IV. Sacrifice (Chapter One)

Nov 8

DON’T GIVE HER THE ATLAS AND FIGHT BACK!

You look over to the lifeless bodies of Allard and Burt. Something tells you that this menacing whisker will not let you and your friends go, even if you hand over the Atlas. You firmly wear Burt’s bag on your back.

You wrack your brains, thinking back to the spells you learned back at Windrose Academy. Your nerves are jangling and your adrenaline is through the roof, but you cast the first water spell that comes to mind, Frozen Spear. You figure that in this environment, the power of this spell will be amplified. But your plan is quickly dashed as the elderly whisker lets out a wicked laugh and casts a counter spell. A giant ethereal skull bursts from her hands, which catches your Frozen Spear mid-air in its ghostly jaws and chews it up before slamming into you. All the breath is knocked from your body and you keel over. The evil laughter rings in your ears.

“Don’t you dare touch my friend!”

You look up just in time to see Burt ascending into the air. Your jaw drops. From his back, a magnificent single wing expands out, far larger than his body. You shield your eyes. The wing glitters with all the colors of the rainbow and blazes with raging flames. Burt glows red and he raises his hands in a peculiar fashion.

“The Mark of the Phoenix,” the elderly whisker shouts. “But how?”

Burt brings his hands down and releases a brilliant jet of wildfire at the Windrosian whisker. You yell as some of the fire shoots towards you, but you manage to scramble out of the way, cursing Burt’s lack of control. The elderly whisker takes the brunt of the attack and collapses in a column of flames. Burt drifts back towards the ground as his wing dissolves off his back. You skirt the burning body of the whisker and run to Burt, who kneels on all fours, panting.

“Adventurer, check Allard!” Burt manages to say.

You turn to see the bubble encasing Allard popping and he drops to the jetty in a heap. You are about to pull Burt to his feet so you can both go to the jetty, but you hear a rumbling from behind.

“Humph, to think mere mortals could do this much damage to me,” says a rough voice.

Burt clutches you. The voice seems to come from the column of flames that had just disintegrated the elderly whisker. You both watch in terror as a towering figure rises from the flames. With a sweep of an armored hand, it extinguishes Burt’s flames as though it was putting out a candle.

“An…Andromadus,” Burt stammers. His grip on your arm is starting to hurt.

Andromadus steps forward. He is clad from head to toe in a black suit of armor, and his eyes glow yellow with rage. He unsheathes a long, dark sword as he advances.

"What have you done with the lady whisker?" Burt yells.

You elbow him in the ribs, pointing out that Andromadus was the lady whisker.

"Unworthy fools," Andromadus says. "You dare stand against me with your puny flames? And to think the likes of you carry the Atlas without even knowing its full power. I will not only kill you, but I will send you to the furthermost chasms of the Under!"

He casts a spell, and his sword takes on a purple sheen. He leaps forward, swinging his mighty weapon at you and Burt. You and Burt hug each other, preparing for the end, when a golden force field materializes and blows Andromadus back with such power that he falls and skids across the shore.

"I'll take it from here, minnows."
“Allard!"

Allard steps in front of you and Burt. He nods at the two of you and draws his own sword, a huge golden claymore.

"Allard, your hand!" Burt says, covering his mouth.

You look at Allard's grip on his sword and gasp. The left hand that should be there is nothing but a skeleton from the wrist down. You feel a terrible sense of guilt. The bubble had consumed part of his flesh.

"The bastard took my hand, but at least I have my life, thanks to you minnows," Allard growls. "Now, listen to me carefully. Burt, I know you've been having strange dreams and that you have been journaling, but now I know why that was so. You carry the Mark of the Phoenix, and those with the Mark have a certain ability of insight. Those premonitions carry an ancient magic of their own! I will take on this enemy, but he is no ordinary foe. Quickly, look through your journal, there may be something hidden there that will help us!”

You slip off Burt’s pack and rummage through its contents to find the journal. Burt runs over, pushing you out of the way, and pulls out what looks to be a card game guide. You look back at him confused.