The Chaos Blade

Luingirth closed rapidly, beating his mighty wings to propel them forward. Upon seeing the smoke an urgency had set upon him. An urgency that clearly boded ill for the elves. As soon as he was able he streaked down from the sky and used his most powerful weapon, a bolt of static electricity that sparked out from his mouth to a string of light elves clothed in highly conductive chain and plate armors. Aside from their spasmodic jerking as the extreme voltage fried their flesh and organs, they did not move again.

Luingirth's mighty claws skidded along the ground, tearing up great chunks of earth as he stopped himself. A trench fully 60 feet long lay behind them, but they were on the ground. Garrick had already leapt free from the dragon, his hammer flying through the air taking demon, light elf, and lizardman without care for their attempted defenses. He followed after, heading off towards the center of the city and away from the majority of the fighting. The rest jumped, fell, or slid off as quickly as possible. Luingirth had other plans that did not include having to watch out for anyone riding upon him. He leapt back up to the air, wheeling about and preparing another strike.

Alesha led them all to a nearby building where they could put their back to a wall and better examine the battlegrounds surrounding them. They were behind the enemy lines but the fear of Luingirth had scattered the light elves and they were not quick to return. The sight of Elvanshalee confused some of them as well, for they assumed the rest of be prisoners.

"Who is that?" Bill asked, pointing out a side window of the small storefront they were in. Not far from where they were Queen Galinia lay gasping for breath while her horse stood over her protectively.

Elvanshalee gasped when she saw her. "That is the Queen of the dark elves! She is wounded, we must save her!"

Bill took the crossbow he had on his back and quickly loaded a bolt into it. He looked over at the others and nodded to indicate he would do what he could.

"Wait!" Yamara said. "I will go with you."

Bill looked at her. It seemed odd for her to be offering to place herself in harm's way like this for someone she did not know. Hell, it was odd for her to be placing herself in harm's way for someone she did know! She gave him a quick reassuring smile and nodded her head towards the door. Bill shrugged and threw the door open.

Yamara was out the doorway instantly. Bill followed, trying to improvise from the techniques that had been drilled into him over and over in his military career about clearing doors, rooms, clearings, and the like. The improvisation was necessary because instead of a conventional firearm he carried a one shot crossbow and an axe. He and Yamara covered each other as best they could as they moved along the side of the building and came into the open courtyard off to the side where the queen lay. Three Lizardmen approached, two with short curved swords and a third with a staff. He reminded Bill of something out of a cheap horror movie, which he took to mean the lizardman with the staff had to be a priest or shaman or something. Behind the lizardmen a demon loped back and forth, searching for something, anything, to rend and eat.

Between the queen and the lizardmen stood her horse. It was a noble steed, one of the long lived warhorses bred by elves for their leaders. Loyal as well, its queen was injured and it alone stood to defend her, for it knew the approaching creatures bode her and it nothing but ill will. As they came within range it reared up, striking out and catching one of the sword wielding lizardmen with its hoof. The snake-man hissed and clutched at its broken arm, sword clattering to the cobblestones. With a angry whinny and a toss of its mane, the horse whirled around and bucked, sending both hind legs into the wounded lizardman's chest.

Yamara and Bill ran forward. They hoped the horse would provide a distraction for them, and it did. The other lizardman backed away nervously from the enraged animal. The priest spat out some hissing commands, to which the demon responded by lumbering forward towards the horse. The demon was roughly the same size as the horse, though it was covered with a patches of sparse wiry hair that hid its twisted but muscular form in shadows. Its hands ended in claws and its feet possessed cruel talons instead of toenails. It was humanoid, but all semblance to humanity ended there.

The demon rushed the horse, ducking under it as it reared up and grappling with its chest. The horses cry, both terrified and angry, was cut short quickly. The demon twisted it around so it fell to the ground on its side, then it moved on top of it before it could react and sung its great fangs into the horses neck, tearing deeply and mortally into the flesh.

Bill and Yamara had reached the queen, however. They had a scant 10 feet between them and the feasting demon. The remaining lizardman soldier noticed them for the first time and hissed angrily. It made as if to charge them, then stopped short when a crossbow bolt appeared in its chest. It pawed at it curiously, trying to pull it out then stopping when it realized how much it hurt to do that. It looked back up to the priest with an unreadable expression on its reptilian features before its knees gave way and it fell to the ground.

Bill reloaded his crossbow quickly, cranking it back just in time. He sited it in and let fly, the bolt spearing through the air and thudding into the abdomen of the demon that the priest had re-tasked with killing them. The demon sneered and grabbed the bolt, tearing it free from its unnatural flesh and chuckling in a mangled laugh. The wound healed as soon as the bolt was free of it.

Alesha, watching through the window, ground her teeth in frustration at her helplessness. She reached out with her hand and tried to will the magic she no longer possessed into being. For a moment she almost believed it was going to happen. It felt like somewhere, either deep inside or all around her, something stirred and began to answer her summons. Then it was gone. She let out a breath she had held far to long and nearly felt her body go limp with the effort.

Bill watched the demon with wide eyes. If his crossbow did no lasting damage then his axe would have no better luck. Nevertheless he stood his ground in front of it and prepared to defend the three of them.

The demon snarled or smiled, it was a fine line between the two that neither Bill nor Yamara was qualified enough to determine. It came forward, it's long arms dragging on the ground as it kept it's heavily muscled legs coiled beneath it. Bill kept his balance low, axe across in front of him as he had been taught in a relaxed defensive posture.

Snapping forward like an uncoiling spring, the demon was on Bill faster then even his special forces trained reflexes could handle. The axe was trapped between them, impaling the demon's thigh and by mere chance alone keeping it far enough away that it's snapping jaws crashed shut on empty air inches from Bill's face.

Yamara was there then, slashing across the back of the demon with her short sword. The demon howled in pain, rearing back away from Bill. It twisted around catching Yamara in the thigh with it's clawed hand. She stumbled off to the side, very briefly losing her balance. Bill could imagine her pain at the bruising impact of the creatures demonic hand. The problem was, he was trying to handle with the trampled and crushed feelings he was dealing with himself.

Yamara recovered quickly and crouched low, short sword in one hand and dagger in the other. The demon rushed at her. Loping along on all fours. Yamara had a look of intense concentration on her face, so serious was it that she almost seemed in pain because of it. Under her shirt the ruby glowed more brightly as Yamara subconsciously tapped into it to help channel her power. The demon leapt at her, coming within inches of her before it encountered some invisible force that redirected it away from her. Yamara grunted and fell twisting away to her left while the demon skidded to her right. It spun about quickly and looked at her with apparent confusion in its eyes.

Elvanshalee watched Alesha with intense curiosity. When Alesha's attempt to help failed, Elvanshalee glanced out the window and saw that Yamara and Bill were clearly in trouble. Even more so because the priest saw that his pet demon was not doing an efficient enough job and had now stepped up and appeared to be preparing to mutter an unholy incantation. She thrust out her hand towards him and spat out a quick stream of arcane babble herself, sending a glowing dart of blue energy from each fingertip towards the priest.

The priest stumbled backwards from the unerring impacts of the five motes of magic. He turned and looked at the window from whence they came and saw Elvanshalee just finishing up another spell. He hissed angrily and began to invoke the unholy powers granted to him by his God.

His spell went awry a few syllables before it was completed, however. Bill's axe cleaved into it's side, causing an odd combination of a grunt and a hiss that Bill felt certain he would never hear replicated again. He yanked the axe free from the scaled humanoid and, when it turned to face him, he slashed across, nearly severing the creature's head. It fell to the ground never to rise again.

In his head, Bill heard a cry of warning. Without knowing why, he fell to the ground immediately. He felt as though he were in a fire zone all of a sudden. He ignored the twitching death spasms of the lizardman next to him as well as the blood rinsing away the dust and ashes on the cobblestones. Over his back he felt and heard the demon go sailing. It's hind leg along managed to snag his shoulder, one talon ripping both leather armor and skin.

Bill rolled over, his shoulder numb from the injury. He suspected that was for the best, the demon's toes looked awfully vicious, after all. The demon had sailed further then it intended to, apparently, but it was back in a flash. It's master dead, the demon sought vengeance upon the man who had slain him. It leapt at Bill again, coming down towards him with its feet and pincered hands leading the way it what promised to be both a painful and grisly landing. Bill's eyes opened wide, he had no time to react or place to go if he could. Bill heard a guttural scream and then the demon was hit from the side. Something impacted it with enough force to send it off course in mid air. It landed on the ground in a tumble, coming back up after a few rolls.

Bill glanced around and saw that Yamara stood with her weapons down but a look of focused rage on her face. He realized the scream he had heard was her. The demon raised itself up and shook its head. It looked at the two of them and roared, giving them both a look at the many rows of curved teeth it longed to use on them. It rose up on its hind feet again and looked from one to the other, trying to determine which puny human kept denying it.

Elvanshalee's spell came into effect then, igniting flames that erupted around it from the ground. It howled in agony from the magical fires and danced about, uncertain of which way to go to escape them. A high jump forward finally let it clear the ring of fire. It's hair was singed off and its skin scorched in many places. It glared at them all, breathing heavily all the while. Then it loped off away from them in search of easier victims or a place to rest and heal.

Bill hurried over to Yamara to verify that she was okay. She just nodded and they turned to the downed body of the queen. In a moment they knew they were too late, there was nothing to be done to save her. Nothing unless Alesha could work another miracle.

Nevertheless they carried the nearly spent Queen of the Elves as gently as they could into the building. Bill could have sworn the woman should have weighed far more then she did, given the heavy armor she was wearing. A studied look of concentration on Yamara's face the whole while set him to wondering anew.

Inside Bill examined the Queen's wound, just to be certain. Elvanshalee stayed back in the shadows, not wanting to alarm the once powerful woman with her heritage. The Queen looked about at them, blood on her lips and a frantic look in her eyes.

"Relax," Bill assured her softly, taking her hand. "We are friends."

"We are friends of Kelnozz," Alesha said, stepping up to her other side and taking her other hand.

Galinia looked at Alesha and recognition dawned upon her. She had never seen the woman before, but such striking beauty could only exist in one place. "Tell him I am sorry," she whispered, a tear running down her cheek. "I had to be sure the elves had a king..."

"They weren't supposed to come here," She gasped, staring back up at the ceiling. "This place was ours! He was never to have known..."

Alesha made hushing noises and laid her hand upon the Queen's cheek. Already it was cold. She had lost more blood then could be survived without immediate action. Action that, she cursed herself, she could no longer perform. In the back of her mind she felt something. A memory perhaps, or a connection, she was not sure. She was drawn inward towards it but shook it away, sensing it was a path she did not wish to travel.

The Queen died, her last short breath fading away to stillness. A silence descended over the room, the sounds of war outside muffled and distant. For the elves an age had passed, though only Elvanshalee and Alesha glimpsed the significance of it, the rest felt humbled by the events they were witnessing.

Bill ended the silence with a gasp. He fell to his knees and reached out for the table, trying to catch himself. His shoulder blazed with a fiery pain. The others were there quickly, trying to see what was wrong with him. With Yamara's help he managed to haul himself up on top of a counter. The various jars and books already on it flew off before his hands, seeming to move of their own accord. He stared at them in surprise, but was more concerned with his own well being.

"It's probably poisoned," Elvanshalee mused, coming out of her shadowed corner to help them. Bill glanced at her and scowled. Not at her, but at what she had said. He still did not care for her, but her magic had defeated the demon where his crossbow had done him no good.

"So let's wash it out, get some water!" Bill snapped, looking around the room. He was definitely not having a good day.

Will you let me help?

Bill gasped, he heard Yamara's voice in his head. He looked at her wide eyed and found he had no words to express himself. The pain was spreading deeper into his chest and the presence of poison did nothing to calm him.

"Open your mind to me, Bill, and try to relax," Yamara said to him. The others looked at her in surprise, but said nothing for they had no idea of what she was talking about. Against her chest the amulet glowed nearly bright enough to be seen through her leathers.

Yamara drew upon the force of Bill's determination and strength to reinforce her own blossoming power. She sent her consciousness, with him riding along as a passenger, into his body and through his very nerve endings. In less time then it took a heart to beat, they had assessed the damage. Bill gave her a mental nod to proceed, they knew what to do and knew that it had to be done, the question remaining was whether or not he would survive being saved!

To Alesha and Elvanshalee almost no time at all had passed. As one they gasped when the wound suddenly filled with blood. It poured out of it and ran down Bill's side. Alesha reacted quickly, reaching forward to put pressure on the wound and slow the sudden surge of blood.

"No!" Yamara snapped, clearly distracted. "Turn him on his side so it flows freer."

"He's lost to much already!" Alesha growled. "You'll bleed him dry like that, we have to stop this!"

Yamara looked at Alesha then, catching her eyes and forcing her to see her. Alesha nearly gasped at her expression. She had seen her countless times, but this time she let her see into her more deeply then ever before. She nodded and helped prop Bill up on his side so that that tainted blood poured free of the wound.

In a few seconds it was over. Yamara let out a gasp as the connection was broken. Bill went limp and Alesha quickly laid him back on his stomach, checking for signs of life. There was a pulse but it was weak. Bill's skin was cold to the touch and he looked pale. The wound in his back, still deep and ugly, no longer bled.

"What just happened?" Alesha said, looking up to Yamara.

"Just paying off a debt," she mumbled.

"How did you do that though?" Elvanshalee demanded.

Yamara just shook her head, unwilling or unable to explain. Alesha nodded her head, she guessed at the answer. When Yamara had touched Eric moments before he died she had watched and learned of Yamara's inexplicable ability. It was not magic, or at least not as she understood it to be, but something else that made no sense to her. It seemed Yamara was still a girl with many surprises.

Elvanshalee glanced outside and gasped. "Look!" She cried out, drawing their attention to the scene provided through the window.

Chapter 31

Darakor stood upon a grassy mound upon which a single mighty redwood tree grew. The tree had thus far escaped the ravaging of Loralost. Darakor waited patiently, a sword in each hand. Kelnozz walked towards him, heading straight at him in spite of the crowd of light elves that had gathered at the base of the hill to face him.

Kelnozz's swords were also in hand, and his dripped blood with each step. Upon his face was a look so savage and filled with hatred that several of the light eves quaked with terror. Only fear of what Darakor would do to them should they falter kept them in place. Kelnozz's mercy would be a quick death; Darakor knew no mercy.

Kelnozz blurred into action, moving and striking so quickly that none stood a chance in his path. In moments 4 light elves were mortally wounded or already dead. Two threw down their swords and made to flee, but that merely ensured they were cut down from behind by his blades. Every time a light elf felt certain he was about to score a hit on the as yet unthroned King of the Elves, he was denied that victory by a last second parry or a nimble dodge that seemed impossible to make. Kelnozz was an instrument of vengeance and death, more in tune with his blades then ever he had been.

At last, after a battle in which he had been outnumbered a dozen to one, Kelnozz stood alone at the base of the hill. It had taken only a matter of minutes. Fresh blood dripped from his face, clothes, and weapons. None of it was his.

"You look a little different since last we met, father," Darakor said easily, taunting him. If Kelnozz's display of swordsmanship worried him, he did not show it.

Alesha gasped. Deep within her came that nagging sensation again. She wanted to cry out a warning to Kelnozz. Darakor was cheating, she knew it! He was a powerful wizard as well as a master swordsman, surely he was unconcerned because he had magic at his aid as well.

Hundreds of feet away Kelnozz knew nothing of Alesha's premonition. His entire being was focused on the undeniable urge to kill the thing before him. He put his first foot upon the hill and began the ascent up the gradual slope. Darakor took a few steps down towards him, moving with a fluidity and grace that was so natural it was clearly unnatural. Kelnozz lunged forward charging his son with a murderous intent.

The suddenness of the assault caught Darakor by surprise. The spell he had been about to invoke died upon his lips. He raised his blades and parried away Kelnozz's assaults with seeming ease. He moved more rapidly then Kelnozz and his arms were further empowered by his magic, matching his mentor's strength as well.