Mike Wild - Engines of the Apocalypse

Kali groaned. The more her soul was drawn from her, the more agonising it became. She was struggling desperately now to hang onto the last of her being, but she was fighting a losing battle. Her vision darkening, her thoughts dimming, feeling as though she were adrift in some dark expanse, she was only peripherally aware of a shape that staggered into her distorted vision, and then of two blurry flashes that sliced through the air before her. Through the air and through her departing soul. Kali screamed in agony as the whole of her self suddenly snapped back in like an elastic band, and she bucked on the floor taking deep, gulping breaths.

In that instant she realised that Redigor's grip was gone, and that she was whole again.

Whole, and not alone.

"Stay behind me," Gabriella DeZantez said, wielding the Deathclaws. "I guess what they say about these things slicing souls is true."

What? Kali thought. What they say about the claws is true? But Gabriella has the claws and Gabriella is dead… she died.

Gabriella was dead… she had seen her die in the Sardenne, at the hands of the juggennath. But at the same time here she was.

Kali shook her head and saw Gabriella, pulling her to her feet. The Enlightened One was scarred and battered, her armour crushed and misshapen beneath her torn surplice, and a dark rivulet of blood leaked from the side of her mouth, but she was there. And behind her, staring with a strange mixture of curiosity and rage, was the Pale Lord.

"No, no," Kali said to Gabriella, trying to push her away, "he's too powerful. Get out of here, get out of here now."

Gabriella grabbed her by the shoulders. "It's all right , remember."

"All right?"

"Yes, all right! Now, stay behind me."

Kali nodded, not really understanding. And then she began to remember. Remember because Redigor was attempting the same trick on Gabriella that he had tried on her, but with absolutely no effect at all. Gabriella, in fact, still had her back turned to him, and she hadn't even noticed what he was attempting to do. Then — Redigor still trying without success to rip out her soul — she turned and began to limp slowly up the aisle towards him, drawing Kali in behind her.

From over Gabriella's shoulder Kali saw the Pale Lord hesitate.

"What is this?" He said. "Some kind of resistance? Who are you, girl?"

"My name Gabriella DeZantez. I am a Sister of the Order of the Swords of Dawn."

The Pale Lord's eyes narrowed. "And pray, Sister, what brings you here?"

"I come to smite thee."

The Pale Lord looked, for a second, amazed, and — as Gabriella and Kali continued their approach. But then his face reverted to its usual arrogant mask and he raised his arms towards Gabriella. Kali knew what was coming and it was clear that so, too, did Gabriella.

The Enlightened One's fingers curled into the top of her breastplate, ripping it away, and she drew in a deep, preparatory breath.

"Bring it on, you unholy bastard!"

Bastian Redigor's lip curled.

"Very well. We shall see how strong you are."

Lightning burst forth from his fingertips, smacking Gabriella directly in the chest. It had no physical effect other than to slow her slightly, discharging in bright arcs and cracks about her shoulders as she pushed against it. Redigor loosed another bolt, equally ineffective, and his eyes widened. He thrust his arms forward once more and this time a plume of fire lanced towards Kali's protector, bursting about her body. Kali ducked, but still Gabriella moved forward.

Now Redigor tried ice, and the crackling, steaming bolts of magical energy slammed into Gabriella with a serpentine hiss but, again, only slowed her in her tracks. It was like struggling forward against a strong wind, and this was exactly what Redigor tried next, summoning a gale to pummel Gabriella that, while it set every loose object in the Chapel flying, she strode through as if it were an inconvenient breeze.

The pair of them were halfway up the Chapel's aisle now, nothing stopping them reaching Redigor.

The Chapel was filled with shrieking hags as phantom horrors materialised out of every corner and swept at Gabriella, threatening to tear her apart. As they came, so too did great, writhing snakes whose wide, fanged maws bit down on her. Nor were they the last of what Redigor had to offer. Spectral daggers hurled themselves at her in wave after wave, fist-sized explosions detonated about her body, and stone barriers assembled themselves out of the floor, only to crumble before Gabriella's determined march. The Pale Lord actually looked visibly shaken now — was perhaps even becoming drained — but rather than feel a sense of impending victory Kali felt increasing concern for Gabriella. It was true that the Enlightened One seemed unstoppable in her progress, but Gabriella seemed at last to be weakening before it.

She moved more slowly now and, above the noise of the assault, Kali thought that she even heard Gabriella wheeze with strain. She wanted to say stop now, that's enough, you've done what you can, but she knew she couldn't. If Gabriella gave up now the two of them would be dead, and any chance of stopping Redigor gone for good. Suddenly all of Kali's attention was focused not on Redigor's continuing barrage but on Gabriella herself.

A great, unremitting river of destruction poured from Redigor's fingertips, slamming relentlessly into Gabriella. No one, however gifted, could withstand such destruction for much longer, and Kali's heart sank as Gabriella at last began to falter. She felt the sheer impotence of her own position, the fact that she couldn't help the woman at all. Knowing that she would be inviting instant obliteration if she stepped from behind Gabriella's protective guard, all she could do was will the Enlightened One onwards despite her mounting pain.

And more than pain.

At first Kali wasn't quite sure what she was seeing, but Gabriella's muscles were now less pronounced than before, and somehow deteriorated. Her skin had lost its golden sheen, becoming less vibrant. With horror Kali realised that this wasn't simply a reaction to the suffering Gabriella was enduring; she wasn't just weakening before Redigor's onslaught, she was aging before it. Kali placed a hand on her shoulder, felt bone rather than muscle beneath her fingers.

Oh gods, what's happening to her?

The answer seemed clear. As immune to magic as Gabriella had announced herself to be, she might have had the ability to spend her entire life shrugging off any one of the Pale Lord's individual attacks — of anyone's attacks — and somehow recovered. But what she had suffered from Redigor collectively in the space of minutes was already a lifetime's worth. She had been drained of everything she had in attempting to save her, in attempting to save everyone , and Gabriella DeZantez's life was ending right before her eyes.

Redigor's barrage continued and Gabriella, having almost reached him, faltered, staggered, and crumpled to the floor, more bone than flesh.

Redigor lowered his arms and looked down. His eyes widened and he bent and plucked the Deathclaws from Gabriella's twitching hands.

"Ah," he said, "I've been looking for these for a long, long time."

Kali's rage was incandescent as she stood before him, but she could do nothing. If she made a single move, the elf would reduce her to dust.

"Now," Redigor said, "wouldn't you agree that was just a waste of time?"

Kali's eyes rose to him, but the Pale Lord was calmly looking at her, awaiting an answer to his question. He wanted an answer, Kali realised, so that he could bask in his supremacy, and, in all honesty, she wasn't sure that she wouldn't have to give the one he desired. But not yet. Not yet. She looked slowly around the Chapel of Screams, at Slowhand, at Freel, down at Gabriella DeZantez, and then up at Makennon, from whose eyes a stranger stared haughtily down. She hoped that they understood she'd tried her best, and that this time her long shot hadn't paid off.