Rise of the Blade - Charles Moffat [97]
Corellon stood beside the tower and strengthened it magically to prevent a crack from spreading up its length. Tempus appeared at the other side of the post and threatened jokingly to smash it with his hammer. The elven god frowned and crossed stern arms, indicating that such a blow might be the god of battles' last.
Standing, Korehren held his sword more wisely this time and gauged the distance between himself and the glowing warrior. Without a word, he stamped one foot on the ground and blackness spread from his leg onto the ground. Stepping backwards, the puddle of darkness continued to grow as Korehren willed it to.
Unsure of what this was, Chev stepped closer and came nose to nose with an emerging denizen. He stabbed forward with Gravebringer at the base of the monster's neck and twisted. Green blood poured out of the wound all over the glowing warrior as he pulled the blade back out.
Two red eyes looked down at Chev with utter hatred.
The warrior's sword dove once more, this time into the denizen's chest. Once again Chev twisted the blade and pulled it back out. He sensed Korehren moving around behind him but knew he had to finish this beast quickly or be caught between the two.
It was Chev's third blow that proved fatal. He swiped the blade across the beast's belly, spilling out its greenish brown innards. The creature wasn't even fully out of the portal in the ground when its body turned to wisps wrapped with magical power.
The glowing warrior wasn't about to let the thing escape however. His hand flashed out and he pulled on the magical strands, shredding them with his claw-like tendrils of magic that sprouted along his hand.
He jerked as Korehren's sword stabbed cleanly through his back and came out where his heart was. The god didn't back off however, pulling Chev's life essense through the weapon. A black hole spread around the wound like the charred remains of a burnt corpse.
Feeling the lifeforce weakening, Korehren pulled his sword out and went into for another hit.
His attack was knocked aside by a flash of blue.
The god blinked and stared.
Pierce stared back with equal determination. In one hand he held the cutlass Sharkslayer and in the other he held his saber Sidekick. "Marque Draque isn't going to like the fact you've been using his Vampiric Blades spell without his permission. In the meantime, I believe you and I have to discuss the small matter of some dead Harpers."
Korehren simply swung his sword at Pierce's neck.
Knowing that he couldn't possibly parry due to the god's superior strength and adrenaline, the Doctor ducked under the blade and stabbed out with both blades. They bit into the god's chest and ripped through life energy like a hot knife through butter.
The shock, combined by the arm jarring pain he received when Chev turning about and unexpectantly met the backslash meant to take Pierce's arm off, was enough to cause the god to back off from the two unexpectantly. "The Harpers are an annoyance to my church. I need them removed," Korehren replied as he concentrated to heal his wounds faster.
"So you can corrupt the leaders of Waterdeep into doing gods know what?" Pierce shook his head. "Over my dead body."
Korehren began a retort."That can be-"
"Arranged?" demanded Chev. "So can yours by the smell of your blood on the ground! You are a coward of the first kind to say nothing of a pathetic warrior."
"I am a GOD!"
"And I thought Pierce had a big ego," snorted Chev. He held out a hand to the Doctor. "I'd like to borrow Sharkslayer, if you please."
Pierce handed the blade over after a moment's consideration. "How do I know you won't backstab me with it in the far future?"
"The same way I know that you won't do the same to me," the glowing man replied, and gave the Doctor a quick glance. For a moment, the two connected on a purely mental level. This was no glimpse into the other mind, no probing, just pure communitcation