Avoid The Lead! [[COMPLETED]]

47. Lifeless

.

"You did this to yourself."

There was a brief silence, and then Vitav began to laugh maniacally, swaying on the spot.

"I hate you... I hate you all!" He pointed at them, turning serious once more. "And I will drag you all down with me!!"

He began chanting in an undertone, so Taze readied himself.

Vitav looked completely drained, but there was no knowing what tricks were up his sleeves.

"Father. Arch Grand Mage Soren. Please stand back." He warned, holding out a hand, and thick vines tore through the platform's cracks, heading straight for Vitav. "Allow Grand Mage Pariel and I handle this."

"No!" King Vien said firmly. "We all fight."

Arch Grand Mage Soren scoffed at Taze. "I don't think I'm so old that a young seedling can tell me what to do!"

"You can afford to be nicer, old man!" King Vien snapped.

"You're not so young yourself!" Arch Grand Mage Soren retorted.

Grand Mage Pariel simply shook his head, and then appeared closer to Vitav.

Taze's vines had already formed an impervious cage around Vitav, and Grand Mage Pariel cast a series of spells on Vitav, which all hit, sending him crumbling to the floor.

The chamber was now quiet, as the dust cleared, and Vitav lay within the ivy cage, unconscious.

The ivy cage retracted, as Taze and Grand Mage Pariel moved towards the still figure...

But something felt off... something felt a little too easy, and as they reached Vitav, Taze's instincts screamed at him, making him swivel, just in time to evade a ray of dark aura which had shot out from Vitav.

Grand Mage Pariel was not so lucky, and though he managed to block most of it, his skin took on a purplish shade, as he keeled forward to his knees, unconscious.

Arch Grand Mage Soren quickly cast a powerful dome around Vitav, while Taze's vine wrapped itself around Grand Mage Pariel, pulling him away from there.

Arch Grand Mage Soren appeared beside them and helped lower Grand Mage Pariel. He quickly studied Grand Mage Pariel's pulse.

"Curing him would have been easy for me, but I've used too much magic tonight." He cast a furtive look at King Vien, and then switched to telepathy.

~"Something is wrong."~ He informed Taze. ~"Vitav self-destructed, but beneath his body is a transportation circle- one powerful enough to bypass the magic of this place, and I don't know what came in just now, but it surpasses Arch Grand Mage level!

~"If anything happens to His Majesty, there'll be widespread panic, and there's no telling what Vitav might do. So you should get His Majesty and Grand Mage Patiel out of here. Regroup in the hall and find a solution, while I buy time!"~ He finished.

Taze considered his words... He really did.

He had almost no confidence against what was coming, so leaving to fight another day was tempting. He would get to see Celia again, and between them, there might even be a solution!

There was just one problem.

If whatever appeared left this place, too many innocents might die before they could stop it, and...

Taze glanced at his father, then back at Arch Grand Mage Soren.

Both men stood strong and proud, but Taze knew otherwise.