"These two novices are kicking your master ass," Killum said.
"Are you?"
Lord Kathro closed his eyes, spread his arms up and wide, and chanted. A dark gray and black ball of magical energy formed above him. Killum watched in morbid fascination, knowing something bad was about to happen.
"Aaaiiieeee!" a creature screamed as it flew out of the energy ball.
"It's a portal," Asha cried, leaping to the side.
A flock of winged monkeys flew out of the portal. They were about twenty pounds each, as best Killum could judge. Substantial beings in a fight.
Flying monkey.
No names. No level. Killum was glad to see they weren't sentient. Just mob animals that obeyed commands. Still, a major threat to him and his friends.
"Oh great, the Wicked Necromancer of the West just sicced his winged monkeys on us," Rand said. "Throw some water on him."
Those wicked monkeys had some nasty talons on their hands and feet. They swirled around the three friends, clawing and biting. Then one of them threw monkey dung in Rand's face. And the dwarf lost it.
"I'm going to kill them all and boil their tiny monkey brains!"
Killum backed away from Lord Kathro, while shooting flying monkeys out of the sky with his bracer. That meant his mana was dropping fast. Then he noticed the Dark Lord turn toward Asha, who was concentrating on the flying monkeys.
"Watch out, Asha!" Killum shouted. "Behind you."
She spun around just in time to parry his thrust at her heart. They traded blows while a maelstrom of monkeys spun around them.
"Asha, Bind the monkeys," Killum said.
The sorceress stepped back just long enough to cast the spell. The flying monkeys surrounding her all stopped midflight, and came raining down. Killum charged in, swinging his sword. Lord Kathro's distraction lasted only a second, and then he turned to face the battle-mage's assault. Asha attacked his flank.
"We have to hurry," Asha said. "The monkeys will only be down one minute."
"Wahoo!" Rand cried, eyes bright with battlelust as he charged in on the Dark Lord's other flank. "First one to kill the evil overlord wins everything, including the women."
"Huh?" Killum asked.
"Don't ask," Asha said. "And don't let him kill Lord Kathro!"
Knowing Rand, Killum figured it out. Why did Asha agree to such a thing?
He spotted movement all around them. Killum grimaced and shook his head. Lord Kathro wasn't going down without a fight and a half, and it was taking far too long.
"Hey, hey, here come the monkeys," he said. Rand snorted a laugh, but Asha didn't get the reference. "Beware the monkeys."
"Seize them!" Lord Kathro commanded.
Instead of attacking with their wicked claws, the flying monkeys swarmed the three friends. Grabbing arms, legs, hair, the little hellions held on tight, jerked and twisted, while simultaneously biting and scratching them. Killum felt them dragging him away from Lord Kathro and his friends. It was all he could do to hang onto his sword and not lose his sanity.
"Don't you love it when the tides of battle change?" the Dark Lord taunted. "Now you'll all join my horde. I don't care if you are zombies or subjugated minions, as long as you serve me."
Chapter 49
A flying monkey tried to sink inch long fangs into Killum's shoulder, but his armor protected him. Another was humping his left leg, while the rest were quickly shredding his clothes. A trio of them was lifting Rand off the ground. Asha screamed in agony. He saw a monkey biting her right thigh, with another about to sink his fangs into her throat.
Lord Kathro will turn her into a zombie, he thought. And she'll be hit with another death.
Killum tried to cast Temporary Blindness. Nothing happened. So he tried Disorientation. Again, neither Lord Kathro nor the monkeys were affected. His HUD appeared, and all of his spells were grayed out. Even simple fire.
Mana at zero? He gawked at that. It ticked up one, so the Mana Restoring potion was still working, but taking its sweet time. I need to find another instant mana potion like Lady Evangeline's.
"Leave him alone," Tiana cried as she smashed into the floating pile of monkeys and dwarf. Rand was knocked loose and fell to the floor.
Arrows zipped by and thudded into screaming monkeys. And boy could they scream. Every one of them screamed at the same time. Some of them right in Killum's ears.
Fergus' first arrow killed the monkey about to bite Asha's throat. Killum was glad to see they could be killed by mundane weapons. His next arrows shot a few out of the sky, and even a few found Lord Kathro. The necromancer yanked the arrows out of his chest and leg, clutching the broken shafts as he shouted at the heavens.
"Tikau! Great God of Chaos! Rid me of these idiots!"
Lord Kathro turned toward the newcomers. Even Rand was loose again. Killum and Asha struggled against the flying monkeys still holding tight, biting, and scratching their flesh. The pain was mind-boggling. Yet, it also cleared Killum's mind. Or was it the fury building within?
Fergus pulled his sword and charged the Dark Lord. Rand cried out next, and charged. Tiana ran around behind him. Killum cried out in frustration and managed to get both hands on a monkey's head, and snap his neck.
That set all the monkeys to screaming again.
They flew all around in a scene of utter chaos. The battle-mage noticed he was up to 3 mana. He just needed two more…
The monkeys all went silent, and then scattered. Everyone atop the keep froze, including Lord Kathro. Killum looked at Asha, who looked back with huge what-the-hell eyes. And then he burst into view from below.
"SNACKS!" Gye's voice thundered, and then he swerved after the flock of flying monkeys.
"No! Come back you crazy dragon!"
Asha hit Lord Kathro with a lightning bolt that staggered him. He countered with a bolt of his own. She wasn't even trying to throw up her shield, so Killum knew she was out of mana. Killum jumped before her with his shield up, but the force of the Dark Lord's blast sent both of them back across the roof.
"Holy shit, he's level 103?" Fergus shouted. "Someone should've warned us about that."
"Bigger they are…" Rand said.
"The harder they are to kill, you stupid runt."
Lord Kathro charged Fergus, a huge two-handed sword appearing in his hand out of thin air. Killum, Asha, Rand, and Tiana raced toward the Dark Lord, while Fergus seemed to dig in his heels and wait for the necromancer.
They met with a great clash of steel on steel. Fergus was greatly outclassed, though. Lord Kathro knocked him around. All Fergus could do was parry. Rand reached them first, swinging his battle-axe at Lord Kathro's Achilles' tendon. The necromancer spun around, parrying that strike easily. He kicked Rand in the chest, sending the dwarf flying across the roof. Killum reached him next. Fergus lunged forward to bloody the tip of his sword in the Dark Lord's ribs.