FINAL REWARD: PART IX
by: Taliaferro Erucolindo
Kiren growled, "TARINA! WHERE ARE OUR FRIENDS? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THEM?" Tarina simply laughed, a dark and cruel laugh. "Why would we waste time dealing with two such....small annoyances, when we can use their names and faces to trick you into handing us what we require?" Tarina taunted, "Hand over the Artifacts of Light! The Darkness Wraith must be unleashed, and we will NOT have you insignificant pests blocking it again!" Without a word, Kiren and Darshan both unleashed the fury of Tunare at the Teir'Dal. Thorny vines leapt from the earth, seeking to ensnare the Dark Elf. Insects swarmed down from the skies to devour her. Amazingly, the fully armored Shadow Knight leapt clear of the vines, while practically ignoring the buzzing drones around her. Kiren prepared to try again, but was interrupted by a smashing blow to the back of the head! Wheeling around, Kiren saw that Tarina's skeletal servant had broken free of it's bonds, and was upon him again.
Darshan tried once again to cast a spell that would teleport himself and his friends to safety, but seeing Tarina charge him with the black blade forced him to break off his incantation. Ducking underneath her swing, Darshan raced towards the fallen tree behind her. Running up the side of the massive trunk, Darshan leapt into the air, his previous levitate spell still active. Safely above Tarina's weapon, Darshan began his incantation again.
Thanoslug stirred. Blood still flowed from the massive wound in his shoulder. He knew that if he began to cast a healing spell upon himself, it would draw the attention of Tarina or her infernal pet. He considered using his Brell-given ability to lay hands upon himself and heal nearly all the damage done to him, but instead chose to save that for a last desperate measure, if necessary. Instead, he quietly pulled his way over to the fallen body of Taliaferro. The Fier'Dal Warrior looked intact, but Thanos could find no sign of life in his body. Closing his eyes, Thanos prayed, "Brell....Father....Ah ken tha' ye have nae granted me tha ability ta bring tha dead back ta life, but Ah pray that ye'll guard this elf's spirit until we can reach someone who is able ta restore him." Feeling that he had done all he could for the fallen Fier'Dal, Thanos began to reach into Tal's backpack. He knew Tal kept something there for emergencies, and this certainly qualified.
Just as Darshan's hopes soared that he would complete the teleportation spell, Tarina invoked the powers of hatred and darkness on him. Dar felt as though the very blood in his veins had turned to liquid fire! Yelling out in pain, Darshan lost his concentration, and the spell was ruined. His mana reserves were running very low, but Darshan launched a counter-spell, causing Tarina to once again burst into flames! The Teir'Dal cringed and staggered a step, but soon shook herself free of the flames licking about her. Darshan used the opportunity to his advantage, casting a spell upon Kiren which would help close the Ranger's wounds.
Kiren used his harpoon in one hand, fending off the attacks from the skeleton, while hacking away at it with Morin's blade in the other. The skeleton, impervious to pain, flailed away no matter what Kiren did. Several blows landed, staggering the Fier'Dal Ranger, forcing him back away from Tarina, who was preparing another spell to cast on Darshan. "I've GOT to buy Darshan enough time to get us out of here!", thought Kiren. Lashing out with a kick to the skeleton's leg, Kiren swung the Morin blade over his head and brought it down on the shoulder joint of the skeleton. The magick of the blade was sufficient to overcome the magick which held the vile creature together, and the arm was sheared off cleanly. Momentarily thrown off balance, the skeleton staggered back. Acting quickly, Kiren once again summoned vines to snare the skeleton in place.
Tarina called upon the powers of hate once more, and Darshan's world went dark! Darkness clung to him, dragging him back down to earth, leeching the very life from him. Suffocating within the inky darkness, Darshan could not concentrate, could not summon forth the words to his spells. As Darshan fell to the ground, Tarina whirled around and parried a thrust from Kiren's harpoon as the Ranger charged her. She could not, however, parry the Morin blade, which Kiren slashed upwards at her head! Tarina screamed, in fury more than pain, as the blade carved a jagged slash across her face! Staggering back, Tarina placed a hand on her face, and screamed, "HOW DARE YOU!!! INNORUUK SHALL HAVE YOUR SOUL FOR THAT!!!" Kiren snarled like a feral beast, "It's already spoken for!" and launched another attack. This time, Tarina parried each slash and thrust of Kiren's weapons, launching counter attacks with the terrible, evil blade of her deity. Kiren was able to dodge or parry most of the counter-assault, but the blade tore huge rents in the chainmail protecting him. Knowing that he could not last long against his foe, that Thanos was grievously injured, that Darshan was quickly dying, and that Tal was dead already, Kiren threw himself into the fray with reckless abandon.
"Give up, weakling!" sneered Tarina. "You are no match for me, with or without Innoruuk's Curse in my hand! Hand over the Artifacts of Light and I might let you live! Resist me, and I will feed your souls to Innoruuk!" taunted the Dark Elf as she slashed again and again at Kiren, her blade drawing blood hungrily as Kiren tried his best to keep her away from Darshan and Thanos. "I swear before Tunare, I'll DIE before I let you possess the Artifacts OR the souls of my friends!" shouted Kiren, as he struck again and again at a foe he truly wasn't sure he could beat. "I don't have to beat her," Kiren reminded himself, "I just have to buy time for Darshan to get us out of here. Tunare, grant me strength..."