The Summoned
The Light Plane: LePaige's Castle
He tried to close his eyes as the chaos surrounded him, but his
muscles were
no longer his own. He had the vantage point the archers normally enjoyed - but
the archers were dead. Their bodies, stuck with arrows, quarrels, and in some
cases scorched by magical fire, littered the room. On the battlefield below,
men struggled and died - quick flashes of magical fire erupted in small amounts
from the back. LePaige's men, even with the leadership of Leo, were being
massacred - Norax's army was imbued with unnatural strength, it seemed. Asa
watched with horror as Leo's halo sword missed an opponent, and the paladin was
run though.
His head turned, but it did so without his having taken action - it
was as though he was only watching the horrific scene unfold. It couldn't be
real, after all. It couldn't!
The slumped body of Rachel lied in the corner of the room. She was
still alive, but she wouldn't remain that way for long. Her mouth moved, but
he couldn't make out the sound - it was as though no sound could reach him, as
though he were entirely seperate, being forced to endure this with no ability
to make things right.
He spun toward the arrow slit, raising the gatekeeping rod to his
eyes. Instantly, he felt his energy drain from him as the sickeningly familiar
summons took place. In the midst of the dying soldiers, A column of white fury
erupted, the power of the summoning radiating outward in a shockwave as Thalla
came into being once more. The soldiers that had survived her arrival simply
stood in awe of the creature, as she turned toward the one that had summoned
her.
Asa looked into her eyes as she whispered to him - the only sound
that carried throughout the gruesome battle:
"I am your salvation"
"No...." Asa said. A horrible sense of wrongness overcame him.
He couldn't let this happen - he couldn't let Thalla dictate what he did. She
was a demon!
Slowly, the scene before him began to lose cohesion. The
battlefield faded, the fallen soldiers vanishing before him. Then it was over.
"Asa?"
Asa turned around, disoriented. Leo stood before him, dressed
almost entirely in his old Light Guard armor. "Asa, are you all right?"
"Leo, was I asleep?" The young summoner replied, his voice
nervous.
Leo frowned, his doubts about Asa returning. He hoped the summoner
was up for the task ahead, but his instincts told him otherwise. "No, Asa, you
were just looking out the arrow slits there. Are you all right?"
Asa wanted to scream suddenly -- He had just witnessed Leo slain,
and he hadn't been asleep. He remembered now - he had gone up to the tower
from the infirmary in order to think and prepare himself for the battle which
everyone said was coming. Then... there had been something. He had forgotten
everything which happened before, and he had seen the battle take place. But
he hadn't been sleeping. What had happened?
Asa glanced down at the Gatekeeping Rod, which seemed warm in his
grip. Was it his imagination, or was it glowing slightly? He shook his head
roughly in order to clear it. No - he wasn't going to give in to the hysteria.
More than likely, he was simply still weak from being in the infirmary. That
might not explain all he had seen, but he'd accept it for now.
"I'm sorry Leo, I've just been a bit on edge lately." Asa spoke
up, his breathing slowly stabilizing. "What can I help you with?"
Leo studied his companion carefully before replying. Asa seemed to
have improved somewhat from his earlier state, but the knight still had his
doubts. "Asa, according to the best reports that we've managed to gather,
Norax's troops are going to attack tomorrow. I need to know where you're going
to be."
Asa was confused for a moment. "I was planning on being up here
with the archers, or possibly with the Seeker, if he would permit it. I'm
sorry for not informing you earlier, but I wasn't aware that the attack was
going to be so soon." Asa felt a surge of fear as he contemplated the battle
itself, not the least of which came from his earlier hallucination, or vision,
or whatever it was. He did his best to ignore it, however. Leo had asked his
question for a reason, and Asa was beginning to suspect that he knew what it
was.
Leo nodded. "Asa, I know you've been through quite a bit lately,
and I'm worried you haven't fully recovered. If you aren't going to be able to
fight in this battle, I need to know. There's no-"
Asa cut the man off the instant he realized what the fighter was
implying. "What? Leo, I have every intention of going into battle tomorrow.
I'd do it this very instant, if I needed to. Leo, Norax nearly enslaved me.
He'd do the same thing to every single person in this plane. I may be a little
unnerved by what's happened lately, but I will fight!" Asa was livid. This
plane was his home! For the first time since he had awakened from his
shock-induced coma, he felt every bit as alive and real as he had before. He
was ready.
Leo simply stood for a few moments. "Very well, Asa. Your station
will be in the opposite archer's tower, with Paul. You'll need to go now, as
everyone else is already in position. Should we be attacked early, I will not
be unprepared
Asa shuddered suddenly as his hand holding the Gatekeeping Rod
began tingling. He turned around, looking back out the thin slits and to the
battlefield beyond. He already knew what the archers he could hear clamoring
up the stairways were going to tell Leo.
The attack had begun.
The Light Plane: Battlefield of the Heroes
Norax watched as his armies parted for the creation that he had
just summoned. The familiar fatigue left him slowly -- his age affecting him
again. Not for long, though. Soon he would have his successor, and he could
leave this world in peace.
As the abomination, named Seleath to those unfortunate enough to be
familiar with it, floated across the battlefield, a sudden muddling came across
Norax's mind. What was happening here? Did he honestly believe that Asa would
willingly join his ranks once captured? It didn't seem to make much sense.
All will be well. Once the sword is passed over, he will follow
in your path an inner voice reasoned. Yes, the sword. Norax glanced down
at the Tomb Sword, the powerful talisman which had protected him and brought
death to his enemies for untold years. Yes, when he gave it to his successor,
all would be well. All he needed to do was to capture him....
The Light Plane: LePaige's Castle
Asa stood, watching as the archers took up their positions near
him. Leo had rushed out of the room as soon as he had recieved word, leaving
Asa to decide what to do. The young summoner had little idea himself, until he
heard the shouts of the archers.
"What in hell is that thing?" one cried, his bow wavering.
"Whatever it is, it's about to not be any more" the warrior next to
him declared, firing an arrow off. Asa knew what the reaction would be even
before he heard it.
"What the HELL! It just went through the thing! Right through it!
What is that thing?" the first archer seemed on the verge of breaking up.
"Calm down, Rodgers!" the second archer ordered harshly. He didn't
seem too confident himself, however.
Asa moved to the window, pushing the unfortuate Rodgers out of the
way. The quickly panicking archer didn't resist, more than happy to be out of
the line of fire. Glancing through the slit, Asa saw that what he suspected
was true -- Norax had summoned... something, and now it was on its way
to the castle. Only that creature. Whatever it was, it was definitely
powerful.
Where are the wizards? Where is Seeker? Asa wondered
desperately. More than likely, they were not prepared for the attack. All of
Leo's men had been, but it seemed that everyone else had been caught unawares.
There was nothing any of them could do.
Thalla
No! He would not do such a thing! Thalla was not going to be his
salvation. He would get himself out of this.
Closing his eyes, he did what he had only done rarely before - he
reached into the Gatekeeping Rod with his mind, grasping for the ability that
he had only heard of in legends and rumors.
His eyes flew open, riveting upon the monster still crossing the
field. Arrows rained down, passing harmlessly through the shadowy creature.
The Gatekeeping Rod began to glow and heat up as Asa spoke.
"Begone summoned thing!" he cried, his voice fuller and louder than
he had known it could be. "Return to that plane which spawned you!" The
Gatekeeping Rod flared into life, white flame seeming to envelop it. Power
rippled through the air, making a sickening tearing noise as it raced toward
the summoned being. With a tortured cry of despair, the being vanished.
And then it was done. Asa fell back, feeling the power of the Rod
drain from him. His eyes closed, as he began to recover.
The Light Plane: Forest of the Heroes
Rage.
Norax felt rage enveloping him. His monster, gone! By the same
ability which Norax was now too weak to use! Swiftly, he drew the Tomb sword
and levelled it toward the castle. Shrieking in fury, he cried out only one
word.
"Charge!"
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