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Aliandra
Ali rotated her mages through the softly glowing Inspiration runic circle she had inscribed directly onto the stone of the battlement behind one of the merlons tee their mana – a spell that her fellow defenders had e to appreciate greatly.
She snapped a barrier into pce above the wall, blog an embrasure, causing a well-aimed Ice Lao shatter, spraying the archer she had just saved with a shower of crushed ice. She had to take a more active role now that the skeleton mages had begun peppering the battlements with their magic. He ducked betedly behind a merlon, shooting her a grateful look.
Ali took a break for a moment to recover her mana, listening to the ehumping of boulders smashing into the wall and occasionally crashing down into the outskirts of the town behind it. Defending the walls was at once freically terrifying, a also mind numbing and exhausting. She rexed for a moment in the soothiion of her Inspiration skill – she had been firing magi-stop, a seemed like she was throwing handfuls of sand at the tide for all the effect she seemed to have on the horde of undead out there.
A haughty voied out over the noise of battle. “Cease fire.”
The heavy shuddering thumps ceased, and the crackle of lightning and the sizzle of fireballs faded. In the sudden, ued silence, Ali poked her head up and carefully peeked out over the battlefield. The dark figure on his skeletal horse out on the far hill began speaking again, his words obviously amplified by some artifice or spell.
“Greetings, Myrin’s Keep.” His voice had a slippery smoothness and false friendliness like the shimmering rainbow of an oil slick over a scummy pond. “My name is Alexander Gray. I am but a humble servant bringing the greetings of the Blind Lich.”
Ali gasped. Nevyn Eld? Is he here? The mere mention of his name filled her with a dread that settled into the very marrow of her bohat Alexander Gray was his servant did not bode well for them at all.
“My master’s ear wish is to cim the dungeon in your town,” Alexander tinued. “You will send out the Fae, Aliandra Amariel, alone and unarmed, and I will graciously spare the lives of everyone in Myrin’s Keep. If you do not, I will destroy the town and raise every one of you to be servants in my undead army.” His hand came to rest casually on the bowed head of one of the motionless statue-like servants standing beside his horse.
“You have one hour.” His magically enhanced voice, suddenly cold and harsh, echoed off the battlements, leaving a stunned silen its wake.
Nevyn Eld… is after me?
A huhoughts and questions crashed into her mind, crushed and scattered by the terrifying image of the scarlet blindfold and the gaunt, bed flesh of the Blind Lich. But ohought stood out, capturing the horror in her mind.
How does he know my name? Ali sank down onto the cold stone of the battlements, her body f a ball as she hugged her ko her chest, trying to ighe sudden calg stares of the defehat shared the wall with her.
They’re afraid. I’m afraid…
They should be. Everyone was going to be terrified. After all, a Neancer had just shown up and id siege to the town – who wouldn’t be afraid? Like a butcher swinging a cleaver, Alexander Gray had just severed all the es she had made with the town, singling her out and isoting her in the same a. She shivered, feeling the crushi of separation and loneliness desd upon her again; the sehat she didn’t belong here in this fn world and that every person was set against her.
The cil will hand me over. No question. None of her struggles to get reition would amount to anything in the face of this – and how could she bme them? It would be the lives of everyone iown against hers. Half of them would even enjoy sitting bad letting Alexander Gray take care of their dungeon problem.
Her stomach ed queasily. Nevyn Eld had takehing she valued in her life aroyed it, and now, against all reason, after thousands of years, he was still taking from her. A desote fear and despair washed over her, and her mind began to desd once again to that pce of darkness she had fled to after enduring Roderik’s murderous i.
He hurt Lira. To get to me. The memory of Lira, frail and broken, dying from the blight and poison he had forced upon her sprang freshly to her mind. He had dohis, for no other reason to track her and flush her out.
How dare he.
Lira was her family. A beloved mentor, and her only living tie back to the life that had been savagely ripped from her. This vile Neancer – this evil monster – wao do the same to Malika, , Mato, and all the people iown, just to flush her out. A small kernel of white-hot fury kindled within her, ing her despair and fear in an instant.
I will go, she thought, grindieeth together, but not quietly. If she could save her friends, that was all that mattered. She may not care about most of the town, but her friends had stuck with her no matter what. She felt the rightness of it to the core of her being, and when she heard the quick footsteps, she looked up with pure resolve in her heart.
Vivian Ross? The Guildmaster sprinted up the steps looking uncharacteristically flustered and rushed.
“Aliandra! I’m gd I found you first. Bastian has invoked a state of emergend suspehe cil –”
“So?” Ali ground out.
“I don’t think you uand,” Vivian said, pulling up short. “During a state of emergency, as the representative of the , his word is w. You are to be sent out alone as an to save the town. I’m explicitly forbidden from helping you, we all are. People are ing for yht now. You o run. Mieriel is waiting below to take you –”
Ali stood slowly and thehe Guildmaster’s gaze.
“No.”
Vivian stopped aurned her look. “I was afraid of that.”
“You inform Bastian and his little cil that they have o hunt me down. I will meet Alexander Gray alone on the field in an hour as he has requested.” She was tired of running, tired of hiding. Tired of having people ing for her, killing and hurting her friends. She was tired of being scared and lonely. Somehow – she didn’t know how – she would make her stand and face him.
Vivian stared at her in silence for a while. “Very well. I uand.” She must have seen the resolve in Ali’s heart because she didn’t even try tue with her. “Good luck, then, Aliandra.” And with that, Vivian spun on her heel a.
I just wish I could tell them. She found herself wishing for Malika’s dependable advice, ’s strategy and shy smile, and Mato’s hearty ughter. But there was no time. Alone. As Vivian had just said, her friends would be ba serious trouble with the w if she asked them for help. She flew herself down to the street below the battlement and searched with her Martial Insight skill. Finding a slime, she teleported into the sewer and hurried down into the newly restored forest cavern below.
She hadn’t expected the Guildmaster to risk her position to subvert Bastian’s authority, but she had hoped she had at least a few allies after the cil trial. I guess that was too much to hope for. She worried about it all the way down into the forest cavern, but her thoughts returo her friends. They were all in danger, and she had precious little time to save them.
I hope they will uand.
Fury burned within her, but it did not disturb her resolve, nor the crity of her focus. She opened her Grimng at her now fully restored mana pool, and began to summon monsters.
Malika Ali? Where are you? Frantically, Malika dashed across the street, her eyes sing the battlements for any signs. A golden glint of her barrier magic, a Kobold, anything.
Malika had been searg high and low for Ali ever sihe neancer’s annou had set the arm bells g in her heart. She knew what this town was like. It wasn’t even a question: the cil would sacrifice Ali in a heartbeat, favorable vote be damned. She pressed her lips into a firm line. Why did nobody ever see it?
Am I too te? The allotted hour was almost up, and still, Ali was o be found. I hope the fug cil didn’t get to her already. Bunch of crooks. Her mind had been produg more and more improbable, more disastrous sarios. So muy crity and ess.
She darted up the dder and sprinted out along the battlements where someone had told her that she had seen Ali fighting. But as she approached, all she saw was the familiar tall, dark-haired figure fag the battlefield.
Vivian. Why is she here? Did she take her?
“What have you doh Ali?” Malika demanded, striding toward Vivian’s back. She was going to get some answers.
Vivian turo face her for a moment, and then simply gestured down to the battlefield below, aurned her gaze to studying it. “See for yourself.”
Puzzled, and suddenly worried, Malika stepped up to the battlements and surveyed the field. Everywhere, as far as the eye could see, were the endless ragged rows of shuffling undead standing just out e of the battlements. Human zombies, animal skeletons, everything she could imagine. Safely behind the battle lines, Alexander Gray had returo the field astride his skeletal horse and was ily gazing at something directly below her vantage point. Malika followed the dire of his stare. And there, far below the base of the wall, where the river emerged from the underground forest cavern, she found that unmistakable golden glint. The color of a mana butterfly that had once woken her in a dark alleyway. A small golden glowing disk of magic floated slowly out toward the battlefield. Seated atop the disk was a tiny familiar figure with flowing green hair.
“You forced her to go out alone?” Malika rounded on Vivian with a torrent of anger fring up in her heart.
“I tried to get her to run, but she insisted,” Vivian said with a quiet siy that spoke of respect.
Ali, no, don’t do it!
“I ot save her. Bastian has invoked a state of emergency, my hands are tied, but…” Vivian tinued.
“Fuck the w, she’s my friend,” Malika interrupted, leaping right over the battlement and sprinting down the sheer outer face of the wall, stamina burning through her Diviep as she picked up speed.
Vivian Ross “Why did you call me all the way out here, Vivian?” Donel asked, her flight magic arg small sparks that fell to the ground. She seemed tired and overworked, and her eyes sparked with barely trolled anger.
“I wao show you the view,” Vivian answered, f a casual too her voice. She and Donel did not always see eye to eye, but ohing she knew for certain – pushing the Gnome was a recipe for being shocked. Literally and figuratively.
“I know what’s down there, Vivian,” Donel answered with an annoyed gre, but she gnced anyway, and suddenly her eyes were drawn to Aliandra in the ter of the field, Malika still sprinting down the wall to join her friend.
“She volunteered.” Vivian was still surprised by the steel she had seen in Aliandra’s spine and the burning resolve in her eyes. She had thought she had the measure of the tiny Fae, but this was not the act of a bookish schor. No doubt Alexander Gray was in for a nasty shock.
“She is brave. Stupid, to face Alexander Gray by herself, but brave,” Donel answered after studying the battlefield for a moment. “Vivian, it feels wrong to hide behind novices. We should be out there, not her. Have we bee cowards in our old age?”
Vivian winced. Donel had just eloquently articuted the frustration and guilt in her ow, but she had also firmed that she was of like mind in this issue. It should be me down there. Yet she was standing otlements and watg Aliandra put herself in harm’s way for the town. Fuck Bastian and his emergency resolution!
“If we go out there, he will destroy the eown,” Vivian answered quietly. It was what he had announced, but most likely Donel had seen through that charade just as easily as she had.
“You don’t seriously believe he will keep his word, do you? Alexander Gray will turn oown as soon as he has taken care of her.”
“I agree. But Bastian will pretend it was true – a us called up before the royal court and executed if we go against the . With the state of emergen pce, he is the right now. He has always loathed the fact that Myrin’s Keep cil has people of on blood, and I’m certain he’s hoping to rid the town of her – and a few of us, with luck.”
“So, what are you proposing then? You’re not going to sit up here and just watch her die?” Donel frowned, still staring down at the undead army.
“Our hands are tied, but…,” Vivian g Donel out of the er of her eye as they both watched the se unfolding below. “Did we ever ahe question of whether your Lightning could reach those trees from up here?” Bastian’s decree specifically prevehem from ‘going out there’ and engaging the undead while Aliandra was being delivered to the neancer. A teicality, to be sure, but one she fully inteo abuse.
Doared at her for a moment before looking back out over the battlefield. “No, I don’t believe we did. Perhaps I’ll remain here and try to figure that out. Some exteesting…”
Vivian smiled. Now to find the Half-elf and the Beastkin. She could not tell them to help, but she could point them at the view, ahem make up their own minds. With Donel ag as backup, Aliandra and her group might just stand a ce of not beiirely overrun.
Aliandra Ali sat on her barrier and slowly levitated across the battlefield. Time’s up. She braced herself on her barrier to quell the trembling she felt inside. While her body shook, none of the fear reached her mind. Alexander Gray was watg her ily from across the battlefield. She let his avaricious gaze crash against the cliffs of anger and fury she had erected around her heart. She forced herself to meet his gaze, taking in the expensive suit, the skeletal horse, and the haughty expression of superiority.
Mage – Human – level ?? (Death)
You hurt Lira. She fahe fmes of her anger, distrag herself from her inner voice that wailed incessantly about dying horribly. He was the Blind Lich’s underling, and the dark power of his mana rolled off him in palpable waves.
It’s time to go. She gathered her resolve and began to move forward, but in that mometention was snagged by the sound of a pebble hitting the ground behind her. Automatically, her head turoward the battlements.
What is that? Somebody, or something, was desding the enormous wall with grad speed.
Malika? Ali suddenly reized the soul magic bursts as she used her skill to power her vertical sprint. Deep within the fortifications of her heart, somethied. I’m not alone… Her heart leapt in time with Malika’s nding on the ground nearby. She stepped forward, matg her pace with Ali’s levitating disk, and she noticed Malika wasn’t even stepping on the ground.
“Hi Ali,” she said calmly. “Going for a walk?”
The uncharacteristically casual ent trasted starkly against Malika’s serious demeanor and the hard gaze that remained fixed on Alexander Gray, even as she talked.
She knows this will be hard.
“I’m supposed to go alone,” Ali told her. “Yoing to get in trouble for being here.”
“He’s not going to keep his word, Ali; he’s the guy who deceived Lira. What ce do you holy think the town has?”
Ali stopped, staring at Malika. She had heard the story of how the neancer had deceived Lira, a she had not even sidered the possibility he might be lying about destroying the town. She had set out, unsciously expeg hoy from the foul neancer, and Malika had seen through him instantly. How could I be so na?ve?
Before Ali could answer, an indest pair of wings swooped down oher side of her, and – a touch out of breath – deposited Mato on the ground.
“You all came?”
“I recall someone saying we would face things together,” answered, readying his bow.
Ali felt the tears welling in her eyes. Ugh, not now! She had tried to bury her hope and loneliness under a wall of anger, but her friends had shown up anyway, and in doing so they had once again proved she was not alone.
“Ali!” Mato said. “What’s the pn?” He looked at her expetly. “There is a pn, right? Tell me there’s a pn where we beat up that piece of Troll dung.”
Ali wiped her eyes but did not respond, and he looked anxiously at her. “Ali?”
This is about far enough. “e!” she anded, smiling at Mato as the ground began to tremble in time to a low rumbling sound, like a distant thunder.
From behind her, six Forest Guardians burst out of the river entrao the underground cavern – the same entrance she had used to flood the Goblin siege. Many tons of dense gnarled wood creaked and groaned as the Guardians charged full tilt across the battlefield. Dust rose and pebbles jumped from the shaking ground and their crashing charge.
“Yes!” Mato yelled as the Guardians split around them. His yell morphed into a roar as his body twisted and stretched into his Bear Form, and he joihe charge.
Ali smiled at his enthusiasm. All he needed was a good fight.
The Forest Guardians charged through the vanguard of skeletons with a deafening crash and the ch of snapping boheir momentum barely slowing as brokeoossed into the air, and lesser zombies were trampled to mush underfoot.
With the enemy focused on the spectacur opening charge, Ali took the opportunity to deploy the rest of her minions. A squadron of almost a hundred glowing jellyfish floated out onto the battlefield, flying higher to be less spicuous. She had never used the Lux Drifters before, choosing them for their light-magic acid, but the biggest surprise was that they were a swarm monster, summoned in groups of ten at a time while costing the same amount of mana as a single monster of that level.
came five Sparkling Oozes, which she directed to spread out. And finally, five Kobold Fire Mages, and her Acolytes. She pced her Kobolds on a barrier disk, levitating them into the air to keep them out of reaost of the undead monsters otlefield.
“Mato! Fireball!” Ali yelled and then directed her Kobolds and Sparkling Oozes to attack the enormous melee that had formed around Mato and her Guardians. The regeion aura and Mato’s healing should be more than suffit. She watched as the furious red fire from her mages arced over aonated among the skeletons and the Forest Guardians. From far back, intensely indest balls of magic lofted over the battlefield to detonate in brilliant explosions of light. Ali sent a and to her Lux Drifters, and they began to circle overhead, raining their glowing caustic acid over the etlefield. Ali couldn’t duplicate the endless swarm they had faced in the jungle, but even this many of the flying oozes were having an impact; their acid effective against the skeletons.
So far, so good. Ali observed the battlefield with a sense of wary foreknowledge. This was but the beginning of her biggest battle yet. Her guardians had filled the entire area with rapidly growing and regeing vines and thorns, log de numbers of skeletons. The stant barrage of fire and light magic explosioroyed the skeletons in droves, injuring Mato and her guardians. Still, her allies were rapidly regeing the damage from all the overpped auras and Mato’s healing.
But then, as ohe entire field of undead surged forward, a great tide that broke around their small isnd of fire and regeion, surrounding them. Zombies and skeletons were everywhere, seething like a single mass of undead below her barrier. The sheer press of the dead flesh and bones encroached inward on their circle, shrinking it, and above all of the undead moans and the csh of battle, she heard Alexander Gray’s sinister cag.
He's enjoying this…
Ali redoubled her efforts, sending in barrier shards to cut down swathes of the undead, but they crawled forward over the corpses of their brethren for just the ce of grasping one of the living within their domain. Nothing she did could stem the tide. Her explosions were destroying undead by the hundreds, but there were thousands more to take their pces. Mato roared, trying in vain to draw the horde to himself while swooped overhead, his bow raining radiant arrows down into the o of undead. Ali couldn’t even see Malika through the press of undead.
Suddenly, all the hair on her entire body stood on end. Her skin crawled with an uny prig sensation and her nose picked up the strong pu odor of ozohe whole world went white, and with only her mana sight she saw the lightning magic ripping through the undead, f again and again as it tore through the sea of monsters. It was over in an instant, leaving her blinking and almost retg from the stench of overcooked rotten flesh. But every single zombie and skeleton oownward side of the invisible line of the spell’s maximum range had been fried by the stupendous burst of lightning magic. All that remained was a smoking ruin.
Flying above the battlement was a tiny figure, one Ali could barely make out from here. But it was wreathed in a moal pilr of lightning mana, leaving no doubt in her mind who the owner was.
Donel Novaspark. Ali stared at the glowing figure for a few moments, but the powerful mage stubbornly refused to leave the battlement and ehe neancer directly. She frowned – she didn’t have time to question why the mage had chosen to help, nor the inexplicable reasons limiting her e, but it seemed obvious that they o take advantage of their impromptu artillery support if they didn’t want to be swarmed again.
Ali marked the line of the Gnomish mage’s maximum range firmly in her mind. Deliberately, she flexed her fingers and then tightened her fists. Right. Time to make the most of this opportunity.
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