The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 77: Jailbreak (Part 2)

My heart shook. What just happened? How did it just disappear, the only time I had ever seen that was-

"Made it just in time," a gloating and ecstatic voice called from close above us. Kazu looked down at us and he wasn't alone. Five others floated beside him... they were his personal mages. The mages who had gone missing along with Kazu. He grinned, "I can't have you taking away my chest piece now."

Ratansi jumped to action, "Knights of Crysis, give no quarter! They are the enemy!"

"Oh, are we doing this here and now?" Kazu cackled and raised his hand. Dozens of bloody spears appeared behind him and just as the knights readied themselves, they fired upon them. The knights were trained well and reacted quickly, but not without being forced back.

The Old Man appeared next to me, "Focus on the Wyvern King. I'll kill the traitor." He vanished as he leapt towards the Archmage. This time however he collided with a sturdy barrier, blocked mid-air with a dagger in hand.

"You won't get the jump on me like last time Morgan," Kazu smirked.

"Same to you," the Old Man replied smirking the same.

Ratansi entered the fray, leading the knights and mages of Crysis as the space within the claw became an uncontrollable fight of magic and melee. Kazu's mages were highly regarded as some of the best on the continent. They had been with Kazu since the time he was the Grand Vizier of Taranthala long before the destruction of Areithia. In the time after the Fall, they had disappeared with Kazu but in the other world, they had become powerful demons and now were the same, following their master.

I wanted to join them, to somehow help change the tides of the battle. I spotted the Old Man surrounded by thick wires of blood red metal, only to leap away just in time before they crunched together where he had been. Kah'Seer had been pinned against the cliff face, barely holding back the barrage of one of Kazu's mages. Ratansi came to her rescue, blasting the elven mage away. My heart thudded but in front of me was a waking problem.

The Wyvern King's eyes opened, and it immediately began to thrash wildly. The electrified net only spurred it to act more violently. The shocking sensation a nuisance more than anything else as it quickly began to snap the thick wires. Rocks and earth were pulled apart as it raged, digging into the deep foundations we had prepared.

"Shit," I swore forced back as it swiped madly around itself. I had to take care of it now. I had to ignore the what was happening around me and focus. My vision began to darken as I concentrated, and the Wyvern King soon became the only target in my sight. I breathed and the Void answered. I focused it to a point. Like a fucking arrow. Just like I had done before, but this time I was ready. I threw my fist forward.

"Ardent!" the Old Man's voice penetrated my mind but not soon enough for me to react to the blood crystal spear that crunched into my side, snapping my armour apart. The power of the Void I had hung onto went wild and as I fell, it flared around me, bursting away and through the rock creating pitch black voids of space.

"Oho," Kazu gloated, covering his mouth in mirth. "You should keep an eye out next time."

I grit my teeth and wrenched the spear from my side, causing a fresh visage of blood to pool to the ground. The Old Man began to move towards me but was forced to dodge instead as a torrent of icy daggers pierced the space between us. Immediately the enchantments in my armour kicked in, sealing the wound, and applying first aid as I managed to stand back up. My armour couldn't take another hit like that.