Chapter 762: Sanctified Storm

Chapter 762: Sanctified Storm

Stones rattled against the Stalkers hand like an impending earthquake coming near.

Spiderweb cracks climbed the wall, spreading through the stone.

The young wizard frowned. Now, he whispered in a tongue of elemental earth.

Dozens of small earth elementals emerged, swarming toward the Stalker with stone limbs raised, poised to smash the small fae to paste.

The fae lifted his other hand, waving a single finger with the precision of a sword, slashing at the oncoming elementals. Those closestperhaps a stride or two awaywere cut down as though an unseen blade sliced through their stone forms, sending them hurtling back to the elemental plane of earth. The rest kept coming.

Stay out of this, you great lumps of dirt, the Stalker laughed, cracks still spreading through the wall until it was covered in them. I'm not here for you bags of dirt, so go home!

The hand touching the wall flexed.

The wall flexed with it.

Then ruptured.

A layer of rock sheared from the walls surface, exploding outward in a torrent of jagged, grey, rock chips and dust that didn't fall, but paused around the Stalker in mid-air. The cloud of debris settled around him, hovering like a grey mist.

Here we go, heres something else for you and your little friends, he grinned at Alex. Let's try this again, shall we?

With a flick of the hand, the debris swirled, whipping into a storm of shrapnel. Another flick sent it sweeping through the swarm of elementals like a cloak, surrounding them, shredding them like parchment, sending them home.

The jagged rock glowed with inner power: air elementals and those made of fire were not spared from the debris bite.

With a slight wiggle of a finger, he waved the sanctified soil from Uldars Rise into the storm of shrapnel.

Try this on, he said to Alex.

The storm drove toward the young wizard, followed by the Stalker atop his mooses back, laughing hysterically over the sound of stone grating on stone.

I see the game now, the First Apostle growled, lifting his blade. Holy Uldar, let none who touch this storm of sacred soil and hungry stone escape it by teleportation of any means!

There was an impact with no sound as the deitys will was enacted on the whirlwind of shrapnel and sanctified earth.

Oh shit! Alex cried, teleporting ahead of the storm.

Look, the Fool runs from us! a holy warrior cried. He means to lead us into more of his devilish traps!

Then pin him down! the First Apostle commanded. Forward, children of Uldar! He thinks he can tear us down with traps and tricks, but it is in this that he makes himself vulnerable! Use his hubris, kill him before he turns more craven and escapes! He pointed his sword toward their enemy. Know this, Fool of Thameland, if you do not finish this here and nowshould you escape from usthen, no more will we engage in this filthy chase! We will return to Thameland, find those that you love, and destroy them!

The Fool teleported through the chamber ahead, his face both panicked and angered as he tried desperately to dodge the hungry stone swarm threatening to engulf him and flay the flesh from his bones.

Cowards! You claim Im your enemy, so why threaten people I care about? Is your solution to doing what you claim your god wants always to kidnap and hurt people? Is that the only way you can get your filthy hands on me, by murdering people whove never done a single thing to you? he shouted.

It is the nature of sacrifice: even if distasteful actions must be taken, the will of the divine must be served, the First Apostle said. But that matters little: why am I wasting precious time explaining loyalty to a walking corpse? Kill him!

Once again, the church began advancing.

Alex affected an expression of surprise as he teleported away from the fae and divinity crafted storm. Holy-warriors released glowing arrowsenhanced by divine miraclesentwining stone and soil and turning the brew deadlier.

The First Apostle chanted spell upon spell, launching great gouts of fire and icy explosions after Alex, while the Stalker continued laughing gleefully, chasing the young wizard with the storm.

To all, the wizard appeared frustrated, fighting to get away.

They had no way of knowing that inside, he was as calm as a still pond.

This is impossible, he whispered. We should've caught him!

When Izas had first laid eyes on the giant when theyd nearly killed the Fool, he showed a measure of skill butin the endhe hardly been any real threat. But now, not only was he wearing and wielding Uldars own equipment, his skill and speed were worrying.

Before, a simple volley of arrows had been enough to pin him down while holy-warriors darted in and out of his reach as they worked to bleed him dry. What had happened, how was he so fast that he was now more than a match for any but the most skilled in the hidden church? His long legs were allowing him to easily outdistance them as well.

If the giant would only stay and fight them head on, Izas was sure that his miracles and spells would be enough to destroy the overgrown menace, but he was not staying still.

He kept leading them along a path filled with death traps that were quickly cutting away their numbers, while wearing down their stamina.

At this rate, it was just a matter of time before there would be very few of them lefteven the Third Apostle himself had come close to being cut in two by that surprise attack. He looked down at the prostrate women and men who had given their lives to preserve his.

It disturbed him deeply.

Good young folk, followers of Uldar, sacrificing themselves so that hean old mancould keep living. How many more of these young lives would have to be spent to take back Uldars weapon and armour?

How many more sacrifices would they have to make?

How many holy servants would die herein this sanctum of their enemyand never touch their home soil again?

And in the end, would their sacrifices be in vain? They had made no progress in catching the giant, and at this rate, they would find a trap so deadly, that even he would not be able to protect them. Or they would be distracted enough so that Uldars very own axe would cut him in half.

But, to make matters worse

If this giant has become so deadly in so short a time, has the Fool also changed to our ruin? What deadly tricks do they still have waiting for us? he wondered.

That was when he made his decision.

They could not keep doing this: they would abandon pursuing the giant for now, and join up with the First Apostles force. If they did not, then they would lose everything.

Retreat! he shouted. We must rejoin the others! We have no choice but to unite with our brethren!

But Uldars equipment! a follower shouted, as an attacking swarm of elementals rose from the floor. We must take it back!

We must be alive to do that! Izas said, casting a spell that sent waves of force and light into the elementals, sending them back to where theyd come from. He is leading us around by our noses, making us spend ourselves against their infernal traps! Come! I should be able to trace the path we took to get here through the portals! This is whats best. We must retreat and head back the way we came to unite with the First Apostle. Then, we can deal with the giant and what is rightfully Uldars!

Yes, Third Apostle! the dwindling number of warriors shouted.

Inside, Izas gut twisted with guilt: the thought of those weapons being used against themeven for another heartbeatsickened him. But more and more, hed become convinced that coming to this place had been a terrible mistake.

Follow me! he called, leading them back through the portal.

The path back to the room with Uldars statue would be safer: the traps there would already be spent. From there, he could use a miracle to find his way to the First Apostle.

And then, perhaps we should use the miracle of recall and return home, he thought. This is not the right battlefieldno Izas, do not be cowardly. Have faith. Uldar will ensure that you will be where you are meant to be.

With that thought, he led his soldiers away.

Behind him, Bjorgrund watched. Looks like we're building up to the finale, he chuckled darkly.

The giant turned, taking another path.

One that would get him to the room with the goddess statues quicker than the church.

There he would wait.

For the final step in their plan.

For their enemies to be unmade.