Chapter 26

Talia strained against Nathan and Mariah’s hold on her as they continued to pull her away. After they had pulled her a fair distance, they released her.

“Relina, Dominic and his men did the right thing. There was nothing we could have done to help them. Please go with Mayella to safety.” At that moment, in between the cries of the victors and dying Talia heard the call that the main army had broken through enemy lines and she remembered her vision.

“Nathan! Mayella! Mariah! Colette!” She spoke with authority as she gripped her fists.

“Yes my Lady Divine!” They answered in unison.

“Did you believe in me, when I was named the Divine Knight of Valoria?”

“Yes, my lady.” They replied. Talia began to glow.

“Do you believe that I am the champion of Aneira’s children?”

“Yes, my lady.” Talia only hoped that her body could withstand a trance.

“Then believe in me now. I am Talia Degracia, Divine Knight of Valoria and my people need me!” Talia’s body burst into light and though she was not singing, the aura around her sang as if filled with voices of thousands of aria flies going to war.

“My lady, if you invoke wrath again, everyone will die including yourself.” Mayella cautioned.

“I do not intend to invoke wrath.” Talia replied. “I intend to champion my people.” As the effects of trance began to amplify Talia’s body, her vision not only recovered but magnified. Now Talia could not only see Talic, Eliza, Zelus, Thomas and everyone else around her, but she could still sense the essence of magic surrounding the enemy. She saw Rowan squaring off against a pack and immediately knew that she alone could defy the supremacy of Aneira’s visions.

“Lady Mayella. I need you to seek out Giles in the labyrinth. Send him to the castle gates and look after those with him now.” Mayella nodded her head.

“It shall be done my .” Mayella began to run as quickly as she could. Talia turned back to her comrades and unsheathed her sword.

“For Valascaa!” She yelled as she, Nathan and Mariah all charged forward. She saw the near replica of her visions before her as she watched the Daemon Knight Caliban approach, the lady death knight by his side. Several more death knights stood beside him, each bearing a crest of a Valascaan noble family. Talia immediately moved towards them as she saw people collapsing from the madness aura. Talia looked to the red cloud and saw the runes floating within and focused her energy upon it. As she lifted her wounded hand to direct the flow, she began to feel the pain the damaged limb had endured. Talia, however, ignored the pain and continued to focus on the rune until it vanished. Next Talia saw both Caliban and the lady in black armor turned their attention towards her.

“Nathan, Mariah!” Talia called. Both turned to look at her.

“My lady?”

“Please begin ensuring that the civilians are safely removed from the combat zone. Sir Dominic bought us time, but the enemy will eventually get through the west gate and we’ll be overrun. We must begin pulling back to the nobles’ quarter and funnel the enemy.”

“Understood my lady!” They both answered before running off. Talia looked up above and saw Oz soaring through the air in his battle armor, swooping down occasionally to assault the enemy. Talia signaled to Oz as she ran forward, focusing a large amount of energy into her sword arm.

“Sir Talic!” She cried as she ran toward him. “We must push them back so that we can move the rest of the civilians behind the gates to the nobles’ quarter.” Talic slashed through a Forsaken as he looked to the gates. By now, Talia was upon Talic even as Caliban moved in closer.

“We only need focus on the leaders. Without them, the others will be much more manageable.” By now, Rowan and Keagan had arrived by their side. They each repelled another foe as Talic spoke up.

“We need to keep them from opening the west gate. I have men out in the field yet. We may need to withdraw towards the nobles’ quarter ourselves.”

“I have already asked for the others to make preparations.”

“Good work, now let us deal with these two.” They all turned toward Caliban and the lady death knight. As Caliban unleashed his burden aura, Talia attempted to strike at the rune as she had the madness aura. She could still feel the burden rune’s effect but they felt weakened. Everyone remained in motion, slightly slowed, but still notably in the fight.

Talia swung in unison with the others and felt as her blade shattered against Caliban’s body. As the energy she channeled unleashed, Caliban was knocked backwards as was everyone else. Instantly, Talia began to feel the strain of using too much energy. Her knees buckled slightly and Oz dove down beside her, keeping the Forsaken away. Caliban and the lady death knight recovered much more quickly than the others and immediately rejoined the fray. Talic, Keagan, Andre, Oz, Talia and Annette all lashed out, their blows deflected by the two.

“I AM COMING AENORA!” The mad king cried out, his deranged voice permeating the air.

“The Forsaken have entered the keep! They are in the castle!” Talia’s head whipped back.

“We are running out of time!” She yelled as she began setting off force runes. The lady knight whipped around, knocking down Keagan and struck Talia in the face with her open hand. Talia fell backwards and felt her light flicker as her trance ended. As the lady knight ran up on Talia, Caliban knocked Talic backwards and reached out towards her.

The next thing she saw was Rowan jumping in between her and Caliban and slicing away Caliban’s right pinky and ring finger. As his fingers and ring fell to the ground, Caliban bellowed, a shockwave bursting out. . Within seconds, Zelus jumped in and caught the lady knight’s left hand with his metallic right.

“Go help the citizens in the castle. Rowan and I can keep them busy until our men break the lines.” Zelus strained as he threw the lady knight back and slashed across her stomach. She howled at him but attacked again. “No way that hand is touching me again.” Zelus yelled as he knocked her palm away again. Eliza ran up from behind Talia and helped her to her feet.

“Don’t get yourself killed pretending to be heroic now.” Eliza yelled at Zelus.

“Will you just go already?” Rowan and Keagan turned to Talic.

“Please go commander. We have this under control.” Talic quickly began to follow Tear, Eliza and Talia.

“My Lady Divine, you will need this!” Zerendil called as he pushed passed his opponents. He pulled the Sidonis sword from his hip and tossed it to Talia. She threw her broken sword aside and caught the Sidonis sword, which she fastened to her hip. Rowan, Zelus, Oz, Zerendil and the others stayed behind to handle the Forsaken coming through the gates. As they neared the castle entryway, they were greeted by a group of Forsaken, engaged with Giles, Colette, Nathan and Mariah. Talia ran up and slashed her way through to her allies as they fought back against their own wave of Forsaken.

“Let’s continue to push back! We need to be able to seal the doors if we are to have a chance at reclaiming the keep!” Talic yelled while he quickly dismantled four more of the creatures.. Tear’s body lit up as she sent a shock of force through her opponents and, spinning in midair, began to call up vines, which began coiling around the entryway.

“That will slow them. Quickly, inside! Everyone is counting on us to rescue the citizens.” Tear ran passed and entered the keep. Talia and the others followed behind and once inside began to push the doors shut. As they closed, they felt a hard thud against them, as a number of enemies tried to gain access. Talia began casting every protective enchantment she could think of as Tear infused her power in the potted flowers and they swelled to massive proportions.

“Go on without me!” Tear called back. “I will not let them through.” They all hesitated, but did not argue. Eliza and the others ran off towards the stairs as an elite guard stumbled down the steps, badly wounded.

“There is a demon swordsman in the council chambers. They came through a hole in the wall with a small army!” The guard collapsed onto the ground as Talia approached. She tried to mend his wounds, but quickly realized that he was too far gone.

“Where did they go?”

“Some went towards the nobles but the demon, the demon took a small contingent and marched straight for the council. You have to help them!” As the guard died, Talic turned to the others. “Nathan, Colette, Mariah! I need you to go and aid the nobles. Talia, Eliza and I will go after the swordsman. If it is what I expect, we will need our Lady Divine.” Everyone nodded and Talia could not help but sense that Talic did not want Eliza to go with him but knew that she would anyway. Everyone divided and began to carry out their orders as they began fighting their way to and up the stairwell.

The Forsaken flooded from an open passageway below. Talia and the others continued to fight their way through the enemy both above and below as they slowly gained ground up the stairs.

Nathan, Colette, Giles and Mariah “They are still coming through!” Nathan yelled as he and Colette held the Forsaken advance, Mariah dealt with the last few remaining within the ballroom where the nobles had gathered.

“Is there no way to seal the passage?” Colette yelled as she attempted to block a stray blow.

“None that I see.” Colette turned her head and projected her voice down the hall.

“Tear! If you are able, we could desperately use your help!” No answer came back that Colette could hear as she continued to fight off the swell of Forsaken. She continued to fight back as she and Nathan began to accumulate wounds.

“Mariah! I don’t know how much more time we can buy you!” They could hear the sound of swords clanging together from the battle below. “Mariah?”

WE ARE TRYING!” She snapped back at Nathan who jumped slightly. As he continued to battle the horde, he noticed vines beginning to grow around the passage entrance. Nathan and Colette both smiled as they saw Tear’s aid and continued pushing back against the tide as the vines shot downward. Immediately, the Forsaken became entwined in the vines. As they struggled against them, several Forsaken accidentally began to stab or entangle one another. With the Forsaken entangled, Nathan and Colette eased off.

“Nathan, please go and check on Mariah, I will see how Tear is.” Nathan nodded and ran down the hall as Colette moved the other way toward Tear. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found Tear kneeling on the ground exhausted. She was bowed before a massive wall of vines, plants and flowers.

“They have made it passed the west gate. I do not know if I can hold them all for long but I am doing my best.” Colette walked beside Tear and placed her hand on her shoulder.

“Then I shall take up my stand beside you.” After another brief moment, they could hear footsteps approaching from above.

“Tear, Colette! Are you alright?” Nathan called as he came down the last few stairs. “WOW! Tear, you are amazing!”

“Are Mariah and Giles alright?” Tear asked ignoring Nathan’s flattery.

“Yes they are guarding the hall, to make sure no more Forsaken enter. What should we do?” Another large “thud” rattled the door. Everyone save Tear jumped from the outburst. Tear looked back to the door as she slowly rose to her shaky feet.

“Now we buy as much time as we can.”