Magic and the Sword: Chapter 3

The fog grew more and more dense. Astrid was absolutely terrified. I heard her hands quivering in fear of these Dominions. For some reasons they didn't attack us. They just stood there, watching, waiting... studying. They wanted us to do something, and that's why I finally reacted.


***


"TAMORA!" I shouted my sister's name. "I know you're out here!" Still nothing, "A necromancer can only be fifty meters away from her creations!" Finally... another person emerged from the shades. "Tamora..." I murmured, and there she was... my sister; the blind seer.

She laughed and unsheathed her two scimitars. "Mundel, I didn't expect to see you here."

I pointed at her with my staff, "I suspect you're not seeing much of anything these days."

"A blind joke, how fitting. I guess you know how to do that RIGHT." She laughed, and then Tamora's attention was brought to Astrid. "I see, you're with someone else. That's not like you, Mundel."

Lady Cossette came to my side, "You know this woman, Maelstrom?"

Sighing at being called an illegal Mage; Maelstrom, I told her, "She's my sister... she's the one who took my eye. And she's reason why I'm here." Her Dominions began to attack. Using my magic, I pushed all of them back, but one was strong enough to get close to us.

Astrid stabbed it with her sword, but then her blade went ablaze. "What are these things?" She demanded to know as she left of her sword.

"They're Dominions!" We stood back to back, as Astrid pulled out a dagger. "Creatures created from several dead bodies of powerful warriors. My suggestion, don't die. Unless the thought of being a part of these lovely sacks appeases you."

Tamora began to walk back into the fog. I shot a bolt of lightning towards her. That made her stop. "You will not escape this time Tamora!"

She turned and faced me, "Oh little brother... you could've lived had not you challenged me." She bashed her twin scimitars together. And that's when I charged at her.

I swung my staff at her head, and she blocked it with one sword and then countered with the other; swinging for my legs. Jumping into the air, I spun around and my staff had a flame connected to it. She had to use both swords to stop the attack. As we entered into a struggle, one of her Dominions, the one with the large teeth lunged at me.

He grabbed my waist and lifted me into the air. The giant corpses howled foully at me before he brought me to his mouth. Astrid kicked the creature a few feet back, and brought her dagger up. "Maelstrom, are you okay?"

Getting up I've noticed that we were surrounded. "Stop calling me that!" We got back to back, "Can you handle the Dominions?"

She quivered in fear, "Yeah, I can."

'This isn't good,' I thought, 'Her fear of these creatures will do one of two things. Get her killed, or keep her alive. I hope it's the second.' I rushed towards Tamora with my staff being dragged across the ground, with an lightning spell charging and ready.

I swung to left, she dodged to the right, I stabbed her in the stomach at last. With her coughing blood and I charged another lightning spell. I was ready to kill her... I was ready to kill my older sister... I was going to do it... but then laughed. "Why are you laughing?"

Tamora pointed to Astrid, Lady Cossette was struggling to keep her distance from the enemy. "She won't last long." Tamora grabbed my staff and shouted, "What will you do?"

"Damn you, wench of the nine hells!" I spat at her as I removed my staff and rushed to the aid of Astrid. Tamora disappeared after that, even if I wounded her that wasn't enough to kill a necromancer of her level. And thus, I took a hit from the giant sword wielding Dominion. "Are you alright?" Astrid was breathing heavily but she nodded. "Keep them away from me for a moment!"

Lady Cossette then got their attention, as she was dodging and slashing at them in vain. I began a very powerful spell of mine. "Rin, pyro, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, ZEN!" I tapped the ground with my staff and then threw it into the air. The clouds separated, and then my staff fell to back into my hands. From the clouds came bursting a light that was so blinding nothing could be seen for a few moments.

Swords made from the sun's rays came crashing down everywhere in the village. And with that, the Dominions screeched in agony. Warts covered their dead bodies and finally they exploded. I sighed with relief, and Astrid patted me on the back. "Wow, you're alright Mundel." She smiled at me, and that's when the fog cleared.

The first thing we saw was the band of soldiers coming into the town. They inspected everything but found no survivors. Then the soldiers tackled me to the ground and tied me up. They were arresting me. Astrid spoke out in my defense, but she was silenced by a slap to her face. When she tried speaking out again she was interrupted by the voice of her fellows.

"Stop there, Corporeal Cossette." Sir Baliss ordered, and she did as commanded.

A Lord in fine silk clothing came into the town while riding on a white horse. "This is wizard who brazenly entered my territory and slaughtered this village?" He asked one of Astrid's fellows.

The three knights nodded in agreement. Lord Bernard looked at me. I couldn't fight back, the Swords of Holy Sunlight took too much out of me. "Then I sentence you to trial, young warlock. Under the rule of House Bernard."

Astrid spoke, "Milord, this wizard wasn't the one responsible for the disappearances of the people of this village."

Lord Bernard got a close inspection of Astrid. "She has a stern expression, and body language." His attention was then brought to me, "What kind of magic are you using to control this woman?"

"None at all, she speak the truth!" I retorted, but I was then cut at the side of my face for speaking the way I did.

Scuffing at my response, "Well it doesn't matter. Once you are dead she'll be free of your manipulation."

"I am not under any influence!" Lady Cossette yelled in my defense. "He's trying to stop the one truly responsible."

That's when I told her, "Lady Cossette... shut up. There's no point in talking to mad men." I looked at Lord Bernard with malice in my eyes. "They only see and hear what they want."


***


Mundel felt the scar on the side of his face. "And so... we were brought to Lord Bernard's dungeon. Even Astrid's fellows didn't speak out in her defense. They too thought that I was controlling her mind." He then laughed, "What intensive purposes would I possibly have in controlling someone? I'm more than powerful enough as it is."