Shouts erupted from the streets, and torches bathed the buildings red. The massive crowd below swarmed the large cathedral. Windows shattered under thrown stones, and the soft scent of blood filled the air. It made Magia lick her lips as she watched from the shadow of a chimney.

  “How does it look?” She jumped at the growl behind her. Reviled crawled up behind her.

  “My lord, I didn’t expect you to appear yourself.”

  “We felt it was necessary to see this in person.”

  Magia nodded and played with her hair. “The crowd has yet to make any true move.” She said, avoiding the monster’s gaze. “They’re content with shouting obscenities for now.”

  “Then that gives us time to prepare.” Reviled chuckled as it summoned the Tome of Elithis. The book flipped open, and necrotic mana poured from its pages.

  “Won’t that draw their attention?”

  “The priests are busy with the mob, and even if they do notice, there isn’t anything they can do at the moment.”

  Magia glanced nervously at Reviled. “Is there anything you need me to do?”

  “Cast an enchantment spell to rile up their anger and order the others to keep watch from the shadows. We don’t want any of the priests to escape.”

  A sea of torches filled the windows along with the angry cries from the mob outside. The large door shook violently from their relentless barrage making the wooden groan. The priests and acolytes cowered under the statues of the Virtues; their prayers nearly drowned out.

  “What is the meaning of all this?” Nial growled as he watched the people outside. “Why are they attacking us?”

  “I don’t know. They would tell me anything when I tried asking them from the bell tower.” Regald sighed deeply.

  “We’ll need to protect the cathedral until the guards arrive. Hopefully they’ll be here soon.” Torrn repositioned his shield. “The Duke is a righteous man. He wouldn’t abandon the church.”

  “Get out here, so we can gut you like the pigs you are!” The mob outside roared in anger.

  “You won’t get away with what you’ve done!”

  “You monsters are worse than the undead!” The door shook violently. “For the children!” They chanted in tune with their assault.

  “They’ve been saying that since they arrived.” Emir sneered in thought. “What do the children have to do with their assault?”

  “Shecoga, please have mercy on us, and save us from this mob.” A young priestess cried at the statue of the Virtue.

  “Gentle Mother, forgive us for our wickedness.” Another priest fell to his face. “We failed to live by your word, and we have forsaken you charge.”

  “Let justice come to corrupted, so that the righteous may prospers.” Another priestess prayed.

  Emir stuttered as he looked at them. “Do you know why their mad?”

  “I believe so.” The young acolyte replied, tears pouring from her eyes. “It sounds like the Patron’s sins have come to light.” The door jolted forward, nearly throwing the paladins to the floor.

  “What did he do? Misuse church funds?” Nial sneered in rage.

  “He forced himself on children.” The revelation drowned out the angry cries.

  “What?” Torrn stared dumbfounded.

  “He didn’t force himself on anyone! They were prostitutes.”

  “They were still children!”

  Glass sprayed into the sanctuary. Sparks flew and sprinkled onto the carpet starting small fires. A priest screamed in pain, grabbing his face, and the room was filled with the smell of burning flesh. The priests quickly put out the fires, but the paladins stared at the broken lantern on the floor.

  “Quick move all flammable items away from the windows!”

  The priests rushed to take down the tapestries, move the carpets, and toss anything that could burn towards the back of the room. More lanterns shattered the windows spraying flaming oil onto the stone floor, the fires quickly burning out. If that wasn’t bad enough, now a deep thumping came from the other side of the door.

  “We should be grateful the cathedral is made of stone.” Regald released a dry chuckle. He slid up to the window and peeked outside. Movement caught his attention, and he sighed in relief at the sight of the mounted guards. “They’re here!”

  “Thank the Virtues!”

  A sharp crack drew everyone’s attention to the door. Several panels splintered inward, and after another strike, a grey blade pierced the wood. The small hole slowly grew larger as the axe repeatedly struck. Wood chips littered the floor, and the faces of the enraged citizens became visible.

  “Board the door quickly!” Torrn commanded. The priests shook in place and watched as the hole grew bigger. “Quit standing around!”

  “You… you need to use Strong Tower.” The priests cast glassy eyes towards Torrn. “Please, we don’t want to die!” Torrn glanced nervously between the priests and door. The hole was wide enough for people to reach through it.

  “It may be for the best.” Nial whispered, clutching his sword tightly. “The Virtue’s protective aura will sustain it while you recover.”

  “Very well.” Torrn sighed.

  He held up his shield while glaring at the door. Divine mana coalesced around the door, forming into an impenetrable golden wall. Chains of golden energy hung from the ceiling and wrapped around the columns. Blinding light filled the room as the spell finished taking shape, and the priests sighed in relief.

  Everyone watched as the door continued falling apart, and the mob behind it struck the barrier. Their blows bounced harmlessly off it, sending ripples along its surface.

  “They won’t be… What is that?” Sparks erupted from the base of the barrier. Beyond it, hidden by golden light, were wisps of dark magic.

  “Necrotic mana, and a lot of it too! Where’s it coming from?” Emir cursed.

  “T-the protective aura should keep it at bay. We simply must wait until the guards disperse the crowd.”

  “They aren’t doing that.” Regald’s voice echoed through the room. “They’re simply standing there.” His words made several of the priestesses cry in agony.

  A rage-filled scream came from a window. A man struggled to climb through the small window. The remaining shards cut into this hands and arms as he tried pulling his way inside. The man’s eyes were completely black with spittle running down the sides of his mouth. Pain filled his screams as the mob pushed behind him.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “No!” a crazed priest charged forward with a candlestick in hand. “We can’t let them in!”

  The golden holder struck the man in the head. In rage, the man clawed at the priest, tearing his robes and scratching his legs. The priest yelped in fear and struck the man again and again.

  “Stop it! You’ll kill him!”

  The man’s skull split open with a thundering crack. The priest panted, staring at the corpse in the window, but it was the stench of rotting flesh that made Torrn shiver. Blood seeped down the wall, pooling on the floor below. The stench of death quickly filled the sanctuary, and the warmth of the divine fled. All that was left was the chilling cold.

  “Look, the barrier!”

  The barrier flickered angrily as it encountered the necrotic mana. The golden chains that powered it were now gone, and the crimson wisps of dark magic poured in from the windows.

  “You fool!” Nial shouted, “You’ve desecrated the sanctuary!”

  “These heathens already desec-”

  The barrier flickered again, this time allowing several members of the mob through. They at the lone priest and struck him down. His blood staining the head of a wooden hammer.

  “Get out of here now!”

  Everyone scattered. Torrn followed the others out the side door, looking back to see the barrier fully dissipate. Harrowing screams filled the air, and smoke started billowing from the main sanctuary. Seeing the cathedral be destroyed was painful, but the paladins pushed forward and threw themselves into the library.

  “How do we get out of here?” Torrn panted heavily as he and Regald shoved bookcases in front of the door.

  “There’s a window in the back.” Emir pointed to the small window near the ceiling.

  “We can’t fit through that!”

  “We can if we remove our armor.” Emir shattered the window with his spear. “This way leads to a small side street we can escape through.”

  Everyone groaned in frustration, but they quickly removed their armor. They stacked the tables and chairs to create makeshift stairs. Fragments of broken glass shredded their clothes and skin as they crawled through, and the fall sent shockwaves throughout their bodies. The alley was clear, but the terrible screams could still be heard.

  “Where do we go now?” Nial hissed, keeping his eyes towards the main street.

  “If we keep to the backroads, then we can make our way to another part of the city.” Emir said, leading away from the mob. “We can find plenty of places to hide in the lower city.”

  “What about the Saint?” Regald said sternly.

  “We need to worry about ourselves.” Torrn clenched his jaw. “Once we’re safe, then we can get in contact with her.” They scurried along the wall, and as they shuffled to hide behind another building, Torrn was able to get a good look at the square. “Everyone, look!”

  The red haze of necrotic mana filled the square. Torrn’s eyes followed the thick stream coming from the rooftops on the other end, and his heart nearly stopped. A figure stood in the shadows of the roofs, but its two red eyes stared intently at the large building. It was clearly the source of the vile magic.

  “The monster was behind this!” Regald growled deeply. “How?”

  “We can figure that out later. First, we need to escape.”

  Their footsteps echoed through the darkness, but the angry shouts and pained screams slowly died behind them. The shadows stretched around them. It left them feeling like they were being hunted. They jumped as a cat hissed at them from the box it rested on and disappeared into the night. They all let out deep breaths.

  Moonlight spilled in from the street and it made the shadows on the other end darken. Torrn’s nerves twitched. Something about the darkness felt wrong, but he couldn’t understand why. Emir foot sent a pebble skipping across the cobblestone into the darkness forming ripples along the surface.

  “It’s a trap!” Torrn shoved his way to the front, hoisting his shield. A barrier of golden light formed in front of him, but before it could consolidate, an arrow shot out at them. The barrier shattered upon contact.

  “Eliminate them!” A harsh feminine voice echoed from the darkness. Six figures jumped out of the darkness. Their dark armor absorbed the white light.

  Torrn barely got his shield up to block the attacks, but he could see one run along the walls to get behind him. Another must have gotten past as he could hear fighting behind him, and he could make out the faint traces of divine magic. The tight alley made it difficult to maneuver, and with two attacking him at once, all Torrn could do was keep his shield up.

  A bright flash of blue light shot out at them. It struck at the wall sending rubble flying. Another bolt of lightning escaped the darkness. Torrn grasped his shield with both hands and shoved one of the attackers into the bolt. The knight screamed in pain as the energy coursed through him, and he fell to the ground.

  “Out of my way fool!” The woman screamed.

  Torrn screamed and shoved his second attacker into the wall. “We need to get out of here!” He could hear his other attacker getting back onto his feet.

  Footsteps sounded behind him, and Torrn followed close behind. His muscles burned as divine magic filled his body, quickening his steps. The enhancement let him stay ahead of the black knights chasing after them. Another female figure appeared between the gaps of the buildings. Her unnaturally pale skin shined in the moonlight, and it made her eyes appear pitch black.

  “The caster’s trying to get ahead of us! We need to get off the street!” Torrn shouted at his companions.

  “The alleys are too narrow to fight in.” Regald screamed back. “It’ll only favor them. We need to find a place where we can limit their mobility!”

  “But that’ll make us susceptible to the Caster’s attacks.” A bolt of lightning arced between them.

  “Well, we won’t do that out in the open, which leaves one alternative.” Emir groaned. “Follow me!”

  Emir suddenly turned down the opposite alley. At the end sat the barred gate to the sewers. He charged through and down into the shadows below. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Torrn turned and summoned a golden barrier over the door.

  “What are you doing?” The others stopped to look at him.

  “Go, I’m buying you time to run!” Torrn steeled his gaze.

  “No, we’ll stay.” Regald stated boldly. “If we can eliminate the guards, then we can focus on the caster.”

  “Very well.”

  Torrn stepped back as his companions took up positions next to him. His barrier illuminated the dark sewers and the dark knights running down the stairs. Emir’s spear struck first, its blade slipping under the arm to pierce the flesh beneath the black armor. The dark knight had nowhere to go, trapped between Torrn’s barrier and his companions. Another blade struck at the knight’s neck, painting the walls with its black blood.

  The second knight stumbled over the body of his companion, and he pushed against the barrier to keep himself upright. Sparks filled tunnels, and the barrier vanished. The second knight screamed as he fell to the floor and was quickly killed.

  “You are embarrassing me! How am I to explain this to Lord Reviled?” A shiver ran down Torrn’s spine as he rematerialized the barrier.

  His stomach tightened in anger. The angry mob, all those that died tonight, even the destruction of the cathedral. It was all orchestrated by the monster. Torrn stared up at the caster in rage.

  The remaining knights stood their ground. Their superior mobility useless in the small stairwell, and there was no way to get around them. One of the knights leapt forward, his left hand outstretched. The barrier fell the moment his gauntlet touched it, and the knight brought his sword down. However, Torrn was quicker. The paladin deflected the blade with his shield and brought down his mace on the knight’s head. After two more strikes, all that was left was a bloody mess.

  The last two knights followed closely behind but met with the other paladins’ weapons. Blood seeped into the water as it poured from the five corpses at their feet.

  “You’re all useless!”

  Blue lightning arced down the stairs. Torrn jumped forward with his shield raised, but it did little to protect him. Intense pain stiffened his body, and he felt his teeth crack from his clenched jaw. Intense heat washed over him from the bright red bolts and metal rim of his shield. He was thankful when the golden light of a barrier separated him from the spell, and he fell backwards into someone’s arms.

  “You did well Torrn.” He faintly heard Regald’s voice. His consciousness faded as he was carried into the darkness.

  Magia shook violently in the shadows of the alley. Her fingers laced tightly in her hair, and she felt the warmth of tears and blood run down her face. Despite being alone, she felt like someone was staring at her with a disappointed gaze.

  “Report Magia.” Her heart stopped as she noticed the metallic clawed feet. “Are the paladins dead?”

  “No, my lord.” She swallowed hard as she held its crimson gaze. A sudden warmth came from her groin.

  It slowly looked around. “Where are the other guards?”

  “Dead, my lord.”

  The intensity of Reviled’s stare made her shrink into the wall, but it pulled her to her feet with a tight embrace. Pain started crawling up her back, but fear kept her in place. Sudden pain pierced her skull, and she could taste her own blood on her lips. She could feel her body fighting to heal itself, but Reviled’s tongue kept digging deeper into her skull. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and memories long forgotten resurfaced.

  Magia was back in a centrical room filled with wooden podiums. Gems of various colors sat on each one with a child standing before them. A diamond sat in front of her with lightning arcing within its crystalline shell. Her attention was drawn from the stone as a withered hand fell on her shoulder, and she stared at an old man’s sour face.

  Let this be a lesson.

  The memory shook violently as the pain in her head ceased. She fell to the floor, panting heavily and wiping the tears away. She reached for the wound in her head, but it was already closed.

  “This is your last chance.” Reviled’s growl drew her back. It slowly moved towards the sewers. “Do not fail us again. Are we clear?”

  “Yes, my lord.” She unconsciously reached for her forehead.

  “Good, now go collect the bodies of the guard. We don’t want anything to go to waste. Not when we are so close to our goal.”

  “As you command, my lord.”