tried to heal you, but she couldn’t.”
“I lived and now unless the Heart Kingdoms bow to the power of Aracan Katuvana, I shall take great pleasure in wiping out any of his enemies – even if it is my sister.” The Lych Mistress slipped one arm around each of Erendell and Grald’s shoulders. “If you survive the next few minutes, give my sister my regards and tell her I will surely see her again.”
The last word echoed as the three of them disappeared into thin air. Aranok turned and using the pommel of his sword hurriedly smashed the remaining gems holding the crystal.
“Hurry Ariana, we have to get the crystal and get out of here!”
Ariana nodded and attacked the gems on her arm as Aranok moved to the next.
In short order, all sixteen gems were in pieces and the crystal pulsed on the floor. Aranok wrestled it into a bag he had brought for the purpose and Ariana turned to go out through the treasure chamber.
“No! Wait. I have an item that will take us back to the entrance,” Aranok cried. He began rummaging in his bag.
“Do you really think that you’ll be able to escape me?” another voice said as every door leading to the dais room slammed shut, the locks clicking shut.
“It’s that Devil demon again!” Ariana breathed.
“I am Morian the Wicked, Lady Ariana of Alethdariel.” The creature bowed, a sardonic smile upon his face. “I am here to make sure that you never leave this Dungeon alive.”
“You killed Arnhammen!” she said, her voice shrill.
“You and your companions trespassed upon my private quarters, so of course I killed the dwarf. Wouldn’t you?” His golden eyes gleamed with amusement and Ariana shivered.
“Hang on Ariana, I’m almost there,” Aranok said, still searching through his bag.
Ariana frowned and looked at the Tear on its chain around her wrist. She smiled.
“I’ll bet you’ve never come up against this power before!” She thrust her arm in the air and the Tear burst into blue flame. The flame ran down her arm and around her body.
Morian laughed.
“What a pretty trick, Lady Mage; look, I can do it too.”
The devil demon’s eyes glowed and his body blazed with deep red flames.
Ariana concentrated on the Tear and sent balls of blue fire to crash against the creature. Morian rolled his eyes and swatted them away like so many wasps, each ball igniting the surface it landed on until the whole room was a mass of blue fire.
“I’ve found it, Ariana!” Aranok called, waving a red crystal on a short chain at her.
She ignored him and attacked the devil demon with lightning bolts. He deflected several, but two struck flesh and the foul stench of burning skin and fur spread through the room.
Ariana suddenly became aware that Aranok stood beside her unprotected. Without an initiating spell, she enclosed him in a protective bubble shield.
“Aranok, I have never felt such power before! This must be how a God feels!” she exulted.
“I have a transportation crystal, Ariana. You must come now!” he yelled, trying to reach through the bubble and grab her arm.
“NO! I will not give this up. I will destroy this evil creature and rid the world of its taint!” Ariana snarled. The power of the Tear pulsed through her veins and made it difficult to do anything other than react.
“You will never destroy me! I am a Devil demon of the highest Calibre, one of the Overlord’s most trusted servants.” The demon stepped towards her, his scythe appearing in his hands. “I destroy the enemies of the Overlord and the Dark Gods and I do it with a smile!” The scythe blade raised high, Morian smiled at Ariana.
“Aranok! Go, use your Crystal and go!” Ariana gasped, feeling the power running through her body increase. She tried to bring it to bear on the Devil demon. “I’ll vaporise him!”
“I can’t leave you like this!” the Ranger replied, tears starting in his eyes.
“If you don’t leave now, the backlash might kill both of us! Alone I have a
“I lived and now unless the Heart Kingdoms bow to the power of Aracan Katuvana, I shall take great pleasure in wiping out any of his enemies – even if it is my sister.” The Lych Mistress slipped one arm around each of Erendell and Grald’s shoulders. “If you survive the next few minutes, give my sister my regards and tell her I will surely see her again.”
The last word echoed as the three of them disappeared into thin air. Aranok turned and using the pommel of his sword hurriedly smashed the remaining gems holding the crystal.
“Hurry Ariana, we have to get the crystal and get out of here!”
Ariana nodded and attacked the gems on her arm as Aranok moved to the next.
In short order, all sixteen gems were in pieces and the crystal pulsed on the floor. Aranok wrestled it into a bag he had brought for the purpose and Ariana turned to go out through the treasure chamber.
“No! Wait. I have an item that will take us back to the entrance,” Aranok cried. He began rummaging in his bag.
“Do you really think that you’ll be able to escape me?” another voice said as every door leading to the dais room slammed shut, the locks clicking shut.
“It’s that Devil demon again!” Ariana breathed.
“I am Morian the Wicked, Lady Ariana of Alethdariel.” The creature bowed, a sardonic smile upon his face. “I am here to make sure that you never leave this Dungeon alive.”
“You killed Arnhammen!” she said, her voice shrill.
“You and your companions trespassed upon my private quarters, so of course I killed the dwarf. Wouldn’t you?” His golden eyes gleamed with amusement and Ariana shivered.
“Hang on Ariana, I’m almost there,” Aranok said, still searching through his bag.
Ariana frowned and looked at the Tear on its chain around her wrist. She smiled.
“I’ll bet you’ve never come up against this power before!” She thrust her arm in the air and the Tear burst into blue flame. The flame ran down her arm and around her body.
Morian laughed.
“What a pretty trick, Lady Mage; look, I can do it too.”
The devil demon’s eyes glowed and his body blazed with deep red flames.
Ariana concentrated on the Tear and sent balls of blue fire to crash against the creature. Morian rolled his eyes and swatted them away like so many wasps, each ball igniting the surface it landed on until the whole room was a mass of blue fire.
“I’ve found it, Ariana!” Aranok called, waving a red crystal on a short chain at her.
She ignored him and attacked the devil demon with lightning bolts. He deflected several, but two struck flesh and the foul stench of burning skin and fur spread through the room.
Ariana suddenly became aware that Aranok stood beside her unprotected. Without an initiating spell, she enclosed him in a protective bubble shield.
“Aranok, I have never felt such power before! This must be how a God feels!” she exulted.
“I have a transportation crystal, Ariana. You must come now!” he yelled, trying to reach through the bubble and grab her arm.
“NO! I will not give this up. I will destroy this evil creature and rid the world of its taint!” Ariana snarled. The power of the Tear pulsed through her veins and made it difficult to do anything other than react.
“You will never destroy me! I am a Devil demon of the highest Calibre, one of the Overlord’s most trusted servants.” The demon stepped towards her, his scythe appearing in his hands. “I destroy the enemies of the Overlord and the Dark Gods and I do it with a smile!” The scythe blade raised high, Morian smiled at Ariana.
“Aranok! Go, use your Crystal and go!” Ariana gasped, feeling the power running through her body increase. She tried to bring it to bear on the Devil demon. “I’ll vaporise him!”
“I can’t leave you like this!” the Ranger replied, tears starting in his eyes.
“If you don’t leave now, the backlash might kill both of us! Alone I have a
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