late.
The Demon King paused and lifted his huge wooden staff. He pointed it at the fleeing knight. An arc of black lightning shot from the end of the staff and hit Storm, fully enveloping him.
“Thorm!” I cried out. When I took a step forward Mudhoof grabbed my arm.
“No!” Mudhoof said, with a look of dismay. “We can't help him now.”
He was right, but I had to try. I summoned an arrow and fired it blindly at the Demon King. But before it crossed half the distance it ricocheted off a magical barrier of some kind.
Thorm twisted and contorted under the intensity of the black lightening. His eyes widened, and he seemed to look in our direction.
I gasped. His flesh was lined with thick black veins.
The townsfolk resumed their assault, only this time they ignored Thorm and surged around him. They raced toward us.
“We have to go,” Feign said. He tossed a snowball out onto the rail line and a patch of ice formed. This only slowed the towns folk's crazed progress.
“That was my last one,” the ice mage declared, and pulled a dagger out from the folds of his cloak. He was prepared for a hand to hand fight.
“Back up!” Mudhoof said, holding his ax at the ready. We withdrew inside the mine entrance and peered outward.
Thorm's body began to rapidly contort and bulge. We'd seen this horrifying transformation before.
“There's nothing we can do for him,” Mudhoof said. “But we can't hold them back and deal with that Demon twit, too.”
I pulled my eyes off of the thing that had been Thorm as he continued to morph into something unspeakable and looked at the dynamite in my hand.
“I need a light. Some fire!” I looked at Feign.
The ice mage shrugged and snowflakes cascaded from his robe. “Not my expertise,” he said.
“I shall warm your heart, my sweet!” Phlixx said. He held his little crossbow up, and the bolt was aflame.
“That will do,” I said and held the wick of three sticks to it. They sparked and burned down.
“Run!” I said and tossed the dynamite at the inner edge of the mine entrance where people were scrambling in.
As I turned to run into the darkness with the others, I caught one final glance of Thorm. He was huge, and bloated and nothing like he was before.
Then the world exploded.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Darkness enveloped me.
For several long moments my avatar would not respond. My view screen showed all the normal icons along the edges, but black was all I saw.
Then I heard Feign invoke a spell. A blue light appeared, and I blinked at its source.
A icy glowing orb floated over the shoulder of Feign, who was sitting in a heap on the ground. Dust choked the air, and the mage waved a hand at it.
“Is everyone okay?” He asked.
Mudhoof had been knocked flat onto the ground, his ax buried in the rock wall beside him. He shook his head and stood. “I'm fine,” he grumbled. “Never better. You, Vee?”
I had been tossed up against the mine wall but my health indicator showed I'd only taken a few percentage points of damage. Other than that, I was none the worse for wear.
The mine entrance was completely demolished, and the cave-in of rock and rubble looked deep.
“I don't think they'll be getting through that anytime soon,” I said and stood. I dusted myself off, then realized something was missing. “Phlixx?” I said and looked around.
Feign pointed at the collapsed entrance. “I believe he is under there.”
I looked but did not see the little ferret's body. Then I calmed down. His companion icon on my view screen had switched to a timer. He had been killed but could be summoned once the timer expired.
Mudhoof wrenched his ax from the wall. “Have I mentioned how I think this quest sucks?” He looked at us. “Does it bear repeating?”
I shook my head. “I'm in agreement. This quest is a little
The Demon King paused and lifted his huge wooden staff. He pointed it at the fleeing knight. An arc of black lightning shot from the end of the staff and hit Storm, fully enveloping him.
“Thorm!” I cried out. When I took a step forward Mudhoof grabbed my arm.
“No!” Mudhoof said, with a look of dismay. “We can't help him now.”
He was right, but I had to try. I summoned an arrow and fired it blindly at the Demon King. But before it crossed half the distance it ricocheted off a magical barrier of some kind.
Thorm twisted and contorted under the intensity of the black lightening. His eyes widened, and he seemed to look in our direction.
I gasped. His flesh was lined with thick black veins.
The townsfolk resumed their assault, only this time they ignored Thorm and surged around him. They raced toward us.
“We have to go,” Feign said. He tossed a snowball out onto the rail line and a patch of ice formed. This only slowed the towns folk's crazed progress.
“That was my last one,” the ice mage declared, and pulled a dagger out from the folds of his cloak. He was prepared for a hand to hand fight.
“Back up!” Mudhoof said, holding his ax at the ready. We withdrew inside the mine entrance and peered outward.
Thorm's body began to rapidly contort and bulge. We'd seen this horrifying transformation before.
“There's nothing we can do for him,” Mudhoof said. “But we can't hold them back and deal with that Demon twit, too.”
I pulled my eyes off of the thing that had been Thorm as he continued to morph into something unspeakable and looked at the dynamite in my hand.
“I need a light. Some fire!” I looked at Feign.
The ice mage shrugged and snowflakes cascaded from his robe. “Not my expertise,” he said.
“I shall warm your heart, my sweet!” Phlixx said. He held his little crossbow up, and the bolt was aflame.
“That will do,” I said and held the wick of three sticks to it. They sparked and burned down.
“Run!” I said and tossed the dynamite at the inner edge of the mine entrance where people were scrambling in.
As I turned to run into the darkness with the others, I caught one final glance of Thorm. He was huge, and bloated and nothing like he was before.
Then the world exploded.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Darkness enveloped me.
For several long moments my avatar would not respond. My view screen showed all the normal icons along the edges, but black was all I saw.
Then I heard Feign invoke a spell. A blue light appeared, and I blinked at its source.
A icy glowing orb floated over the shoulder of Feign, who was sitting in a heap on the ground. Dust choked the air, and the mage waved a hand at it.
“Is everyone okay?” He asked.
Mudhoof had been knocked flat onto the ground, his ax buried in the rock wall beside him. He shook his head and stood. “I'm fine,” he grumbled. “Never better. You, Vee?”
I had been tossed up against the mine wall but my health indicator showed I'd only taken a few percentage points of damage. Other than that, I was none the worse for wear.
The mine entrance was completely demolished, and the cave-in of rock and rubble looked deep.
“I don't think they'll be getting through that anytime soon,” I said and stood. I dusted myself off, then realized something was missing. “Phlixx?” I said and looked around.
Feign pointed at the collapsed entrance. “I believe he is under there.”
I looked but did not see the little ferret's body. Then I calmed down. His companion icon on my view screen had switched to a timer. He had been killed but could be summoned once the timer expired.
Mudhoof wrenched his ax from the wall. “Have I mentioned how I think this quest sucks?” He looked at us. “Does it bear repeating?”
I shook my head. “I'm in agreement. This quest is a little
Similar Books
