Book 4 | Agent 34 and the Last Gem

Chapter 66 | Take Him Down

Barjual flew above the battle, reigning flames down wherever the soldiers needed it. They seemed to be winning as of now, the bodies of skeletons and veroms littering the field. The werewolves were taking care of the skeletons with ease, ripping off their skulls and throwing them into the air in glee. They loved the adrenaline running through their veins, and it was clear they hadn't been in a battle in years.

Barjual, nothing is working, Thad sent him a mental message. Take down the island. We don't have any other choice.

What's going on up there? He replied. I'm not gonna take down the island unless you guys are off of it.

No, listen, he commanded. I am your leader. Please, take down the island.

Get off of it then!

No! Listen, please! Braunick is trying to open a portal to the Gods' Realm for who-knows-why. We can't let him finish the ritual. Please, take it down.

Barjual hesitated for a minute before replying in agreement. As you wish.

The black dragon roared to the rest of the beasts in battle with him and they all flew over to him. He explained the situation and they all agreed to take down that floating island.

The scaly dragons flew up to the left side of the magnificent island and waited for Barjual's command. When he gave it, they pushed with all their might.

The island tipped at the top slowly, whatever enchantments Lord Braunick placed on this thing pushing it in the opposite direction. The island seemed to steady itself in the middle, pushing with the same amount of force that the dragons pushed on the other side. It was impossible to take it down.

What's going on? Thad asked him.

Braunick put some sort of spell on this thing to prevent it from being tipped over, Barjual explained. We can't take it down.

We might have one last plan. Calvin arrived.

I thought he died–oh wait, Braunick took him. I remember now. Why's he so special?

Braunick took him and taught him Black Magic.

Is it possible to use Black Magic against Braunick himself? I mean, he invented Black Magic.

Well, we are about to find out.

~ ~ ~

Calvin walked into the room where everyone was focused on taking down Braunick. The king floated in the air with candles in front of him and a book in front of those. The candles floated in a circle formation, a flame slowly beginning to flicker to life at the top of each one of them.

"Calvin!" The dwarf ran over to him, Lord Grari and Lord Wilom following close behind. "I need you to use your powers and take down Braunick,"

"Can you not get him down?" he asked quickly.

"No, we have tried everything! Please, take him down!" Wilom explained to him and Ben.

Calvin quickly nodded, brow thickening. He took flight, flying up towards Braunick. He conjured balls of black energy on his fists, preparing to throw it straight into his old master's jaw.

Calvin saw Braunick's pure white eyes glowing. His mouth spat out the words out from the book seemingly by itself. As the candles lit up, the wax melted and dripped small drops onto the floor below them.

Quickly, Calvin threw his fist straight towards his face. Before it collided, a small black bubble appeared around Braunick and surrounded him completely, acting as a shield. His punch bounced off of it, the black energy he had disappearing and getting absorbed into Braunick's shield.

Calvin punched again in disbelief. This time, the bubble seemed to explode a bit and it threw a grey human backwards with heavy force. Calvin hit the wall of the throne room and slid down, landing on the ground with a flop and unconsciousness filling him.

"Oh, god damn it!" Thad cried out. "Is there any way we can beat him?"

"No," a deep and evil voice said from above. "Not anymore. I finished the ritual," Braunick's bubble he created around himself disappeared, the king lowering himself and the book down. The candles, however, stayed up in the air. They were all lit now, a giant flame burning on top of all of them.

"It's very rude to interrupt something like this," The tyrannical king said. "Especially when you weren't just interrupting, you were trying to harm me. Can you believe that? Harm me?"

"Shut up," Vrängr called out. "Give me my memories back!"

"No," Braunick threw his right arm out towards the elf, sending Vrängr flying back towards the fall in a similar manner as Calvin. This time, he didn't fall into an unconscious state. "Your memories are being put to good use. Very good use,"

"Why do you need memories anyways? You've stolen from at least three people now," Thad asked.

"Hmph," the king sighed. "Well, since you all are about to die, I might as well tell you," Braunick took flight, making sure to be in the air before he told them the bad news. "I stole everyone's memories to fuel my power. Memories are the strongest form of energy in Renya, and by sacrificing them I can use them to hold up this island, this storm, and my entire skeleton empire,"

Everyone in the room slowly faded to enragement. "You sacrificed my memories?" Agent 34 exclaimed.