Distraction and Destruction

The streets had become quieter. Much fighting still occurred around the city, especially at the front gates, but it seems that a number of Uriel's forces had begun taking control of the situation. They pushed the enemy back and turned their attention to other areas that needed assistance.

Several clashes may have ended in the streets, but traces of the carnage and gruesome slaughter still remained. Bloodied bodies lay just about everywhere. Some had been killed by rather common blows, such as slashes or stabs. Others, on the other hand, suffered far more grievous and almost exaggerated damage.

Uriel found crushed heads, snapped jaws and other sorts of unspeakable horrors that only savages could accomplish. While Uriel did respect the warriors she fought with, she could not deny their skills and killing styles to be far more brutal that necessary.

These carnage may have been distracting, but it did not halt the trio's progress. Uriel and her two Chamael warriors continued towards their destination, finding little to no opposition to stand in their way. The often found stragglers, as well dying warriors

Eventually, the three reached Mycelia. They found her on the floor, leaning against the wall, while chewing on what appeared to be a strip of meat. Judging from Mycelia's expression, she seemed to have recovered from her injuries, or at the very least, learned to tolerate the pain.

"How are you feeling?" Uriel asked, kneeling down to inspect her.

"I'll live," Mycelia answered. She spoke clearly, but grunted with some discomfort. "Did you retrieve the tome, my lady?"

Uriel smirked, and then held out the tome. "Was there any doubt?"

Mycelia smiled back. "None whatsoever, my lady." She fixed her sitting posture and took the tome. The elf quickly scanned it, looking for a spell that could tip the scales onto their favor.

While Mycelia looked through the pages, Uriel took this chance to catch her breath. She pulled out her waterskin and drank the few drops that remained. It did not quench her thirst, but her tongue didn't feel as dry.

Staring out the window, Uriel quietly inspected how things went on Jotun's end. One of the towers on the wall had been demolished. The battle itself had moved from the wall, and into the streets. Despite how things appeared, Jotun and his Blood Crows still managed to hold their own against Keshrak.

She found several of the elves dashing and jumping from building to building, displaying a high level of speed and agility. From where she stood, the Drow appeared like a bunch of flies buzzing around an overgrown lizard. It may not have been the best or kindest comparison to give the elves, but it was the first thing to pop in Uriel's head.

Most of the enemy's forces had been routed back. Their numbers may have dwindled further down, but it did not break their morale or cause them to waver. Keshrak's warriors had no fear or concern for their own safety. Even with wounds that rendered them unfit to continue, they fought until the bitter end.

Uriel would have admired such resilience, if they actually fought with determination, vigor or some sense of devotion. Uriel knew all too well that they had none of these things. They obeyed, yes, but not out of choice or necessity. These warriors fought with hollow minds and hearts; an army without any soul to carry out their command.

"I think I have found something," Mycelia grunted, closing the tome. She slowly stood back up, with the support of her staff.

Uriel glanced out the window one last time, before turning her attention back to the sorceress. "Excellent. What did you find?"

"A spell to trap that shaman. I will spare you most of the detail. I will, however, need to be closer to the shaman, and need some time to cast the spell."

Uriel sighed glumly, gently kicking a bit of the dirt. "Of course it wouldn't be that simple. Can you walk?"

"Yes, I believe I can."

Uriel raised an unconvinced brow. Inspecting the elf, she found Mycelia still having some difficulty staying on her feet. Mycelia could probably still walk about, but running would be out of the question. It would have taxed her body of the energy she needed for her magic.

"No, this won't do…," Uriel muttered, rubbing her chin. She turned her eyes to her two Chamael companions and thought of an idea. "Krin, do you think you can carry Mycelia on your back?"

The Chamael gave a quick look at the elf. Like most lizard folk, Krin stood considerably tall. His body, although slightly slimmer than other lizard folk, had enough bulk and mass to hold a single humanoid.

"I'm fairly certain I can do it," Krin answered. "She does not appear all that heavy."

"Excellent," Uriel remarked, clapping her hands. "I need you to carry the sorceress with us to the frontlines."

Mycelia jerked back at the idea. "My lady, that won't-"

It didn't take all that much for Uriel to predict the rest of Mycelia's sentence. Unfortunately, she did not have the patience to hear the rest of it.

"Mycelia, I understand if you prefer to move on your own two feet, rather than be carried. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that you're still weakened from battle. Rushing on your own would cost time, as well as some of your strength. We need you to be in better condition to cast the spell, once we arrive.

The sudden interruption caught Mycelia off guard. She found herself silent, at first. However, it did not take her too long to respond. With a convinced look in her eyes, she nodded.

"Yes, my lady, I understand." She submitted, but did not answer submissively.

"Excellent," remarked Uriel, crossing her arms. "Krin, allow her to ride you."

The Chamael warrior did not argue or complain. He bent one knee, and went a little lower, so that the sorceress could climb on his back. As soon as Mycelia had properly positioned herself upon him, the group sped off to the scene of battle.

While hastening towards their destination, the group found themselves passing a few skirmishes between their forces and the enemy's. Warriors trashed about. They flailed their weapons around and exerted every last ounce of strength and energy they had left in them. This entire conflict seems to be reaching its final stage. It wouldn't be long before the victor would be determined.

Before long, the group arrived on site. They found Keshrak and the Blood Crows, but did not join the fray immediately. Instead, the group quickly made themselves scarce by hiding inside one of the buildings, peeking out through the windows to examine the situation.

Uriel spotted several dead elves scattered around the area. Most of them had tasted the lethal flames of a dragon, while others found themselves on the receiving end of a large set of claws.

In the middle of all this death, Jotun barely stood. He panted heavily. His remaining good eye squinted, while both hands tried holding a sword. His crimson coat now had a few extra shredded ends, as well as a few burnt patches. Sweat trickled down, while strands of his silver hair waved at the front of his face.

Despite his apparent exhaustion, the Drow captain still managed to keep a weak grin on his face. He may not have been doing too well, but this did not affect his relaxed demeanor.

A few of his kin also stood beside him. None of them looked any better than their leader. They had cuts and dirt, and a few more apparent injuries, but the focus in their eyes did not fade away.

Keshrak circled around his targets calmly. He had a couple of scratches and shallow wounds. A few thin lines of blood trickled the more exposed parts of his body. Keshrak had taken multiple hits, but did not show any signs of fatigue or pain. If anything, the shaman just appeared frustrated and slightly peeved.

"Where is the Overlord?!" Keshrak roared, his voice cracking like lightning. "Tell me where she is, and I shall end your lives quickly!"

"I've heard worse offers," Jotun snorted, flourishing one sword. "I already broke the trust of one master. I have no intention of doing so again."

"Then so be it," Keshrak howled. He spread his legs and planted his claws firmly on the ground. "Know that your suffering will be most-!"

Arrows flew, cutting Keshrak's words short. A few almost struck his eyes, but the shaman quickly shifted his position, preventing them from landing on one of his more vulnerable spots. Infuriated by the interruption, Keshrak unleashed another stream of fire at his attackers, only for them to escape. Keshrak and the Blood Crows continued their engagement.

"They may not last much longer," Mycelia groaned. "I'll need more time if I'm to cast the spell upon him."

"I'll provide support," Uriel announced. She sheathed her sword, and readied her mace instead. A blunt weapon may work better than a blade, on a dragon's tough scales. "Krin, Daku, guard Mycelia from any foes that may come."

Uriel had not forgotten what Krin and Daku had told her; how Sonpra had ordered them to kill her, if she fled the battlefield. Their actions may have been justifiable, but it robbed her of a little bit of trust towards her Chamael companions.

She still had suspicions about these two warriors, but she needed to put them away once again. Mycelia needed protection, and Jotun needed some assistance. Uriel couldn't be in two places at once, so she chose to rely on Krin and Daku to keep Mycelia safe.

"We will protect her as if she were one of our own," Krin sword, pounding his chest.

"No harm shall come to her," Daku added firmly.

"My lady, wait a moment," Mycelia called out. "May I borrow your mace? I believe the tome has a spell that may assist you."

Uriel looked on with both interest, and concern. "Will it take much time or energy? If so, then I'd prefer you not use it. We need your spell to stop Keshrak."

"There's no need to fear, my lady. It will be fine."

Opening the tome to a specific page, Mycelia placed the weapon before her. She gently pressed her fingers against the mace's head, and recited a spell.

After muttering a few words, the mace began to glow a bright shade of blue. Sparks zapped around the head, as it emitted a rather tingling aura.

"What did you do to it?" Uriel asked, her eyes drawn to her weapon's new glow.

"I imbued it with lightning," Mycelia answered. She picked gently picked up the mace and handed it over. "I am uncertain if it would make the shaman bleed, but I am sure that it will sting much more than an ordinary weapon."

Uriel took the mace. An electrical current ran through her skin. It did not harm her, but a few strands of her hair began to stand. A somewhat excited smile grew on Uriel's face, as she firmly gripped her weapon.

"Yes, I do believe that this will do nicely. Thank you, my friend."

"It is no trouble at all. Now go, the lightning imbued on your weapon is not permanent."

Uriel stepped out of the building, but did not attack directly or immediately. She did not even make her presence known. Keshrak may have been a large target, but she knew better than challenging a dragon head on. No, surprise attacks always worked wonders. Fortunately for Uriel, Jotun and his Blood Crows kept Keshrak preoccupied.

She circled around the area, moving to a blind spot. Once properly positioned, Uriel started to approach quietly and quickly. Doing both proved to be somewhat difficult with a suit of armor on. Despite all the noise around them, the clanking of her armor still stood out.

As the distance between her and Keshrak closed, Uriel picked up speed and abandoned stealth. The sound of her footsteps and armor became louder and more evident. It caught attention, but it didn't matter, for it would have been too late.

Uriel's fingers tightly twisted the handle of her mace. She poured her strength into her arms, and delivered a mighty swing. The weapon made contact with the back of Keshrak's leg. Frail bolts of static zapped from the mace and sparked across the shaman's body.

Keshrak howled and screeched, as the static coursed through his right, rear leg. He turned his head and spotted his attacker. With a sneer and a growl, he delivered a swift kick, only for it to miss.

Uriel rolled out of the way, but did not stop there. She continued to move and dodge several attacks that followed afterwards. Eventually, she fell back to Jotun's side.

"My lady, so good of you to join us," Jotun remarked, his spirits lifted a little higher. "If you're here, then may I assume that you have found our sorceress?"

"Indeed," Uriel replied, nodding. "She has a spell ready, but we need to buy her some time."

Jotun clicked his tongue. "I'm fairly sure the Blood Crows and I can keep this up a little longer."

"You're a tougher warrior than I am, Jotun. I'm fairly certain you can."

Keshrak stomped his feet and gazed directly at Uriel. "Overlord, do you his power I have obtained?!" The shaman raised his head and unleashed a powerful breath of fire into the air. "You no longer have the means to stop me!"

Uriel shifted her stance into something both defensive and flexible. "I've been killed by a dragon once. I have no intention of it happening again."

"Have it your way, human!" Keshrak howled, whipping his tail upon the ground.

With those words, Keshrak charged towards his targets, like a raging bull. The weight of his body, as well as the stomping of his feet, caused a number of nearby buildings to shake. One house even started to collapse. Fortunately, Mycelia was not in that house.

Burning with the furious desire to end his enemies, Keshrak did not hold back anything. He spewed out great streams of fire without any thought or concern for his surroundings. A few of his own warriors nearby found themselves caught in a blaze.

He lashed out with his claws, and snapped with his fangs. Both could have easily shredded through flesh and fat effortlessly. His tail also boasted with power, being able to live marks upon stone.

Uriel and company did not have the strength or power to match the shaman's, but they fought with ferocity that rivaled their enemy's.

Jotun and the Blood Crows focused their attention on the shaman's chest and more vulnerable areas. It took more than a single hit to spill the first drop of blood. Arrows did little to pierce the shaman's draconic hide. Jotun and a few of his own found themselves forced to attack up close.

Their elven blades struck the softer parts of the shaman's body, but did not slice deep enough to cause evident damage. Jotun needed to attack in a precise and specific manner, to even get the shaman to flinch in discomfort.

As for Uriel, she herself lacked the agility and accuracy to attack like her elven companions. Fortunately, she did not have to match their level of skill.

The lightning stored in her mace allowed her to pass through the shaman's thick defenses. A single blow from her weapon sent a mighty wave that stunned parts of Keshrak's body. It did not cause him to bleed or burn, but the static did cause him to pause at times.

Time slowly passed. The battle went against Uriel's favor. She and her companions stood with very little breath left in their bodies. The glow around Uriel's mace started to fade, meaning that the charm's power nearly expired.

"Do you still not understand the futility of all this?!" Keshrak sneered. His body now had some injuries, but the shaman did not appear any weaker. "You will all fall this very day!"

"If I'm going to fall this very day, I'm going to make sure you choke on my bones," Uriel sneered, gripping her mace with both hands.

Jotun couldn't help, but laugh. "That's quite an interesting battle plan you have there, my lady."

"I try to be creative." Uriel shrugged, still having some humor in her. "In any case, I will take a part of this monster, even if it's the last thing I do."

"I don't have a problem with that." Jotun gave a softer and bleaker smile, as if he were ready to finally lay down.

The two took a stance, and readied themselves to charge. However, before they could take a single step forward, a great circle of light appeared under the shaman.

"What is this?" Keshrak hissed, staring at the circle with confusion and anger.

Keshrak's answer soon came to him. A great beam of light rose from the magical circle. With a resounding hum, the beam reached into the sky, scattering the clouds, piercing the heavens and touching the stars. The beam completely consumed Keshrak, engulfing him in a veil of light.

Before long, the beam started to fade. As the light fell, Uriel and her companions found Keshrak, but not as they expected him. He still remained whole and a dragon, but not untouched. A large case of crystal imprisoned the shaman, completely restraining his movements. The shaman could not blink.

"I-is this sorceress's doing?" Jotun asked.

"Yes, it is." Mycelia limped out of the building, using her staff to support her movements. Krin and Daku accompanied her, trying to help her walk, but she brushed off their attempts at generosity.

"Mycelia, are you alright?" Uriel knew the answer, yet found herself still asking.

"I'm just a little exhausted," the sorceress groaned, trying to fix her posture. "That spell demanded far more concentration and power than I expected."

"Well, looks like it worked," Jotun sighed, passing a quick glance at the crystalized shaman. "Keshrak has been defeated. All we have to worry about are his followers."

Uriel nodded, seeing several more fights still occurring nearby. "We should end this. Mycelia, return to the citadel and recover, we will-."

Suddenly, a loud shattering sound caught Uriel's attention. Several similar noises quickly followed afterwards. Uriel turned around to Keshrak. Her eyes widened with shock. A warm, burning light glowed from within the shaman's chest, as the crystal surface slowly cracked.

"N-no…," Mycelia gasped, her eyes bulging wide. Horror and despair melted into her heart, as fell to her knees. "Was my magic not strong enough?"

Before long, it happened. The crystal shell shattered, but it did not just break off. No. It exploded. Several sharp shards of crystal flew off in every direction, accompanied by blasts of searing flame.

Uriel and company retreated to the buildings for shelter, but this almost proved useless, as both the flames and crystal pierced and destroyed a number of nearby buildings.

Fire and shards flew further around the city, striking a series of different sites. Many warriors found their battles interrupted, as the flames and crystal rained upon them without warning.

Complete silence fell upon the entire city. The only noise heard came from the blazing flames, and the crumbling of stones. Apart from those sounds, everything else seemed as quiet as a graveyard.

Uriel lay weakly on the ground, barely able to move. Her eyes felt droopy, as a sharp pain took the side of her chest. One of the shards had penetrated her armor and grazed the side of her stomach. It did not hit any vital parts, but Uriel did feel a massive wound bleeding out.

Soon, she heard a number of loud footsteps approach. She frowned and clenched her teeth, as she had a good idea who these steps belonged to.

Keshrak soon appeared before her. He still had his minor injuries, but did not look any bit exhausted or weakened from his imprisonment in the crystal mound.

"It is over, your life is mine," Keshrak announced, flames beginning to ignite from behind his fangs, as his devilish eyes firmly pointed right at her.

The shaman opened his mouth, preparing to finish her off with a blast of fire. This very scene all looked familiar to Uriel. It reminded her of the last dragon she faced, and how it ended her.

Would events repeat itself? Would she be killed by a dragon, only to be brought back to life again in some mysterious location? She did not know the answer. Her heart started to sink into despair, as she quietly committed herself to her demise.

Keshrak took one final breath, but before he could breathe fire upon her, a bolt of electricity flew out and pushed the shaman a few steps back.

"Protect her!" Uriel heard Mycelia cry out. She then faintly saw Jotun, Daku and Krin advance with speed.

Soon, Uriel found Mycelia by her side. "My lady, are you alright?" The sorceress looked at her from head to toe, until she spotted the wound on Uriel's stomach. "No, of course you aren't! My lady, please drink this!"

While Mycelia tended to her wounds, Uriel heard the sound of battle resuming. From what it sounded like, Jotun, Daku and Krin combined their efforts to keep Keshrak at bay. Unfortunately, it didn't sound like they were winning.

Uriel felt tired. Her remaining strength started to slip from her body, as her eyelids began closing. She tried fighting her weariness, but it felt all too much for her. Her eyes then closed for a moment. However, as soon as she opened them, she found herself lying within a plain of complete blackness.

Oddly enough, she did not feel anything. The pain and fatigue seemed to just have vanished. She sat up, looking around, wondering where she was. As she pondered this, a voice spoke to her.

"You are a mess."

The voice had an air of familiarity to it. Turning around, she confronted the one speaking to her. A tall man in broad and black armor stood behind her. The metal on his body had designs that boasted of strength and intimidation.

"Who are you?" Uriel asked, raising a brow.

"I am the Overlord."