Converging Destinies: Part 1

Chapter 127

       Tense, silent minutes passed. Everyone stood on edge, ready for the battle to happen. No one said a word. The sun gradually rose, but no worshippers were going to get through the barricaded doors of the cathedral.

       Suddenly, there was a sound, a loud crash against the door.

       "Ready!" Roya commanded. Each of the church guards took a battle stance. Cedric placed his hands on himself, and his body glowed with faint, emerald light.

       Another crash sounded against the door, the wooden doors began to splinter. Ara' Sei let firelight flow down her arm, preparing a spear of flame.

       Another crash, more splinters this time, the barricade of benches began to fall apart. In the shadows, Eris muttered a quiet incantation.

       There was a long, drawn silence. The group ended up waiting a full minute just for ten seconds to pass. Suddenly, the barricade exploded in a burst of flames. Cinders of the door went flying throughout the chamber.

       The stained glass windows of the cathedral shattered, sending thousands upon thousands of glass shards scattered across the ground.

       Then, through the door and through the broken windows, countless warriors stepped into the cathedral. They wielded swords and axes and daggers and bows. Aaron was nowhere to be seen, but everyone was certain he was somewhere nearby.

       Soon, it became clear that Aaron had assembled a small army to invade the cathedral. Every warrior charged forward. For the first time, Ella seemed to hesitate before charging forward.

       The church guards were swarmed down upon, within moments, a few of them had already been cut down mercilessly by the encroaching horde.

       Zerai raised his blade to the sky and a massive pillar of golden, radiant flames exploded from above. Ten warriors were incinerated, most hit by the pillar being killed by the power of the radiant blaze.

       Ella rushed forward against the horde and weaved her sword through soldiers. Within moments, she had cut down two. But there far too many that she couldn't face alone.

       Ara' Sei raised her hand to the sky, and much like Zerai, she brought divine wrath down upon the invading warriors. Pale flames turned humans and orcs and dwarves to ash.

       Cedric placed his hands forward and muttered an incantation. Following the path of his flailing arms, a rolling inferno of flame that stretched across the entirety of the cathedral. Dozens upon dozens more warriors were turned to ash by the blaze. Now, countless benches lay burnt and ablaze throughout the cathedral.

       Weaving between the pillars and unburnt benches of the cathedral, Eris silently searched for Aaron, hoping they could end the man's life right here where he didn't expect it.

       Roya aimed their hand at one of the soldiers, and a bolt of pure, condensed sunlight fired, turning the soldier to ash. Their eyes were wide with fear, but they still stood tall against the army.

       Then, a flaming bead of firelight surged across the interior of the cathedral. Around Ara' Sei, Cedric, and Roya, it erupted into an explosion. Cedric and Roya dove out of the way, able to avoid its full force. But Ara' Sei was engulfed by the explosion, and the impact knocked her to the floor. Cedric and Roya were surprisingly unarmed, and Ara' Sei quickly bounced back.

       Bolts of blue radiance flew towards Roya and Ara' Sei. Ara' Sei was impacted, but it hardly harmed her. The other bolt of blue radiance slammed into Roya's chest, and they gasped as they stumbled back.

       The guardians of the cathedral fought back, their weapons glowing with sunlight as they fought back. But, there Aaron had brought far too many people for them to fight.

       Eris continued their desperate search for Aaron, but he was nowhere to be seen. Eris wasn't sure what would happen if they didn't find him, but they didn't want to find out.