Part 14 - I will...

A massive thunderclap rang out, rocking the ground and knocking Urist to the ground just as the fox-kin’s shortsword swiped past the area his head had been a mere second before. 

Urist tumbled along the ground after being shaken off his feet, yet not only did his fall save his life but it also allowed him to catch a glimpse of the fox-kin’s blade and eerie green eyes. Urist quickly regained his footing and turned on the fox-kin. 

>Bomb<

Urist launched himself right at the fox-kin with the help of a bomb, tackling her to the ground and shoving a flaming palm onto her face. Before he turned her to ashes however, Urist stopped to think.

“Is she an undead?“

A memory appeared in Urist's head as he held Sage’s mother down.

...

“I can save them! You don’t need to kill them! They’re just cursed! They can be saved!”Urist roared, tears rolling down his cheeks as he struggled to push away the men holding him down.

A man with a distorted face stood above him dressed in a neat, unblemished suit, took a drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke in Urist’s face.

“I don’t give a fuck, Failure. Fire!”

“No! Stop, don’t do this. Not them, please!”

Bang Bang Bang

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!”

...

Urist took a deep breath as the memory washed over him. Gradually, a spell entered his mind. He had no time to think about what he'd just seen, so Urist refocused on the gorgeous fox-kin laid out beneath him. He could feel her breath,so the idea that she could be an undead was crossed out of his mind.

“A curse? Then let’s see if this spell works.”

>Cleanse<

Calling the spell forth from his memories, a white formation slowly appeared atop his hand and shot straight into the fox-kin. 

As soon as the spell touched the chuckling fox-kin, who was trying to stab him, she began to screech in pain. Massive amounts of black and green energy were expelled from her body and tried to attack Urist, but his flames protected him and burned it all away.

Sage’s mom stopped struggling, falling limp with shallow breaths. 

BOOM

I’ve wasted too much time.

Urist got up and looked in the direction Sage’s mother had pointed.

Since she was under a curse that means that’s not the correct path. Then which way do I go? I have a one in a five chance to get it right.

Urist looked around erratically for any type of clue, but all the tunnels looked the same. 

No. There has to be a way to figure this out!

Then he came up with a risky idea.

…

Volt’s lightning clashed against Malous’ necromantic flames in a fury. The two traded earth shattering blows where fists and swords collided violently, shaking the walls around them as they rapidly fell downwards.

“You think you can run away after cutting off my arm?!”

Volt roared as he slugged the lich in the face with a lightning infused, quickly following up with a slash that sliced off the lich’s regrown leg.

“REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

The lich screeched and sent a fist at Volt's chest.

 Volt however, used a floating lightning blade to parry the blow and slashed towards the lich’s neck. The lich used a fist clad in green flames to uppercut the blade, blasting it apart.

Hundreds of exchanges like this followed the two before they finally hit the ground. 

The bone floor cracked below them, scattering dust as the two slammed into the ground. Volt’s body trembled from the force of the impact as he began seeing double. He could taste blood flooding into his mouth, and he struggled to swallow it back down as he felt his skin flaying under his lightning armor.

I’ve pushed too far past my limit. No... I’m already past the horizon. This backlash of breaking through again! Those damned chains are eating my body. At most I have a dozen more strikes in me before my body really starts to collapse. How do I kill this thing with my feeble, limited time?

As Volt pondered about his predicament, the lich glanced down one of the paths for an instant before turning his attention back to Volt.

A huge explosion appeared from the ceiling near the hole’s exit, rocking the ground. Volt and the lich looked up to see Urist streaking right towards the tunnel the lich glanced at.

“REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!”

Needless to say, the lich wasn’t happy. 

...

Urist became a flaming meteor rushing through the sky as bomb after bomb exploded behind him to increase his speed.

The lich followed on his heels, using its flames to propel itself forth as Volt streaked forth behind the lich, intent on protecting Urist with the last of his power.

First slash.

Volt slashed the necromancer’s leg off as they turned a corner, making it miss its lung towards Urist.

Second slash. 

Appearing above the lich, Volt tried to cut through its chest but only managed to cut off some of its arms, saving Urist from being splattered against a wall.

Fifth slash. 

Smashing into the lich with his sword, Volt ripped through the right side of lich’s body as it tried to summon bone spears to impale Urist.

Ninth slash.

Feeling his senses fading and his heart drumming in his ears, Volt sent out another cut. slicing off the lich’s arms that extended forth intent on ripping Urist apart.

Eleventh slash. 

As Volt coughed out a mouthful of blood and cut off the lich’s legs once again, a massive door appeared off in the distance.

Gritting his teeth at the fuzzy world around him, Volt pushed his numb, freezing body forth.

Gathering the last of his energy, Volt slashed out one last time, finally managing to land a blow that cut the lich in half.

His armor faded from his body,  the torn, tattered form below. 

His feelings fade, his vision blackened, all sounds faded away, and the taste of iron filled his throat.

All Volt was left with was just the frozen, haunting touch of death. With his strength gone, his sword began to fall from his grasp.

I... 

Will...

“SURPASS MY LIMITS! OOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

His grip tightened, firmly grasping his slipping blade, and his vision cleared in a brief moment of clarity.

One final overhead lightning filled slash left Volt as he fell from the sky.

The strike flew along the tunnel, cutting through the lich’s arms just as it was about to reach Urist, who had just smashed through that massive door.

Damn… I’m… good…

…

Urist broke through the door and immediately saw a green crystal bottle standing atop a stone pedestal.

Everything within him screamed that was it. This was the lich’s phylactery.

His bone and copper spear in hand, covered in a massive amount of flames, a thought shot through Urist’s head.

I’m always relying on others. 

Tens of bombs appeared on the butt of his spear as all the muscles in his body tensed. 

Ubel for his tactics, Reaver for scouting and transportation...

“REEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!”

The lich screamed as it reformed a hand, intent on impaling Urist and protecting its phylactery.

Valkous, Bishop, Snorri, and Volt for the strength they lend me...

Urist’s arm moved forth, his flames shining brilliantly.

For all those that follow me under my banner and died in order for me to make it here...

The spear flew from his fingertips just before the lich stabbed through his arm, ripping it right off his body.

I.

The explosions rocketed the spear to extreme speeds. 

Will.

In an instant, the spearhead was only a foot away from the phylactery.

Not.

The lich stopped focusing on Urist and tried to stop the spear in a panic.

Fail!

*Crack*

Despite the lich’s extreme speed, it couldn’t prevent its soul’s container from being pierced through. The phylactery exploded into a million pieces, scattering glass through the air.

Before Urist’s eyes, the lich burst into flames with one final screech.

“REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!”

Urist wished he could continue watching, but his sight quickly grew hazy and prevented him from seeing the lich burn to a crisp. He staggered and fell to his knees in a pool of his own blood, dazedly turning to look at the massive amount of blood rushing out from where his arm had been torn off.

His face paled rapidly, and finally, his eyes rolled back.

Urist collapsed next to his severed arm, the lich’s screams still echoing in his ears.