Cataclysm Toccata 8

The pulsating mass of death pulsated with anger and dropped a mass of living corpses at the group. The corpses shambled mindless lt towards the soul warriors, who easily sliced through them. Blood spurted everywhere.

Suddenly a tentacle burst forth from the unholy mass. A blood-red laser fired from the tip of the sickly appendage.Xepher blocked and reflected the deadly beam towards itself, and effectively blasted away a part of the Amalgam.

The others quickly charged in and struck the Amalgam from different angles and methods, quickly laying waste to it.

An unearthly shriek sounded, and out of the demonic creation burst forth blood. Tons of blood. And yet more blood. Large pieces of it fell off, until all was left was a pulsing core of dark energies. That crashed to the ground with an earth-shaking thud.

'Well, we did it.' muttered Shadowz, wiping his sweaty forehead. Just then, from the mass of fallen corpses came a slight stir. It immediately sent the soul warriors into alert. They stared warily at the spot.

Four bedraggled people rose from the putrid, rotting mass. The first three were recognized as Nocturna, Carolyn and Jesslyn. 'About time you got here.' drawled Carolyn, coughing up blood. Jesslyn grinned.

'We were captured to feed this monstrous creation.' explained Nocturna. 'I assume you guys have taken care of the death knights.'

'Yeah.' replied Xepher, then stopped. The fourth figure wiped off residue blood, both her own and that of the Amalgam. She coughed violently, and swayed, ready to topple to the ground.

Xepher immediately rushed to her side and supported her as she fell.

'Only one could have had this stance, this gracefulness.' muttered Xepher. 'Only one could have continued to fight even in the clutches of the Amalgam.'

'I know you...' said the woman. Her slim hand reached up and caressed the Chaos Guardian's face. 'Xepher...'

'...' Xepher's vision blurred with tears. 'Felicia...' He cast a healing spell to seal the wounded warrior. 'How come you to be here?'

'Felicia?!' gasped Sieghart in awe.

'Sieghart.' confirmed Felicia. 'And dear Kaffleen too.' she added when she took a good look at the party. 'I'm afraid I don't know the rest.'

'Allow me to introduce myself.' said Felicia, declining any more help from Xepher and standing tall. 'I am Felicia, last of the Arcanists of the Covenant. I am also a Guardian...and I am the one who trained Xepher and Kaffleen when they were young. Indeed, from what I gather, they have grown in strength greatly.'

'Yes...Felicia. How come you here?' replied Kaffleen, repeating Xepher's question. 'As I remember, you vanished around thirty years ago.'

'Ah. Yes. That.' Felicia searched for the right words. 'I sensed a disturbance in the Rift of Reality, and I went to investigate. Turns out I arrived just in time to stop the Shadow's armies from escaping their eternal prison.'

'To those of you who don't know, the Shadow is a vast army gathered by a dark being. This army consists of humans, elves, dwarves, fallen angels, demons, trolls, ogres, golems and more. The dark creator of the Shadow seeks to destroy all worlds, all existence. The Guardians are charged with fighting the battle against it, and have thwarted the Shadow's encroachment upon Rursus.The Guardians from millenia past have sealed the Shadow into a dark prison forgotten by the ages.'

Felicia grimaced. 'However, when I arrived at the Rift of Reality, I found that they had created fissures and gaps in the prison, and indeed several of the strongest of the Shadow's minions had escaped already, and worked to release the rest. Among these are the Death Knights. I thought I had vanquished them a century ago, but it seems that they have been ressurected. Now I hunt them down, to prevent the Shadow from breaking free.'

'I was hunting Aria when I felt his presence abruptly dissapear. I knew then that he had lost. And so I set out to search for Licht. I sensed Seism together with her, and I attacked Seism in this nest of Sentinels. But I was overcome, taken by surprise from behind. And I was placed into this monstrous creation of theirs, to feed it's growth.' Felicia concluded.

'Amazing.' said Shadowz, awe apparent in his voice.

'Maybe. But I now will go to find the other Death Knights, and put an end to them.' Felicia vowed. 'I will fulfill my duty as a Guardian, even though it costs me my life.'

Xepher sighed. 'Still as noble as ever. I don't think there will be any need for your death.'

'And why not?' retorted Felicia calmly. 'Never underestimate evil.'

'Because we are going with you, Kaffleen and I. We will go and hunt the Death Knights together with you.' Xepher said, a grin spreading across his lips.

'Wait. What about us?' asked Jennifer.

'You will stay behind to defend against the growing threat of the Shadow's armies.' said Felicia in a tone that brooked no argument.

Suddenly, the core of the Amalgam cracked, and out poured a sickly purple aura. It formed into a vaguely humanoid shape.

'What...?' Xepher muttered.

'Destruction Beast.' gasped Felicia. 'So that's what they were making. But this shouldn't be possible! You destroyed it before it could form!'

'So they did, so they did.' uttered the demon. The head split in two, and assumed two familiar shapes. Those of Licht and Seism. 'But this is our true form! We have combined our souls with that of the nearly finished Destruction Beast. Now nothing will stop the Cataclysm of the world!'

With that said, the two death knights peered down at the party, and leapt up, rising rapidly through the ceiling and up to the surface.

Felicia snarled. 'Hurry! We must stop it!'