NOVEL NEXT 101. The End of the World
Finally!
Adam’s eyes snapped back to the girl. His mind was racing as he stared at the little girl. How could he get her to safety? He could grab her and Dimensions out of here.
Though what if the dragons were here for him? They seemed to focus on him last time they fought, so maybe he could Dimensions out and lead the dragons away.
Though what if the dragons decide to go for the Winterdotr instead? He couldn’t just leave her behind, not with Dark Harvest, who were so eager to kill her before.
‘Think, Adam! Think!’ Adam’s mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do. Panic raced through his veins as his heart thundered within his chest.
“Adam!” Klara called out, grabbing onto his shoulders. “Calm down.”
Adam snapped out of his thoughts as he looked into the woman’s eyes. They were strong, comforting, like a mother reassuring her child.
“Right, sorry,” Adam replied, trying to gather himself. Right now there were five of them, and each were fairly powerful. “Could we take on a dragon?”
“One dragon? Definitely,” Klara said, looking out the window. “A dragon and two icewyrms…”
“It’s a simple matter to kill them, but more complicated if we want to stay alive.” Hisan shrugged his shoulders.
“I do like staying alive,” Adam said. “They won’t be able to do much to us in here.” Adam glanced around to see the windows were situated in such a way that the icewyrms would have to become vulnerable if they wanted to attack. It was as though this outpost was made to fight against dragons…
“You said you could cast Fireball, right?” Klara asked, keeping an eye outside at the wyrms watching and waiting.
“I can,” Adam said, nodding his head.
“How many?”
“…” Adam clenched his jaw.
“We need to know, Adam. This is a fight where we might die, and we’re going to need to develop a plan to deal with the dragons together.”
“Let me do some math,” Adam said, thinking about whether or not he should reveal such information to them, but he caught the look of Freya, who stared at him coldly. “Fourteen,” he said.
“Excuse me?” Klara replied.
“What are you playing at?” Hisan stepped towards Adam. “We’re going to be fighting side by side, and you’re playing games?” Hisan prodded Adam’s chest.
Adam looked to Klara. “Fourteen, and I’ll be able to use two Cure Wounds if we need to.”
“Are you…” Klara stared into Adam’s eyes.
“Why do you think I was so confident I could beat you all?” Adam replied. “You either trust me or you don’t, but you’ve seen what I can do.”
“I understand. Fourteen Fireball casts would be more than enough to deal with them, but they are too far away.”
“Klara,” Hisan said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “are you insane? Who the hell can cast fourteen Fireball spells?”
“Ninth gate casters eventually gain that ability,” Klara said.
“Does he look like a ninth gate caster?”
“No, but he doesn’t look like a liar either,” Klara replied. “What spells are available to you?”
“Priest, Guardian, and a few Wizard spells. Right now I have,” Adam counted out his spells.
Priest Spells
Bane, Half-Life, Gentle Repose, Enfeeble Ray, Revivify, Vampiric Touch - Cure Wounds, Healing Word, Aid, Spectral Weapon, Create Food and Water, Spectral Sentinels
Wizard Spells
Magic Arrows, Mirror Mage, Haste, Thunderstep, Shatter, Shield, Invisibility, Fireball, Tower of Adam, Counterspell, Dimensions
Guardian Spells
Command, Find Steed, Zone of Truth
“That’s an interesting set of spells,” Klara said. “You have some terrifying abilities at your disposal.”
“I think it’s fair if you don’t ask me about my other Wizard spells available to me. These are definitely my more useful spells at this moment in time.”
“They’re each useful, though I’m uncertain if Counterspell or Tower of Adam would be useful at this time.”
“We don’t know if the dragon can cast spells, and we may need some more structured nearby to protect us, just in case.”
“I can understand your thought process…” Klara fell silent, deep into her own thoughts.
“I don’t like the fact that they’re flying above us,” Typ said. “Do you big heads have any ideas?”
“Once they come close, I’ll rain down Fireballs.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Why is it always Fireballs with you wizards?” Typ asked.
“Which spell would be better against icewyrms and a white dragons?”
“Well, you do have a point…”
It was only then that a chill fell through Adam, who noticed Klara stiffen. Adam looked at her, and the pair stared into each other’s eyes. ‘What was that?’
Klara looked down at her fingers, blinking at them in shock. She then looked up to Adam. “My powers are gone,” she said.
Adam shuddered as warmth quickly invaded him, and a familiar feeling ran through him. “Mine have come back,” he said. “Though…” Adam clenched his fists. “No, these are from someone else.” The sword at his side began to grow warm and Adam stared down at the runes, which glowed faintly.
“What do you mean your powers are gone?” Hisan asked, grabbing her by the shoulders. Adam had never heard such worry come from the devilkin before.
It was only then true darkness fell across them, as the sky above them turned completely black. The world grew cooler, as the sun no longer basked it with its rays.
“What!” Klara’s eyes widened. “He’s coming!” She said, pulling back away from Hisan, her face covered in a sweat. “He’s coming!”
“Who?” Adam asked, stepping closer towards her.
“Sozain! He’s going to step on the world!”
“Calm down!” Adam said, grabbing her shoulder. “Klara! Calm down!”
Klara’s breath had begun to quiver, and she found herself unable to breathe. “The dark sun is the precursor to death stepping on the world,” she said. “We’re done for.”
“Calm down, Klara, relax.”
Hisan grabbed onto Adam’s wrist and pulled it off. “Leave her be,” Hisan said, his face distorted in both confusion and frustration.
Adam pulled his arm away and checked outside, only to find the wyrms had landed down in the distance, their attention focused on the sky. He dropped down to a knee and bowed his head.
“Lady Arya, can you hear me? What’s going on?” Adam prayed as hard as he could, unsure of how to actually pray hard. There was a warmth against his blade, but it grew cool after.
Insight
D20 + 1 = 20 (19)
No, not cool, ice cold. Adam looked back to the others, who had finally calmed Klara down. She was clutching her chest, and caught Adam’s eyes.
“…” Adam was unable to speak his mind, instead narrowing his eyes. “I’m not so easily to kill,” he said, looking out the window again. “Look out for Klara, I’m going to…”
Adam’s heart stopped for a moment as the sky tore open. The purple glow painted the white landscape in its glow, and there he saw it. Adam retreated immediately as he turned to look at the others, how own face unable to contain his shock or terror.
“It’s here,” he said.
“What?” Hisan said, seeing Adam’s face.
“It. It’s here. It chased me all this way.” His eyes snapped to the girl, Freya, who held a cold stare. He had made a promise to protect her, and almost immediately he was going to fail.
A scream echoed through the world as the black sky disappeared, and all became normal again. Klara gasped as her strength filled her, and then Adam felt Sozain’s powers fill him again.
“I’m very sorry,” Klara said, speaking with a voice that was not her own.
Adam’s eyes snapped to her body as he saw her eyes took on a cloudy gold. “Sozain?” Adam asked.
“I had to sent it towards you, but worry not,” she said, though immediately after, her eyes turned back to normal and she grimaced as she tried to contain the great strength which had entered her body. It disappeared a moment later.
“Sozain?” Adam asked.
Klara looked up at him confused, glancing around to see the others. They all were confused as to what was happening, before the entire area grew colder, and a shadow surrounded the land. Adam glanced out the window, seeing that the creature had grown still.
Perception
D20 + 5 = 12 (7)
He squinted his eyes, trying to see what was happening, but was unable to see too well. It was only then that a blue glow filled the room, and Adam recalled the eyes which had been watching him all this time. He turned around to see Freya floating, her eyes the very same piercing blue.
Then she flew past him.
Athletics
D20 + 8 = 22 (14)
“What are you doing?” Klara asked, surprised.
Adam grabbed onto the tiny girl’s ankles as she flew out the window, and Adam was flung away with her.
“I have to protect her!” Adam exclaimed, wishing he had taken the Fly spell.
Freya sped out towards the purple creature, and Adam gripped her ankles tighter.
“Freya! No! We need to get out of here!” Adam exclaimed, until he stopped right beside another person.
There he saw a man, about his age. He was tall, with olive skin and dark eyes. He wore a flat cap to cover his head, and had a thick beard. He wore a three piece suit, charcoal, with a shirt shirt and a green tie. He wore a brown belt, a chronograph on his left wrist, with a strap which matched his belt and his oxford shoes. He wielded a blade in one hand, one which was long and silver.
“Who the hell are you?” Adam asked.
“Galahad, a pleasure to meet you,” he said, tipping his flat cap.
“The knight?”
Galahad froze for a moment. “Let’s speak after we deal with this eldritch being.”
“You’re a Londoner,” Adam said.
Galahad froze again, his eyes flashing with shock. “How do you know?”
“You sound like a right prick,” he said.
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So, now you know why I wrote that interlude. Now none of you can complain about this deus ex machina, because technically it isn't one.
Right?