Ka-Boom!
He had thrown a bolt at her location, just before she levitated up. So his bolt killed several of his own minions, while hers took him by surprise. The necromancer was knocked back a step, but pointed his staff at her and sent another bolt straight at her heart.
Asha threw up her shield, but the power of the bolt and the concussive impact of the explosion knocked the sorceress out of the sky. She landed better, tucking and rolling back to her feet.
Taking the opportunity, she slashed left and right, killing two more zombies. Then she ducked between two others, hamstringing them as she passed by. Even zombies can't walk if hamstrung.
"Burn!"
Fireballs struck undead drow warriors, who were being joined by hobgoblins, orks, and even an undead centaur warrior. The burning zombies still attacked her, but they were quickly being consumed by the flames.
"Aggh! Dammit," she cried when an ork slashed her lower back. It was a lucky hit since he couldn't see her, but that slice was enough damage to destroy her Robes of Concealment's enchantment. She repaid him with a sword through the heart. "Go to hell."
He was a mob, so there was no hell or Purgatory for him. And there was no coming back, either. They were all mobs as far as she had time to check. Her PK number wasn't rising, so there was that.
"Asha!" Petriana screamed as she ran out the gate. "I'm going to make you pay dearly!"
I should've killed her, she thought. Even the thought made her cringe, since to kill a helpless prisoner was murder. Even knowing Petriana would not remain dead didn't help.
Asha threw a lightning bolt at the drow sorceress, who simply dodged it. When a drow warrior thrust his spear at her throat, the sorceress wrapped a hand around the shaft, kicked him in the nuts, and then pointblank blasted his head with a thunderbolt.
Drow blood and brains flew everywhere and splattered her. She felt a brief second of disgust, before pulling the spear from his now completely dead hands. Using it more like a staff, she smashed aside another warrior moving in on her, before stabbing a goblin in the heart. Asha kicked, kneed, and otherwise fought off more undead minions. And then she found herself in a circle of undead monsters, facing the drow sorceress.
"It always boils down to drows against elves, doesn't it, Asha?"
"And it never turns out well for you, does it, Petriana?"
The drow smiled cruelly. "Allow me, master! In a few minutes I'll deliver to you this beautiful elfmaid sorceress to subjugate and enslave."
"Very well, Petriana, show me what you can do," Lord Kathro said. "Entertain me."
The elven sorceress quickly checked her stats.
Current status
:
Name:
Asha
Race:
High Elf (Desert Tribes)
Class:
Sorceress (Novice)
Leveclass="underline"
17 (57% to next level)
Alignment:
Neutral
Health:
85/100
Strength:
15/20
Endurance:
34/40
Agility:
14
Mana:
1025
Skills:
(Click to View/Hide)
Possessions:
(Click to View/Hide)
Player Kills:
8
Deaths:
2 (83/90 days)
Health down fifteen percent. Her endurance, agility, and strength had taken hits, too. Worse, her mana was almost half gone. And Lord Kathro's attacks would continue after she wasted time, energy, and mana on the drow bitch.
Where are Killum, Fergus, Tiana, and Rand?
Being rescued was always embarrassing, but it was better than getting killed. And being killed in the Game was a thousand times better than being captured, subjugated, and forced to serve a Dark necromancer.
She refused to accept Lord Kathro's undead warriors had killed her friends. They would come as soon as they defeated the force he sent against them, but would it be soon enough? The sorceress couldn't see a scenario where she defeated Petriana, Lord Kathro, and his countless Dread Ones without help. So if her friends were killed or captured, then she was in deep shit.
A dozen schemes and ploys danced through her head. To win free she'd have to outwit them. So she stepped closer to Petriana, who also moved forward as she dropped into a fighting stance. They stared into each other's cold eyes a long moment, spears pointed at each other's hearts.
Asha suddenly dropped her guard and stood straight. Petriana moved back a step, watching her warily. She smiled at the drow, and then slanted a look up toward Lord Kathro.
"My Lord Kathro, maybe we can strike an agreement."
Petriana's eyes widened, before she looked to her master. Asha saw her chance. She lunged forward, the spear spinning round to snap into position to pierce the drow's heart. Her foe cried out, sweeping an arm around to block Asha's death-thrust. So the elfmaid swung the shaft around and smashed it brutally into Petriana's face.
The drow sorceress cried out and fell back, but then dropped low and swept Asha's feet away. The elfmaid rolled to the side a split second before the drow's spearhead slammed into the spot she'd fallen. Asha was on her feet in a flash, spinning around as she swung her spear like a cricket bat.
Petriana ducked, and then smashed her spear's shaft into the side of Asha's head. The elfmaid dropped with a cry of surprise. She rolled to her back to find Petriana's spear at her throat.
The drow stomped on Asha's wrist, forcing her to release the spear. Disarmed, the sorceress stared up incredulously. Defeated and captured, her mind went blank as dread consumed her.
"Master, Asha the elven sorceress is yours!"
Asha's jaw dropped as coldness filled her belly and her skin goose-fleshed. She looked at the glowing crystal in the drow sorceress' forehead. Her eyes looked past Petriana's triumphantly gloating face to find a grinning Lord Kathro. He held up a yellow crystal.
"With this crystal, I shall subjugate and bind you to my will," Lord Kathro declared. "And you will serve me obediently for eternity."
Chapter 38
The dragon's wings beat hard and fast. The wind was loud in Killum's ears as they flew faster and faster, rising up, up, up. Fergus led the charge below astride undead mounts filled with rage and ready to fight anyone, living or undead.
There was a little struggle rounding up the horses, which mostly attacked them. Tiana proved her mettle by catching them one by one, handing them off to Fergus and Rand. The dwarf complained long and loud, but worry about their friend got him atop the unholy beast.
Once they were heading up the road, Killum could turn his attention northward as well. The castle rose up out of the distant mists. Then he heard the explosions, and realized it wasn't mist, but the dust and smoke of magical battle. Was Asha fighting Lord Kathro without them?
Why aren't you heading to the castle?
Gye slanted a look back. "I need height, battle-mage. Do not worry, we will reach the castle before your friends."