The Lords of Attica - Revisited

8/3/2019 The Lords of Attica - Revisited

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The Lords of Attica

Revisited:The Dark Story

THE PROLOGUEIt was yet another quiet evening at the plaza of

Thiseioburg, everyone had gathered there to hear

the Bard, who had recently arrived at their town.Word of his arrival had spread quickly and almost allthe city had gathered in the plaza waiting for him. Atall, hooded figure stepped in and the crowd partedbefore him. He walked confidently towards theelevated platform specially prepared for him; he saton the chair on top of it and took out his lute.BARD: You all know of the fairy-tale, called the Lords

of Attica. Now hear the true story, the DARK STORY!

THE TYPICAL INTRODUCTIONIt all started; not in the Pit, but in a shallow cave inthe opposite direction. A figure that once reminded ahuman, stood at the entrance. He was anticipatingtwo visitors. But he was not alone; an unconsciousman was tied up at the back of the cave. He was thelast Lich of this world, a former Necromancer calledMaximilian; an outcast of the Pit and the only soul toever defy the icy touch of Death at every turn. It wasnight.


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"Redemption This is a word I once knew and forgotwithin a lifetime. Hope It was taken from me, withthe loss of a smile and the warmth of the sun. Joy..."

The man behind him began to regain his

consciousness and stirred the air in the cave with thesound of his attempts to undo his bonds, interruptingMaxs thoughts."You have woken up; do not try to free yourself. Yourbonds are magical; only the strength of a giant canbreak them and I doubt you are one. Now speak!Who sent you on this fools errand? What did theypromise you, if you threw my lifeless body on their

feet? Speak and the thought of sparing you mightcross my mind."

The man raised his head and with a look of defiancein his eyes, he replied "The death of a fiend ismotivational enough."Maximizing was quick to retort "Is that so? Tell methen, do you believe it is easy to kill a fiend with hissword in your belly? "

The man's eyes hardened and his voice was full ofanger."You are a mockery for everything humanity standsfor! You may make fun of me all you like, but I wontbe the one to indulge you. The answers you seek willdie with me."Maximilian replied with a tone of boredom in hisvoice "You think I truly care about your answers? It is

my curiosity I want to satisfy, not my reason. Iusually refrain from murdering fools, but I will kill youif this charade continues."

The man stood silent, with is lips wide shut. Havinglittle patience, Maximilian silenced him for good.Fortunately for him, he didnt have the time and


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energy to amuse him self, so his suffering endedquickly with a wide cut on his neck. Using hissummoning powers, the Lich called for three meatworms, which devoured the assassins body

ravenously. He was always against littering nature. Anoise like a mouses scampering was heard andMaximilian turned into ash, which an eerie gustdissolved. A tall and hooded figure appeared by theentrance and gazed deeply into the dark interior. Hedrew his sword and the sword glowed with a blueaura. It was the ice blade Oblivion, the sword of theold kings. The blade had been dyed red many times

with the blood of the Halbou. His name was Claude,the Ranger General of the Elves of Tavros Forest.His voice was soft and pleasing to the ears"Apparently no one is here. Maybe I arrived too lateor too soon, nevertheless there are several signs thatsomeone was here recently."He kneeled and stirred the dust with his fingers, notnoticing a cloud of ash forming behind him. The next

thing he knew, he was being grabbed violently andthe tip of a sword glowing red touching his neck. Itwas Maximilian holding the blade of fire, whose nameinvites fear at the hearts of men, the flame swordScorcher."Whats this? The Great Ranger General caught offguard? I wouldnt believe it unless I had seen it withthe remains of my own eyes!"

Before he knew it, he was tossed at the back of thecave by a swift kick from Claudes left leg. Maximiliandissolved into ash and reshaped in front of Claude.Claude readied his sword to hit him, but Maximilianwas quick to stop him.


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"You have done well, for a human. I see that I havechosen you wisely."Upon finishing his words, dark clouds dimmed thenight sky above them. The wind echoed as it passed

around the cave mouth and a deafening thundershook the ground. A black lightning fell at the mouthof the cave, forming the figure of a man. Into thecave stepped Tobias, the mighty Storm-Bringer; he,the mystical manipulator of cloud and sky andbrother of the Ranger Claude. Both of them were theprogeny of the last rulers of Petralona, the ancienthidden city destroyed by Halbou marauders.

Maximilian would have greeted him with a smile if hestill had lips "Ah! Tobias is finally here."Claude's surprise was apparent "Tobias? Is that reallyyou?"Maximilian, trying to speed things along stated "Ofcourse it is him! Now please save the tears and the

joy of a family reunion. I dont think I have thestomach for it, besides we have a lot of work to do."

Claude, his eyes still looking at his brother, said whatthey were both thinking "Who are you? And whyhave you summoned us here?""My name speaks for itself, I am Maximilian."Claude exclaimed surprised "Who!?"

Tobias was quick to reply "He is the evil Lich I havebeen hunting down for the past decade! Yes, I knowwho and what you are. I should kill you where you

stand!"Maximilian brushed some ash from his coat and said"I am flattered you know about me consideringpeople never even speak my name."Claude's disbelief of his brother's claim led him toask "Are you serious, Tobias? Is that really him?"


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"Yes my brother! At last justice will be served!Maximilian looked at both visibly annoyed as theypulled their weapons free. "I didnt invite you here

just to kill you whelps! You are here because I need

your help to save this land. The fiends are amassinga Grand Army to utterly raze Attica. On top of that,the Infernal Lords are supporting their effort."Claude was the first to speak, lowering his weapon atthe same time. "I have been hearing rumors up northabout this, but I believed it was only rumors.""They are not just rumors, they are a grim reality.However, I have found out a flaw in their plans and

that is the sole reason I need your help."Tobias and Claude yelled in unison "WE, side withyou? You must be crazy!""Indeed I am, but you neednt like me to be my ally."Claude eyed him suspiciouslu. "How do we know thisis not a ploy to kill us?"Maximilian scoffed at that notion "Believe me; if Iwanted to kill you I would have thought of simpler

and satisfying ways to do so."Claude sheathed his sword and relaxed a bit "Why do

YOU want to save the world? You are chaotic evil, anabomination, a scourge of the human kind!""I do appreciate your compliments, but we shouldbetter be going."

Tobias followed his brother's example relaxing aswell "Go where?"

"To Thiseioburg, we shall recruit another member ofour joyful company there."Claude hit the adjacent stone wall to accentuate hispoint and to catch Maximilian's attention "Arent youmoving ahead of yourself? We have not acceptedyour offer yet! You havent even told us your plan!"


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"All in good time, there are much to be done beforethis drama unfolds."CLAUDE: We shall not leave until we get moreanswers!

MAXIMILIAN: Insolent whelps! The more we linger inthis dark cave, the more precious time is lost andthis land takes another step into destruction!

They stood silently looking at each other for a fewminutes and then Tobias broke the silence.

TOBIAS: We will join you, but if you dont provide uswith the answers we seek after we find the fourthmember, we shall kill you at the first chance we get.

MAXIMILIAN: It is agreed then. Come, we must travelto Thiseioburg. I shall teleport us there, the roadshave become unsafe and time is very precious to bespent on traveling.CLAUDE: We dont need help for this; we can teleportthere our selves.Claude then neared a thick root that grew out of thewall at the back of the cave and sank slowly in it.

Then he turned to Tobias and he watched as thesame black lightning came and went taking Tobiasalong with the dark clouds traveling fast outside thecave.MAXIMILIAN: I dont cease to wonder whether I havemade the right choice. Unfortunately, theres onlyone way to find out.As you might have expected, he dissolved into ash

and made his way to Thiseioburg.

THE THREE BECOME FOUR


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Maximilian rematerialized outside the northern wallsand found his allies waiting for him.CLAUDE: I had heard that the undead are brainless,but not slothful.

MAXIMILIAN: Watch your tongue impudent fool, if youdont want to lose it. Insults aside, the person weseek lives in the abandoned mansion just outside oftown.CLAUDE: Who is he?MAXIMILIAN: Like me he is evil. But even though he isevil, he has his own code of rules and laws to whichhe abides.

TOBIAS: He is a Blackguard isnt he? He must be thelast one of them, for Blackguards are extinct.MAXIMILIAN: Your knowledge is great, I tell you that.He is the last Paladin of Evil. You must be on yourguard at all times and dont even think of killing himor your journey will reach its end here, with mysword in your back and my claws around your throat.

They grudgingly agreed to Maximilians terms and

pressed forward to the outskirts of the city. The hugemansion could be seen from a distance falling intoruins. It dated centuries back, its dark secrets longforgotten and for some reason, not even the fiendswould go near the place. It was not because of theBlackguard but for something else, something thatlurked there all these years. The three heroes foundthemselves in front of the rusted gate. Maximilian

used his telekinetic powers to tear the gate open.The party proceeded through and found themselvesin the exterior cloister of the gardens.CLAUDE: Thats strange, I feel as though someone iswatching us.


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MAXIMILIAN: Its Gegros; he is watching us from thewindow up there.His bony finger pointed at the tower overlooking thegardens. Two red eyes looked straight at them, and

then vanished into the darkness.MAXIMILIAN: Its getting dark, Id rather we camp heretonight.CLAUDE: Why is that?MAXIMILIAN: Whoever or most probably whateverlurks in these grounds will come out at night.

TOBIAS: Why?MAXIMILIAN: It would be better if we were outdoors,

with lots of room to maneuver and fight. Fightingindoors, in an old house with four walls around usmakes us more vulnerable. Believe me I know howevil beings think, being a malevolent force myself.CLAUDE: Why will it choose to come out in night-time? Is it because you malevolent forces arecowards and avoid a face to face confrontation?MAXIMILIAN: Every logical being that is outnumbered

will choose a time and place it has the advantage.Strategy boy, strategy! We rest here, so unpack andI shall go get wood for the bonfire.By the time they had unpacked, the red sun hadfallen from the skies and the kind moon hung calmlyabove. Maximilian approached the camp and threwthe branches down and lit up a fire.CLAUDE: You certainly took your time out there, have

a sit; the diner was ready quite some time.MAXIMILIAN: If you call some pieces of cow jerky adiner, Ill pass.

TOBIAS: Whats wrong Lich? You dont like to sharewith the do-gooders? There wont be any poison inthem, honestly.


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MAXIMILIAN: I was right, you are an imbecile! Being aliving skeleton animated by dark magic, the onlything food will do is soil my garments.CLAUDE: A plain no would be a reasonable answer. If

you want to make friends, you had better stop callingus names.MAXIMILIAN: Who said I want to make friends? I onlyneed your skills and nothing more. So stop talking,my time is-CLAUDE: Your time?MAXIMILIAN: (Whispering) Shush, something behindthose bushes. No wait, on that tree. Ah, it can

teleport and theres only one beast that can do that.CLAUDE+ TOBIAS: (Whispering) a lower demon!MAXIMILIAN: (Whispering) exactly, but this one issurprisingly big. Remain steadfast; it will attack whenour guard is down.

The hours gone by and no attack was made. Duringthe fifth hour after midnight, a mild gustextinguished the flickering embers of the fire. As if a

lightning had hit them, our heroes stood up back toback and with their arms ready. It was then thatMaximilian beheld the legendary sword Moonspell,the sword of the night. However he saw it onlybriefly, for a giant claw swept the others and threwthem around the garden. Maximilian then grabbed akindling wood from the bonfire and relit it with hissword. He saw then an abominable gigantic imp

spreading its wings. He cast his sword towards thecreature and instead of it backtracking, it drewcloser. He threw the burning wood down and readieda fire ball in his left hand as the creature got closer.It smelled him and then backtracked lowering itshead for his masters hand to pet. His master, a


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twisted parody of a Baron noble wearing a Victorianoutfit below his black rigid armor, smiled at the sightof Max.GEGROS: Ah, I see we have a distinguished

interloper. How come the legendary Lich Maximiliantravels with such a pathetic band of adventurers? Oris it he has become soft over the years? Either way, Iam honored to receive such an eminent guest and Iwould be twice honored if you made all this way justto kill me.MAXIMILIAN: For once the rumors are true; you are asmooth-talker indeed. But killing you is not the case

nor am I here to pay a social call. I come to offer aninvitation to an adventure with lots of killing andbutchering to be made.GEGROS: You bring such joy to this Blackguards earsthat if you speak the truth, I may never repay you forthis favor. What is it you have in mind?MAXIMILIAN: Our first course of action would be togather my companions from the nearby flora.

And so they did, they helped the two brothers getback on their feet. Gegros then unsummoned hisfamiliar and looked carefully the two brothers.GEGROS: Now I see that you Maximilian is not theonly legend in this party, your companions havemade their name by killing several of our brothers inways. If it werent for your proposition I wouldntthink twice before throwing them out of my estate.

Headless, tied with their entrails and with their skinflayed for the carrion eaters to feast in their organs.The malevolent grin on Gegros lips set shivers downthe brothers spines, considering the tortures thatwould lead to such a sight..


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CLAUDE: Believe me; we are not too happy to behere either. The stench of these grounds rivals thatof a bog.GEGROS: I wont be insulted any further, either tell

me of your plan Maximilian or leave and trouble meno further.Maximilian turned and looked the two brothers andwith his clawed hand he pushed a tuff of orange hairout of his eye.MAXIMILIAN: This is not the time to exchange insults,let us go inside where I shall indulge your ignorance.Gegros led them to what was the living room of the

mansion. Dusty tables and damaged furniture werelaid around the room. An armchair, a table and avelvet couch were relatively clean and in goodshape. Gegros sat on the armchair and the twobrothers at the couch while the Lich stood.Maximilian took out a map and a letter out of hispocket, the letter seemed to have been written withblood. He laid them upon the table and pointed at a

black x on the map. The map seemed very old,almost ancient with many markings and notes in anobscure and forgotten language.MAXIMILIAN: Our party is still lacking a certainindividual whose part in my plan is more importanteven than ours. We are here (pointing on a little doton his map), in the morning we shall travel east bynorth-east. Along the road we shall meet a newfound

village where the fifth member resides.His finger traced a red line from the black x ending atthe eastern margin of the map.MAXIMILIAN: After we persuade him to join ourcause, we shall head east towards the easternborders of Attica. There we shall enter the uncharted


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lands in search of a very old temple. Are there anyquestions so far?CLAUDE: Yes, Ive been meaning to ask you who isthe fifth member of our company.

MAXIMILIAN: Please be patient, we shall come to thatsoon.

TOBIAS: Why is this temple so important? Whateverlies in there should probably be taken already bymarauders or by the expedition of the Halbou-SlayerCosta.MAXIMILIAN: The temple lies in the center of a mazeabundant with Minotaurs. The maze itself is located

in the heart of a mountain, only accessible by itssnowy peaks. Furthermore, the temple itself isguarded by six guardians of such power that wouldrequire men with even greater power to defeat them.Inside that temple lies an inactive teleportationnexus. This very nexus, once reactivated, will lead usto a great city in the Heavens, where we shall findthe race of angels. We shall seek their help to defeat

the Grand Army.GEGROS: Why should they help us?MAXIMILIAN: They are the mortal enemies of theInfernal Lords and they have been waging war withthem, almost since the beginning of time. Now aboutthe fifth member, I shall read you this letter I foundon an assassin I killed yesterday. The letter goes asfollowing:

To the Assassins of the Thorny Rose,A reward will be issued to each assassin who will

track down and assassinate the following marks: theenigmatic Lich Maximilian, the foul BlackguardGegros, the shadowy Ranger Claude, the willful


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Storm-Bringer Tobias and the deadly Lycon Dnieper.Extreme caution should be taken when confrontingthe last mark. The reward is ten thousand gold coinsfor each head you bring back to the Guild House. The

Lycons head should worth double the gold. Themarks are to be executed within a month, especiallythe Lycon.

Yours,The Arch-Assassin of the Thorny Rose,May your kills be swift and many!

MAXIMILIAN: As you may understand, being thoughtas a top priority by the Assassins of the Thorny Roseis of great significance. So, will you join me in thisquest or will you condemn the world with yourdecision?Everyone remained silent, reflecting on their choiceand the prospect of a dangerous and perilousadventure. Finally, Gegros stood up and drew his

sword. Maximilian saw an image he was familiarwith, for the Blackguard held the legendary katanaEarthen. At the times of old where Blackguards weremany, it served as a symbol of power reserved onlyfor the leader of their ambiguous cult.GEGROS: Your plan intrigues me Maximilian, mysword is yours.

TOBIAS: You have my axe and sword, though I shall

use them to make short work of you if you harm ahuman during this adventure.CLAUDE: And my bow and sword.MAXIMILIAN: Very well, now rest for the trip ahead ofus is long and hard.


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Eyes of the MindAfter a good nights sleep the four adventurers, eventhough they slept on the cold wooden floor, werefresh and set out for Thiseioburg to purchase four

fine steeds. Did I say four? I meant threeMAXIMILIAN: My answer is no, I shall raise my ownsteed. The live ones always annoy me.CLAUDE: In what way would a simple domesticatedhorse annoy one such as you?MAXIMILIAN: For three reasons, it breathes, it feedsand it thinks and can be afraid. And which livingcreature can bear one such as me?

TOBIAS: Meaning?MAXIMILIAN: I am a powerful skeletal mage; even inlife I had achieved the level of the Pale-Master; for ashort time of course as I died two months later.GEGROS: How did this happen?MAXIMILIAN: I think Ive said enough, follow me. Thestables are this way.Maximilian wore a pair of ornate gauntlets and the

rim of his hood cast an almost solid shadow over hisunseen features as they neared the city. It seemedthat he still worried about his appearance amongmen.CLAUDE: Ive been meaning to ask you, what wasthat beast from your mansion?GEGROS: It was my familiar, a reward from a certainfavor I granted a Demon Lord. Its a long story, so if

we have time during our journey I shall tell it to you.But dont expect words of fancy or anything, I am aBlackguard not a Bard.

TOBIAS: Maximilian, why are you wearing these?


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MAXIMILIAN: Most of these peasants are notaccustomed to a Lich walking around in their city,savvy?

TOBIAS: Indeed, it must be hard for you to walk

around having to hide from people, living in isolation.But for all your crimes, I believe it is a fittingpunishment.MAXIMILIAN: This is no punishment at all, Storm-Bringer. I hate these lowlife illiterate peasants! Thatis the sole reason I seek isolation.

Tobias eyes went wide with realization and thennodded once.

TOBIAS: I wouldnt expect less from you.They walked through the city gates and into the citycore, there they sat at the Tavern of the Rising Sunfor something to drink. It turned out to be a very hotday, quite unusual for the second day of December.MAXIMILIAN: I shall go get the horses, here take thisgold coins to drink in your health.CLAUDE: Whoa, you may be evil, but you sure are

generous.MAXIMILIAN: I sure am, but not with my gold.CLAUDE: This gold is stolen?!MAXIMILIAN: From a smelly farmer, its not thatdifficult to teleport others gold coins into oneshands. Enjoy!He left for the stables near the south gate, with theothers looking at him surprised.

GEGROS: He sure lives up to his reputation.CLAUDE: Shut up and drinkTOBIAS: He is a scoundrel and a malefactor!GEGROS: And an amazing man for sure!


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Tobias tilted his head in agreement so little that onlysomeone with good sight and observation couldnotice.Meanwhile, Maximilian had just reached the stables

when four masked assassins teleported around him.Unsurprised he unsheathed and looked at themcalmly. The townsfolk paused from their daily routineand gathered, from a distance, to observe the fight.MAXIMILIAN: They sent four assassins this time? Yourmasters must be getting pretty desperate by now.ASSASSIN: Surrender and we will grant you a swiftdeath!

MAXIMILIAN: I was just thinking of granting samething to you! You are not mind readers, are you? Itssuch a beautiful day, too bad you wont live to seethrough it!Not losing any time his sword appeared on his palmdirectly from his scabbard and he impaled theassassin before him. He gave out one last quiverbefore he slipped off from his sword.

MAXIMILIAN: Who is next?ASSASSIN: No! Alan! You shall pay for this!MAXIMILIAN: Would you be satisfied with a groupdiscount in Hell?All three launched themselves at him and Maximilianwith a single but powerful swing beheaded all threeof them, putting away his sword at the end of themove. He then looked at the crowd gathered around

him. The townsfolk that had gathered fled in terror,fearing he might kill them too. He piled up thecorpses and set them ablaze with a torch, honoringagain his twisted code of honor we had previouslyseen. He continued then to the stables as if nothinghad happened. He opened the door of the little hut


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next to them, but the interior looked abandoned.Perhaps no one was there, perhapsMAXIMILIAN: Are you in here stable master?He got no response but he continued towards the

stable masters wooden bed. With a simple wave ofhis hand, he raised the bed uncovering the coweringstable master hiding beneath it.MAXIMILIAN: Well here you are! Are you hiding froma customer? How rude of you!It was Misirlis; he was but a stable master then.

Today he is the mayor of this fair city.MISIRLIS: Whatever you want we are not selling it!

Leave me be.MAXIMILIAN: Well, cant you make an exception foran old friend?MISIRLIS: I have never seen you before, but yourvoice sounds familiar thoughMAXIMILIAN: Does the name Maximilian ring a bell?He searched his mind a bit and then by inspectinghim some more he gasped in surprise. Maximilian

wondered what gave him away. Was it his dark senseof humor, his grand posture or his bloody hands, hewondered.MISIRLIS: Max? Is it really you? I didnt recognize youwith that full helm. You slaughtered those menoutside, why?MAXIMILIAN: They wanted to slaughter me, so Isimply returned the favor. It has been a long time

since we fought side by side, hasnt it my friend?MISIRLIS: Aye, long enough for me to retire andbecome a stable master! So, what do you need,Max?MAXIMILIAN: Three of your finest steeds, Ill pay ingold.


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MISIRLIS: What troubles me is whether this is yourgold or-MAXIMILIAN: Just give me the horses and Ill leaveyou to your damn thinking.

MISIRLIS: Alright, alright, follow me then.They went to the stables were Misirlis presentedMaximilian three magnificent steeds. After that theyparted as old friends do and he walked with thehorses towards the Tavern. There he found thepatrons brawling, with his allies in the middle of it.Quickly tying the horses at the pole outside, heentered the tavern and witnessed the mayhem

taking place therein. He kneeled and drew in the airwith his claws glowing blue runes in the air. As aresult a sphere appeared upon one of his fingertipsand he threw it on the ceiling. Upon hitting theceiling it burst into a thousand sparks, whichparalyzed everything in the entire room, where thesparks fell. He walked calmly across the bar to theparalyzed bartender. He dispelled the effect of his

spell from the bartender and sat on one of the stools.MAXIMILIAN: Who started this fight bartender?He pointed with a trembling hand at the local bully,Contopides. Max looked at him and afterwards, witha bored tone, he asked.MAXIMILIAN: And who pushed it further?

The man then pointed at Tobias, almost convincingMax he was a mute.

MAXIMILIAN: I was almost sure of it.The bartender didnt say anything, but he picked amug and started polishing it.MAXIMILIAN: You dont talk too much, do you?

The bartender nodded in response, causing Max tothink whether he was talking all this time to a mute.


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So, after he learnt the details he sought, the effect ofthe spell dissipated. Having sat still for some time,they cooled down and the brawl was over. Was itreally? Of course not, they still brawled on, until

there was nothing else to break. Contopides had leftshortly after the fight resumed, but he didnt go far.Maximilian followed him and well, if he is still amongus, after that beating Im sure he will be *standing*somewhere at the back. Max returned at the tavernand saw that everything was once again peacefulalbeit in a wrecked state. He neared the half-brokentable where his allies sat and was impressed by the

lack of fight injuries on them. Apparently this wasnttheir first brawl.

TOBIAS: If I ever catch that fool, I will tan his hide!MAXIMILIAN: Dont worry, been there done that!

TOBIAS: You meanMAXIMILIAN: Yes, I must admit I enjoyed every singleminute of it.GEGROS: If you all agree, I find life in the city

stimulating. Perhaps, after this ploy is done I willspend some time amongst the people of this finecity.CLAUDE: Well said, Blackguard!And with that they all emptied their mugs, motioningfor the bartender to keep sending the rounds. Theystayed a while longer chatting and when the sun waslow and the moon greeted Attica, they left after

taking care of their tap and paid for the broken bar,with someone elses gold of course. They walkedtowards the eastern gate and after they exited it,they jumped on their horses and got ready to ridehard. Max, as was expected raised a skeletal steed


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from a horse graveyard near the edge of the forest.They rode east, by north-east

THE MAIDENANDTHEWOLFThe dark forest they entered seemed to be stretchingas far as the priest city of Monastiraki. But that is notwhere they headed, nor was it a city they were beingled to by Max. Their destination was the newly builtsettlement of Glyfadas-Top, where the fifth memberresided ignorant of what was coming his way. The

moon had almost fallen from the sky when theyreached the village. They could see torches lit, manytorches lit. For a minute they thought the village wasablaze. But as they neared the torches wereextinguished. Max destroyed his horse and wore hisdisguise. He knew that so many torches were not agood sign. Gegros, who shared Maxs fears, donned amonks robe he always carried on top of his blackarmor.

Tired as they were they tied their horses and wentstraight for the inn. Max, not having the need ofsleep stayed out. After a few hours of sleep they gotdownstairs and once they had a poor breakfast theygot out, only to be greeted by a strange parade.

Twenty Paladins of the Sacred Brotherhood werewalking down the main road, heading to the fountainat the center of the village. At the end of this parade

they saw a lone Champion of Erou. He broke off fromthe parade and headed towards our heroes, needlessto point out the oddity of his action. As he nearedGegros became a tad agitated. He was excusedbecause, while Blackguards are the champions of


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Evil, the Champions of Erou are the focus stones ofGood.COE: Move inside, there is nothing for you to seehere. Allow me to escort you.

They grudgingly accepted, all except Gegros thatrealized who was hiding behind the characteristichelmet of the Champion.GEGROS: Who are you trying to fool, you rascal?COE: Please sir, move along and all will becomeclear.

They re-entered the inn and went up their room.There the Champion took off his helmet and to their

amazement Maximilians bandaged face wasexposed.GEGROS: I knew it! What in the name of evil are youdoing with that fanatical bunch?CLAUDE: Or better yet, where did you find that armorand why are you wearing it.MAXIMILIAN: One question at a time people! Forstarters, I am using this armor as a disguise to keep

that fanatical bunch off my back. I spent four hourstrying to find and unearth the tomb of a localChampion of Erou long deceased. Then I pretendedto be a wandering do-gooder, to fool those peskyBrothers so that I may learn their mission.

TOBIAS: How do you feel knowing that the SacredBrothers are hunting down evil wherever they find it?

You would serve as a grand prize, lest they discover

you!MAXIMILIAN: Dont be so naive, Tobias. Evil hideseverywhere, even behind the mask of Righteousness.

You have seen many times this so called SacredBrotherhood travel around Attica, trying to vanquishevil wherever they find it. But they only eliminate the


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competition, because for them you either join or die.Dont think of them as noble and righteous, but thinkof them as a band of cutthroats with fake ideals!GEGROS: Well spoken my friend!

TOBIAS: And how do I know you arent telling anystories? Nothing can change the fact that you are anevil being!MAXIMILIAN: And because of this fact, I am grantedthe ability to detect kindred spirits.Claude and Tobias lifted their brows in surprise sincethey hadnt heard of anything like it before.CLAUDE: What are you talking about?

MAXIMILIAN: How do you think I found Gegros whenhe was in hiding, by pure luck? I can sense evil, as Ihave sensed evil before we reached the village, wella great evil and twenty lesser ones to be precise.GEGROS: You are skilled indeed, unlike the othermembers of this party.

Tobias looked at him angrily, the pun surely taken.CLAUDE: What? Is there a problem Blackguard?

GEGROS: There might be-TOBIAS: This armor you are wearing is of a superiorcraftsmanship, be careful though as it might attractlightings. (A thunder was heard nearby; pointless tosay that the sky was clear)MAXIMILIAN: Shut up both of you! We cant afford toattract the attention of *that* particular group. Atleast, not until we find the fifth member of our

company.GEGROS: Once again, the Lich saved you.CLAUDE: Yeah, lucky you.After Maximilian wore the helmet again, they wentdown the stairs and headed towards the fountain.

There, the villagers had gathered to hear the High-


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Priestess leading the group of the Paladins. Ourheroes had reached the fountain just in time to hearher out.SELINE: People of this village, we have answered

your pleas for champions against evil. By Order ofthe Seven Fathers, this village is to remain sealed ifwe are to locate the evil hiding amongst you.With a wave of her hand eighteen Paladins leftheading outside the village, creating a perimeteraround it. They would make sure that neither oneenters nor leaves the village until the one they werelooking for was found. The other two were probably

her bodyguards, not that she had any need of them;at least, if the rumors about her were true.SELINE: You are to remain inside you houses untilyou are told otherwise. Go in peace under theWatchful Eye of Erou.

The crowd dispersed and did as they were told.Afterwards, she waved for Maximilian to come closer.SELINE: Well Girasol, is this the band of adventurers

you talked about?MAXIMILIAN: Yes High-Priestess, these are mycompanions.SELINE: A weather battle-mage, a monk and heres afamiliar face. This world is too small for us, isnt itClaude?MAXIMILIAN: You two know each other?CLAUDE: We ran into each other a year ago in a

small village similar to this one.MAXIMILIAN: What happened?CLAUDE: Mistress Seline cleansed and purified it.GEGROS: Something tells me that those Paladins ofher are not carrying any soap in those armors.


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CLAUDE: She burned the entire village along with itsinhabitants; I escaped only because I amacknowledged as the Ranger General of the Elves.GEGROS: Thats some strong bubble-bath!

SELINE: This brings forth a question, Ranger. Youhave been seen twice in a place where evil lurks.Might you have been the cause of it then as youmight be now?CLAUDE: Never! I WILL defend my honor against asycophant be he a priest or a devil alike.SELINE: Confronting the High-Priestess of Erou is aserious crime, but this time I shall let you go because

Champion Girasol has need of your skills. Come, myfaithful servants we must rest.She dismissed them with a wave of her hand and leftfor her flimsy camp.MAXIMILIAN: What a stuck up girl! We must movequickly, for their target here is our fifth member.CLAUDE: Tell us of what he looks like, and we shalllook for him.

MAXIMILIAN: He is a big muscular man, probablydressed as a farmer. He has brown long hair andbears a strange tattoo on his left forearm.GEGROS: Why is he dressed like a farmer and why dothose men seek him out?MAXIMILIAN: Well, they are here because a lot of thevillagers sheep were found butchered in the fields.Wolves havent been seen around these parts for

years, so those stupid superstitious villagers thoughtthat a *great evil* had taken residence in theirvillage.GEGROS: Hence the Sacred BrothersMAXIMILIAN: Exactly! But the cause is not amalevolent being but a cursed and diseased man.


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CLAUDE: The Lycon the letter talked about!Maximilian nodded in agreement and tightened hisleft glove around his bony hand.MAXIMILIAN: I m afraid so.

TOBIAS: Are you sure we want him as our ally?MAXIMLIAN: He is not useful because he is a Lycon.He has certain knowledge and skills which make himso valuable to my plan.CLAUDE: We better stop talking and start searchingthen.MAXIMILIAN: Spread out and dont answer morequestions than you ask. We shall meet back at the

inn in two hours.They searched and searched, but they did not find aman fitting the given description. It would seem thatearth itself had consumed him. After their fruitlesssearch was finished, they returned back to the inn.Claude and Gegros were the first to return to the inn.

They sat at an empty table at the back of the inn andrested their backs on the wooden chairs.

GEGROS: I hope you were successful where I failed.CLAUDE: I didnt find a man fitting that description. Ireally hope we find him, because if the SacredBrothers dont find him they will cleanse the entirevillage and if they find him they shall cleanse himinstead.

The door slammed open with Tobias and Maximilianrunning through.

MAXIMILIAN: Were in big trouble!CLAUDE: What happened?TOBIAS: The Paladins found him first and will executehim in midnight!GEGROS: I reckon he put up a great fight!


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MAXIMILIAN: No, he surrendered, right after theystarted hitting a peasant protecting him.Claudes face shot up in anger and he banged his fiston the table.

CLAUDE: We must rescue him from that evil witchsclaws!

TOBIAS: We cannot afford an open battle, villagerscould get hurt!MAXIMILIAN: Forget the villagers! Its high time thesituation got bloody!

TOBIAS: I made an oath, when I joined this party. Ifyou touch even a single hair of a villager, I shall

slaughter you like the beast you are!Maximilian contemplated Tobias words for a minuteand then looked outside the window overlooking thefountain. He straightened his breastplate andbrought his hand to his chin.MAXIMILIAN: Your suggestion does make sense, Ihave a plan though you might not like.GEGROS: There goes my chance to kill something.

Innkeeper, fetch me another drink!Three heartbeats passed while he collected histhoughts and then Tobias stood up enraged and hitthe table with his fist.

TOBIAS: Speak fool!MAXIMILIAN: When the execution begins, you and theothers are going to silence the Sacred Brothers whowill be carrying the torches. Then I shall appear and

draw Selines attention from you, giving you enoughtime to free him.GEGROS: Perhaps I will get my chance. Innkeeper,cancel the last round!CLAUDE: But, I cannot kill a human in cold blood! Itsagainst my code.


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MAXIMILIAN: What do you prefer? Kill a couple of evilmen or stand and bare witness to the annihilation ofyet another entire village?

TOBIAS: You are either a mad man or a genius. Either

way, you present a morale dilemma, no doubt aboutit.Even without seeing his lips, the others could seethat Max was grinning beneath his full helmet.MAXIMILIAN: Are you with me then?

TOBIAS: The innocent are not to suffer a man oncesaid. Let the Brothers have it! You have not spokenhowever, of the way you will distract Seline?

MAXIMILIAN: You need not concern yourself with thisminor detail. Let me worry about it.

TOBIAS: Alright, but remember: if you dont honoryour part of our deal, I shall honor mine!At noon, when every villager had gathered to barewitness to the execution, Tobias, Gegros and Claudewaited in the dark to take action. The Stranger wastied on a wooden pole, with several pieces of oiled

wood at his feet neither struggling nor fighting, butresigned to his grim fate. They all awaited Maxssignal to commence with their parts in his dark plan.SELINE: We have captured the Evil tainting yourvillage! Now the purifying flames shall consume himand deliver him to the Abyss!

Just as the High-Priestess ordered a Paladin to lightthe fire, Maximilian yelled and startled the villagers.

Both the High-Priestess and the Paladin looked atMaximilian angrily.MAXIMILIAN: HOLD! He is not the Evil tainting thisplace, I AM!And with these final words he removed the Helmetand showing his grotesque and bandaged skeletal


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features. The crowd fled the scene heading for thenearby forest, extinguishing Maxs or better yet

Tobias worry for their safety. With the sheer power ofhis will, the armor of the deceased Champion began

to tear free from his body, falling into ruined piecesaround him.MAXIMILIAN: I am the Lich Maximilian! I am the evilyou are after!Upon hearing these words Maxs allies starting killingthe Paladins. They werent as good fighters asrumored after all. They werent even humans as ourheroes blades passed through their armors without

any blood on them. Having their magic disrupted thesets of armor fell to pieces on the ground.SELINE: So, we meet at last. You have eluded mygrasp far too many times. There is no escape for youthis time though!Both stood looking each other in the eyes, each ofthem preparing a sphere of dark energy. Theylaunched them almost simultaneously, the two

spheres traveling fast to meet in their midst. Theyclashed causing a shockwave that shook the wholevillage. Everyone paused for a moment and looked atthe two Leaders. Max drew Scorcher and executed aleap attack towards Seline. However, Seline was not

just a simple girl, she was a Succubae and a very fastone. She dodged the powerful hit and managed toget behind Maximilian. She struck him swiftly from

behind, but as they say two can play the game. ForMaximilian, being a Lich meant pushing himselfharder and longer than any human warrior. His speedand agility were exemplary and so did his skill to dobattle. Just as the hit almost landed on his back, hedissolved into ash and reappeared several meters


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above Seline. Then he summoned two fireballs whichhe threw at her at high speed. Once again, herinhuman speed saved her, for the fireballs hit theground and created a huge crater. Max landed on the

ground and searched for her. She appeared out ofnowhere and stabbed him in the chest. The sword hitnothing but air and grazing his bones, it came out ofhis back. But his swords pommel hit her nose andblood gushed out. While she had her guard down, hepushed her away using his telekinetic powers. Rightafter she hit a stone wall and before she fell to theground, he trapped her within his telekinetic grasp.

He launched himself on her and just as he was readyto swing at her, she faded back into the Abyss. Butnot before Scorcher carved a line on her chest; thehealers of the Abyss would have a hard time healingher, he thought. Max pulled her sword off and threwit on the ground where it turned into black dust. Theothers had just destroyed the Paladins when his fightwas over. Together, they headed towards the

Stranger; Gegros cut his bonds and helped him onhis feet.GEGROS: You sure are heavy, I need a hand here!Apparently the Stranger was quite heavy for his size,so Tobias and his brother helped the Blackguard out.

They helped him sit down and Tobias healed hiswounds.

TOBIAS: There, your wounds are healed.

The Stranger stood up revitalized and looked at ourheroes. His eyes stopped at Maximilian, whom herealized was the leader of this bizarre party.STRANGER: I am Dnieper, the Lycon. I thank you forsaving me, I only wish this village and its people


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hadnt suffered because of me; my life is at yourhands now. Say what you wish of me.MAXIMILIAN: I wish you to become the fifth memberof this band. Do you accept?

He rose to his feet and stood proud, towering overeveryone of our heroes.DNIEPER: This Priest of Erou is yours to command.What is the reason behind this odd gathering?All of them looked at him in awe. They have nevermet of a true Priest of Erou, especially one cursedwith Lycanthropy.MAXIMILIAN: Have you heard of any rumors about a

Grand Army?DNIEPER: Nature whispers to me a lot of things, thatwas one of them. The lands are in an uproar, thevery balance of Nature upset.MAXIMILIAN: Good and you are already familiar withthe great city in the Heavens?DNIEPER: But of course, I am a disciple of Erou incase you have forgotten.

Maximilian started explaining his plan to Dnieper,though he didnt seem as ignorant as he should havebeen. Finally, after Max finished, he asked hiscompanions, whether they wanted to rest or journeyfurther.GEGROS: After such a difficult day, I say we rest abit.

TOBIAS: I agree with the Blackguard.

CLAUDE: (Yawning) Well, I guess we should all restfor a while.The three who retained their mortal nature returnedto the inn while Max and Dnieper remained outsidetalking.


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DNIEPER: Please, follow me to my house. I need topick up my effects, if I am to be of some use.MAXIMILIAN: Right, you cant go adventuring inpeasants clothes!

Dnieper laughed heartily and as they walked hestarted asking Max about himself and the others.MAXIMILIAN: My name is Maximilian if you didntknow it already. The man dressed in dark green isClaude and he is a Ranger. Along with his brother

Tobias, who carries the axe and sword, are the last oftheir people. Tobias is a Storm-Bringer and you mighthave heard of him from your nature.

DNIEPER: Yes, he has used Nature to help herchildren many times.MAXIMILIAN: The one you saw wearing a black armoris Gegros. You may be saddened if I told you he is aBlackguard.DNIEPER: I am, but I am not saddened by him beinga Blackguard, he made his choice in life as we all did.I am saddened by your plight though and the way

your life turned out.Maximilian shrugged and raised his hood. Clearly hewas disturbed by Dniepers pity. Pity is for the weakand feebleminded, by his thinking.DNIEPER: We are here. I will be back in five minutes.

They had reached a rugged old abode, which Dnieperobviously had been using as his house for the pastfew months as some repairs were done on the

structure to make it habitable. Dnieper got in andMax sat on a stone outside it. He could hearDniepers words recurring in his head; did he makethe wrong choice when he chose vengeance? Hewould never know now, perhaps Dnieper is right. Fora minute he caught himself thinking of his ways and


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what he could do to correct them. Then it all becameclear to him, Dnieper was testing him to see whatkind of person he was. By putting doubt in a man canyou truly glimpse at what type person he really is. He

immediately rejected such notions and stroked thepummel of his sword. IT was all the company heneeded.DNIEPER: I am ready, well almost ready. I still haveto get my spear.Max thought he was blinded by this mans whiteoutfit. His white shirt and pants seemed to reflect thelight falling upon them. A shining white cape was

draped over his shoulders, which seemed to radiateprotective magic. There were some designs on hisclothes, which glowed with a gold color under thelight of the setting sun. But something else drew hisattention other than his clothes, his medallion. It wasa golden medallion of the First Order, on which wascarved the name Dnieper in the language of theancients. If it was genuine, it would mean that

Dnieper is more than five thousand years old!DNIEPER: I have buried my spear somewhere in thefields. Please follow me there.Having nothing better to do, Max decided to followhim around. As they neared the fields, he felt apowerful magic nearby and the deeper they wentinto the fields the stronger it got. He stopped in histracks and started backtracking against his will.

Dnieper noticing his companions behavior,apologized.DNIEPER: Im sorry Max; I forgot the enchantment Iset on these grounds. I couldnt afford anyone Evilstealing my spear; you can wait for me outside myabode.


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He could hear Max whispering curses as he headedfor the abode. Minutes later he unearthed his spear,the elemental spear of the Wind. He lifted it in thesky reactivating the power of the Spear of Elemental

Air, Windstorm. A mild gust blew as it reactivatedand then fully aroused it let go a silent hum inDniepers hand. Using it as a walking stick, he walkedtowards his former hut while whistling merrily. Maxwas swinging his sword around and was lost in thered aura it left behind. He sheathed Scorcher andturned to meet Dnieper.MAXIMILIAN: Well, you certainly took your time, old

man.DNIEPER: The way you swing around your sword,where did you learn to swordfight?MAXIMILIAN: I have been holding my sword this way,since my second birth.DNIEPER: Second birth?!MAXIMILIAN: As you might have noticed, I am anundead. I died and then I rose again.

DNIEPER: And you were raised by whom?MAXIMILIAN: No one was there when I rose again, Ifound myself wearing these clothes and having thissword around my waist.DNIEPER: Draw your sword!Max drew it and held it as if an invisible foe hadchallenged him. He then put it away and leanedagainst the huts wall.

MAXIMILIAN: Are you satisfied, old man?DNIEPER: You draw your sword in the style of theArchangels and you neither have the skin nor thewings to be one.MAXIMILIAN: What!? You say I mimic the fightingstyle of a creature of good? Impossible!


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DNIEPER: Exactly, but how can you explain the shapeof your swords blade?MAXIMILIAN: Whats wrong with it, it does a lot ofdamage in the way in and in the way out.

DNIEPER: The blade is called a flamberge and it hasbeen said to be the holy symbol of the Archangels.MAXIMILIAN: I think youre pulling my leg, Priest. Ifyou want to turn me back to the path of good, youare wasting your time!DNIEPER: Believe what you want to believe, but thisis not a plain coincidence.MAXIMILIAN: Then where are my wings or their bones

at least?DNIEPER: That I do not know, but what I do know isthat our part in this is not just plain coincidence.MAXIMILIAN: You may contemplate on your delusionson the way to the inn.Max turned his back to the Priest and started walkingtowards the inn. Dnieper let out a deep sigh and runto catch up with the Lich. They walked slowly and

steadily across the little village, its villagers goingabout their business as the paradoxical duo wentpast them, but not without any curious stares. Theinn stood serene regardless of the hustle and bustleof the village. The innkeeper tended the fire themoment they entered. Maximilian went inside andsat on a table. Dnieper left for the rooms above torest his tired back along with the others. The

innkeeper rushed to Maximilian to take his orderalmost tripping on a chairs leg.INNKEEP: May I take your order.Maximilian wearing the ornate helmet, glared angrilyat the innkeeper. The innkeeper frowned andscampered back to his place behind the stand.


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Maximilian gave out a small chuckle and sat cross-legged in his chair.

ADDINGMORETROUBLESONANALREADYTROUBLEDMIND

The hours flew by as the gentle moon gave its placeto the blazing sun. Maximilian seemed to havestoned in place, as he didnt even shift in his seat to

further comfort his back. He contemplated all nighton the course fate had set him on, whether it was thecorrect one or just an illusion, a dead end leadingnowhere. He knew there was only one way to findout, but a creature like him always bided his time.Now, time it would seem was a priceless luxury hecouldnt afford. The others slowly descended thestairs, with Tobias arguing with Gegros and Dnieperwith Claude talking softly. Judging from the franticmoves of Tobias arms he seemed to be on edgefrom the moment he woke up.

TOBIAS: What are you talking about? I dont snore!GEGROS: You snore so loudly that the inn shook in itsfoundations!

TOBIAS: I believe you are overreacting. Dnieper isthe main suspect of snoring in the room.GEGROS: He didnt snore, he was growling in his

sleep. But it didnt really matter, since your snoringwas louder even than his growls!Dnieper impolitely interjected and added:DNIEPER: I believe Mr. Gegros is telling the truth, Ihad to go out for some parsley to cover my ears.


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Tobias shrugged, looking at Gegros and then atDnieper, finally adding:

TOBIAS: Well whatever, there is surely a conspiracyagainst me here.

The others laughed heartily at his last remark,causing him to shrug even more holding in a chuckle.Max watched them as they were descending andthought whether he was too overconfident of hiscompanions, for his companions were acting worsethan children. I can tell you though surely, this isneither the first nor the last time he made suchthoughts.

Max greeted them coldly and all of them were takenaback from his chilly words as if the north wind hadspoken.MAXIMILIAN: Get yourself ready, we have a lot ofground to cover in very little time.

They had a quick breakfast and went for their horses;Max proceeded to rise his steed again. However,Dnieper didnt have a steed of his own and no one

could share his horse with him because he was tooheavy. Needless to say, that a skeletal steed wouldcollapse under him, because his enchantmentsagainst the undead were far too powerful. Maximilianagreed that they should stop to a nearby city andbuy another horse there since the village lacked astable. Nevertheless, he gave this change of plan asecond thought, since the city closest to them was

the priest city of Monastiraki. Any other city wouldjust make them stray from the preset path, wastingmore time than they could afford.GEGROS: The priest doesnt have a horse of his ownMax and this village produces only cattle.


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MAXIMILIAN: I am aware of that Gegros. We must goto a nearby city to buy a steed, and you know whichcity is closest to our current location.DNIEPER: The glorious city of Monastiraki! I havent

been there since the days I walked the Gaia as ahuman. Lets go!MAXIMILIAN: Im sorry Dnieper, but its not as easy asyou think. Gegros and I are not welcome there,because of our dark nature.

TOBIAS: You dont have to enter it; we need only tobuy a horse and leave, right?CLAUDE: I shall go; Ill be in and out before you know

it.They galloped slowly for an hour until the walls of thegreat white city of Monastiraki could be seenreflecting the light of the midday sun. The sound ofwar drums echoed in the air, louder and louder witheach passing minute.DNIEPER: Whats going on?Maximilian took a small scrying sphere out of a

pouch hanging from his belt. He pointed it to wherethe drums could be heard louder and saw somethingmoving in its blurry surface. That something was ahuge army, an army of twenty thousand Halboutogether with other malevolent creatures of all sizesmarching straight at them. Trees could be seenfalling and burning. Enchantments or noenchantments, Max lifted Dnieper from his collar,

placing him behind him and yelled:MAXIMILIAN: Ride hard!The others kicked their horses and they startedgalloping after Max and Dnieper, now sharing thesame steed. Claude brought his, side to side withMaxs.


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CLAUDE: What did you see?MAXIMILIAN: Halbou, as many as the stars of the sky!All of them heard his last remark and rode theirsteeds even harder. The city watch seeing the party

approaching with the army hot on their heels openedthe main gates and closed them after they were in.

The big hinges of the door shrieked loudly coveringthe galloping of their steeds. The heavy bars felldown with a clash and the gate seemed secure, fornow. All of them dismounted and were approachedby one of the guards. I shall pause the story a bit totell of the famous city guard of Monastiraki, even

after events to come they were still remembered asthe valiant warrior monks wearing white long robesand wielding short ornamental swords as their brandweapons. The moment he recognized the two anti-heroes he drew his sword and whistled for the rest ofthe city guard to come by his side. Before they knewit hundreds of ornamental swords were being wavedon the air around them.

MAXIMILIAN: Peace, we are not here to fight!The guards fell back at his words and opened, as thebiggest and tallest man the party had ever seen,drew near them. He threw his white hood back andrevealed himself.CLAUDE+TOBIAS: Arch-Monk Karaisk!KARAISK: Greetings my friends, how do you fare?And please tell me also what the Lich and the

Blackguard are doing here.TOBIAS: It is good to see you again, Arch-Monk. Itgrieves me that we had been reunited in this darkhour. As for these two however-Max took liberty of interrupting Tobias and said:


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MAXIMILIAN: We both have been a thorn to your sidefor years, but this time its different. You dont like usand we dont like you, but if you want this punybastion of good to be saved, you shall have to take

any help offered.KARAISK: It seems you are right; we are fighting alosing battle here. Before your arrival, I believed thatour city would fall.GEGROS: With us here your worries have endedmonk.KARAISK: Yes, I now believe that this city will fall, butnot without them sustaining heavy losses.

DNIEPER: You are too pessimistic to be a monk,perhaps you should try to turn a new leaf over afterthis battle ends.KARAISK: And you appear to be too much werewolffor a devoted priest of Erou! Appearances meannothing.Dnieper tried to say something, but Karaisks wordsmade him change his mind.

MAXIMILIAN: Do you have a plan?KARAISK: Not yet, but we are thinking of one rightnow.MAXIMILIAN: This is an outrage! You do-gooders aregood for nothing! I had devised a solid strategy yearsago and with your and my friends help I shall be ableto put it to use.

They went to the central command of the guard and

by using a map of the city hanging on the wall Maxexplained his plan to them. He anticipated that theHalbu would surround the city and attack it from allsides. They would put pressure to the side gates andonce they are open they would destroy the maingates from within. Then the citadel would be stormed


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head on. Max suggested that the main body ofarchers should form a circle around the citadel andwhen the outer walls are breached, they wouldimmediately retreat to the citadel via the wooden

drawbridges connecting the outer wall with thecitadel and then burn them with the fiends on them.

The archers are to let fly over the walls and on theoutside grounds near them. Another circle of soldierswould be formed near the outer walls, concentratingmainly on the side gates. They were to hold theinvaders long enough for the archers to retreat andthen they too would enter the citadel. Half of the

High Priests were to enter the towers above thegates and use their spells to solidify their defense.

The rest would remain in the citadel and treat thewounded. The main idea was to reduce theirnumbers before they breached the city walls andthen hold the citadel for as long as possible.CLAUDE: I am impressed Maximilian, you are abrilliant tactician after all.

MAXIMILIAN: I do only whats necessary to survive.Now, you may pick your places to aid in the defense.I shall pick one of the towersCLAUDE: I shall be standing on the walls above themain gate, guiding the archers with will-o-wisps I willsummon from the forest nearby. From there theHalbou will meet the wrong end of my arrowsGEGROS: My place is with the south side gates

soldiers, where my blood-thirst forewarns me thatthe carnage will begin firstTOBIAS: If anyone needs me Ill be on the roof of thecitadels tallest tower, hurling the fury of the sky onHalbou heads


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DNIEPER: The battlefields anarchy was never to myliking, so I shall remain near the center of the city toassist wherever Im neededMAXIMILIAN: The decks have been made and the

cards have been drawn.They left, each for his place in the mayhem that wasto come. One has to wonder whether the city wouldhave survived for so long on its own or not. Onethings for certain though, Max had risen in histeammates esteem.

Just as expected, the Halbou army together withother foul creatures set a perimeter around the city

walls and they had done it well, considering theywere just out of the bowmens range. They stoodthere and were banging their makeshift shields withtheir crude swords. From upon the tower Tobiascould see the vastness of their army. The odds werenothing but even, for the garrison of Monastirakiconsisted of six thousand men, of which a thousandwere priests. The Halbou must have had been more

than twenty thousand. It would be a good day to tryhis most powerful lighting spells he thought as hewas gathering clouds above the city.Gegros could hear the Halbou mocking them and ifthe others didnt need him inside, he would open thegates and initiate a savage onslaught all by himselffor himself. He was bored of waiting.Maximilian, who could see past the Halbou army, saw

three strange figures riding hellish steeds on top of ahill just out of the forest. They too apparently noticedhim and one of them went down the hill and into thearmy. A demon gate appeared behind the other twoand one dashed right through. The second took one


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final look at the city and he too vanished inside thegate.Claude was taking aim on a Halbou general hespotted, he only needed to loosen his fingers and the

general would be pulling up the daises.Dnieper saw Maxs tower lit from his evoking andknew the battle was about to begin, all the otherpriest were calling to Erou for power and took afistful of their belts pouch scraps of metal.Remembering his training at the elves, he knew thatthey were not just scraps of metal but potentexploding missiles once added as a reagent to a

specific spell.The next few moments belonged to history.The Halbou general lifted his blowing horn and blewa single note before Claudes arrow silenced him forgood. The Halbou army taking the cue chargedfuriously for the city walls and a voice was heard:CLAUDE: ARCHERS! LET FLY!A thick black cloud of arrows pierced the sky and

returned again to the ground, taking hundreds ofenemies to the cold grave. Almost simultaneously adozen explosions shook the ground before the wallsas the priests sprinkled the Halbou with their deadlyshards mutilating and killing thousands as the shardsexploded inside the Halbou army. But the Halbouretaliated with arrows of their own and hit the towersas well as the ground behind them.

CLAUDE: TAKE COVER! FIRE AT WILL!Claude yelled through the will-o-wisps but he waslate; six dozens of archers had been hit and werecarried by the priests inside.Max rained fireballs down to the Halbou at a hecticrate, explosions and screams were all he could hear.


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For a moment he felt anger and deep rage, before hewas thrown off his feet. An explosion lit the sky, buthe noticed as he was getting up that it was not onthe Halbou. Then another and another, Max looked to

the right and saw the other tower falling. He turnedto the face the army and saw three fireballs headinghis way. He worked frantically to evoke a hugeentropic fireball outside the towers window andthrew it just in time to absorb the other three and theunlucky Halbou it hit once it landed. He grabbed thepriests around him and teleported to the top of thecitadel. There stood Tobias who had kneeled down

and chanted undaunted by the ruckus his eyesclosed shut, his self in deep meditation. A loudthunder was heard and then heavy rain fell on theirheads. Around the city lightings fell and fried moreHalbou than they would normally hit chaining amongthem attracted by the thick metal plates on theirarmor and because of the wetness of the ground.Max grinned beneath his bandages, his teammates

were more resourceful than he had anticipated.Suddenly, a demon gate opened near Tobias and outof it stepped the two demons he had seen previously.Apparently, they had anticipated a magic attack ofthis magnitude and wanted to even things for theirtroops.

Tobias concentration was broken when he heard aloud metal clash right before his face. He opened his

eyes and instinctively rolled backwards just in time tododge a sword aiming for the back of his neck. Hethen realized what had happened: Max blocked thesword aiming for his throat and he accidentally haddodged the second Demons sword. He drew his ownsword and axe and fell upon the second Demon. His


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attack didnt find its target though, because thepriests behind them had been quick to trap theDemons back to the Abyss for the time being.MAXIMILIAN: You certainly have skill priests, now

Tobias get on with it!TOBIAS: I cant; these powers can only be used onceper day. Im afraid we have been sabotaged, so getme to the north side gate and-At that moment his and Maxs eyes and fell uponClaude, who seemed to be overwhelmed by a pack ofHalbou. A handful of them had scaled the wallsconfident to find and attack the invisible sniper, who

had decimated their ranks He had put his bow awayand was now fighting with his sword, the icy Oblivion.Maximilian grabbed Tobias before he could complainand teleported him at the northern side gate. Next,he teleported near the citadels gate and grabbedDnieper by his cape. Dnieper let out a yelp before hereappeared on the walls next to Claude. Max chargedwithout a pause at the Halbou surrounding Claude.

Dnieper, realizing where he was, weighted thesituation quickly and then he leaped and piercedthree Halbou in a row. Using his supernaturalstrength, he swung the spear over the walls outerrim and threw their dead bodies down on the othersbelow. Max and Claude slew the rest with ruthlessefficiency, not even pausing for a breath.Once the last Halbou had been dealt, max swatted

away a few arrows with his sword saying to Claude:MAXIMILIAN: Call for the archers to fall back to thecitadel, we must save as many as we can.Claude did so right away and as he did, Max grabbedhim by the sleeve of his tunic and along with Dnieperhe teleported them at the roof of the citadel.


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Tobias was mad at first; seeing he was teleportedelsewhere, but when he saw the northern gatealmost breached creaking on the hinges that barelyhold onto the wall, he understood Maxs intentions.

Using Moonspells power, the shadows cast by thegates arch became solid and enveloped the raggedgate. The gate was well defended now, and it wastime to retaliate. He looked at the soldiers near himcatching their breath from their effort in holding thegate and in his mind came a way to retaliate at theHalbou.

TOBIAS: Quickly ten of you gather in a circle here

and hold your hands extended together before you.He moved and placed everyone in a specificformation and then he closed his eyes bringing hisright index finger to rest at his lips, while his lefthand was holding Moonspell. His voice started as awhisper, raising cadence with every arcane word heincanted and all the shadows around them began toshimmer and twist around. The shadows cast inside

the circle from the soldiers extended towards themiddle of it and combined making the spot in thecenter look like a black void. The soldiers panickedbut held still, being priests and casters themselvesknew how dire the consequences of interrupting aspell. Right before his voice become a fearsome yell,

Tobias threw Moonspell in the air and uttering thelast word of the spell, his voice was heard as if it

came from within the black void itself and Moonspell,now falling at a terrifying speed, it pierced its middle.The void grew, spreading from within the circletowards the outside, swallowing every shadow in itspath. For a split second, all the shadows, things andpeople cast, disappeared and the pit along with


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them, slithering extremely fast to the direction of thegate. Tobias shook away the puzzled looks of theguards around him and picked up Moonspell fromwithin the circle. Then everyone turned towards the

screams of terror being heard from outside thegates. Claude and anyone overlooking the areaoutside the gate had a sudden chill run down theirspine with what they saw. Almost all the Halbou nearand about the gate were being devoured by theirshadows. From the top of the Citadel Max estimatedthat roughly one quarter of the Halbou army have

just been massacred by the effect of Tobias spell

Max didnt have time to spend in simple estimationsso he teleported again and was now above the southgate. The Halbou had brought more than one hugesteel battering rams. With each hit the soldiersbracing the door were sent backwards and thenforward they came bracing the door again and again.Maximilian threw two fireballs at the battering crew,but it was hopeless as for each fallen Halbou three

others were ready to take his place. The ram itself,seemed to be warded against such magic attacks,not being charred or splintered by the explosions. Hetook some time to think of something to halt thebreach and buy more time in a fun carnage way. Hismind raced through a lot of ideas, until one particularmade his eyes sparkle with the gleam of madness.His teleportation skills brought him on top of the gate

tower and he sat cross-legged in meditation. His willleft his body and soared through sky, clouds andthen the empty void of space. Traveling faster thanthe light his undead will found what he was lookingfor. He got onto his feet and his claws startedforming ancient runes of magic in the still air around


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him, saturating it with magic. His voice whisperedthe necessary words for the incantation while hedrew the runes and the very essence of realityseemed to reverberate to them. The Halbou yells

below him seemed to freeze in time, until one ofthem saw what was happening. Screams of terrortook their place as the Halbou finally took notice ofwhat was happening. The first one shook the groundas Halbou where burnt and mutilated by the impactexplosion. Above the gate tower, Maximilian wascackling madly at the sight and with his hands heurged more and more small meteorites come

crushing through the void to the earth decimatingthe ranks of the until he accidentally managed to pulldown a slightly bigger one. Caught up in hishomicidal frenzy he realized what he just did too late,his hands already were bringing it in the middle ofthe Halbou army. His eyes almost rolled out of hisskull as he turned his back and tried to run away, butthen it hit the ground. The impact shook the ground

and the shockwave rattled the citys walls and thegate. It threw him off the top of the tower and intothe ground where soldiers used to stand, but nowwere scrambling for cover as gravel rained from thesky along with body parts. He stood up after the dustsettled and shockingly he put a few of his bones

jutting out of his robes into their places. The soldiersaround him started to form up again looking at him

with horror drawn all over their face.MAXIMILIAN: Oh dont give me that look, everyonegets lost in their enthusiasm sometimes.With that he teleported to the top of the citadel andhe received the incredulous stare of Claude.CLAUDE: Max, just what the hell.


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Max shrugged and took a better look at hishandiwork and then noticed the huge crater that waswhat was left of the hills beyond the south gate.Nothing moved there and even if the ram still stood,

it was doubtful anyone would try to force his waythrough that gate.MAXIMILIAN: It did the job right didnt it?He then surveyed the rest of the battle being pleasedthat things were going as planned. But somethingseemed to bother him, the sound of a bowstringconstantly firing relentlessly. He turned to Claudeand saw him firing below with his back turned to him.

MAXIMILIAN: What are you doing? Dont waste yourarrows fool! Its too far to actually hit anything, letalone kill!Claude raised his head from his bow and looked atMax with a mischievous grin painted on his lips.CLAUDE: Alas my friend, I dont fire normal arrows,but elemental ones.He pulled the bowstring without holding an arrow

and to Maxs amazement a lightning arrow appearedout of the thin air. When Claude fired it and the arrowhit two Halbou in a row before the lightning stoppedchaining, Maximilian found himself thrilled withClaudes unique skills!

They both turned their heads to the loud crashingsound of the south gate opened and like an evilflood, the Halbou gushed into the city.

Both our heroes thought the blood-thirsty idiot letthem in and groaned at the thought.The Halbou stopped in their tracks when they sawthat all the paths to the left and to the right wereblocked by debris from the fallen towers and rockscoming from within the ground, creating a bottleneck


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they couldnt climb. Their only way was forward but itwas blocked by a man in black armor and manysoldiers barricaded behind him. The man was noneother than Gegros the Blackguard. So imposing was

his black armor that he took a step forward and theHalbou took one backwards. Screams in their foullanguage were heard and they opened way for theircommander. A demon walked towards Gegros andstopped just a few meters before him.ASMONIEL: Greetings my most trusted friend Gegros,how do you fare?Gegros suppressed a chuckle; the demons didnt

have any friends, only enemies and mock-friendsthat they backstabbed after they served no functionto them.GEGROS: We meet again Asmoniel, but this time wemeet as foes on the battlefield.ASMONIEL: What are you doing allied with theseweaklings? Join us and you shall be made alieutenant of our armies. Think about it!

Gegros sneered in contempt and crossed hismuscular arms before his chest.GEGROS: You forgot about one thing, Asmoniel. Ilong for combat and bloodshed not for ranks.ASMONIEL: Then knowing that our master doesnttolerate traitors, you will never again be able tosummon the imp we gave you as a companion.GEGROS: So be it, it wasnt of any use to me either.

Now, if you are here to fight, Id be happy to kill you!Before the last word left his mouth, he had alreadydrew his sword and summoned a granite kite shieldfrom the very ground on which he stepped on, in onefluid motion. The Demon, with sword in handdisappeared. Gegros turned around just in time to


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parry the demons sword with his shield. The Demonback flipped and once again disappeared. Gegroslooked around him and understood his eyes wereuseless now, for the Demon was using his innate

powers of invisibility. He closed his eyes inside hishelmet and started breathing slowly. Heconcentrated on his sword, the mighty katanaEarthen so that he could become one with the veryground below him. His senses caught the sound ofthe shifting soil, as a foot silently took a step, at hisleft side. His senses were fixed on the creature as ittried to get behind him. He turned around so quickly

that Max, who was watching from on top the wall,barely saw him move. A suppressed scream washeard and Gegros opened his eyes and smirked withwhat he saw. His swords tip was deep into theDemons left shoulder and his thick black bloodcoursed down the swords blade. The Demon pulledfree his wounded shoulder and clutched it with hisdeformed hand. Seeing that the odds where clearly

against him, he quickly summoned a gate to theAbyss with his good hand and turned to enter it.But something impossible happened a stone wall wasraised swiftly before the gate cutting him off from it.He turned around just in time to see a huge granitefist heading his way from the ground, pinning himagainst the wall and breaking his ribcage with a loudcrunching noise. Gegros walked slowly and calmly to

him and with a simple swing, he lopped the head ofthe demon. The Halbou behind him were in shock atwhat they saw and for a few moments they stood stillgaping at the sight.GEGROS: Soldiers, CHARGE!


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The soldiers behind him rushed to his side as heturned and run towards the Halbou as well. TheHalbou seeing their commander being murderedsought to avenge his death by killing all the humans

and flatten the city. Gegros was right before the twoarmies clashed he waved a bit his sword andwhispered a few words of magic and the debrisaround them started to fall and crash on the Halbou.Panic ensued as the two armies clashed and screamsof pain and anger echoed in the air. The priests,fought with all their heart and their fighting fury wasdoubled each time one of them fell. Gegros though

was a different story. Gegros seemed to be fightingfor the torrents of blood from his enemies. Max

joined the battle too, teleporting around killingHalbou and protecting the soldier priests as best ashe could Arrows kept raining around them, soaccurate that found their mark protecting the back ofboth Gegros and Max. In the middle of the battle,Max was standing back to back with Gegros and he

whispered to his mind:MAXIMILIAN: Gegros, order the troops to retreat; thenorth gate is about to be breached.GEGROS: NO! I will not run and hide like a coward.Besides, we seem to be holding out pretty well.MAXIMILIAN: Come to your senses, this battle cannotbe won by five people alone. We must retreat anddefend the citadel; it must not fall above everything

else!Gegros scowled beneath his black helm and with apowerful swing, he severed the head of the Halbouhe was fighting and collapsed the ground near thegate, creating a rift to stem the flow of Halbou sothey could retreat easier. The gaping mouth of the


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Rift took quite a few Halbou with it, but they soonhad small bridges made and they were making theirway slowly over it.GEGROS: What do you want me to do?

Max took out his horn and said:MAXIMILIAN: When you hear it, order the troops tofall back.Gegros grunted in agreement and Max vanished intothe thin air.

Tobias and his soldiers braced them selves for theimminent attack. The double doors of the north gatefell from their hinges as the Halbou forced them

finally open. Max appeared in front of them andsummoned one of his flame waves. The wave racedthrough the forced door and sheared every Halbouunlucky to meet its path.MAXIMILIAN: FALL BACK INTO THE CITADEL!

Tobias turned and repeated the order for the fewpriests caught in the battles frenzy.

TOBIAS: YOU HEARD HIM MEN! RETREAT!

He blew his horn and when they had pushed themback enough, they made a break for the citadelsgate. Archers prevented the Halbou from getting hoton their heels, felling the fiends by the dozen. Maxhad tipped off Claude of his plan seconds beforegoing to the north gate. They arrived to the citadelsgate just in time to enter it after Gegros group. Theheavy steel doors closed and the shutter was now in

place. Tobias took a big breath and Claudedescended the stairs to join them.GEGROS: Now what?DNIEPER: They are bringing their rams to knock downthe door.


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The Arch-monk Karaisk joined them, his white robessoaked with blood but not any of it was his own.KARAISK: Where do we stand?

TOBIAS: We have lost the city and we have retreated

in here, the Halbou though they have suffered heavylosses are bringing their siege machines to bringdown the door.KARAISK: Maximilian, it appears the situation hasgotten out of hand. Their numbers are still thick evenafter our combined efforts and our numbers havedwindled.MAXIMILIAN: No Karaisk, they are exactly where I

want them! The whole outer gate is trapped with amagical enchantment I placed just before the battlebegun. They only need to break the door to trigger it!Everyone, get your selves ten meters back from thedoor and be ready for a tough fight!

TOBIAS: Thats brilliant; they will suffer losses ANDbe forced into a bottleneck.

The door creaked and trembled each time it was hit,

cracks were evident now. Finally, the final hit wasdelivered and the door was destroyed, a deafeningexplosion shook the citadel and its blast wavecharred and injured more than five hundred Halbouwith it. Then happened something Maximilian hadnot anticipate; the doors arch collapsed sealing theironly way out.KARAISK: I was afraid this would happen; now we are

trapped in here.MAXIMILIAN: You humans are easily despaired,behold my immeasurable power!He pointed his hand towards the rumble and astrange black energy ball appeared on his palm. Itflashed three times before it left his hand and fell on


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the fallen arch. An extra-dimensional gate appearedand drew all the debris in it, along with some unluckyHalbou standing behind them. The rift closed after itscapacity was reached and the entrance was now

open. The Halbou didnt lose time and rushedthrough the opening.Maximilian still stood there and now pointed bothhands to the door. A red ball appeared in front ofthem and split into a thousand more. They left hishand with the speed of light and nailed Halbou afterHalbou in the heart. Bodies piled up as the ballsseemed endless, killing more and more Halbou

before becoming insubstantial. When the final onefell down, Max, drained as he was fell on his knees.

The Halbou though still rushed through the gate andwould have trampled him to his second death ifGegros hadnt intervened. He jumped before him andhit him hard with his shield. Such was Gegrosstrength that he was thrown near the back of theroom. Tobias was the second to join the fight, then

Claude with his deadly aim and Dnieper with hisbestial strength. Or at least he must have beenDnieper, for the hours had passed swiftly and it wasnight with the full moon bathing them with its silverlight. Normally Dnieper towered above the group butright now in his shape-shifted state, he was abehemoth of hair and muscle. Still wieldingWindstorm he thrashed and impaled every single

Halbou that came through but it still wasnt enough.With cunning beyond his feral form, he startedspinning his spear in the air faster and faster till therunes over it started to glow blow. Then he startedswinging wildly towards the Halbou mass and witheach swing, scores of them were cut down by the


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blades of air it unleashed upon them. Seeing it as agreat opportunity to turn the tide, Claude with hisbloodied sword Oblivion at hand run behind Dnieperand kneeled down. He pierced the ground before him

with his sword and looked directly at the bluesapphire embedded at the cross-piece. The air allaround them, though chaotic and restless byDniepers doing, starting to get colder and colder, itsmoisture becoming like snow. The sapphire grewbrightly signifying the swords inner power was readyand that was all Claude was waiting for. The Halboumade their final press with their last numbers

towards the werewolf and were surprised whenjumping over Dnieper, stepping on his shoulders togain momentum before making a downward slash,came Claude, his sword making freezing the very airaround it. The sword crushed down on the floor withall of Claudes might and a wave left the spot,freezing everything in its path even the very air. Allthe Halbou that were caught within it died instantly

and those few that survived were fended off by thedefenders. Two priests without thinking about itthrew a few explosive pebbles on the frozen Halboushattering them into pieces. The fight was finallyover.

* * * * * * * * ** * * *

MAXIMILIAN: ^Grunt^ My head!He strove to open his eyes, well he had no actualeyes but two crimson orbs, one in each socket thatserved as his eyes. Finally, after a few minutes heopened his eyes and when they began to focus, he


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inspected his surroundings; he could see priestsrunning around frantically using their healing powerson wounded soldiers. He got up from a stone slaband fell again on his knees. He was still weak; he had

wasted all of his powers to weaken the Halbou and indoing so he had reached his limits. He used his swordas a crutch and staggered to the main hall. Throughthe fallen door he saw his allies sitting around atable, arguing with Karaisk.KARAISK: Are you certain of this?

TOBIAS: We have evidence supporting our claims!KARAISK: This tattered note might have been

planted, specifically to mislead.Gegros turned his head and saw Max watching them.He immediately turned his head and stated.GEGROS: Then perhaps our leader may shed somelight in this matterEveryone turned to meet Maxs tired gaze, Claudeeven helped him to the table. He was disgusted byClaudes act but he was too weak to protest.

MAXIMILIAN: What happened after I lostconsciousness?

TOBIAS: After you collapsed, Gegros tossed you tothe side and a furious battle began. The Halbouweakened and without a leader to coordinate them,were soon overwhelmed by our forces and they wereexterminated.GEGROS: Needless to say that you missed all the

fun!KARAISK: Might we get to the point, please?Maximilian, catching on that something hadhappened to agitate the already agitated Karaisk,waved a hand for Tobias to continue.

TOBIAS: We have discovered something disturbing.


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CLAUDE: Treason, from one of our allies.MAXIMILIAN: Explain!GEGROS: Remember the demon I killed.MAXIMILIAN: What about him?

GEGROS: He carried a note with him, a note bearingthe insignia of the Vouliagwind Highborn. Apparently,he was acting as a gofer between the Hellish Lordsand the Highborn. In the note they had promised thecitys allegiance for its exception from the GrandArmys wrath.MAXIMILIAN: These are bad news! Allies are hard tofind in these troubled times, so we ought to pay a

little visit to Vouliagwind before we can continue ourquest.CLAUDE: But, what about the Angels?MAXIMILIAN: I will not risk allies for something thatuncertain. We have to go. Arch-Monk, we shall haveto take one of your horses.KARAISK: Well, I suppose I have a spare horse. Its inthe stables, I shall send word to prepare it. You will

recognize it when you see it.They bid the Arch-Monk farewell and left for thestables. The Arch-Monk hadnt fooled them and thereit stood, or should I say he.A small smirk would have been seen if Max had lips,when he said:MAXIMILIAN: Duroth the Eternal, this is mostfortunate.

The horse looked at Max with its blue eyes and said:DUROTH: That voice. Its you again! Quickly untie meyou humans so that I can run over this fool!His four allies looked at Duroth, then at Max andClaude stated:CLAUDE: A talking horse?!


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DUROTH: Im not a horse you stupid human!MAXIMILIAN: Yes, he was my familys court Priest.However, when he failed to heal someone dear to meI punished him.

TOBIAS: By turning him into a horse?MAXIMILIAN: And by making him immortal. You see, Iwanted him to suffer just as she suffered from hisinability.GEGROS: She?MAXIMILIAN: This is none of your business Gegros!Now Duroth, if you are so kind as to carry my friendDnieper

The Lords of Attica - Revisited

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