Twilightfall Page 22

  `Just shut up, Zack! I know what to do!'

  So, she begins to order the undead soldiers to attack. She sends half of them against Welker, and the others against Trenz. Finally, she commands the undead dragon to attack Latta.

  She smiles in wicked satisfaction as the undead proceed to fight the sentient golems. A minute later, her expression turns grim as the satisfaction turns to frustration. For she beholds, as the undead soldiers are seemingly repelled from the golems. They try to approach Welker and Trenz, but some unseen force knocks them back long before they could get within reach to attack. Likewise, the undead dragon fails to get anywhere near Latta. The sentient golems are totally ignoring the undead.

  `What is this?! What is this?! Why aren't they obeying me?!' exclaims Mel' furiously.

  `They are obeying you.' I tell her. `But seems like something is hindering them. Try to send them against the lesser golems!'

  Mel' orders the undead soldiers to attack the lesser alter golems, but as the undead approach them, she slowly beholds the same thing. The undead can't get anywhere near them.

  She stares at the battlefield with raging fury in her eyes.

  `This isn't working, Mel'!' I tell her. `Voi'Shek must have done something with the golems, perhaps imbued their bodies to repel undead or something. This is not good. We gotta do something... I have an idea! Keep up the siege, make sure that the chaos wraiths continue raising the dead. I'll go try something. Flora, come along! I could use your help.'

  I turn to walk away and Flora follows me. Mel' shouts after me.

  `Hold it, Zack! Not so fast.'

  `What?'

  She nods to one of her half-dragon lieutenants.

  `You! Go with them! Help them with what they need.' she tells him with narrowed eyes.

  `Fine, whatever!' I tell her, and walk off.

  I lead Flora and the half-dragon away from the battlefield. After a while, the battlefield vanishes from view completely, and we can only hear the raging battle.

  `What exactly are we doing here?' asks Flora.

  `I want to try something, but I need to be far enough from the golems for it.' I reply. `By the way, Flora, I just remembered something... When did you last have a drink?'

  `What?'

  `Blood. You need to feed regularly, don't you? When was the last time you had a fill?'

  `Yesterday.'

  `Aren't you thirsty now?' I ask, as I pull the glove off my left hand. She glances at it suspiciously. I smile at her, and quickly reach towards the half-dragon with my hand. I grasp his arm, and a moment later he is paralyzed.

  `I'm asking if you're thirsty because here's your chance to feed!'

  `Why the Hell did you do that?!'

  `Because Mel' sent him to spy on us. She doesn't trust me.' I tell her, as I pull the glove back on.

  `I take it she's right not to trust you.'

  `Damn fucking right she's right about it. Which is why this guy has to die, or else he'd warn her. So, do you want his blood, or should I just slit his throat?'

  She stares at me disapprovingly, and then glances at the paralyzed half-dragon.

  `Why are we here at all?'

  `We're going into the Keep.'

  `You said there was no way in but through the front door.'

  `I lied. I can teleport inside whenever I want.'

  `What?! Then why is the Dragon Queen here at all?'

  `For diversion. She served her purpose, now we're going in to kill that motherfucker Voi'Shek. But I don't want Mel' to know about it. So, do you want this guy's blood, or not? His blood is strong, and we don't know what will happen when we go up against Voi'Shek, you could sure use some empowering blood.'

  `I guess you're right about that.' she says with a sigh, and then turns towards the half-dragon. She slowly sinks her teeth in his neck, and begins to suck out his blood. A minute later, she stops. The half-dragon is still standing there, still under the effect of the paralysis. It should end soon though.

  Flora turns towards me.

  `Let's go!'

  `Didn't you like it? You used to enjoy hunting, didn't you?'

  `This was no hunt...' she says, frowning. I shrug my shoulders and then turn to the half-dragon. A few moments pass and the paralysis wears off. He falls to the ground.

  `Alright, he's dead. Good. We can go.'

  I reach my left hand towards her.

  `Grab my arm, then we'll teleport.'

  *

  I teleport Flora and myself into the Keep. We arrive in one of the corridors overlooking the courtyard. From the windows here, we can clearly see the battle of the alter golems and Mel's army. Just ahead of us, beyond the massive wooden door, Voi'Shek awaits.

  `He's right over there, right beyond that door.' I tell Flora.

  `How do you know?'

  `I can sense his presence. He's right there, waiting for us.'

  `Waiting? He knows we are here?'

  `Yes. He can sense my presence just as much as I can sense his. Now he's wondering, what the fuck am I doing here? If I could enter so easy, why in the fuck did I drag along a such a big fucking army?'

  `Indeed, why did you? Do you want to lure him out?'

  `I suppose I could try, but he's not stupid. No, Mel's army is just a diversion. And, well, let's just say that I couldn't pass on the opportunity of a lifetime to cripple her army!'

  `What do you mean?'

  `Look down there!' I tell her, pointing out the window. `What do you see? You see her minions dying, and you see undead rising. You see them fight the golems. You see how the golems ignore the undead. You see the golems beat down Mel's living minions, not giving a damn about the undead. Do you know why?

  The alter golems cannot be harmed by undead. Well, liches could harm them, but not these footsoldiers. You see, they have an enchantment that repels undead from them. No undead creature can get any closer than within a range of ten feet to them. So, the undead are no threat to them. Not even the undead dragons. Danny Boy enhanced their bodies like that. Of course, I knew that all along. These golems are Danny Boy's proudest creations. Did you really think I'd ever let Mel' destroy them all? The most she can do is destroy let's say five or six of the lesser alter golems by dawn. That's it. She'll never win this battle.'

  Flora looks at me surprised.

  `So, you betrayed her. It serves her well.' she says finally.

  `Yes it does!'

  `But you still gave her an army of undead. I shudder to think what she'll do with them when she retreats. She has hundreds of undead minions by now.'

  `No she doesn't. I do.'

  `What is that supposed to mean?'

  `They will only obey her until dawn. When dawn breaks, they will obey only me!'

  She looks at me confused.

  `You ordered those things not to obey you! Meliorath made you do it! Did you forget?' she says.

  `Well, I didn't actually do that. You see, long before Mel' even saw them, I ordered them two things. First, I ordered them to make the undead they will raise obey me and Mel', but to obey Mel' only while they themselves exist. So after they are destroyed, the undead they created beforehand will obey me alone.

  I also commanded them do disregard any and all orders that include the word fuck, or any variants of it, such as fucked up, fucker, fuckhole, fucking, motherfucker, fuckface, assfucker, and so on. I know Mel', she rarely swears, she will likely never tell them to do this fucking thing or that fucking thing. If you recall, I addressed the chaos wraiths as brainless fucking ugly sons of bitches when I ordered them to obey only her. If I call them that, they'll ignore anything I tell them. Any fucking thing! So, Mel' is fucked, and she's got no fucking idea!'

  Flora frowns.

  `They won't do anything if they hear the word fuck? How were you planning on making them do what you want?'

  `What, do you think I have some fucking need to say fuck in every fucking sentence? Then again, don't answer that! Besides, by the time I'd need to command them, they'll be dead.'
>
  `What do you mean, dead?'

  `I mean, fully dead. Totally fucking dead. Remember when I told Mel' that the chaos wraiths would lose much of their power at dawn? Well, that's kind of an understatement. They will be destroyed when the sun comes up. Well, more-less when the sun comes up, anyway. You see, these kind of creatures are insanely powerful, and conjuring a lasting body for them is far too difficult that I could have done it over the course of a day. The bodies I was able to create for them are decaying as we speak. They are slowly dying. Around twelve hours is all they last, and then they will crumble to dust.

  But the undead they raised during the battle will stay. All the soldiers and dragons that die by dawn, will be my undead servants. Then, Mel' will have to realize that if she knows what's good for her, she's gonna drag her scale-covered cunt back to her palace, and stay the fuck there. This will be a lesson she won't soon forget. Little bitch! She deserves it!'

  `What will you do with all these undead?'

  I shrug my shoulders.

  `I dunno. I'll think up something. Anyway, let's not keep the stupid old geezer waiting any longer.'

  I walk towards the doorway, and she follows me. I stop just a few steps from the door.

  `Flora... Just one more thing. Don't interfere, okay? I'll handle it.'

  `You want to face him alone?'

  `Yeah.'

  `That's rich. Just how do you want to kill him?'

  I take Kay's little ice dart out of my pocket and show it to Flora with a smile.

  `Just watch me!'

  Two seconds

  Keehmor Keep, present day (40 minutes before Twilightfall)

  He smiles at me as he holds that ridiculously small ice dart in his hand, and he expects me to believe he can kill the Dreamer with it. Zack has completely lost it...

  `Listen, it's great if you're confident now, but don't forget who you're facing.' I tell him. `You said it yourself, that...'

  `I know what I said! But don't worry. I've got a plan!'

  `So far, every time you said you've got a plan, something went wrong, and we ended up in a big fucking mess!'

  `Don't worry! I can deal with that cocksucker! Just let me handle it. If things go wrong, go ahead and kill him yourself. But stay back while I'm in control, okay? I'll take care of it.'

  Then he turns towards the door, and raises his right foot. He kicks down the door in the same fashion as I have seen him kick the tavern door open in Coldrock. Then he steps inside. I follow him.

  We arrive in a large, circular chamber. It has two doors, the one where we entered, and one on the far side. The room has a pedestal in the very center with various candles on it, and an open book. There are also some candles on the walls. Otherwise, the room is empty.

  In the far end of the chamber, a man is standing. He's wearing a wizard robe similar to the one I've seen on the other mage, Drabangar. He looks at us strictly. He must be Voi'Shek.

  We move closer to him, and the door slams shut behind us.

  `So, you have come after all.' he says to Zack. `The bounty hunter has failed to keep his word.'

  `Actually, it was his client's fault! She was thinking with her pussy...' he replies, smiling.

  `I suppose you came for the artifact.'

  `Artifact? I'd just call it stone, it's shorter. But yes, I came for the Shadestone. And your fucking head!' says Zack, smiling widely.

  `Clearly, you know nothing of the artifact. Do you at least understand whom you face?'

  `Yeah. I do.'

  `Then walk away. I will only offer you this once. You don't know what you're meddling with. I can't give you the artifact.'

  `What if I don't walk away?'

  `Then you'll be dead in two seconds.'

  Zack starts laughing aloud. After a while, he says:

  `Haha! What's that? Two seconds? Did you really say that? Funny you should say that. Hahaha!'

  Then he abruptly stops laughing and looks at Voi'Shek fiercely, with his eyes bulging in anger.

  `Bring it on, motherfucker! Come on! You think you can kill me in two fucking seconds? Let's see it! Give it your best shot! Give it your best fucking shot, you little cocksucking cuntbeating turdfaced fuckbum!'

  I rub my forehead and sigh as I come to realize that he has totally lost it this time. His recklessness is going to be our death...

  `I don't think it's wise to taunt him like that...' I whisper towards Zack, but he ignores me.

  `Come on, fuckhead! Give me your best motherfucking shot!' he says, and Voi'Shek nods.

  `You had your chance. Now die!'

  That's all he says. He doesn't do anything more. He doesn't wave his hands, nothing. But some unseen force strikes me. It makes me fall on one knee and makes me suffocate. I can still breathe, but it's hard, and I feel very weak. I glance towards Zack. I see that he, too, is feeling whatever this is, but he's still standing. He stands like he's struggling to stay on his feet, and his face is contorted with pain. He gasps and breathes heavily.

  Then I feel that the unseen force is gone and I can breathe again, but I still feel weak. Slowly I manage to stand up.

  `Is that... the best you can do? From where I'm standing... it looks like I'm still alive!' says Zack to the wizard proudly, albeit with a voice that betrays how he suffered the effects of the Dreamer's spell.

  Voi'Shek looks surprised. He raises both his hands, points at us with his palms.

  `Die!' he shouts, and I feel that same unseen force again. This time it is much stronger.

  I fall on my knees and start gasping. Zack is still standing, but he seems to be in much greater pain now.

  A half minute passes, and the unseen force vanishes again. I try to stand up, but I am too weak. Zack, still standing, takes a long deep breath a couple of times, and then taunts Voi'Shek once more.

  `Didn't you say I'd be dead in two seconds? Did time slow down, or what?'

  Voi'Shek looks at him full of anger. He aims both his palms at us again, and shouts:

  `Die! Die! Die!'

  What I feel now extends to much more than a loss of breath and weakness. I feel tremendous pain in my chest. It makes me fall to the ground and writhe in pain. And Zack... The son of a bitch is still standing! He's now screaming in pain, but he's still standing! How can he survive that? He said that Voi'Shek had the power to cast instant death spells on us, and that I was immune to them, but that he was not. That he needed protection. I didn't see him cast any protection spells before we entered the chamber...

  A full minute passes like that, and the spell ends. I am so weak that I can barely move, or even keep my eyes open. While Zack...

  He's just standing there. Breathing heavily, and smiling viciously.

  `Two seconds, you said. Well, I'm still here. I'm still fucking alive. Seems to me like you lost your touch, Dreamy Boy!'

  Voi'Shek lowers his hands and looks at him strictly.

  `You are strong. But if resisting my magic is all you can do, you will never prevail.'

  Zack begins to laugh.

  `Resist? You think I resisted your magic?'

  Then, as Voi'Shek's face turns surprised, Zack raises his hand and reveals the ice dart he showed me earlier.

  `Now, Voi'Shek, it's my turn! Die, motherfucker, die!' he says, and he tosses the dart towards the wizard.

  The dart flies towards Voi'Shek and it begins to glow, and rapidly grow. By the time it's halfway across the room, it is no longer a small dart, but a large spear of ice. Voi'Shek raises his hand, and a glowing transparent wall appears before the spear. The ice spear breaks through it like it wasn't even there. Voi'Shek quickly creates three more such walls. Such power he has... He barely waved his hands and already the three walls appeared. The spear breaks through them with ease. Then he claps his hands and vanishes.

  He reappears on the far side of the room, not far from Zack. The spear changes direction in mid air, and targets Voi'Shek again. He tries to slow the spear down with another couple of magic walls, but it's no use. The s
pear breaks through them with ease. Voi'Shek teleports away in the last moment, and reappears where he was originally standing. The spear follows him yet again.

  He waves his hand and speaks a single magic word. A bright transparent sphere littered with runes appears around his body. He points at the approaching spear with his palms, and narrows his eyes. Beads of sweat appear on his forehead.

  Whatever he's doing, does not seem to slow down the spear. It impacts right into Voi'Shek's magical shield, and...

  ...and it breaks through it like it wasn't even there!

  *

  The spear breaks through the magical shield, and gets Voi'Shek in the chest. It pierces his body and tosses him against the wall. It effectively nails him onto the wall, and a moment later a thick layer of ice begins forming all over his body. Seconds later, he is encased in ice up to his neck.

  Zack walks towards him with a smile and a gleam in his eyes.

  `Who's got two seconds to live now, Dreamy Boy?' he says, as he approaches Voi'Shek. The frozen wizard just stares at him viciously, but it seems there's nothing he can do. Slowly, the anger on his face turns to frustration.

  `This is impossible...' he says.

  `That's the problem with underestimating your opponent.' replies Zack. `It leaves you shocked if you have to realize that they're better than you!'

  He stands right in front of him, and reaches a hand towards him. A few seconds pass, and the ice starts to melt in a small part on Voi'Shek's chest. The Shadestone appears there, and then begins floating towards Zack's open palm. He grabs it, and then smiles at Voi'Shek.

  `Thanks for this little trinket! And thanks for being such a good sport. I mean, thanks for dying, you fucking cumlicking faggotfaced wormrat!'

  `Do not meddle with the artifact! Give it back to me!'

  `Give it back? Let me think about that for a second... No! No fucking way!'

  `You have no idea what the artifact can do!'

  `You know, you're probably right. But I'm gonna find out soon. Through exploration and experimentation, one can learn the great secrets of the Multiverse. That's what I've been doing all my life, and that's what I'm gonna do today.'