Chapter 22 - The Tower of Mysteries (Part 9)
Lavren loosed black energy into the first black warrior and threw it away from Erlmoor against the north wall of the passage and the dragonborn saw his chance. Despite the cold, cloying mist about his legs, he surged forward and lashed out with his blade form left to right. The huge sword clove into the side of the black warrior, stoving in its armour and the bones beneath. It clove all the way through to its black heart and with one last hiss of derision, the creature slumped down to lean against the wall, all but cut in half.
Litiraan moved between the pillars, evading the tendrils of mist until he stood against the south wall of the atrium. There, he raised his wand and with a word, loosed a silver bolt of energy into the side of the remaining black warrior. It snarled in annoyance and turned its fierce, green eyed gaze upon him but then an arrow cracked into the pillar beside it and the creature realised it had more immediate foes to deal with. A second arrow from Enlishia’s bow drove into the black warrior’s shoulder. The creature became a wrathful horror in a heartbeat, throwing aside its dagger and reaching both hands up to claw at its own face. It drew flesh back to expose white bone and then let out a terrible shriek of agony.
Dulvarna felt the shriek inside her head as the others did but as she was closest to it, it caused her very real pain. She staggered away from the creature, reeling from the agony it had inflicted on her. Only when she realised that she stood beside a pillar at the southern end of the north-south hallway did she recover. The cloying mist reached out to her from the pillar and she regained her senses. Raising her blade, she charged at the creature, crying out as she reached the creature and lashing out with her blade. The black warrior ducked under the wild swing and leapt at the warrior woman as a bolt from Telkya’s amulet struck the pillar behind it. The creature clawed ferociously at Dulvarna but she held it at bay with her blade until it spent its initial fury. It stood for a moment, snarling and spitting while Dulvarna desperately tried to banish the memory of its terrible shriek from her mind.
Lavren circled around the battle to the north as Telkya had now done and joined her against the north wall of the atrium. She smiled at him and he smiled back before raising his wand and cursing the black warrior as the fey had done for millennia. Black energy burst from his wand and struck the creature in its left side, forcing it to lurch to the right. It snarled at the elf but Lavren knew that it was beaten now and could not harm him. With a roar, Erlmoor charged at the creature with his blade above his head. He brought the sword down but the creature dodged aside and the blow glanced off its ebony shoulder plate. It snarled and hissed as it crouched down to leap at both its enemies but its time was at an end. To its right, Litiraan raised his wand again, uttered a word of eldritch power and loosed a silver bolt. The arcane missile seared into the side of the creature’s head and shattered it into fragments. The light vanished from the black warrior’s eyes and it crumpled to the floor at the feet of Erlmoor and Dulvarna.
Next......Secret Knowledge
Lavren loosed black energy into the first black warrior and threw it away from Erlmoor against the north wall of the passage and the dragonborn saw his chance. Despite the cold, cloying mist about his legs, he surged forward and lashed out with his blade form left to right. The huge sword clove into the side of the black warrior, stoving in its armour and the bones beneath. It clove all the way through to its black heart and with one last hiss of derision, the creature slumped down to lean against the wall, all but cut in half.
Litiraan moved between the pillars, evading the tendrils of mist until he stood against the south wall of the atrium. There, he raised his wand and with a word, loosed a silver bolt of energy into the side of the remaining black warrior. It snarled in annoyance and turned its fierce, green eyed gaze upon him but then an arrow cracked into the pillar beside it and the creature realised it had more immediate foes to deal with. A second arrow from Enlishia’s bow drove into the black warrior’s shoulder. The creature became a wrathful horror in a heartbeat, throwing aside its dagger and reaching both hands up to claw at its own face. It drew flesh back to expose white bone and then let out a terrible shriek of agony.
Dulvarna felt the shriek inside her head as the others did but as she was closest to it, it caused her very real pain. She staggered away from the creature, reeling from the agony it had inflicted on her. Only when she realised that she stood beside a pillar at the southern end of the north-south hallway did she recover. The cloying mist reached out to her from the pillar and she regained her senses. Raising her blade, she charged at the creature, crying out as she reached the creature and lashing out with her blade. The black warrior ducked under the wild swing and leapt at the warrior woman as a bolt from Telkya’s amulet struck the pillar behind it. The creature clawed ferociously at Dulvarna but she held it at bay with her blade until it spent its initial fury. It stood for a moment, snarling and spitting while Dulvarna desperately tried to banish the memory of its terrible shriek from her mind.
Lavren circled around the battle to the north as Telkya had now done and joined her against the north wall of the atrium. She smiled at him and he smiled back before raising his wand and cursing the black warrior as the fey had done for millennia. Black energy burst from his wand and struck the creature in its left side, forcing it to lurch to the right. It snarled at the elf but Lavren knew that it was beaten now and could not harm him. With a roar, Erlmoor charged at the creature with his blade above his head. He brought the sword down but the creature dodged aside and the blow glanced off its ebony shoulder plate. It snarled and hissed as it crouched down to leap at both its enemies but its time was at an end. To its right, Litiraan raised his wand again, uttered a word of eldritch power and loosed a silver bolt. The arcane missile seared into the side of the creature’s head and shattered it into fragments. The light vanished from the black warrior’s eyes and it crumpled to the floor at the feet of Erlmoor and Dulvarna.
Next......Secret Knowledge