Young Writers Society

Note: Borderline R since Hilga swore and a little bit of violence. I am not too happy with Amar and Kelric's performance in this piece, they seemed so much more promising prior. Outclassed by actual fighters like Hilga, Griff, Raquil the flow of battle was hampered mostly by Belrusi's actions. Though I don't think this will be the end of their appearances. At last a true battle occurs with the very old school Belrusi, the kind of stand there and pwn everything caster. I really am not too fond of the end of this piece, but rather then risk throwing off chapter 12, 13 and 14, I'll keep it shortened for now. Still have Raye's scene, and the matter of the Celestial Church to handle. This might be the last bit up for now. I really want to get some reviews in, so many people reading and so few commenting!

On to the chapter.

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Chapter 11

As Tenji, Kek and Griff moved closer to Amar, Kelric and Cardinal Belrusi, Tenji was the first one sense the trap. Raising his staff, he called out, “Break!” Lightning descended from the heavens and struck Cardinal Belrusi's in a blinding flash and loud concussion which reverberated throughout the swamp. Amar opened his cloak and threw a swarm of daggers at Tenji, the old man cried out as they pierced his chest and he swung his staff at Amar to annihilate him with another thunderbolt, but it redirected to Cardinal Belrusi's body in another loud bang.

“Two bolts,” Belrusi laughed, “Too bad they don't work on me. Judgement is one of our weapons. Did you really think you could hurt me with it?”

Kek pulled a knife from its sheath and stood in front of the injured Tenji, raising his blade at Amar. While Griff rushed Kelric as the man reached for his massive sword. Reduced to using cutlery against the Cardinal's SS, he rushed forward, knowing his combat dagger still lay in the heart of the Cardinal's puppet. Kelric swung his massive sword at Griff's waist, but the agile fighter ducked low and the sword impaled itself in the tree just inches from Belrusi's side. Finding its mark in the man's neck, a shower of blood gushed out and onto Griff, as the mighty man drew back in shock. His hand coming off the sword.

“Primo medic,” Belrusi pointed his finger at Kelric, a green light shot forth into the man's neck where the knife impaled itself and through the red beard stained with blood, the wound closed itself and began to heal.

“You're quick,” Kelric laughed as he swung his fist at Griff, the man's surprise allowed a crushing blow to the chest followed by another an another.

Pummeled by the man's relentless strikes to his chest, Griff stumbled back as the man reached once more for his massive sword, pulling it from the tree in a single mighty snap which severed the trunk. The tree fell harmlessly into the swamp between Griff and Kek.

Tenji pulled the daggers from his chest and threw them into the folds of his cloak, pointing his spear at Belrusi, “Kek kick his ass! I'll handle the Cardinal!”

“Will you now?” Belrusi pulled back the sleeve of his right hand and pointed it at Tenji, “Potentia linga! Ignis incendia, Harbinger's Fleo. Ignis incendia, Harbinger's Fleo...”

“Into the water!” yelled Tenji as the Cardinal chanted his spell. Kek and the old man dove into the shallow swamp water just in time to see the the massive fireball encompass the swamp. Everything caught fire above the waterline directly in front of the Cardinal's line of sight, wet reeds were vaporized and the trees creaked and danced upon the wave of flame which engulfed them. Passing by, Tenji poked his head out and swung his staff at the Cardinal, lightning shot forth from the forked tip and struck him, but again it did not have any effect.

“What the hell are you?” Kek growled.

“An angel. A devil. It doesn't matter, for I am a god compared to you,” Belrusi pointed his hand at Griff, “Restraint.”

Griff's muscles locked up and he fell to the ground at Kelric's feet, “Goddamn magic.”

“Magic?” Belrusi scoffed, “I don't take the chances of those barbarians. I prefer a more... elusive medium to work my miracles.”

Kelric moved over to the fallen Griff and pointed his sword against Griff's neck, “Magic, alchemy, whatever you call it. It is nothing compared to the Science of Life.”

Hilga suddenly appeared from the darkness with her sword firmly in hand and those murderous eyes fixated upon Kelric. Cardinal Belrusi's hand shot out at her sudden appearance, a blue fireball aimed directly in front of the charging woman, but her speed allowed a quick change to avoid the deadly blast and simultaneously lob off Kelric's head in a single pass. Blood erupted from the man's neck as Hilga's blade past through, his body fell back and collapsed in a heap next to Griff.

“Oh? So you are the missing captain of the Order of the Heavenly Snow,” Belrusi let out a soft sigh, “I wasn't expecting you. A slight miscalucat-”

Hilga darted over from the fallen Kelric and impaled her blade into his neck, “Fuck you.”

Kek staggered back at the sight of the woman, “How? You were dead.”

“Long story,” Hilga pulled her blade from Belrusi's neck, “Let's finish this and get out of here.”

Belrusi gurgled as blood flowed down his neck, unable to speak his spell. A shimmer of blue light flashed around his body just moments before he was consumed in an inferno from which Hilga dodged only partly, her beautiful breastplate partially vaporized and melted away without even the touch of the flame.

“Whoa,” Hilga gasped, and stared into the burning pillar of flame, “The air is burning!”

Tenji pointed his staff at Belrusi and another powerful lightning bolt shot forth from the tip and directly into the heated vortex of the fire. The lightning exploded into five slow moving majestic balls of purest light, hovering several feet off the ground. The flames died away and Belrusi was revealed once more, his neck wound cauterized by the flame, yet the rest of him lay unscathed.

Amar too concerned about his master, threw himself in front of the strange orbs of ball lightning where upon touching his body, exploded tearing off chunks of flesh and killing him instantly, yet saving Belrusi from the same fate.

“Possession backfired. Guards useless. My SS died so crudely,” Belrusi slowly raised his hands up towards the moon, “Kilirae, forgive me. They must be punished for these sins.”

Carrying Leaus in his arms, Raquil finally reached the others just in time to witness the Cardinal's greatest attack so far. Brilliant diamonds floated up into the air all around the swamp, the moon's light reflecting around one another in a perfect circle strewn with astronomical arrays. Tenji recognized the spell and cried out once more, “Everyone into the water, it's another Harbinger spell!”

Griff, freed from the affect of the invisible restraints was the first one to scamper into the water on his hands and feet, thrashing wildly to escape the terrifying presence of Belrusi. Hilga thrust her sword into Belrusi, square at his heart and watched the blade suddenly glow bright red before the steel began to melt and flow down the robes of the Cardinal, unable to pierce the cloth through the flameless inferno around him.

“Harbinger's devoveo. 1M Crepusculum falsus,” Belrusi announced as Hilga dove under the shallow water.

Centered around his body, an explosion of blinding brightness enveloped his body. Tearing away at everything, the water offered no protection this time from the immense blast of fire that tore away the land. In a single moment the Temple Knights vanished along with the swamp, forest, and even the hillside upon which the temple was constructed. A midnight sun banished the darkness for Fegoria, Frae, Marham and Gyuhdin. Stretching up into the clouds, the light overtook them and pushed them away till the explosion reached its limit and extended forward in a plum of a mushroom shaped dustcloud.

At its apex, the blast encompassed an area of nearly three kilometers, but its deadly effects carried far beyond as the forest swayed back and forth in a full blaze under hurricane force winds. Entire towns caught fire and burned away in seconds, the blazing timbers and hay roofs falling in and killing their occupants still in their beds. All life within some twelve kilometers burned under the heat thrown off by this fireball radiated from the Cardinal's own body. From high above the ground, the devastation was horrifying, from what was once the vibrant landscape was now a scorched earth with miles of black glass.

Belrusi staggered back in a daze, his eyes desperately trying to see the results of his spell. To his shock, six figures stood out from the returning darkness, bathed in the pure light of the moon, “Impossible.”

Griff weakly laughed as he fell to the ground, “Nice shot.”

“BASTARDS! Who are you?” Belrusi swung his fist and fell to his knees, his gasps indicating his limit, “No mortal can survive that...”

Raquil picked up Griff in his arms and grinned, “Maybe you are not dealing with mortals?”

The six quickly retreated across the scorched earth, leaving behind the smallest patch of untouched ground in front of the weakened Cardinal. If it was not for the cloak of intense flame protected him, he would surely have been finished off, but for now the Ebon Masters beat a hasty retreat to once more escape into the darkness.

Belrusi kept his ground for several minutes before succumbing to exhaustion and at last the aura of flame disappeared making him vulnerable once more, but no one was around to take advantage of his weakness.