Warrior's Heart

9

Mallor gazed at his legion as they routed the remaining soldiers that had foolishly stood their ground. Flipping his wings to resettle them Mallor and Jasmina felt strange.

This was too easy.

Alisar was a sorcerer, a greedy one. This was not how a being of his particular ilk behaved.

Suddenly Mallor heard an evil cackle on the breeze. Twisting his head about Mallor growled as he scented a stench on the breeze. The blood and smell of intestine were common place, especially after battle. The sickly sweet smell of rotting decay was not.

He is here. Mallor felt Jasmina ready herself for confrontation. While Mallor knew some of the arts his knowledge was a mere bucket in the ocean compared to his host.

He is using a spell to conceal his physical form. He is clever, this demented mage. Mallor sensed Jasmina's smirk. He may be clever but I am better. To your right. A blur in the shade. His strength is not up to full capacity. He cannot stand in the light.

Shall we draw him out? Mallor detested this waiting.

Nay, shift form. In this shape you are far too intimidating. Perhaps he will confront us in our other form. Mallor felt Jasmina's extreme disdain. He is a coward no matter that he can wield the Arts.

Mallor obliged his host and shifted quickly. That millisecond was all the time the mage needed to launch an attack. Dragons roared as they both saw and felt their king be engulfed in a flaming ball of fire. A mighty roar mingled with a scream of fury was heard before the ball imploded and revealed Jasmina Blackblade standing in the center of a smoking crater, her cloak smoldering slightly.

"A nice bit of work." Jasmina brushed off bits of ash from her shoulders. "I had underestimated you mage. I shall not do so again."

The veiled entity seemed to resent being called a mage as it almost vibrated with fury.

"I am no mage!" It screeched. "I am Gammon Alisar! I am a sorcerer and your death will be at my hands."

"Aye," Jasmina skeptically tapped her sword against her armored thigh. "That might well be so were it not for the fact that your hands are about to fall off your rotting body entirely."

It was true, Alisar's hand was in far more decay than the creature's memories had implied. It was nothing more than a skeletal remains with bits of flesh hanging off of it and threatening to fall off completely. Jasmina felt her stomach threaten to heave as she observed a bit of flesh swing to and fro before slowly tearing and falling to the blood soaked dirt.

"This mortal vessal is only a single step to my ultimate goal," Alisar cackled insanely as he swayed where he stood.

Jasmina scoffed as Mallor grumbled, impatient with how slowly this was proceeding. Let us kill him Jasmina and be done with it. While we dally with this thing our queen is waiting anxiously for us to return. I am eager to show her how much I have missed her and I am sure you are as well.

Indeed. Though we must find how to kill the mage  completely. He must never again walk in this realm.

"What is your ultimate goal Alisar? I see nothing to lend credit to your story as your vassal is rotted and inferior to a self proclaimed sorcerer." Jasmina stood her ground, her stance deceptively relaxed.