The Chaos Blade

Other items on the altar were placed on her quickly, each item adorning her in some fashion. From bracelets and rings to a tiara and a gauntlet. In moments she was clad in a simple white robe and elaborately wrought jewelry that glowed with an infernal red light. Kelnozz continued to struggle, certain he could feel the iron beginning to give way.

Darakor stepped forward at a signal from the priest. The low chanting in the room reached a crescendo as Darakor raised the sword above his head in a two handed grip, point downward. Kelnozz gasped. Jethallin continued to stare at him, a sad look upon her face but a happy look in her eyes for him and him alone. The sword plunged downward then, driven by Darakor's two handed grip.

Kelnozz roared. The iron manacles, forged thickly with the intent of holding any prisoner Mezarbolle might see, were not of a temper to hold back the might of one who had journeyed with Gods and knew their favors. They snapped apart in the middle, leaving him with an iron bracelet on each wrist. The elite guardsmen were stunned at the display of strength, strength greater then they thought possible for anything short of an ogre.

Kelnozz turned to the one on his left and grabbed him by the throat, crushing it instantly and ruining the elf's life even if his consciousness had not yet fled him. His other hand grabbed the soldier's weapon belt. In a matter of only a couple of seconds since he had broken his bonds he picked the elf up and threw him off the ledge and into the ritual below. The other elf was drawing his sword then, but never had a chance to finish. Kelnozz spun on him and sent one clenched fist crashing into the elf's face. The elf staggered backwards, nose an cheek broken and several teeth missing. Kelnozz followed, lashing out again and again until the elf slumped to the ground beaten to death and beyond.

Kelnozz turned back, seeing at least two feet of Cirithallion plunged into Jethallin's chest. Her head was thrown back as she tried to scream in anguish. Instead of a scream an impossible amount of red smoke billowed out of her mouth, forming into a cloud above her and slowly taking shape. Kelnozz ground his teeth and looked around. The stair case was easily 30 feet away, and the floor was perhaps 40 feet beneath him. He prepared to leap when the last of the smoke issued from Jethallin's mouth. She slumped to the ground, Cirithallion sliding wetly out of her chest. The cloud continued to take shape, billowing into the spectral shape of a glittering red dragon with glowing red eyes. On the floor beneath him several soldiers and priests were gesturing at him and at each other. Kelnozz ignored them, he refused to let them hinder him.

Kelnozz spun back to the dead elf and retrieved the dagger from his belt. In a flash he was gone, melting into the shadows and slipping away from the altar. Darakor needed to die, but he knew that now was not the time to do it. As much as his thirst for vengeance fueled him, his father's son remembered his duties to his people. Ancaruin was risen, he had to warn them all, no matter the pain it would cost him. But first he had to find his equipment, or escape would be all but impossible. Fortunately, Kelnozz thought he knew where they might be.

*****

Darakor looked up and fell to his knees, overcome with awe at the immense ghostly figure above them all. Made purely of glowing red mist, a dragon larger than anything he had counted possible was staring directly at him. No, not at him but rather into him.

"Darakor Kinslayer," The dragon said in a voice that was at the same time deep and terrible to hear, yet also quiet and hinting at secrets and power best left undreamed of.

"No," he whispered. "My name is not Kinslayer, it is Risingmoon."

Ancaruin's essence regarded him silently for a brief moment. "You have done well," The drake replied. "Ready my armies, with my foes scattered and Sanctuary destroyed, the dwarves, elves, and humans will be as cattle to me. The elves will die first!"

Chapter 24

Eric and Bill moved among the refugees and few surviving defenders, checking on them and treating any injuries they found with their triaging knowledge they still remembered. Bill was better at it then Eric, having kept up to date by nature of his still somewhat reckless lifestyle. Both were limited by the lack of any modern medicine, but their skills kept everyone alive until one of the priests could make their way over to use their healing magic upon them.

Alesha and Yamara sat elsewhere, Alesha was withdrawn and silent. Elvanshalee was nearby, close enough to be considered part of their group by any outsiders, but far enough away to allow them privacy. With both women silent and lost in their own thoughts, Elvanshalee found herself truly not knowing what to do. Kelnozz was gone, Garrick had been left behind meaning he might be dead as well, and the rest of them had no idea what to do. Well, Garrick had told them to go to Helmsmasher Isle, but she had no idea why.

With blood on his hands, Eric made his way back over to where Alesha and Yamara sat. He stood near them, sensing the tension in the air. Knowing that something needed to be said to break the ice, Eric said, "I've seen him fight, he might have gotten away."

Alesha looked up at him angrily. Yamara looked at him as though he was crazy. "No one escapes something like that," Alesha said coldly. "Not you, not me, not even Kelnozz. Garrick would have fallen against foes like that!"

"Then you did right to come with us and escape," Eric offered, prodding her to get her to release her anger on him. He normally did a good job at provoking women for this specific purpose, to get them open up and tell him their problems. Problem was, Alesha was no ordinary woman. If she got upset enough she might very well immolate him where he stood. Then again, being good at pissing women off was not always a benefit.

Alesha glanced up at him, the look in her eyes spearing him to the core. She was so angry it scared him. "Go away, Eric, I am not in the mood to talk."

Realizing that he had pushed a little to far he just nodded and turned away. On his way out he grabbed Bill by the arm and turned him around as well. "Later bud, she's in a bad way right now." Bill risked a glance at Alesha then shrugged and followed Eric.

They wandered out into the nearby wilderness, patrolling the perimeter of the makeshift camp that the refugees from Sanctuary had set up in the middle of nowhere as much as just going for a walk to get some fresh air.

"Did you see him slap her?" Bill asked when they were far out of earshot. "Fucker pissed me off when he did that! Good thing I was out of bullets or I'd have shot him dead then and there."

"Be glad you didn't, Cowboy. He'd have probably killed you. That guy is the biggest and the strongest person I have ever seen. When he visited Earth with Kelnozz I heard the story from a girl that was with them when he got shot by some punks in the IRA. He never even knew he was hit until after he had killed the man with his bare hands."

Bill snorted. "Big fucking deal, you know as well as I do that in the middle of a fight you can miss a hit."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, but you've seen the guy. Hell, you saw his wounds healing before your eyes. That ain't no man you want to mess with, Cowboy."

Bill grunted and continued walking. "So she's upset then?" He asked finally, dropping the subject of Garrick.

Eric chuckled. "That's an understatement. You know the saying, 'if looks could kill'? Well, her's can! I think I barely got out of there in time."

Bill whistled softly. "I've seen her in action now, she's one bad bitch."

"No argument here."

"Something about her though... I think she's got me bro."

Eric sighed and stopped walking. "Cowboy..."

"I know, I know, she ain't normal. Hell, she ain't nothing like any women I've ever known. But now that Kelnozz is dead..."

"Wait right there," Eric said, holding up his hand. "We don't know that for sure."

"Jesus Fucking Christ Eric! Come on, those things were straight out of a Sigourney Weaver horror flick! There were hundreds of them and they had him surrounded! No way he could get out of their, even if he did kill the big bad ass in charge of them like it was nothing," Bill said, waving his hands animatedly.

"I've heard stories about him," Eric said, not ready to give up on the dark elf, "and I've seen some of the things he has done. Hardly any, really, but enough to know that I'm not counting him gone until I see his body."

Bill shook his head, "Those things get done with him, there won't be a body left."

Eric pursed his lips and continued walking, refusing to count the elf out of the fight yet. Bill caught up with him after a few strides.

"So what about you and the blond?" Bill asked, grinning.

Eric chuckled. "Hell if I know. She's pretty weird. Not weird - bad, just weird - different."

"From what you said you had more going on with her before we came here then since we showed up," Bill prompted.

Eric shrugged. "Yeah, but we've been kinda busy since we got here. She told me she wasn't interested, and there's been enough going on I've left her alone. Besides, she seems to be dealing with some of her own shit. You know, baggage and stuff."

"Yeah, the best looking ones always are," Bill lamented, thinking of Alesha again.

*****

Alesha stood up after a while and walked off. Yamara stood up to follow her but Alesha stopped and just shook her head. Elvanshalee watched the exchange curiously, offering no input when Yamara glanced at her. Alesha kept on going, heading towards the tree line at the best of the hill ahead of them.

It was only a matter of minutes before she found Bill and Eric sitting on a rock and talking. Both stood up quickly when they saw her, with Eric narrowing his eyes slightly and saying, "Why are you alone?"

"Because I told them to stay behind."

Alesha looked at Bill. "Cowboy, could you give us a minute?"

Bill looked to Eric for guidance. Eric nodded to him. Not too thrilled to be left out of the loop, Bill grunted and headed back up the hill towards the makeshift camp. After he was out of earshot Eric sat back down on the rock and looked questioningly at her.

"I...I can feel him," she stammered out. "He's everywhere. All around me. Pressing on me. Trying to get in."

At first he thought she meant Kelnozz, but then it quickly became clear that she was talking about Bavorish, her one-time patron deity. Eric's hand itched to go to the hilt of her short sword, afraid he might have to act quickly and really not wanting to do it.

"Such power he promises..." she trailed off, staring at Eric and throughout him at the same time. "We are outside of Sanctuary and after the fight I have so little energy. He prays on my mind."

"I need my sword back, Eric. I must have it!"

Eric's jaw tightened down and he stood up, hand going over his shoulder to the short sword. "I might have given it to you earlier today, but now I don't know who you are, Alesha."

She let out a strangled moan and fought the urge to rush towards him. "You don't understand... Such power... So close. I have to do something, Eric, please!"

"We've been together for several days now and I happen to have started to think you might be okay," Eric warned. "I don't want to kill you, Alesha, but I will."

Alesha scowled at him. "Fine. Make up your mind then. Either give me my sword or kill me. I can offer you so much if you give it to me, I can even help you with her." Eric's eyes widened, he knew which her Alesha was referring to. "Or you can be stupid and try to kill me. I promise you it will not be an easy thing to do!"

"You leave me no choice," Eric said, his heart slowing as the calm that always hit him before a fight took over. He drew the short sword slowly from it's sheath on his back and held it in front of him, pointed at her in a stance Yamara had shown him.

Alesha gasped as the sword was bared. She swooned then fell to her knees, eyes locked on it. The promises, threats, and urges had intensified a hundredfold. She reached out towards it, her hand shaking in the air. Fighting the losing war within her, she summoned the sword to her side. Eric gasped as it wrenched out his hand, flying straight to hers.

*****

"Where's your friend?" Yamara asked when Bill returned by himself.

Bill grunted, clearly annoyed. Not only annoyed but he also noted that Yamara had called Eric 'his friend' instead of by his name. "Down there with her," he said with a nod towards the deciduous trees at the base of the hill.

Yamara smirked. The loss of Sanctuary meant little to her. The death of Kelnozz, even of Garrick, were remote things she care little about. She had been focusing more and more on herself recently, and had been surprised at her actions in Sanctuary. Regardless, they were all safe now, so it had worked out well.

What amused her was Bill's behavior. He was obviously Jealous, something she recognized well. "You need not worry about him."

Bill looked at her oddly for a moment then started to laugh. "Oh, I'm not," he said. "Eric and I go way back. I'm just worried about Alesha is all."

"Why are you worried about her?" Elvanshalee asked, moving closer. "If the legends are true, you should worry about yourselves far more then her."

Bill looked over at her thoughtfully. "I think I see why nobody really likes you," Bill said with a ghost of a grin.

Yamara's eyebrows raised but kept her own smile from her face. Elvanshalee was a pretentious bitch. Elvanshalee gave him a look of blank surprise. "I apologize then, Bill. I often forget that you are all humans and not given to understanding the greater story."

"No need to apologize," Yamara answered for him. "We are rather fond of being humans."

Bill looked at her and nodded thankfully. She returned his nod while Elvanshalee frowned slightly at the exchange. She made a harrumphing noise in her throat and walked away.

Bill sighed and looked across the hilltop full of refugees. Across the top and side of the grassy hill over a thousand people were gathered. He estimated they took up several acres. So far he had no idea where they were at either, but then again, had somebody told him it would have done him little good as he had no idea where anything was anyhow!

"What about you?" Bill asked, glancing over to Yamara, who was staring over the treetops to the east.

Yamara continued to scan the horizon, seemingly without purpose. "What about me?" she asked after so long Bill had thought she had not heard him.

"Shit," Bill swore, looking at her directly. "You know what I mean. What's your deal with Eric."

"Ah, that."

Bill waited while Yamara pondered the question, her thoughts and feelings, and how much, if any, she wanted to divulge. She and Bill had crossed swords at almost every exchange, how much power did she wish to give him?

"Nothing, Cowboy, there is no 'deal' with Eric. He was a means to an end and a good time at that. Now he is a companion, nothing more."

Bill raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure, but I think that's the first time you've called me Cowboy. Does that mean we're friends?"

She chuckled. "You caught me off guard, I'll try not to let it happen again."

"Good idea," Bill said with a grin.

Yamara opened her mouth to say more when they heard the report of a single pistol shot going off down below where Bill had left Eric and Alesha. As one they looked to each other then were running down the hill heedless to their own safety.

*****

Stunned for a moment, Eric had watched the sword fly to its rightful Mistress. In her hands she stared at it with a grim satisfaction. Coming to his senses, Eric scrambled for his pistol with one hand and dug his hand into a pouch on his belt with the other hand. He pulled out a single copper jacketed hollow point .50 caliber bullet and, after working the action on the pistol open, slid it in. He thumbed the release and felt the action slide home, seating the bullet.

Alesha held the sword out in front of her, staring into space where the tip pointed. A dark nimbus of non-light spread slowly out from the midnight depths of the blade, casting a shadow about it. Then an invisible discharge of energy caused Alesha's hand to recoil. Standing ten feet from her stood Talifernon, the 12 foot tall demon with the head and face of a dog and body of a man. Save for the extra pair of full size arms low on his abdomen with sharp pincers for hands.

Eric's eyes widened as he saw the demon appear. He pointed the gun at it and pulled the hammer back, wondering if it was possible to do any good against it. He aimed for it's head, then it's chest, wondering which would be a killing shot.

Talifernon howled in exultation. He was free again. "My thanks, Mistress," He growled, dropping to one knee and facing her.

Eric knew what he had to do then. His own life was forfeit, but if he could stop Alesha it would at least not go to waste. He swung the gun towards her and fired, shooting on instinct. Talifernon had already seen his movement and moved to confront him, he had no time to waste. The pistol bucked in his hands, sending its 300 grain package on its way at over 1600 feet per second.

Alesha stumbled backwards and crumpled to the ground, stunned not only by the initial impact of the bullet into her right breast, but also the extra damage it did on its way through as the round expanded and caused massive damage to her lung and stomach. The bullet exited her back, punching a sizeable hole and shattering some ribs. In a world filled with modern medicine the wound was more then life threatening, it was a miracle short of a guaranteed free ride into a six foot hole. In Viconia, it was so fatal that only death by a cattle stampede could be more certain.

"You will not escape me again, puny human!" Talifernon growled, advancing on Eric rapidly. Eric scrambled back, tossing his pistol to the ground and drawing his sword.

Alesha gasped for breath. The shock of the wound was beginning to wear off and the unbelievably fierce pain hit her. Her time was short, but for the first time since leaving Sanctuary her head was clear. Her course was clear. She knew what she had to do. She struggled to raise herself up, aware of the blood rushing out of the wound in her back and down her chest.

Eric ducked under the demon's first swing with one of it's arms. He tried to thrust his sword up and into the demon, but was foiled by the demon's foot that crashed into him, sending him stumbling back. Not too far back, however, for Talifernon had managed to grab onto Eric's right arm with one of his pincers. The twin claws shredded the soft leather he wore and cut into his skin deeply.

Suffering broken ribs from the kick and a mangled arm caught in a vice-like grip, Eric groaned. He raised his saber and weakly stabbed out, not surprised in the least when Talifernon smashed the sword aside and out of his hand with one of his mighty fists. The other pincer closed around Eric's chest and bit cruelly and mercilessly into him. He felt himself lifted into the air but knew in a short time he would care no longer.

"Put him down!"

Talifernon paused, turning to look back at his dying Mistress. He saw the wound and knew her life would be over shortly. He snarled, but tossed Eric aside, making sure he crashed into a sizeable tree trunk before he hit the ground. If he survived, Talifernon knew he would only have a matter of minutes to wait before he could finish him off.

"You are dying, Mistress," Talifernon stated. Alesha looked at him coldly. Hatefully. Vengefully.

Instead of speaking, Alesha focused all of her remaining strength on raising her arm and enveloping the demon with her magic. She reached out around her and drained what life she could from the trees, grasses, and very ground beneath her. She had little power left to her, but that did not matter. What mattered was that she had enough to destroy her pet demon.