Another Chance [Concluded 05/01]

The Roar echoed inside the ancient tomb, its deep angry sound passing through even the thick stone sarcoffagus and resonating around the walls of the crypt. Inside the rotted wooden coffin, my eyelids tore open, and purple light spilled from the empty sockets as the curse that had ravaged me for over a thousand years finally escaped me. The roar was shortly joined by a second scream, from the coffin beside me, as the woman that was once my wife also awoke from her tortured sleep. I had laid in that tomb for centuries, every moment more painfull than the last, fully aware of the tight, confined space, awake to the pain as worms and maggots chewed at my flesh. Yet my body was dead, and long so, for It had died on that night, so long ago. But for a reason I could not remember, my soul had stayed inside, locked to my cadaver as I was buried, my mind screaming the whole way, unable to make my greiving family realice I was still in there. And bury me they did, and they in turn were buried. I heard the funerals though my prison, but I saw nothing, just the blackness inside my coffin. Slowly I rotted, as did the wooden box around me, and as the years went on my body deteriorated, the only thing preventing me from completely dissapearing being the same curse that held me here. Part of me could remember my death, but that too was slowly dissapearing from my mind, as every second passed that I was still awake. Only the name 'Phantaz' remained steadfast in my mind, and a burning rage followed that very thought.

Slowly, painfully I moved for the first time in thousands of years, the dark magic permitting me control of my body once more. The rusted and tarnished chain links that made up the ceremonial armour I was buried in clinked slightly as I rose my arm, ever so carefully upwards. My hand brushed against something rough, and a shiver ran down my spine, as I felt the soft wood inches above me. I carefully pushed at it, and the wood crumbled, and I slowly sat up. The stone slab that sat upon the sarcoffagus bumping against my head, the sharp shiver of pain coursing through my entire body. I lifted my hand, and rubbed my thin dry fingers down my face. I shivered as they bumped down into the three long scars, reaching down though the skin left on my face and even scratching my skull, before my fingers dropped into my empty eye sockets. There was no eye left, only small patches of skin to serve as lids. I blinked these, but it did no good. I still saw nothing. I sighed as a voice broke the silence, a voice that I remembered but did not recognise, a voice that came quietly from the coffin beside me.
"Cain?"

Cain. That was my name. I remembered it. But even as I heard it that memory began to fade from my mind, it ment nothing. A name in life. Nothing more.
"Cain is that you?"
A crackling noise and a cracking followed the voice, as I heard the coffin lid break open, acompanied by a burning smell. I remembered that. Another life memory. I Jumped slightly as I felt another finger, softer this time, running down my face, before dropping into my sockets.
"Oh." The Voice came again. "Your Blind."
"Yes."
"Never mind. Can you lift this slab. You are the strong one."
So I was strong. I remembered this. From somewhere. I placed both hands on the slab above me and pushed. Nothing. It didn't slip an inch.
"Here, let me help."
I heard a ringing noise, and something hard and spherical pressed into my hand.
"What is it?"
"A Mana Citrine. You should be able to tap into my power through it. Use my strength."
I held the gem, and felt its power course through my dry veins. It felt... wonderfull. But it wasn't enough. I needed more. Reaching up, I gave a light push, but put no effort into it.
"It isn't enough. Try another."
I heard a sigh and another ringing sound, that lasted for longer. Before long a second gem was pressed into my hand.
"Now try"
I held the gems, and paused. This was obviously draining her, and I didn't think she could manage another. The raw power was burning my hand, ever so slightly so I passed them over to the other hand, and nurced my hand for a second. The gems were begining to heat up, being in such close proximity to one another. Slowly a smile spread across my face, as an idea crossed my mind. Slowly, I placed the two gems into my eye sockets. The pain and the heat threw my head backwards, slamming my head into the stone floor of the coffin. Rubbing my head I looked up. The woman was looking at me quizicly. Looking at me. I could see her. I could see everything in the tomb, faintly in black and white, the colours slowly filtering in. The gems were radiating light, which threw eerie shadows across the tight tomb. But I could see. Another experience I hadn't enjoyed for so many years. But the woman would want her power back. I would be blinded again. That couldn't happen. I studied her carefully. Her face would have once been very beautiful, and even now no maggots had touched it, the skin was tight, but intact. Her dry hair hung from her head, a light shade of green. She wore nothing but a plain dress.

I smiled, as I slowly placed my hand over her head. Too tired to react, she merely closed her eyes, as I sent her into a deep sleep. As she fell back I softly lowered her back into her coffin, and crossed her arms. For some reason I felt the need to make her feel comfortable. Trying out the new power within me I rebuilt her coffin and re-joined the wood, forming an again solid box.
After I was sure she was secure I turned my attention to the roof. Strengthened by my new power, I pushed it hard. Nothing. Again, harder. Still nothing.
Roaring out with rage I punched at the stone roof, and my hand smashed through it, breaking out into the air beyond.

Finally, I was free.

For the first time I stood up straight. My spine clicked as the vertebrae sliped back into place, and after years of lying down I was finaly erect. Surveying the surroundings I saw nothing but a dark tomb, the light from my eyes only reaching a few yards away from me before it died out. Turning I saw the sarcoffagi behind me, the slab upon it cracked, half still in position but the other half lying on the floor a few inches away. A headstone sat before it and, kneeling, I inspected it. Dust and age had worn away some of the letters, the fine marble not willingly weilding its secrets. A spider scuttled across the stone, freezing in the middle as its eyes afixed on me. I smiled, and the spider fell off the stone, and lay on the floor on its back, twiching. I would get used to this power. Returning my attention to the stone, I read.



Looking at the last three lines I squinted to read the name carved onto the stone. After a while I settled on a translation. Lord Drilac'n. Heartbreaker. This is me. That was my name.


A voice startled me into swinging around. A chanting, beautiful and yet deadly, a womans voice, strengthened by a quieter, male voice, was drifting through the narrow hallways of the mausoleum. The words were in a language I did not recognise, but the words were strangely enchanting. As they grew closer, the force holding me together grew stronger. There was also a feint scratching noise. Probably a rat. I stood, hypnatised by the song, as the woman rounded the corner. She was small, and cloaked in a black robe. She seemed alive, and in her left hand she held a staff. Around her neck was furs, draped loosely so they hung down her back. The man, who was far taller, stood over her wearing similar atire. His chanting was far less transfixing, and yet seemed stronger and more powerfull than hers. As he saw me, his chanting stopped, and the power holding me together waned, ever so slightly. Without blinking he said, with little emotion; 'One is out. It shouldn't be too long for the others then.'
I stood, still tranced by the singing. It seemed Titanic, almost as pure as the light itself.
My daze ended when the sargoffagi beside me exploded. The slab on the top flew off and smashed on the ceiling, the debris falling down and bouncing off the hollow skull of the monstrocity climbing out of the grave. His eyes glowed blue, and in his hand he held a large axe, a ceremonial artefact that he had been buried with. No sooner had he stood up did the next grave explode open, then the next, then the next, with similar results. Some of the creatures had small items of clothing wrapped around them, some were wearing armour, alike me. But none, save the last few were anything as near as intact as I was, the worst mere skeletons, some with rotting flesh covering their bodies. Still the man stared at me, and me alone, as if suspecting something. As the last tomb opened, the singing ceased, and the woman turned to exit.
'Wait'
The man was still staring at me, his eyes hadn't even flickered as he said that one word.
'Look'
The woman turned, and also looked at me. As her spell had ended she had lost some of her beauty. Her cheeks were more hollow then first inspection, and her lips thin and wiry. Her eyes were dry and emotionless.
'What?'
'You. Undead. Come to me.'
I stood still.
'You see? He is defective. Something must have gone wrong, he should obey without question. End him and then we will continue.'
The woman approached me, and looked me dead in the eyes. without looking away her hand reached down and grabbed my wrist. She touched me I felt the magic holding me together falling apart. In a panic my other hand flew to her wrist, and I held on, concentrating all my energy into preventing her from removing the spell. She screamed, as the skin that my hand was touching began to blacken, the veins popping out as blood filled them, seemingly unable to get passed my hand. Her skin tightened, and I felt all the warmth flow out of her body, her soul, sweet and young draining into my hand. My eyes glowwed more than ever, and my tougnue touched my dry lips, as her face grew pale and then grey, as the skin tightened around her skull, her eyes rolling upwards and turing red. As I let go, she fell to the floor, and dust poured out her mouth. In my hand was a single, purple crystal, angrily glowing. I smiled. She tasted good.
The man pointed his finger at me, and as one every head in the room turned towards me.

This was going to be fun.

The huge stone doors burst open, and the warm sunlight immediately bathed me in its yellow glow. The helmet I had been holding in my hand dropped to the floor with a clunk, and the yellow skull that was lodged in it rolled out. Falling to my knees I bathed in the rays of light, and after five thousand years, I was outside. But it didn't last for long. The small hole in the clouds that had let the sun through closed smoothly up, and once more it grew dark. But not as dark as inside the mausoleum. I could see clearly, the natural light enough for me to see the Landscape.
This was not my Lordearon. The trees were twisted and dead. The graveyard spanned an unnatural distance, and crows cawed in the distance. Apart from this the woods were silent. A dark blue creature ran from behind a tree, and pounced on something out of view. Men in dark robes, like the one I had salvaged from the Necromancer, moved smoothly around the graveyard, and gnolls peirced shovels into the hallowed ground. In the distance the towers of Lordearon city stood tall and proud, yet broken above a decolate city. What had become of this land? Who was to blame? And... Why did I care?
I turned away from the graveyard, away from the graverobbers and out into the fields of the Tirisfal Glades. I walked for hours, I could not know how long, slowly weaving in and out between trees, advoiding the dead as much as I could. The riseing and lowering of my chest slowed, as the old habit wore off and I realiced that breathing was no longer a neccesity. Darkhounds howled in the distance, duskbats flittering between the trees. The dew on the grass, moist and sticky clung to the hem of the heavy black robe, as I began to regret taking it. Yet no pang of pain, no stich or fatigue came across me, and eventually I reached the shore of Brightwater lake, its dark waters reflecting the tinted green skies. a bone, stained black from ash floated past, bobbing in the otherwise still water. no other movement could be seen across the lake, the opposite bank shrouded in mist, near impossible to make out. Habit forced me to take a deep breath, yet the air I stored in my old lungs seeped out and escaped, my chest deflating as a tingling ran down my spine. Nonetheless I began wading out into the lake, now relieved I had left my cumbersome, heavy armour in my tomb. Dispite the awkward robe, it was supprisingly easy to stay afloat, after centuries of rot my body not weighing much at all. As the cold water closed around me I shivered uncontrollably, not from the cold, but from the water, that was flowing freely around my bones and dampening the remaining intact nerve endings. Stroke after stroke I slowly swam out, across the lake, towards the other shore. As I crossed, my thoughts skittered over my situation, how my heart was still beating, magically assisted, but all it was pumping around my body was dust. How the Citerens had gifted me with the return of my sight, and exactly how I had died. I was pondering so much that I barely noticed when the hand closed around my leg.

Wow...This story is awesome...
You actually got me stuck on the whole story, purely 'cause you keep on pushing forward the conclusions of one part. And once that conclusion was reached, another conclusion was short to follow.
This is some awesome story-writing man! Even exciting to the last phrase, I can't wait to read the next part of this story ^^

I lashed out as the waters of Lake Brightwater closed over my head, the freezing black waters completely ingulfing me. Poloution, dirt and mud had filled the lake, I could not see more than a few inches in front of my face, enchanted eyes or not, and even that I could see there was nothing that could help my current situation. The hand around my ankle was hard and bony, yet its grip was of Iron, and no amount of pulling and wriggling could break it. Desperately I tried to swim upwards, but stroke after stroke did no good as I continued my decent into the depths of the lake. Bubbles were erupting from my mouth, as the last air lodged in my lungs finally escaped, flowing upwards to freedom. I strained against the hand, but nothing. Harder and harder I pulled, yet the hands grip remained strong. At last the tendons holding my leg on at the knee finally snapped, and I shot upwards like a bullet, away from the hand and away from my leg. As I asended I twisted, and stopped myself. Treading water I looked down and sighed, swalowing a lot of water in the process. Then I began to decend back into the depths, after my leg.

Close to an hour later I stopped. My decent was slow, as I only had one leg, and my light body was pushing my upwards towards the surface. My robe was clinging to my skin, my hair floating as all the dirt in the lake got stuck in its thin strands. Without visibility I had no chance of ever finding it in this blackness. I could still feel the hand, gripped around it, But it was no longer moving. Anger swelled in me, and My hand burst into flame, the water quickly extinguishing it with a hiss. Again I attempted to use magic to improve visiblity, consentrating my power into my hands, both bursting into flame and being swiftly extinguished. With one last push, I poured my power through my entire body, as I ignited, fire rippling out across the lake, as the dirt that blackened the water disintegrating and the Poloution melting away to nothing. For a few seconds the water was warm, before the temperature plunged and the waters became cold again. I pitied the fish that had still been alive.
Looking down, I could make out the bed, supprisingly close. Surveying the lake bed for signs of my leg my eye caught a small speck of black on the floor. Unlike the other features of the lake bed this seemed to radiate darkness, and had a strange attraction. Painfully I swam down, and inspected it. It was a small disc of some sort of metal, lying embedded in the dirt, quite far in as if it had struck it with some momentum. And it wasn't just black. There was no colour at all, as if it wasn't there, no shading and it made no reflection from my eyes. Gingerly, I picked it up and held it in my hand. After a few seconds the water started bubbleing, and in shock I dropped it, where it struck the lake bed again and lay there. Inspecting my hand It had burned a small hole into my skin, staining it black. Pulling out a wet bit of cloth I wrapped the coin up and placed it in my pocket. I would evaluate it later. I looked around, and only a few metres away I saw my leg, trapped under the blackened corpse of some undead creature, A ghoul of some sort. I pushed him off and grabbed my leg, and held it in my hand. I wriggled my foot and the foot on the leg wriggled as well. Interesting. I would have to find some way of re-attaching it. I remembered in the Tomb, one of the Undead had no legs. I had looked down on him with some pity, as he crawled towards me. I then Impaled his head to the ground with a spear. Turning my attention to the bank, I began swimming, slowly, Leg in hand towards the shore.
After several hours of swimming I erupted out of the water, and threw myself onto the sandy bank. Spitting out water I lay there, yet I didn't feel tired at all. Slowly, I dropped the leg, and then lifted my head, looking out towards the mountains. Inches from my face was a Pair of evil red eyes, as a Darkhound eyed up his dinner.

Snarling the beast lept, another pouncing out of the bushes a few metres away, a third at its heels. Snapping at my throat I put all my strength to pushing it off, one hand on its nuzzle, another on its chest, its jaws closing inches from my face. With a grunt I pushed the creature off of me, it twisting as it arked over my head and splashed into the lake behind me. With seconds to spare I grabbed the leg next to me and swung it, the heavy plate boot crunching into the second Darkhounds skull mid leap, pushing it to the side where it lay, the side of its head caved in. I tried to swing it back the other way, but the third Darkhound was too quick for me, its front paws digging into my chest, tearing both robe and flesh on both sides revealing six ribs, which poked out of my clothes. Lying on my back I swung at its head, my hands bursting into flame mid-swing, and the beast yelped, before jumping off me and throwing its head into the lake. Without a moments rest the first Darkhound, enraged and bloodthirsty burst from the lake, its coat wet and shaken, and it eyed me up before pouncing, its teeth once more at my throat, with renewed strength. Twisting and thrashing, there was little I could do to throw the Beast off a second time, its claws ripping into my arms as they pinned them down. Slowly, its moves more calcluated, its head loomed over mine for the final kill.
Suddenly it was pushed off as the Third darkhound, its face twisted, its flesh warped, pounced on it, snarling in warning. The defeated creature turned into the woods and fled as the victor turned its sights on me, its eyes hungry for revenge. My left arm now freed I swung it at him, but, expecting the move, the beast turned its head and snapped at my elbow, its teeth ripping my flesh open and striking the bone underneath. I bit my lip to hide the pain as the Darkhound threw an entire chunk of flesh away and turned its attention to my throat. In quiet desperation my right arm, still pinned to my side, slipped into my pocket where it gripped around the peice of cloth that lay in there, hiding its dark treasure. Pulling it out the contents slipped into my hand, and began to heat up, steadily burning the palms of my hands. Hiding the pain I flicked my wrist and the black coin flew up into the air, where it landed on the beasts back. undistracted by the small weight the Darkhound prepared for the final strike, before stopping, its eyes open in supprise. Yelping its head twisted, its jaws snapping at its back as it attempted to dislodge the artifact, but the damage had been done, the coin slowly melting its skin, embedded into its back, making its way down into its body. The smell of burning flesh arose, the Darkhound jumping off me and hopping around, crying out, twisting its head back and fourth as it tried in vain to reach its back. Whilst this was happening I managed to get myself up onto one knee, and watched as the beast finally fell, quivering, to the floor. Staggering towards it I inspected its back, a black hole, reddened at the sides, dug deep into its back. Pushing the beast over another hole, an exit wound, lay on its belly, the coin lying on the grass below. Wrapping it in the cloth again I pushed it back into my pocket, keen to use its wonderous gift again. Pulling my leg close, I grabbed some lose thread from my ripped robe and got to work re-attaching it.

The pathway towards centeral Lordaeron streched out towards the pass, a dence line of trees on either side as the forest gave way to the road, its large flagstones stained eerily red. Bushes and trees had begun slowly creeping out, small saplings and weeds breaking the structure of the road, from lack of use and poor care. This was the only sign of life, as the entire strech lay deserted. My boots made a hollow sound as I strode down it, this being the only sound I could hear beside the rustling of leaves as a phantom wind blew through the woods. I had found the road near an hour after leaving the lake, my leg sufficiently lashed onto my body with thread, enough to prevent it falling off under my weight. I had been walking east for near to a day, ignoring the falling and eventually rising light, from my resting place in the graveyard to here, and finally I was approaching the pass into my destination, the Lands of Andorhal, my target. I remembered farmland, lush trees and fields, workers, and, even though I had only shreds of memory, I knew I would find my revenge there. I cared little about beauty and the aestetics of the place but maybe, maybe I could find a home there. Looking up I saw the two mountains, forming a 'v' shape on either side of the road, the path running right through the pass. Slowly, I approached the gap, and looked out into the Region of Andorhal.
My Face froze.
This was not what I remembered. The trees were dark and twisted, purple and red leaves hung off their dead branches. A bear, its flesh torn and blackened limped painfully between the tight trees. Four Plumes of smoke, acrid and green, rose above the trees, from four unique loactions. Nothing was alive. This was worce then Tirisfal.
This, was the Plaguelands.

I was running. Progress had been slow. The trees were unrelenting, branches always smacking into my face as I ran through the forest, thorns and vines snagging at my legs and robes, pulling me back as I forced my way past the dead, curced trees. Even the moss was dead, brown and dry covering the carpet of the forest floor. I could hear the feint movement of water, always to my right, as the river flowed towards my destination. Behind me I could hear the clinking of bones and armour, grinding against each other as the Skeletons followed my wake. Try as I might I couldn't shake the memory of the Caudron from my mind, towering above the farm spilling its foul contents out onto the ground. The acrid black liquid had hissed as it dripped onto the proud metal stand the Cauldron sat on, melting it ever so slightly with each drip. The Purple smoke billowing out of the top, streaming up into the air, darkening the skies as the smoke formed a thick mist. And the Undead who surrounded it, countless in number simply standing guard, never breathing, never moving... untill they saw me. And now they were after me. I could hear them, steadily running after me, never faltering, ignoring the branches that swing at them, ploughing through the forest. Suddenly, as the Undead were barely nibbling at my back the trees ubruptly stopped and I flew out, into open air, leaping off the cliff that had just opened out beneath me and arking into the river below.

The still water was worse than Brightwater Lake. Its thick, viscous slime stuck to my robes and left a foul taste in my mouth, the residue from whatever those cauldrons were spilling out running into the water and polouting it horribly. the flow had completely ground to a halt, and now the water just lay there, slowly fermenting, too thick to evaporate or sift into the ground. Pulling myself to the surface I trod water, looking up at the cliff I had fallen off. On the brim stood my Persuers, just standing there looking down. Then as one they turned round and marched back the way they had come. I trod water for a while, curcing my incompotence and dumb luck, before turing around and looking up at the ruined city above me.

Andorhal.

Keeping to the shadows I wove in and out of the dark alleyways, between broken walls and under ruined beams of burnt wood. Undead swarmed the streets, but keeping to the less traveled streets I could make my way slowly to the centre of the city. The city was huge, far larger than any memories I could muster, but as I approached the centre the streets grew more and more familier, and my progress sped up, dispite the growing number of undead. ducking under the low, yet intact roof of a stable I looked out, completely hidden by shadows, at the centeral plaza of the city. A statue of an unidentifiable king stood proud in the centre of a circle of grass, the broken flagstones of the plaza surrounding it. In front of it stood a creature, a vortex of magic flowing around it, a white skull illuminated by light taking its place at the head of the vortex. Items of clothing floated around its arcane body, and carefull inspection could make out a body, hiden within the light, withered and dead, yet still moving. Behind this Lich was the Ciry hall, its windows broken and its door broken down. Planning my route around the plaza, I retreated back into the shadows.

Finally making it to the back of the city hall I hoised myself up onto the windowsill and ducked through the broken window. Jumping down my feet made a hollow sound that echoed through the hall. I moved over to the door of the Council chamber I was in and closed it, turning the key in the rusty lock, as I heard the bolt slide noisily into place. I turned and looked across the empty hall. Down the side lay statues, some lying a few feet away from their pedastals, statues of unidentifiable men. A circle of chairs lay scattered In the centre of the room, the Largest bearing a large cut a few inches into the wood, blood scattering the back. Moving around the room I waved a hand over a burnt splint of wood in a brazier on the wall, which burst into flames sending eerie shadows dancing across the room. A cabinet stood upon a rostrum at the far end of the hall, the glass front still intact, dispite its age. I approached it, and looked into it, scanning its dark contents. Instead I saw my reflection, and recoiled slightly. My skin was tight over my Jaw, giving my chin a square look. The scars down my forehead were still there, the scratches cutting even into the bone, the skin peeled away at each side. Inside my eyes were the Stones, Shining out, reflecting light off the glass a bright orangey yellow. I pressed my hand against the glass, its smooth surface soft to the touch. My fingers quivered slightly, as I stared as the reflection. Closing my eyes I searched my head for memories. Anything, anything at all that could tell my why I came back to this bleak city.
Phantaz.
I opened my eyes again. Staring back at me, my own reflectin was a young man, Wearing the armour of a Soldier, a captain in the Lordaeron army. On one shoulder a woman faded into view, more beautiful than anything, wearing a red dress, smiling back at me. And on the other shoulder a large bluey black creature was forming into view, eyes red and angry, smoke billowing from its body... I began to close the hand pressing against the glass, my fingernails scratching down its surface leaving feint marks as my hand closed into a fist. I stared at the woman on my left shoulder, then at the deamon on my right. Suddenly, raising my fist I smashed it against the glass, its image splitting and falling to the floor in a thousand peices. Thrusting my hand into the cabinet I withdrew the Scythe that held pride of place within, and swing it around, in an anti-clockwise ark. The blade cut through the woman, who evaporated into dust, and embedded itself into the wall, its long shaft pinning the Demon to the wall. Taking a step back I realised that the vision was real, and I fell over the banister behind me into the lower area of the Council Chamber. The Demon roared, raising its fists into the air, then moved through the thick shaft of the scythe, and approached the balcony above me, looking down as I stared up at it.

Phantaz...

Phantaz...

Above me stood the creature that had killed me, the creature that had curced me, who was to held accountable for everything. Not only that but he was a threat to the world, and ulthough his motives were unknown to me at the time, I knew he was up to no good. But this creature, this Voidwalker, was not him. I remembered a dark creature, tall and proud, Huge black wings sprouting out of his back, Evil horns, sharp as a blade. Not this... Spirit. This creature looked nothing like the Demon that had killed me. But it was him. I could sence it. Yet he was shattered, weak. And this time, I could beat him.

Throwing myself up onto my feet I concentrated my power out through my hands, shooting a ball of fire at the creature. Wincing he drifted back a step, but with a hiss it closed in on me. I sent another bolt out of my other hand, but this time he barely noticed it. With a swing of his giant claw he thrashed my chest, throwing my backwards across the room, smashing into one of the upright chairs, knocking it back with me. Climbing to my feet I gathered my strengths, and fired a massive fireball at the demon, pushing it back into the balcony where it broke up slightly, its earthly figure fading, before strengthening again into the mass of shadow that closed in on me. As it drifted towards me, bolts of blue lightning flashing out of the black cloud at its base, dancing off the floor, its massive fists clenched, I powered up another shot.
"Don't think hot, think strong." I paused at this voice, singing in my ear. It was female and light, but I could see no source. "Dominate it, bend its will to your own."
I braced myself, clenching my fists, elbows raised behind me as my eyes flashed Orange. Light was slowly being drawn out of the room, flowing into my fists, which were begining to dissapear under a veil of shadow. My eyes were glowing rediculously, my eyebrows furled over them, a deep scowl on my brow and a sly smile on my face. As Phantaz reached me, raising his fists for a powerfull blow I threw my hands together, one fist smashing into the others palm as they both made contact with the creatures chest. It was at this point I releaced the shadowy power within me, the blast throwing me back as purple lightning twisted and writhed as it flew out of my fists, right into Phantaz' heart. As I flew back, thrown by the blast to the floor, Phantaz was also thrown back, smashing into the great window at the other end of the hall. On contact the already damaged window simply shattered, and the figure of Phantaz spread simply passed right through, and out of sight. Not wasting a second I flung myself to my feet and ran the length of the hall, leaping over the balistrade at one end and ripping the Scythe out of the wall as I reached it. I vaulted the window ledge, and landed outside, falling to one knee.
As I raised my head I looked out and saw the Demon, shards of glass lodged in his shadowy figure, green eyes flashing, as it closed in on be with a roar. Around me were undead, closing in on this new threat that had invaded their world. With a smile, I swing the scythe in a wide arc, the blade and shaft sliving through the frail skeletons like butter, their discarded bones falling to the floor in a cloud of dust. As I completed my swing I put all my effort into smashing it as hard as possible into the Demons form, and the hard shaft knocked him ot the side. Swinging his arm over his head he flung a punch at my head, and I threw my self out of the way just in time, the fist instead swinging round as he aimed another massive punch. A seconds hesitation prevented my advoidence of the swing. The fist smashed into my chest, and as it made contact the shadow deteriorated, soaking into my body, and in a flash I saw an image of a woman before my vision returned to the real world. Looking up, since I was now on the floor I saw another punch flying down, as I rolled out of the way, leaving the scythe behind. Twisting I made a grab for it but the fist smashed into it, striking the blade. There was a flash of light and a bang and I looked up to see Phantaz recoiling, nurcing hid hand as the Scythes blade smoked slightly, embedded into the ground from the force of the punch. Pulling myself back to my feet I prepared a combat stance, defenceless as the Undead closed in around myself and Phantaz, enraged and ready to kill.

Again envoking my power I built it up, a great fire building in my chest, storing it as it grew in strength and power. Surveying the scene I mentally drew a circle around the scene, before the horde of undead but enough room to properly combat the recovering Demon. When I felt I had gathered enough power I releaced it, and the circle erupted, flames shooting out of the ground, building aroung encircling us and closing us in. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest, and I knew that it would take all the power I had to maintain the circle. Glancing at the ground I clutched my chest and staggered back a step, recovering. I could feel the heat building, from all sides, as the smoke billowed out and closed a canopy over our heads. We were completely sealed in. No way out.
Looking up I saw Phantaz closing in, and fatigued I dodged, not as nimbly as before, yet escaping the fist just in time. Again he swung and again I dodged. Counterattacking I swing a fist back at him, but the moment my fist made contact with his chest My vision flashed and I saw the woman again. My vision returning I had barely enough time to throw myself out of the way of the next punch. I threw myself to the ground, landing a few inches away from the scythe. Phantaz moved over me and prepared for a final punch, building up his strength for a killing blow. Throwing my arm forward I grabbed the shaft of the scythe and pulled it out of the ground, ripping up clumps of turf with it. I wrenched it up and swing around, the Blade slicing right into Phantaz' side, dissapearing into his shadowy flesh. Stumbling backwards he looked at his side in supprise, as the scythe was slowly becoming visable through his skin, radiating light which shone out of the wound. Reaching down he pulled the scythe out, and threw it to the ground. Vengefully lunging forwards he went for me, and at that exact moment I dropped the fire wall. Using the stored energy, and all I have left, I began to draw everythign I could from Phantaz, attempting to forcefully break his will. Purple light tore out of him and I licked the power up, dispite the fact it was stinging me, painfully draining me as well as him. Roaring Phantaz tried to pull away, but the scythe had greatly weakened him and he droped down. Black wings flashed out of his back, and for a split second I saw what he once was. Then large bracers, bindings of fel Iron began materialising on his wrists and he looked at them painfully. Finally I let the draining beam drop, and I dropped to the floor. Looking up I saw Phantaz loom over me, massive bindings surrounding his wrist.

"...Master..."


End of Chapter 1