The Adventures of Raegor

VIII

"Step away, your deathlessness. Krela and me are stronger than you." said Vrandí, pointing at the necromancer. The undead creature seemed to be male but it had short black hair and pasty white skin. It was garbed in black robes and its red dyed nails were sharpened to a point.

"Aree you willinggg.... tooo put that to the tesst?" said the necromancer, smiling and drawing a long thin silver blade. Vrandí could see, engraved into the sword, word-keys of darkness and blood, even as Sauram was engraved with messages of hope and light.

"Of course. Do you think I, a dragon rider, would be frightened of one mere necro? " said Vrandí, drawing Sauram.

The necromancer charged forward, swinging its blade. Vrandí ducked and stabbed at its stomach. It dodged to the side then brought its sword down over Vrandí's head. He blocked and forced the necro's sword up until they were opposite, blades locked. The necromancer cursed then disengaged and stepped back, screaming word-keys. A bolt of fire shot from his outstretched hand towards Vrandí, who only just managed to summon a protection shield, a wall of emerald light around himself. No matter how many fireballs the necro sent it could not break through the rider's defence.

But Vrandí was tiring fast. He ended the spell then swung at his adversary, which it blocked.

"The ridersss are weakkk now..." it hissed. "And you sssaid that youu could kill me? Ha!"

"No - I said me and Krela could kill you."

Krela breathed a huge burst of flame on it. It had no effect at first, but Krela did not falter, summoning every bit of flame she could muster. The necromancer's wards soon began to falter, and stray bits of flame caught on it's robes.

At last Krela faltered, and the undead Mage staggered back, exhausted. It looked up and opened its mouth, as if to cast a spell, but before it did, Vrandí stepped forward- and stabbed it in the stomach. It gasped, and its face went paler than before, white and slack. It pulled itself off the blade and sank to the floor.

"If you did not have your dragon with you..." it whispered with its dying breath.

"But we do"