The Land: Forging (Chaos Seeds Book 2)

CHAPTER 9

Yoshi made eye contact and nodded once. Bows were unlimbered, and the fighters walked back towards the distant sounds. There was more blood to be spilled. Yoshi separated the remaining sprites into three teams. The order for the other two groups was to find pockets of attackers. They would fire and retreat, using the concealment of the mists for protection. Richter advised all of them about the properties of his spell.

“They won’t be able to see you unless you get too close, within five or ten feet. Once you attack though it negates the enchantment for a short while. Also, if you imbue an arrow, they may be able to detect you despite the mists. If that happens retreat until they lose sight of you, and then attack again. They ALL die!” The sprites had no objections. They had lost treasured friends and comrades.

The final group was comprised of Yoshi, Richter, Sion, Daniella, and a fifth sprite named Red. Richter guessed it was because he was wearing a red shirt. When Daniella had asked what their mission was Yoshi had simply said one word, “Modara.”

They all moved off into the mists following the distant sounds of shouts. Richter had handed out his last mana regeneration potions to his group. They drank the potions on the run. Each group separated from the others as they ran. Being able to see through the mists meant the sprites could move much faster than the bugbears. It wasn’t long before Richter saw blue flashes in the distance to his left, followed by shouts of pain. Thirty seconds later a similar scene unfolded to their right. Yoshi didn’t pause. He kept running with the rest of his party right behind him. They passed two more pockets of enemies, but still the half human didn’t slow. He wanted the Death mage.

They finally found the hooded caster at the boundary of the village. She and the black robed mage were surrounded by five skeletons and three bugbears. The rest must have gotten lost in the Confusing Mist. Richter expected Yoshi to rush in, but he waved them to stop once they had found their quarry. The mages would most likely already be gone if not for the trench. Bugbears on the other side were bringing up another make shift bridge though. The casters would escape in mere minutes.

Yoshi turned to Richter, “We need to remove one of the casters quickly. If we imbue our arrows, they’ll see us and I don’t think we can stand against both Modara and the Dark Mage. Do you have a way to take one out quietly?”

Richter thought for a moment going through his skills and spells. Nothing came to mind except… He pulled an arrow out his bag of holding with a smile. Yoshi looked at and then smiled in return.

Arrow of Stun. Chance to stun target for 3-5 seconds.

“This will do,” the sword adept said. Turning to the other sprites, he said, “Poison your arrows. The first two volleys will be done without imbuing. After that, just fight well. Do not risk yourselves unnecessarily, but you all know what that dark elf bitch took from the Hearth Mother. The goal is to kill her. All else is secondary. Lord Richter has a stun arrow. Red and I will approach them from the south. You begin firing from the north. The signal for both attacks is when the first caster falls to the stun arrow. Lord Richter I suggest you target the weaker caster, the Dark Mage. The risk of Modara resisting the effects of the arrow is too great. I will finish her myself,” he said as he held his two blades.

They quickly rebuffed, and then Richter gave the dangerous sword adept a simple nod. Richter took aim on his target. Yoshi and Red faded to the left while Sion and Daniella moved to the right. Counting to ten to allow everyone to get into position, Richter then drew his bow back and sighted on the black robed Dark mage. His breathing slowed. He drew in a final breath, and then let loose his bow with his exhale.

The arrow pierced the Dark mage in the chest. The simple robes she was wearing were no match for Richter’s Recurve Bow of the Wood Sprite. It penetrated and she collapsed to the ground not moving. At the same time, Alma swooped down releasing a burst of psychic power that made Modara shriek, and two of the bugbears drop to their knees screaming. Sion and Daniella sank arrows into the final bugbear. One found a home in his furry throat and he fell back with a wet gurgle. The critical strike coupled with the poison on the arrow heads ensured he would not rise again.

Modara thrust her staff at Alma in a rage, unleashing a dark destructive beam. Much to Richter’s relief however, his agile familiar was able to avoid the attack and flew off into the mist. Thank god she had cast Haste again! The skeletons started moving towards Sion and Daniella. That was when Yoshi attacked. He flew into their midst and his twin swords flashed in every direction. Bones flew off as he deconstructed the skeletons piece by piece. The Dark magic that had initially made the undead stronger had since faded.

Red ran into the fray, swinging his sword. He was able to dodge the swings of the skeletons easily. The Dark mage was starting to rise, but Yoshi broke off his attack on the undead and stabbed him in the heart. With his death, the remaining skeletons dropped to the ground in a clatter of bones. Sion and Daniella’s Imbued strikes were keeping Modara huddled behind a spherical purple-black shield. She was chanting a spell, and with a shout her hand extended out in a claw. Two beams made of silver black fire shot from the chests of both bugbears to her hand. Pulses shot from their bodies towards Modara, and the energy gathered in an expanding ball centered on her hand. The two bodies slowly rose into the air, as their life energies were drained away by the Death mage. Unfortunately, Red’s dash brought him within the radius of Modara’s spell as well, and a third tether shot from his chest. The sprite’s back arched in spasm.

Yoshi yanked his gaze up from the Dark mage’s body and seeing Red being attacked reared back and threw his sword at Modara. Seeing him start his motion she snarled and yanked her arm down. The black ball of energy became a tear in space that she fell through. The tear closed and Yoshi’s sword flew through the space she had occupied only a moment before. The bodies of Red and the two bugbears dropped to the ground. Yoshi said nothing as he walked stiffly to where his sword had fallen. Richter ran over to Red, but there was nothing to be done. The sprites skin was pale and cold. His expression was frozen in a rictus of pain.

Sion and Daniella joined Richter looking at their redshirted fallen comrade. Yoshi started walking towards the trench. The area that Modara and the others had been trying to cross was actually not far from the ruined gate. The original bridge was just to the side of the gate, and would have given them an easy escape from the village if only they had seen it through the mist. Yoshi sheathed his swords and picked up one corner of the heavy log bridge. He looked back at them, “Come.”

“Come where,” Sion asked with sadness in his voice. He was kneeling beside Red, holding the dead sprite’s hand. “Modara has gone. Probably miles away if she is even still on this plane! Where are we going,” Sion’s voice was stressed and fatigued.

Yoshi put the corner of the bridge down and pointed at Red’s body, “They all die. Come.”

The sword adept walked back to the bridge and picked up the same corner again. Daniella, Sion, and Richter all looked at each then followed and picked up a corner. If Richter was being honest with himself, his desire for blood and vengeance had been extinguished. The original order had been his, however, and he wouldn’t have others fighting while he rested. They extended the wooden bridge out over the trench, and then crossed out of the village into the wild forest beyond. They began to hunt. Even years later they never discussed what happened after they crossed the trench, but not one bugbear left the mist alive.