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Story Codes: Gamelit, Magic, Fantasy, Violence

For a list of all the dungeon builder stories click here

Comments are very welcome. I would like all criticism, positive and negative, so long as it’s
constructive, and feedback is very appreciated.

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Click here for Part 16.

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Note: Thanks to Alex for beta reading this!

Chapter Forty-Two

Morana reached the other side of the building and peeked around the corner.

Crystal’s legs kicked as she was held in the air, the treant’s woody branch strangled the ice sprite. The banshee wasn’t about to let that happen. She charged around the corner and rushed down the alley, a scream building in her chest.

The banshee stepped up beside Crystal and wailed.

Her deathly shriek echoed down the alley and struck the treant. But it didn’t kill her like a lesser monster girl. The treant screamed in pain and staggered back. Amber sap burst out of her nose and spilled from her eardrums.

She grabbed her head, branches rustling overhead.

Crystal grabbed the branch choking her with both her hands. Ice spread over the staggering treant. Then, with a hard jerk, she snapped the frozen branch and dropped to her feet. The treant shrieked in pain, injured.

Morana wailed again.

The treant screamed and fell to the ground. She thrashed, the deathly attack blackening parts of her wooden body. Morana smiled. One more, and her foe was killed. The darkness in her swelled. She opened her mouth.

“Life revitalizes and mends, let the restoration of Lord Dumazid mend!” Lord Sulanga cried as he flew over the street.

A burst of green energy, almost like an arrow, fired from him and struck the treant. Her thrashing stopped. The blight vanished. Morana gaped at the more advanced healing magic that the enemy dungeon builder could use.

Ranged healing? screeched through Morana’s mind. “That’s not fair!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Right,” Crystal asked as the treant’s branches surged down the alley at her.

Restored to health, a wave of them hurtled at them. Morana shrieked, withering a half-dozen branches, melting them before her. Crystal conjured an icy dagger, but it was pointless. the branches slammed into her, throwing her to the ground.

One thrust into her mouth. It grew down her throat, choking off her screams. It pushed down her esophagus and into her guts. She thrashed on the alley floor. Morana shrieked again. The treant screamed in pain.

The branch reached Crystal’s stomach and burst with smaller twigs that ripped through her guts and burst open her abdomen, killing the ice sprite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Sherida, Lady of Light, armor me in your brilliance,” Halia prayed to her goddess, begging for help.

The werewolf leaped at Halia in a blur of gray fur. She swung her sword, but not fast enough. The enemy monster girl slammed into the paladin.

Light exploded.

The werewolf howled as Lady Sherida’s protection threw the beast back. She hit the ground, rolling across it. Her fur smoked from the attack. The werewolf shook her head as Halia charged forward, blade buzzing in her hand.

As the werewolf rose, her blade sang. A blurring arc that cut off the beast’s head. It spun from the werewolf’s body. Then she melted away into motes. A big smile spread on Halia’s face. She glanced behind her. The halflings were almost all gone.

They were close.

The alarm screamed through the dungeon again. Werewolves snarled.

From the stairs that led up to the city, four more gray wolves burst into view and charged down the hallway at Halia. Behind them, came a bigger wolf made of crackling lightning. The raiju. Halia drew in a deep breath, the prayer to Lady Sherida spilling from her mouth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ms. Trueno, along with Piaro and Mastab, moved through the building to find a way to ambush Sulanga. They just had to keep him busy. They found a back door that spilled onto an alley. Ms. Trueno looked around, Piaro and Mastab stepping out with her. The three scaled monster girls listened to the sounds of battle.

Morana shrieked with fury.

Snarls echoed then a pair of werewolves bonded from around the building, one on each end of it. Ms. Trueno and the two basilisks were surrounded. The two snarled, hunger in their golden eyes, fangs dripping saliva.

Ms. Trueno roared her defiance at one.

Her shout cracked the stone of both buildings lining the alley as the sound hurtled at the werewolf. She dodged back around the corner, the sonic attack soaring past. Behind her, the other werewolf snarled and charged.

Piaro and Mastab exhaled their noxious breath. It roiled at the werewolf. The beast leaped at the last moment, soaring over their petrifying breath. The two basilisks gasped as the werewolf slammed into Piaro. Jaws clamped down on the basilisk’s head.

Crushed her.

Piaro’s screams cut off with a sickening crunch. The monster girl vanished as the werewolf landed and whirled to attack Mastab. The basilisk slashed her claws at the werewolf, hitting her in the head and knocking her to the ground.

“Lightning arcs and sizzles, let the fury of Lord Enlil spread!” Sulanga cried from above.

Lightning slammed into Mastab, throwing her into the wall and killing the basilisk. Then the bolt sizzled for Ms. Trueno. In the alley, she had nowhere to jump. As it struck her coppery scales, she sent out to her student a final message.

“Keep Static Aura up!”

Ms. Trueno died.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Keep Static Aura up!” Ms. Trueno cried a moment before I felt her presence vanish. Dead.

It was going bad up there. Morana was the only one left alive on the street. I didn’t know how many of the werewolves they killed, but more were streaming down the tunnel. Terra charged down the tunnel to aid Halia.

“Shit,” I growled and rushed after her.

“No! Lord Leo!” Kassie shouted as I ran by her.

I stopped and glanced at her. “What? I have to help them fight!”

“We’re almost done sending the halflings through!” Kassie cried as she ushered on the next group. She was right. Just a few more had to be sent through. “You have to be here so I can send you to the Void Crystal and close off the dungeon.”

“Shit, shit, shit,” I growled, watching Terra rush to Halia, the werewolves’ howls echoing down the tunnel. She was right.

“Isatu!” I cried. “We need you. Get to the north tunnel and help Halia and Terra fight!”

“Yes, Lord Leo!” squealed my fire dragon like a puppy chasing after the stick that was just thrown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halia stood in the middle of the tunnel as the werewolves rushed at her. She raised her sword, ready to slash down the first one that leaped at her. The lead wolf slid to a stop and snarled at her, fangs bare. A second came up beside her. Halia hacked at them, filling the air with blurring attacks.

“Kill her!” roared the raiju.

“Who will be the first to die?” Halia growled. “I am Halia, Daughter of Anguin, and wielder of the Blessed Blade of Light!” The sword hummed. “Come on, you craven bitches! Attack me!”

The werewolves growled while the lightning wolf roared. Halia could feel the attack would come any second. She wasn’t sure she would survive. Not this many. But if she died, then she died for Lord Leo and the future of this world.

The wolves leaped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Siwang stepped out of the dungeon and into Astovin with his three companions. Halflings were everywhere. The people of Astovin were ushering them to places to get food and medical aid. Siwang swallowed at the sight of the wounded refugees.

His mother was at his side, the wraith trailed by black mist. Her sharp claws gleamed in the sunlight. Behind him was Guang, his Light companion. The lampetia was a busty woman made of glowing light. She had been his teacher, a wonderful woman that had helped him find meaning in dying with books on philosophy. Then came his newest companion, Lei. His friendly neighbor was a cyclops with bronze skin and one eye. She could summon armor of silver and fight with a hammer that burst with thunderclaps.

“Oh, my,” she said. “I think we’re a little late.”

“Feya!” Siwang cried as he spotted the fairy ushering out a group of halflings from a building. “Feya, what is going on?”

“The evacuation of Sharithin,” she said.

“But you attacked without me?” Siwang gasped. “I thought I was going to help.”

“Yes, we did,” said Feya. “We wanted to use only level two monster girls. And Lord Leo can’t reshape his dungeon with you and your monster girls in it. Sorry.”

“Oh,” Siwang said. He wanted to help. He wanted to be out there and fighting. “Well, how’s it going?”

“Badly,” the fairy said. “Most of our forces are dead and the dungeon’s breached.”

Siwang swallowed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Terra rushed up beside Halia and slammed her clay fist into the werewolf’s head with a shout.

But it was only a glancing blow. The snarling wolf’s head snapped to the right, an ear torn. Then the monster girl lunged at Terra. Teeth sank into her clay leg. She gasped at the pain as it tore through her flesh, deforming it.

“Terra!” shouted Halia.

Her humming Blessed Blade thrust into the side of the werewolf. Ribs crunched. The beast stiffened then dropped, teeth ripping free of Terra’s flesh. The bitch took some of Terra with her, but she smoothed out the injury.

Not much mass lost.

The other werewolves snapped at them. Terra swung her hammer fists and Halia her sword. They stood side by side, holding the hallway, protecting the halflings and buying time. They just had to hold and kill these beasts.

“For Lord Leo!” cried Halia.

“Yes!” shouted Leo.

“MASTER!” roared the lightning wolf.

The raiju leaped over the other werewolves. Terra gasped as the crackling monster girl slammed into Halia. Sparks burst as Halia screamed, driven to the ground by the snarling beast. Fear swept through the golem.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The treant slammed branches at Morana.

The banshee shrieked her rage and grief at what happened to Crystal. Her deathly wail withered the branches. The treant shouted in pain, staggering back from the power of a grieving banshee. Black mist spilling down her back, Morana advanced.

The treant caught her balance and sent fresh branches growing from her head. They rushed at Morana. The banshee shrieked. Her scream blistered the branches. Leaves shriveled black and fell off. They rotted.

The treant howled her agony as Morana advanced. A queen of death, majestic and furious. She didn’t let up her shriek. She destroyed the branches. Then her pain struck the treant herself. The woody monster girl raised her arms to shield her face.

The pain causes her to collapse onto her back. Her skin withers. She was a companion. She had more toughness and strength than the werewolves, but Morana didn’t relent. She stood over her enemy, picturing Crystal’s agony.

The treant spasmed, her bark withering to gray than black.

She screamed one last time and vanished.

“MOTHER!” roared from above.

Morana shot her gaze up to see Sulanga Stormfury flying above her, his flaming face blazing with pain and anger. He thrust his finger down at her, his eyes burning coals. She gathered in fury at him. He was the cause of all this pain and suffering.

The halflings were suffering. Her fellow monster girls having to die once more. Leo being in danger in the dungeon. Everything was in jeopardy because of the arrogant monster hovering in the air who thought he had the right to conqueror what he wished.

She shrieked as he roared, “Flames erupt, let the conflagration of Lord Gibil blaze!”

Her screech burst across the aura of static energy around him. Sparks discharged, devouring her deathly energy. Then fire exploded around her. She had nowhere to dodge. It filled the entire alley. Morana screamed in agony one last time.

Chapter Forty-Three

Morana died.

I sucked in a deep breath. I glanced at Kassie. The last of the halflings were about to leave the dungeon. Just a few more groups to go. This was almost over. I concentrated and sent with all the force I could muster. “Clear them from the dungeon now! Hurry!”

We could still do this. I waited for the alarm to die. For my dungeon to be free of intruders. Then I could make this safe. Figure out how to deal with Sulanga. I needed Level 3 magic. I had an idea of where to do it, I just couldn’t do both.

I couldn’t reach my dungeon to there and here.

My stomach clenched. We were so close. So damned close.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halia Vobria, daughter of Anguin, screamed in pain as the lightning wolf stood on her chest. Lord Leo’s command echoed through her ear. The lightning wolf’s electricity burned Halia’s arms. The paladin was sustained only by the blessing of Lady Sherida.

Terra slammed her hammering fists down on the back of the lightning wolf. Sparks flared and sizzled. Terra roared in fury. The lightning wolf turned and snapped at the golem, teeth lunging in to rip her apart.

“NO!” Terra roared and clobbered the lightning wolf in the face.

The head snapped around with a sharp blow. The sparks burst from the wolf as Terra slammed her next blown down on the bitch’s back. The beast howled in pain then burst into motes, beaten to death by the ferocity of Terra.

Patches of her body had glassy looks of fired clay.

The werewolves howled. The three of them snapped. Terra turned, a patch of pottery burst on her. She screamed and slammed her fist down on the first one that lunged on her, crushing the monster girl’s head and sending her flying back into another. The beast burst into motes.

Halia panted, “Terra! You can do this!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Terra ignored the pain as she faced the last two werewolves.

“Get back to Lord Leo. You need to be healed, Halia!” Terra cried as she faced them. “I can handle two.”

The werewolves snarled, their hackles raised, Terra held her arms up, ready to beat them. Halia staggered to her feet, groaning from the pain, and stumbled down the hallway. Then Halia collapsed, whimpering in pain.

“Too hurt,” whimpered Halia.

“That’s okay,” Terra said and smiled. She could do this. Clear the dungeon, and this was over.

Baying echoed down the dungeon then two more werewolves appeared from the stairs and rushed to join their sisters. Terra’s stomach lurched. The nearest pair tensed, ready to spring as the reinforcements hurtled towards them.

I’m dead, Terra thought. But she would make them pay. She would beat them. Kill as many as she could.

The scrabble of claws echoed down the tunnel. The two racing in hurtled down the sides of the tunnel, their sisters in the middle, ready to join the attack. All four would lunge at Terra at once. She readied her hammering fists to strike before they tore her to pieces.

The two newcomers reached their waiting sisters. They leaped.

Someone stepped up beside Terra. Fire exploded before the golem and engulfed the four leaping werewolves. They howled in pain as they bathed in a dragon’s fury. Isatu had come to Terra’s aid, standing tall, her wings fluttering.

Motes burst out of the flames, the enemy werewolves dying. Not a single one made it out of the dragon’s fire. Terra almost whooped for joy. She lowered her fists and stared down the corridor. She could see no monster girls.

“That’s it!” Terra sent to Leo, screaming her excitement. “The dungeon’s clear!”

“We did it!” Isatu cheered, clapping her hands together.

“Get Halia back to Lord Leo,” Terra said.

“Oh, right,” gasped Isatu and darted for the injured Halia. She grabbed the wounded paladin beneath the armpits and dragged her down the hallway away from the fight.

Terra just leaned against the wall. It was over. They had done it. They had survived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next group of halflings stepped into the magic circle and vanished.

I stood there, so close to being done. There were only three more groups to go. A last few stragglers had appeared. My stomach twisted. I stood stock still, holding my hands behind me. We were so close to being done, but Sulanga was here.

If he found the entrance to the dungeon.

White light flared.

“Okay, next group!” Kassie shouted. “Hurry, hurry, hurry!”

They rushed into the circle, some limping. A mother carried an injured child. This was worth it. Saving these people, but now we had to end this. We had to get them clear. I had so many monster girls to bring back.

“Asud Gu!” cried Kassie.

White light exploded and swallowed the halflings.

Two more groups to go.

Leo was down to nothing. He had almost no forces left to fight that were close enough to matter. He had plenty of Level One monster girls, but getting them here would take some time. Would have to use Kassie’s teleportation circle.

“Asud Gu!”

The halflings vanished in light. One more to go.

The last of the halflings stepped into the circle. The final group of twenty. I stared at them. They had such hope in their eyes. Kassie stepped up to her people and cried the words one last time. They vanished in light.

I rushed to the circle that would take me to my Void Crystal. I stepped on it and Kassie rushed with me, her blue robes rustling about her. She stepped up beside me on the circle. She cried the word and the radiance bathed us.

When it was gone, I stared at an open door. My Void Crystal hummed just through it. I darted to it. Souleen glanced up at me, a look of hope in her eyes. I grabbed the gem. I held it in my hand and tried to interface with it.

I couldn’t.

“Feya, are the halflings still in the dungeon?” I cried, unable to change anything. Someone was in my dungeon that wasn’t mine.

“No!” Feya cried.

“Sulanga’s in the dungeon!” screamed Terra.

Fear shot through me. I turned and rushed back for the magic circle. Kassie stood there, her eyes widening. She had heard the cry from Terra. I stepped into the circle and stared at my mage. She nodded and spoke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A flaming Sulanga Stormfury marched down the tunnel at Terra. She readied herself. She had nowhere to run. Could not flee. So the barista did the only thing she could.

She charged.

She rushed down the tunnel at the dungeon builder, her coppery hair whipping behind her. She ignored the pain from her injuries as she closed the distance. The dungeon builder stopped. A smile spread on his burning lips.

“Hands burn, let the heat of Lady Lamashtu grow!”

Sulanga’s hands burned even brighter. They blazed. Terra kept charging, confused at what he had just done. Why had he made his hands burn bright? She was almost on him, though. She raised her hammer fist to smite.

“Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!”

She swung her hand down at his head even as he vanished in a burst of electricity. She hit nothing then struck the floor. She gasped, her coppery hair spilling around her face. She gasped in shock at what had just happened.

“What?” she cried, straightening.

Then she felt the heat on her back. She whirled to find Sulanga standing behind her, his hands thrusting for her. Those burning hands struck Terra’s stomach. The heat poured into her body. It hardened her clay in moments. She screamed as it spread up her body, turning her into pottery.

“No!” she cried as she raised her arms.

But the heat spread too fast. It was over her torso and hit her shoulders. They shattered from the torquing motion of her arms. They fell off her even as the heat swallowed her head. Terra fell back and burst into shards that vanished into motes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sulanga watched the monster girl vanish.

She would be an interesting one to keep, Sulanga thought. He could have fun hurting her body, watching her turn to clay as she screamed in agony for displeasing him.

But no monster girl companion of his vanquished foes ever wanted to serve him. Sulanga doubted this upstart Leo’s would be any different.

He turned and marched down the dungeon. Leo’s forces were decimated. He didn’t have Level 3 monster girls or Expert Magic. The boy had a lot of forces. A lot of glyphs. All the ones that Sulanga was missing.

But now things were even. Leo must have nothing left. Sulanga had invaded the dungeon, a section that was safe. No traps because of the halflings the fool was rescuing. That made no sense to Sulanga. But it didn’t matter.

Leo would die.

Sulanga would end this today.

The tunnel led to a larger room. Leo appeared in it, dressed in gray robes, his skin looking like stone. An interesting protective spell. The boy ducked back out of sight. Sulanga smiled. His foe was afraid.

Then a halfling in blue robes trimmed in red appeared in the entrance. “Seg Ki-Se!”

Before Sulanga could understand what she had just cried, ice exploded around him, bursting off his static aura. The defensive spell shorted out. It had defended Sulanga from the surprise attack. He was stunned by how fast she had gotten the spell off.

No sentence. Just two words.

Leo grabbed the halfling and yanked her back out of sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What are you doing?” I growled at Kassie.

“Fighting that bastard,” Kassie hissed back.

“No,” I growled. Halia was badly hurt. Isatu had dragged her onto the magic circle to Astovin. “Get them to Astovin. I’ll fight him.”

“By yourself?” gasped Kassie.

“Tell Feya to come with any monster girls that are around her,” I hissed.

“Fine,” Kassie huffed. She darted to the magic circle and activated it. They vanished in a burst of light. I was all alone with Sulanga Stormfury.

“That was an interesting trick,” Sulanga called. “A halfling mage…”

I ignored him and whispered, “Light can bend, let the lie of Lady Sherida hide!”

I could not win this fight fairly.

I vanished, invisible. I had Static Aura and Granite Flesh cast as defensive spells plus I was wearing my breastplate. I held my spear in hand and stepped out into the corridor as quietly as I could. Sulanga advanced down it, his burning body impossible to hide.

He looked ready to counter another attack from Kassie.

When he got closer, I whispered, “Thunderclap deafens, let the roar of Lord Ishkur disorient!”

The spell burst around Sulanga. Great bursts of thunder that should have left him stumbling and concussed from the sonic attack, but instead his own Static Aura spell triggered, blocking him from suffering the off-balancing effects.

He responded instantly with, “Flames erupt, let the conflagration of Lord Gibil blaze!”

The air around me exploded into fire. I didn’t know this spell. My Static Aura protected me. As the flames died, I saw scorch marks in a large area. My stomach lurched at how much damage that spell had done. How big it was.

“Flames erupt,” Sulanga began to cast.

Instantly, I cried, “Incarnation of flames—”

“—let the conflagration of Lord Gibil blaze!” he finished.

“—let the passion of Lady Lamashtu embrace!”

As his fire erupted around me, my body became flames. I darted around the corner out of sight as the heat didn’t affect me. I was immune to Fire magic now. I panted, struggling to think what to do next. These spells were so powerful.

I recast my static aura spell, hearing him do the same.

I thought about my next spell. I would have to short out his protection.

“Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!” roared Sulanga.

Lightning crackled in the middle of the room and he appeared in where the electricity sizzled. He stood there in the room and stared at me. I gaped at him. He had teleported with Lightning magic. I had no idea that was even possible.

“Wind gusts, let the strength of Lord Anu pierce!” Compressed air shot at me in the form of a javelin.

“Electricity surges and binds, let the chains of Lord Enlil’s lightning bind!”

Chains of lightning flew out from me as the javelin burst across my static protection. Sparks danced around me and him. We had both fired each other’s defensive protection. Now it was time to hit him hard.

And hope Granite Body could protect me. I might be made of fire, but there was also stone flesh beneath.

“Thunderclap deafens, let the roar of Lord Ishkur disorient!” I screamed and sent a concussive blast at him.

But he cast, “Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!”

Lightning engulfed him and he vanished. My stomach lurched. That spell was insane.

“Wind gusts, let the strength of Lord Anu pierce!” roared from behind me.

I turned around, the words to the spell on my lips, but the javelin of air slammed into my breastplate and punched through it. The attack hit my granite body beneath. Stone cracked from the impact as I stumbled back.

And snarled the words to Night Smother: “The thick night falls, let the enmity of Lord Zuen smother!”

Darkness fell on him as he cried, “Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!”

Lightning crackled in the middle of the smothering black. He was gone. I cursed and darted for cover, casting a static aura on myself.

White burst from the teleportation circle. Feya and Isatu appeared, my fairy twirling her wand and dragon looking strong.

“He likes to teleport behind his enemies,” I sent telepathically. “I’ll draw him out, when he does, you two hit that spot!”

They nodded.

I figured he had retreated down the tunnel. I glanced at the passageway that he had come from and spotted him. The moment I did, he cried out his spell while I shouted the one that I had ready on my lips.

“Lightning arcs and sizzles, let the fury of Lord Enlil spread!” roared from him, sending a bolt of lightning flashing at me.

“Death reaps and harvests, let the scythe of Lord Nergal kill!”

A deathly scythe appeared by him and slashed.

Our spells struck at the same moment. Static Aura’s discharged, blocking both spells while I was already casting my next one, Flash to blind him.

“Radiance erupts, let the brilliance of Lord Shamash explode!”

“Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!”

As my light spell filled the corridor with a brilliant strobe of light, he vanished with a crack of lightning. But he didn’t appear behind me. He appeared before me and slammed a dagger into my throat.

I gasped as he struck the stone skin beneath my flames. I stumbled back, stone cracking from the force of his blow. I wheezed out and grunted as I stumbled back into the room. Isatu and Feya were waiting to hit him from the side.

“Lightning crackle and hiss, gird me in the love of Lady Uttu!” I cried, refreshing the defensive spell.

“Flames erupt, let the conflagration of Lord Gibil blaze!” roared Sulanga as he stepped into the room after me.

A spell that couldn’t hurt me with fire body, but my Static Aura spell didn’t know that. As fire exploded, light flashed. Sulanga shouted in pain as they blazed with fire. It must have filled the entire room. Feya screamed in agony as the fires consumed her.

“Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!” shouted Sulanga. He sounded in pain. Lightning crackled and the fire died.

Feya vanished into a puff of motes. Isatu stood by her, looking furious. Her fire breath was useless on Sulanga. I was outmatched. That bastard was leaping about setting everything on fire. This was insane. How could I beat him?

I refreshed Static Aura then looked down the corridor. He didn’t go back the same way. I cursed, looking around the room at the three other tunnels. He could be down any of them, waiting to strike. To leap into a new position with that damned lightning spell.

“You have quite the impressive setup here,” he shouted. “These strange circles… Are they teleportation circles?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I whispered my invisibility spell. “Light can bend, let the lie of Lady Sherida hide.”

Isatu moved out into the middle, looking around. From the right came, “Wind gusts, let the strength of Lord Anu pierce!”

Isatu tried to dodge it, but the airy javelin struck her in the chest and punched through her heart. I grunted as my ace in the hole died. She vanished into motes like a monster girl would. I couldn’t turn her into a dragon until I revived her.

Fuck! shot through my mind.

“What an interesting monster girl she is,” said Sulanga as he stepped burning in the room. “A fire monster girl? Someone’s companion you stole? Did they serve you, Leo?”

I had to make my move at the right moment. I had the advantage. Invisibility.

“We’re here, Lord Leo!” Cysgo roared in my ear.

My wildhounds. I had them outside the city. Marwo had died, but the other six were still alive. They burst out of the northern tunnel and rushed at Sulanga with snarling fury. They were gorgeous and deadly. Hope surged in me.

“Lightning arcs and sizzles, let the fury of Lord Enlil spread!” Sulanga cried, another Lightning spell I didn’t recognize.

A bolt of electricity shot from him and struck Hela at the lead. She screamed and burst into motes. The spell arced to Ci, killing her. I gaped as the lightning jumped again, striking Du then Nos before the spell fizzled out.

Four of them killed in a flash.

But the last two, Gwyllt and Cysgo were almost on the bastard.

I had hope and screamed, “Radiance erupts, let the brilliance of Lord Shamash explode!”

Flash burst before Sulanga. He shouted, whatever spell he was casting disrupted as he staggered before the brilliance of the Light spell. The wildhounds reached him and jumped. Cysgo and Gwyllt landed on him and bit him.

Gwyllt was thrown back by Static Aura. It flung her down and she rolled on the ground before vanishing into motes. Cysgo latched on. She bit him. She savaged the bastard. A surge of hope shot through me before she screamed in agony.

She fell from him, burnt by the flames that wreathed his body.

“Drew blood, Lord Leo!” were Cysgo’s final words.

But my next spell already tumbled from my lips. They had left him open.

“Blinding brilliance hardened, let the light of Lord Shamash cut!”

Chapter Forty-Four

A sword of light appeared and slashed for the injured Sulanga. Both Cysgo and Feya had hurt him. Now I just had to finish him. The blazing bastard threw himself to the side. The blade didn’t cut him in half.

But it did bit hard into his side. Blood spurted out of the flames. He screamed in agony as he hit the ground and rolled. Gleaming crimson spilled on the floor. I rushed forward, my heart bursting with determination.

“Howl and rage, let the winds of Lord Anu gust!”

Sulanga’s spell slammed into me. A hard wind struck me and threw me back. I hit the ground and rolled in a clatter of breastplate. I groaned at the force of the wind that had thrown me and coughed as I struggled to stand.

“Graven wounds pulse in pain, let the healing of Lord Dumazid flow!” chanted Sulanga. I knew that spell. Mend Flesh.

Fuck.

I whispered, “Light can bend, let the lie of Lady Sherida hide!”

The invisibility wrapped around me again. I rolled to the right and scrambled to my feet.

“That invisibility is a useful spell,” Sulanga said as he rose, his flames burning hot. “Lightning crackle and hiss, gird me in the love of Lady Uttu.”

Sulanga refreshed his Static Aura. Mine was still active. That wind spell wasn’t an attack, I supposed. It just threw me back. I considered my options. I had to change this up. Go on the melee fight.

“Within the soul slumbers, let the primal passion of Lady Ianna transform!”

Shapechange was a spell I hadn’t used much. I focused on becoming a huge bear, a mighty grizzly. Still invisible, my body expanded. I fell onto my forelegs. My mouth elongated into a muzzle. I had claws. Sharp teeth.

I weighed nearly a ton.

I stalked Sulanga as he looked around. A grin appeared on his flaming body. “If I was you, I would go for melee. Right?”

I didn’t answer. He was trying to bait me. I wouldn’t let him.

“Storm howls, let the tempest of Lord Anu whirl!” he shouted.

Wind exploded around him. Not from him, but around him. It was a mighty whirlwind that engulfed him. A tornado that rose to the ceiling. I stared at it. I had a lot of bulk in this form. Could I make it through?

My Static Aura might not trigger from the wind. A defensive spell. It would trigger against his Static Aura. Our Flamebody spells canceled each other out. He had that dagger, but I still was pretty protected by Granite Flesh.

My jaws would crush his skull.

I charged.

He whirled at my lumbering form, but it was too late. I leaped at the winds howling around him. I struck them only to be flung back by them. I hit the ground with a grunt, my invisibility falling off me. Suddenly, my furry paws appeared.

“Lightning arcs and sizzles, let the fury of Lord Enlil spread!” Sulanga roared.

Before I could even get up, the spell struck my body. Static Aura burst and sizzled out, defending me from that spell. I released my Shapechange spell. I had to speak. As my body flowed back to normal, I stood up.

Sulanga was already casting his next offensive spell. I was dead. I had no protection.

“Lightning—”

White light flashed behind him. Kassie appeared on the circle.

“—arcs and sizzles, let—”

“Ki-Man!” Kassie cried.

The ground beneath Sulanga’s feet became slick with ice. He slipped in an instant, cutting off the spell that would kill me. He crashed amid his whirlwind roaring around him.

Kassie, gripping her medallion, cried, “Amagi Dur”

An ax of ice appeared above Sulanga and slammed into his Static Aura. The sparks burst, shattering the Ice Ax.

I was already roaring, “Death reaps and harvests, let the scythe of Lord Nergal kill!”

My Spectral Scythe swung at Sulanga. He rolled to the side. It sliced through his side and he gasped at the pain the Death spell dealt him.

“Lightning crackle and hiss, gird me in the love of Lady Uttu!” he growled, struggling to stand. Static Aura crackled around him.

“Amagi Dur!” Kassie shouted.

Ice Ax crashed into his protective spell, shorting it out. Sulanga gasped, struggling to get his feet beneath him, but the slick spell kept him down. That didn’t stop him from growling out his next spell, “Flames erupt, let the conflagration of Lord Gibil blaze!”

Fear for Kassie shot through me.

But before the fires exploded around us, Kassie calmly cried, “Izi Su!”

Fire engulfed her while I screamed out my next spell, desperate to kill Sulanga, fear for Kassie squeezing about my heart.

“Blinding brilliance hardened, let the light of Lord Shamash cut!”

“Lightning crackle and hiss, gird—” Sulanga’s Static Aura spell cut off as my dazzling sword of light sliced through his head and cut off his neck.

Sulanga Stormfury’s head danced across the floor and ended at the feet of Kassie. She stood in her blue robes, her body a massive of flames like mine. She put her foot on the tyrant’s head, a big smile spreading on her blazing lips.

The Wind Glyph burned on my chest. I felt it searing in me. New words whispered in my mind as I gained the last one. I had all twelve of the glyphs. I staggered, relief sweeping through me. I had won. I had beaten Sulanga Stormfury.

“YEEESSSS!” I roared to the ceiling.

“Lord Leo!” Kassie cried and raced to me, her body flaming. She had such a joyous smile on her face. “We saved them!”

She threw herself against my chest. I hugged her and, to my delight, she kissed me. She planted her lips right on mine. I held her burning body to mine, flames blazing around us as I kissed my halfling mage.

We had done it. We had crushed Sulanga Stormfury. He was dead. Gone. He had paid for his crimes. I was glad that Kassie had disobeyed me. That she had come back. Her magic was just the thing I needed.

To be continued…

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