," Connor spoke creating the Counter shield spell, "Are we ready?"
"Ready!" Kyler spoke placing a hand on Connor's shoulder and looked back when everyone began creating a line, holding onto the shoulder of the person in front of them.
Leading the way into the dark barrier Connor's shield managed to allow Connor to see in front of him but didn't protect him from the sparks that began to go through his body, "NGHHH! Keep moving!"
"Yeah, no problem!" Kyler grunted through gritted teeth.
Quickly moving forward Connor ran leading his group through the barrier till he reached a light and ended up falling into a massive sand crater rolling and grunting down the sand walls along with the others who exited the barrier and began to tumble down the massive slope.
Rolling more Connor came to a halt when he slammed against a stone wall, "NGH! Ow ow ow! That sucked!"
Looking up Connor watched the others all tumbling down past him and coming to a halt when the slope either flattened or a piece of a broken stone building stopped their rolling.
"Everyone okay?" Connor asked spitting sand.
"No, we are not! I am so sick of getting sand everywhere!" Voltage growled standing up to brush the sand off his body.
"Whoa...guys look at that," Jaya spoke pointing from a ledge she stood on.
Approaching the heroes all stood to see deep down the massive crater the storm created was a massive city where in the center was a massive black pyramid standing at five hundred feet and around it standing at one of its four points were black obelisks that had strings of magic moving towards the tip of the large pyramid creating a light that was pointing in the air.
"It's the Pharoh lost kingdom," Connor gasped then narrowed his eyes upon seeing an army of Hollow Men all bowing before a massive creature clad in black and gold twisted ancient Pharoh robes.
His mask was similar in style to Pride and Sloth masks, except the tentacles on his mask all appeared to be greedily curled towards him and bore a red ruby on his forehead.
With a golden claw, the Acquisitor spun a finger making the sand unearth more of the hidden city revealing more lost buildings along with Hollow Men that had been buried along with it.
Looking around Connor noticed the walls of the massive crater were now stone steps in a massive circle leading down to the kingdom, this made Connor think, 'he must have power over the sand, he was able to turn sand into stone to prevent the sand from burying his kingdom again, this could be dangerous if he tries to burry any of us alive.'
"It's him, that must be Greed," Kyler growled staying hidden with the other heroes looking down at the large stairs to the city far down below.
"Why hasn't he activated the Spire yet?" Jaya asked looking over to the others.
"If I were to throw a guess to the wind, I'd say the greedy bastard wants to unearth his entire city before starting the show," Ash spoke adjusting her glasses, "what the plan?"
"We cannot let him activate that Spire; Kyler do you think you can knock over one of those obelisks? They must be what powering this thing," Connor asked looking to the large hero.
"Oh yeah, I can knock one down!" Kyler smirked eager to smash one of the obelisks.
"I'll help him with that, Voltage you're strong, how about you and Tecero see about knocking over the one near that large build on the north," Mika suggested.
"You can leave the one on the west side to Neo and I Connor," Ash volunteered.
"Jaya and I can get the last one then, I'm sure we can make an alchemical bomb to knock it over!" Seth smirked.
"That just leaves keeping the Acquisitor distracted to Roscoe and me," Connor spoke narrowing his eyes.
"We should time it all at the same time, if one of us knocks over one before the others Greed could prevent us from foiling his plans," Neo advised pulling out his rifle.
"So move and be in synch, sounds like a plan," Kyler spoke patting his seal, "everyone, stay hidden and stay in contact, get to your posts, and wait for Connor's signal."
"Let's move then!" Connor nodded watching his friends all split up into their pairs and began to make the climb down the massive stairs to the large city leaving Connor and Roscoe.
"What the plan Connor?" Roscoe asked peeking out from behind the wall to see Greed back to them down below still sending more sand into the storm barrier circling the city to dig up more of his hidden kingdom.
"Well, we just gotta distract him, we could try and fight that army of Hollow Men he has waiting down there, or try and challenge him directly," Connor spoke thinking about which would be the smartest route.
"I don't think he's going to lift a finger unless he must, I think taking on that army of his will get his attention, he looks like the type to sit and watch the show," Roscoe growled.
"Agreed, let's move!" Connor growled leading the way down jumping down each massive step slowly making his way toward the kingdom far below.
Moving along a large building Kyler took a peek around the corner to see a pack of Hollow Men standing around.
"We could easily take them; however, we don't want them alerting the whole city of our presence yet," Kyler whispered to Mika.
"Hmmmm," Mika hummed looking around to think of a way around then looked up at the building they hid behind, "give me a boost."
Looking up Kyler nodded and held his hands together letting Mika to run and jump into his hands, where he used his great strength to lift Mika into the air where she landed on the top of the temple.
Keeping low Mika peeked over the edge to see the Hollow Men starting to make their way towards where Kyler hid.
Thinking quickly Mika grabbed a loose rock and threw it hitting a pillar behind the Hollow Men making them halt and slowly groan and shuffle towards the source of the sound, walking over to inspect.
Peeking around the corner Kyler watched the Hollow Men walking away before glancing to Mika who nodded allowing him to quickly sneak past the pack of Hollow Men.
Climbing down from the temple Mika joined Kyler near a fallen stone wall where they spotted the massive pyramid and at its corner stood the tall black shard obelisk guarded by heavily armored Hollow Men.
Pulling out his seal Kyler spoke into it, "We've reached our tower, it is heavily guarded, what your status guys?"
At the other obelisks, Neo peeked through the scope of his rifle, "ours is guarded too."
"We will make our move once Connor gives his signal," Ash spoke peeking out from their hiding spot.
At another obelisk Seth stood guard while Jaya down below began to mix certain chemicals to create their explosive concoction, "some liquid fire, a pinch of cinder bark, a few drops of poison Balverine venom.'
"Poison Balverine venom?! How on earth did you get your hands on that?" Seth asked.
"I have my ways," Jaya winked making Seth smirk at Jaya's resourcefulness.
"Hey Tercero, have you and Voltage reached your position?" Seth asked.
"We just arrived," Voltage spoke watching Tercero silently approach from behind a Hollow Man stabbing his hidden blade into the back of its neck before chopping his cleaver down on its skull.
"Our Hollow Men have been dealt with," Tercero spoke looking down at a still-moving hand and slammed his boot down on it with a loud crunch.
"Now then," Voltage spoke approaching the large obelisk where he noticed all the markings carved into the jagged black shards used to build the obelisk, "these markings."
"They look like the Will Markings Connor bares," Tercero spoke tapping the shard with the finger to see how dense it may be, "think that axe can break this?"
"Only one way to find out," Voltage smirked hearing thunder boom above watching a large vortex of electricity form high above the sand storm that created a bubble barrier around the city.
Hearing the thunder boom Connor narrowed his eyes as he watched the Acquisitor finish unburying the last building of his kingdom before slowly looking over his shoulder, "You've arrived, Hero."
"You must be the Acquisitor the Sin of Greed," Connor spoke approaching the army of Hollow Men who stopped bowing and all growled turning to face Connor.
"I am, I had sensed your arrival when you forced your way into my barrier, had you patiently waited I would have welcomed you to my glorious kingdom, once the shinning jewel of Samarkand, until these miserable creatures forgot who they served!" the Acquisitor growled looking down at his army, "now all that remains is their empty husks they left behind."
"So, you plan to activate the Spire? So you can make the wish you wanted?" Connor asked keeping his sword ready while making it through the Hollow Man army who slowly allowed him through.
"Perhaps, though the amount of magic to grant a wish could also destroy my beautiful kingdom, no, the plan is already set in motion," the Acquisitor spoke snapping his fingers this act made all the Hollow Men around Connor roar and growled before Wisps flew out of their bodies and began to fly to the tip of the massive pyramid that began to glow.
"Oh no you don't! Light - Blade Maxima!" Connor yelled launching the spell at the Acquisitor who used her arm to shield the swords.
"You wish to challenge me, boy? It has been so long since I've had a worthy fight!" The Acquisitor smirked creating sand spikes and sent them flying at Connor and Roscoe who both ran and dodged the barrage of spikes.
"Now guys move!" Kyler yelled watching the guarding Hollow Men Wisps fly from their bodies and into the obelisk sending the magic into the tip of the pyramid.
With a powerful swing, Kyler smashed his hammed against the obelisk only for a magic barrier to deflect it sending him stumbling backward.
"Oh no!" Mika growled watching Kyler growl and swing again and again trying to break the barrier, "guys there's a bloody barrier!"
With Seth and Jaya, the two swung their weapons trying to break through the barrier, "Same here! We can't get past!"
"Break you stupid bloody shield!" Seth yelled swinging again, "dammit! It no use!"
With Neo and Ash even with her gauntlets Ash couldn't break the barrier no matter how hard she punched, "HAAH! RAH! YAAAH! UGH! It's no use!"
Narrowing his eyes Neo glared at the pyramid, "If we can't break the barriers, we need to deal with the Spire itself."
"How the hell do you expect to destroy that thing?!" Voltage asked having given up chopping with his axe.
Sensing an attack Voltage dodged a swing of powerful claws that slammed into the ground, getting into battle stance with Tercero the two watched from the dust glowing red eyes looked up at them and slowly a black ink-covered creature emerged and roared.
"The hell is that thing?!" Voltage growled watching it charge at them where he swung his axe only for it to slice through the creature like water but not harm it, "what?!"
"MOVE!" Tercero yelled tackling Voltage in time before the Soul Sucker could slice its claws.
With Kyler and Mika the two skid across the sand both glaring at the new creature that twisted its claws making a sickening cracking sound, "Be careful guys! A new enemy just got loose!"
"A little late for that warning!" Seth yelled running with Jaya, while shooting at the creature watching the bullets phase through its body, "The bloody hell are these things!"
"These must be the Soul Suckers," Ash glared standing at the ready with Neo both glaring at the creature that inched closer to them.
With Connor, he launched another powerful spell at the Acquisitor who dodged and lifted his hand creating a massive hand of sand that wrapped around Connor and began to squeeze.
"CONNOR!" Roscoe screamed watching Connor rise in the air.
"GAAAAAAAAH!" Connor screamed out in pain with the Acquisitor approaching till he brought Connor to his face.
"Bwahaha, so you are the one who defeated my brothers? I must say I am disappointed," the Acquisitor laughed holding up his hand and squeezing making the sand hand around Connor squeeze harder.
"GO TO HELL! GAAAAAAAH!" Connor screamed out.
"Light – Firework Maxima!" an unknown voice yelled making the Acquisitor turn his head but unable to avoid an explosion of light slam into his chest.
"RAAAAAAH!" the Acquisitor roared falling over and slamming into one of his temples his concretion broke and the massive sand hand around Connor collapsed and he fell a few feet slamming into the sand below.
"GAH!" Connor grunted hitting the ground before slowly looking up to the barrier high above where the spell had come from.
Narrowing his eyes Connor could see a humanoid figure slowly walking through the barrier with glowing blue eyes.
"GRRR! Who did that?!" the Acquisitor growled slowly sitting up from the building he smashed into to see from the barrier clad in black and gold with a large red kaffiyeh wrapped around his neck blowing in the wind, a young man around Connor's age stood.
At first glance Connor saw he had detailed Will Markings on his face as well as wearing two gauntlets just like the ones he wore, he held in his left hand a white cutlass with blue Will markings.
Narrowing his eyes, the unknown man pointed his sword just as massive blue eyes belonging to a very large creature appeared in the sand storm barrier behind him.
'Is that...' Connor thought watching the stranger who locked eyes with him creating a link, 'his aura, he's a descendant of the Black bloodline too.'