Blood of the Righteous

Finale

A guard stood at the locked door and watched as the Necromancer arranged the unconscious girl on the bed while the hulking general looked on.

"What are you going to do?" Sagaroth asked, a look of concern across his scarred face.

"I, my dear general, am preparing her as a sacrifice, then I am going to raise her as a greater undead." Dameus dragged the ceremonial dagger across his palm, made a fist, and held it over Eleenia. Blood flowed freely, covering her face and neck. "There, that should do it." He opened his palm. There was a sickly yellow flash and the cut on his hand vanished.

He handed the hilt of the knife to Sagaroth. "General, please have the honor."

"Um," Sagaraoth hesitated, "I'd rather not. Here, you do it." He handed the knife back to Dameus.

"I can't kill her. If I do, I can't raise her. No, it will be you who does it."

Sagaroth stared at the beautiful young girl. She looked so much like her mother. A feeling of regret swelled in his chest. "No, I won't do it."

Dameus gave a half grin. "General, I knew you didn't have it in you. I'll tell you what, kill her, or you will be forced to kill me. Because if you don't, I will most certainly kill you."

Sagaroth turned the knife in his hand so he was poised to plunge it into Eleenia's chest. Kill the Ki Kalendeen girl or kill Dameus... The necromancer, with his impertinence, insolence, and arrogance had made this an easy choice.

Suddenly the door burst open and the young Holy Defender entered the room. Before anyone could react, he stabbed the guard at the door through the chest. He yanked out his blade and looked to his sister. Rage filled him at the sight of Eleenia covered in blood. "Unclean bastards!" he screamed. "You will die for this!"

Dameus turned in disgust and held out his hand. He fired a blast of pure evil energy into Gabriel's chest. However, instead of knocking him to the ground, it rebounded. The energy instead hit Dameus and knocked him through the air. He slammed hard against the far wall and fell to his knees.

"Well, get him you fool!" he screamed to Sagaroth.

Sagaroth drew his Hellfire blade, hilt turning into bone and blade becoming alight. Confidence and power filled him as he and Gabriel moved towards one another. He swung down, expecting the blade to slice through Gabriel's sword and into the Holy Defender's flesh. However, it did not.

Gabriel smacked the blade aside and countered, his blade biting into Sagaroth's forehead just above his left eye. The large general reeled back at the unexpected hit. Blood poured from the wound and his eyes started to sting from how much was flowing into them. He looked at Gabriel in disbelief as the knight stood in a fighting stance, ready to attack.

Gabriel started swinging, favoring strikes on Sagaroth's left as the general did his best to defend against him. Blood flew everywhere as he reeled, trying to fend off Gabriel's ferocious attacks. He was pressed hard and was forced to fight not on instinct as he usually did, but to rely on his training. For the first time in as long as he could remember, Sagaroth felt fear in battle.

Dameus stood up. Sagaroth was sporting a huge open gash above his left eye. He wouldn't last much longer. A direct attack was out of the question. He looked around the room and spotted several items of furniture. Time for a new tactic. Mustering his unholy energy, he focused on a small stool. He caused it to levitate then flung it across the room at Gabriel. It hit the Holy Defender squarely in the back of the head, which caused him to jump to his left, so as to keep both Sagaroth and Dameus in view.