Altiris Knights:The Fall

Chapter 24:Battle of the Colossus

Captain Daren, Lorea, Keltor and Andalin led the group onward, when a wave of uriaks hit their left flank, driving a wedge in their formation. Reala, Valaeon and Unzelar were split from the main group, and an etheron dagger struck Unzelar in the chest, just over his heart. As Keltor and the others tried to get through to them, a Reaper's sword cut through Keltor's neck, and several uriaks converged on Lorea and Andalin, killing them as well. Captain Daren unleashed a wave of dark energy, burning them alive.

"Valaeon, hold on!" Rohalla called, extending her staff for him to grab onto, while Kyma, Merela, Captain Daren and his remaining crew protected her. Freya and Virneas cut down a few uriaks, and tried to reach Reala, but the horde of uriaks around them made it impossible. Valaeon's grip on Rohalla's staff was slipping, despite his best attempts to hold on.

Then, suddenly, a Reaper brought its sword down on the staff, cutting the weapon in half, sending both Rohalla and Valaeon to the floor.

"Take this!" Valaeon called, tossing his captured energy staff to Rohalla, who gratefully accepted it, thanking him with a nod.

Reala unleashed several ice whips, and Freya followed her example, but the Reaper defended with its sword and etheron. Steadily, the uriaks split them further, and forced Captain Daren and the rest to move forward without them.

...

Rokal, Reaza, the two Commandos and 6 allied soldiers continued on their way, when the sound of running feet attracted their attention. "Uriaks?" a soldier asked. "No. Humans. But beware. They could be those allied with uriaks", Rokal replied.

They kept their weapons pointed toward the hallway from where the sound was coming, but put them down with relief, when they saw Reala and Valaeon. 

"What happened to your group?" Reaza asked. "We were separated. 4 of us were immediately killed. As for the others, there is no telling", Reala replied. 

"Try not to get separated from us, then", Rokal said, leading the group forward. 

"2 Suckers incoming!" one of the Commandos called, making them freeze. "Two what now?" Valaeon asked. 

"You are lucky if you haven't encountered them yet. You will see", the other Commando replied. 

Indeed, not one, but two tentacle uriaks, albeit smaller ones, launched at them. The soldiers and Commandos opened fire, while Rokal, Reaza, Valaeon and Reala fought them up close. 

Valaeon blasted one with his pistols, and Reala cut off a few smaller tentacles from the other one. Reaza unleashed fire and mind, slowing the uriaks down, while Rokal pummeled them with rains of ice shards. One of the uriaks pushed forward, and two soldiers were pulled into its maw. The others fired straight in its open mouth, and Reaza and Reala cut it with their energy swords. At last, the uriak went down. 

The second uriak picked Rokal up with a tentacle, and slammed him against the floor, before dragging him back. Valaeon shot the tentacle, allowing Rokal to free himself. He stabbed the monster through the mouth, and shoved ice inside, before boiling it, scalding the uriak from the inside. Reaza finished it off with a massive fire bloom.

They proceeded forward, and saw the bodies of Telja and Xaltia, surrounded by dead uriaks and hybrids, as well as other humans. Fighting could be heard ahead still. They raced ahead, and found Maior, Reyna and Olsur fighting off two hybrids. 

The three Knights displayed great mastery over their weapons and elements, but the hybrids were simply on another level. Even outnumbered, they had only moderate difficulties defending themselves. One unleashed a mental wave, freezing Reyna, and she collapsed, as his mental spike drove into her brain, even as its etheron daggers launched at her. Reaza released a volley of fireballs, which destroyed the etheron daggers, and Rokal and Reala unleashed a water wave, knocking the surprised hybrid off balance. Reyna recovered, and retaliated with a torrent of lightning, which the hybrid blocked with its gold energy sword.