chance of controlling it.” The blue flame around her brightened to a white glow, so incandescent that Aranok couldn’t look at her.
He backed into the door to the Treasure Room, the bubble shield moving with him. The door disintegrated as the bubble touched it and he paused on the threshold. “Ariana! I will wait for you in the Treasure Room!”
She nodded and advanced on the demon. Aranok backed into the other room, his eyes squarely on Morian.
Morian screeched as the glow touched him, but he brought his blade down anyway. It crumbled into dust in his hands.
“No! I am Morian the Wicked! I cannot die!” Ariana raised the hand with the gemstone.
“Tear of Espilieth, allow me to rid the world of this evil being.” The gem flared a multitude of colours, then a broad band of white light hit Morian square in the chest.
The devil demon shrieked and where the light touched him, tiny threads of white light began to writhe over his body. From where Aranok stood, it looked like he was cracking up and where the light touched, dust floated upward.
“In the name of Espilieth, Goddess of Healing and Magic, I command you to be gone!” Another, more powerful voice overlaid Ariana’s and another form surrounded her.
Is that the Goddess herself? Aranok squinted into the light surrounding his sister.
The mage’s final sentence reverberated around the room, knocking dust from the dais stones and shaking the Dungeon to its foundation. Aranok found it hard to keep his feet and he clutched the transport crystal tighter.
There was a boom and a shower of ash and stone as the devil demon exploded into pieces. The dust cloud expanded, then just as suddenly contracted as it was sucked into the space in front of Ariana. All that was left of Morian was a large golden gem lying on the floor of the dais room.
Aranok rushed to his sister’s side as the Goddess’ presence left her and hovered in front of them. Ariana collapsed into his arms, her eyes closed and barely breathing.
“Aranokkinadiel.” The amorphous Goddess coalesced into a faint image of Espilieth as he had always seen her in pictures; golden cascading hair, white pupiless eyes, and petite and curvaceous, wearing a short white and gold robe over green tunic and trousers.
“Can you do something for my sister? She’s almost completely drained!” Aranok pleaded with Espilieth, the tears in his eyes overflowing. I can feel her life being consumed. He blinked and sniffed.
“Aranok…Nokkie…” Ariana coughed and a trickle of blood dribbled down her cheek to stain the shoulder of her white robe.
“Ari, you have to rest. Try not to speak – Espilieth will heal you!” Aranok glared at the goddess, “…won’t you!”
“I cannot heal Death, no one can. Ariana has given her last strength to rid the world of great evil and for that I will grant her a peaceful ending and a place at my side.” Espilieth ran a hand over Ariana’s face and wiped the blood from her face.
Ariana stared up at her, a gentle smile forming on her lips.
“Thank you, Espilieth.” This time her voice was stronger, but Aranok could feel her heart faltering and breathing slowing.
“Do something! I don’t want to lose my sister,” he shouted at the deity, his pain growing.
“Nokkie, listen to me.” Ariana raised one hand to stroke his face and he looked down at her. “I knew what I was doing when I summoned the power from the Tear. Only a Paladin or a cleric can channel Espilieth’s power without dying. I’m not a cleric, so I knew I would die. The Goddess has given me a gift beyond price by easing my end. For my sake as well as yours.” She coughed and wheezed.
“Aranokkinadiel, I must ask you to do something that will impact on the whole of Quargard, not just the Heart Kingdoms.” The Goddess’ voice soothed his pain, but he fought it.
“If you can’t save my sister, then I will do nothing for you!” Aranok snapped.
“Nokkie, please. Do what she asks of you. If not
He backed into the door to the Treasure Room, the bubble shield moving with him. The door disintegrated as the bubble touched it and he paused on the threshold. “Ariana! I will wait for you in the Treasure Room!”
She nodded and advanced on the demon. Aranok backed into the other room, his eyes squarely on Morian.
Morian screeched as the glow touched him, but he brought his blade down anyway. It crumbled into dust in his hands.
“No! I am Morian the Wicked! I cannot die!” Ariana raised the hand with the gemstone.
“Tear of Espilieth, allow me to rid the world of this evil being.” The gem flared a multitude of colours, then a broad band of white light hit Morian square in the chest.
The devil demon shrieked and where the light touched him, tiny threads of white light began to writhe over his body. From where Aranok stood, it looked like he was cracking up and where the light touched, dust floated upward.
“In the name of Espilieth, Goddess of Healing and Magic, I command you to be gone!” Another, more powerful voice overlaid Ariana’s and another form surrounded her.
Is that the Goddess herself? Aranok squinted into the light surrounding his sister.
The mage’s final sentence reverberated around the room, knocking dust from the dais stones and shaking the Dungeon to its foundation. Aranok found it hard to keep his feet and he clutched the transport crystal tighter.
There was a boom and a shower of ash and stone as the devil demon exploded into pieces. The dust cloud expanded, then just as suddenly contracted as it was sucked into the space in front of Ariana. All that was left of Morian was a large golden gem lying on the floor of the dais room.
Aranok rushed to his sister’s side as the Goddess’ presence left her and hovered in front of them. Ariana collapsed into his arms, her eyes closed and barely breathing.
“Aranokkinadiel.” The amorphous Goddess coalesced into a faint image of Espilieth as he had always seen her in pictures; golden cascading hair, white pupiless eyes, and petite and curvaceous, wearing a short white and gold robe over green tunic and trousers.
“Can you do something for my sister? She’s almost completely drained!” Aranok pleaded with Espilieth, the tears in his eyes overflowing. I can feel her life being consumed. He blinked and sniffed.
“Aranok…Nokkie…” Ariana coughed and a trickle of blood dribbled down her cheek to stain the shoulder of her white robe.
“Ari, you have to rest. Try not to speak – Espilieth will heal you!” Aranok glared at the goddess, “…won’t you!”
“I cannot heal Death, no one can. Ariana has given her last strength to rid the world of great evil and for that I will grant her a peaceful ending and a place at my side.” Espilieth ran a hand over Ariana’s face and wiped the blood from her face.
Ariana stared up at her, a gentle smile forming on her lips.
“Thank you, Espilieth.” This time her voice was stronger, but Aranok could feel her heart faltering and breathing slowing.
“Do something! I don’t want to lose my sister,” he shouted at the deity, his pain growing.
“Nokkie, listen to me.” Ariana raised one hand to stroke his face and he looked down at her. “I knew what I was doing when I summoned the power from the Tear. Only a Paladin or a cleric can channel Espilieth’s power without dying. I’m not a cleric, so I knew I would die. The Goddess has given me a gift beyond price by easing my end. For my sake as well as yours.” She coughed and wheezed.
“Aranokkinadiel, I must ask you to do something that will impact on the whole of Quargard, not just the Heart Kingdoms.” The Goddess’ voice soothed his pain, but he fought it.
“If you can’t save my sister, then I will do nothing for you!” Aranok snapped.
“Nokkie, please. Do what she asks of you. If not
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