The Adventures of Draco Zandros
Chapter 7
Quietly at first but growing louder he became aware of the sounds of
battle, cries of pain and constant talking. Pain continued to lance
through his body, growing as his mind gradually rejoined the land of
the living. He became aware of the smells of burning mixed with a
tint of blood, gradually he became aware that thin light was
filtering though his closed eyes.
He let out a cry as a jolt of pain ran through his body, eyelids
snapping open revealing unfocused bloodshot eyes. Gradually his focus
managed to focus his eyes enough to make out the blurry image of
Brother Mhenlo.
"It's okay lad, your through the worst, you'll recover. I'm afraid
you'll have to do most of the healing yourself, my powers are a bit
stretched right now."
"T-Th-The Oth-ers, Ma-Marthan an Ser, Ser-ra." Mumbled Draco,
speaking was hard, it felt like his throat had been scraped and burnt.
"I'm sorry lad, Serra Lentra was beyond our aid and we're still
looking for survivors in Ashford. If Marthan was elsewhere I just don't
know, the Charr have overrun most places, news from Ascalon is
scarce." Brother Mhenlo lifted Draco's head and helped him drink
from a flask before laying him back down. "Now lad, remember what I
taught you, we really could use your help."
Brother Mhenlo moved on to another patient leaving Draco to fight the
constant throbbing threatening to send him back into unconsciousness.
Draco had had a few lessons with Brother Mhenlo, his abilities were
minimal but he had enough skill to call on a few healing spells.
Concentrating with all his willpower he called on one of those spells
now, it was only a basic healing spell but it was effective, gradually
the pain receded and the throbbing lessened. The spell had drained the
last reserves of energy Draco possessed. As Draco slowly slipped into
unconsciousness once again, a memory of his childhood came unbidden to
his mind of him and Serra playing tag, then he knew only blackness.
"Quick! Any able bodied person is required in the catacombs, the
Charr are using the passages! Came a cry from a warrior covered in
blood near the entrance to the catacombs.
Draco still felt weak but most of the pain had gone, a numbness seemed
to have settled on his mind but one thing was certain to him, the Charr
deserved to die. Fluffy was laying nearby but his body was still except
for the laboured movement of his chest, Draco was sorry to see his
friend in such a state but they was little he could do to help so left
him to sleep and recover.
His equipment had been placed below his feet but his bow was snapped in
half, looking around he noticed an Ascalon guard handing spare equipment
to anybody willing to fight. With a bit of effort he managed to rise,
almost collapsing a few times but somehow staying up, and made his way
unsteadily to the guard.
"Son, you don't look so good, maybe you'd best stay here." Said
the guard with obvious concern.
"You either give me a bow or I'll take one from your lifeless
corpse." Said Draco, he surprised himself with just how much venom
was in his own voice.
The guard didn't think Draco had the strength to carry out his threat but
the look in his eyes convinced the guard it would be better to let him go
than try to stop him. "Okay kid, it's your funeral."
Examining his new bow as he followed the others Draco wasn't impressed,
the shaft was worn and the string wasn't as tight as it should be, but it
was a weapon and he was sure it would do the job adequately. The further
into the tunnels they went the louder the sounds of combat became. After
turning a corner Draco could see where the defenders had made their stand,
a half ring of warriors blocked the Charr from entering the passage from a
large chamber. Behind the warriors, rangers and casters fired everything
they could at the superior numbers of the Charr, to the rear monks cast
protection and healing spells keeping those at the front alive and pulling
away the bodies of anybody too wounded to fight.
In the middle of the casters and rangers stood two necromancers wearing the
DAD cloak, one male and one female. Adding their own type of magic to that
of the elementalists and mesmers stood around them and raising creatures of
bone and muscle from the dead.
"Natalya, stop stealing my corpses." laughed the male necromancer.
"First come first served Haku, and I suggest you shut your mouth and
concentrate before I end up using your corpse too." She replied with
a sinister smile.
"I love you too Nat." He laughed while directing several minions to
attack a Charr elementalist.
Draco shut out the constant bickering of the necromancers along with the
sounds of battle and concentrated on his targets. Not that he really needed
to as a miss would still hit something with the Charr packed so tightly
together, but he wanted to make every shot a kill.
Time slowly ticked away and the Charr casualties built up quickly but for
everyone the defenders killed two more seemed to take their place, the same
couldn't be said for the defenders and slowly their numbers dropped. The
defenders slowly started backing up the tunnel, the Charr following them
into the confined space.
By the time the defenders were forced back to the Ashford entrance the
warriors were all dead along with several of the casters and a few monks.
As fast as friend and foe fell the necromancers raised their minions, the
sheer number of minions helped slow the advance and reduce the numbers of
the Charr but it still wasn't enough.
"Elementalists! Target the ceiling, bring it down, block the
entrance!" Ordered Natalya, indicating the ceiling with one hand
while casting a spell with the other.
The remaining elementalists obeyed the command, concentrating on the stone
ceiling, at first their spells didn't appear to do anything but then cracks
started to appear and small chips began to fall. With a crash that shock
the ground the ceiling collapsed, Charr bodies were crushed beneath the
weight and the passage was blocked, preventing further assault. A few of
the defenders had been injured by the falling debris but none of the
injuries were life threatening.
"That worked well if I do say so myself." Said Natalya.
"I hate to admit it Nat, but it did." Replied Haku.
"I bet that was hard to say." Laughed Natalya. "Come on,
they are still plenty more Charr to kill."
Draco and several others followed the two necromancers out to where the
Ascalon Guard, along with several guilds, were preventing the Charr from
over running Asford Abbey. Draco got his first good look at the damage
the Charr had caused and was shocked, he had never seen destruction on
such a scale before. His home, along with the rest of the village was
nothing more than burning rubble. The ground was scorched and the plants
nothing but ash, even the pool near where the mill had once stood was
nothing more than a dried depression. How anything could cause destruction
on such a scale was beyond Draco and he felt rage building within him.
Rage at the loss of his love, rage at the loss of his mother and brother
who he suspected were in the house when the projectiles hit, rage at the
deaths of all those he had known killed by an enemy without mercy.
Fine! If they showed no mercy then Draco would show them no mercy, he
would track them down and exterminate as many as he could find. A red mist
seemed to have settled over his sight but if anything it only seemed to
enhance his aim. Arrows flew from his bow impaling themselves in the Charr,
the necromancer named Natalya laughed and raised the fresh corpses to do
her bidding. Before long his quiver was empty, picking up a sword from a
fallen soldier he charged into the Charr, fighting side by side with the
warriors and minions. Metal sang and blood flew, like a machine of death
Draco hacked, slashed and thrust, blood and gore flying from the silver
blade.
The battle raged for days but in the end the defenders were victorious
though no one felt like celebrating. The once beautiful village of Ashford
was little more than a memory and even the Abbey, protected by numerous
spells, had received heavy damage. Out of the many people that had survived
the initial bombardment only a few dozen remained, the rest killed during
the Charr assault. Lovers had been separated and family's ripped apart,
some literally so.
"Hey Ranger." Called Haku.
Draco looked around to see Haku looking towards him. "You talking to
me?" He asked pointing to himself.
"Well, there's not many other rangers around here is there. Yes you.
We're heading back to Ascalon City to see if Uncle needs any help, you
coming?"
"Sure, not much left for me here anyway" Replied Draco dejectedly.
"Why so glum?"
"Why so glum? Are you joking? Have you even looked around!"
Draco was angry, how could this guy be so stupid, surrounded by death and
destruction how could someone be something other than glum! "I'll
tell you why I'm glum!" He snapped. "My home is rubble, my
family most likely dead, my girlfriend last time I saw her looked like a
bloody rag doll and most of the people I knew are gone!"
"Whoa, Calm down friend. It's not all bad, your alive and you can
avenge your loved ones, plus you'll see them in the mists."
"I'm gonna kill you!" Screamed Draco, meaning it. Raising his
sword he charged towards the shocked necromancer but was stopped as two
minions moved into his path.
"Calm down, I mean you no harm but I WILL NOT allow you to kill Haku,
however foolish he is." Said Natalya, moving behind the minions and
ahead of Haku. "Haku is not your enemy, the Charr are. It's the Charr
that have done all this, it's the Charr that deserve death."
Draco was having difficulty deciding what to do, the desire to kill this
idiot necromancer was strong but the words the female had said were true.
He couldn't think straight and he was tired, some remote part of his mind
was telling him to listen to this women while another wanted him to cut
them all down then fall upon his own blade. In the end he just allowed
himself to collapse to the floor in a slump.
"Sorry mate, didn't mean to offend you, I'm just used to been around
the dead, I didn't know the loss was so personal to you. Will you accept
my apology?" Asked Haku offering his hand but cautious to any attack.
"Listen, we're sorry for your loss but nothing we say or do will
bring them back. But I don't believe they'd want you to just curl into a
ball and die. Keep their memory alive and bring justice to those that
deserve it." Said Natalya.
Somewhere deep down what they said made sense, as much as it hurt to admit
it he had to go on and killing this necromancer would only cause more
problems. He looked into Haku's eyes and searched for any truth he could
find then accepted the offered hand and allowed Haku to pull him to his
feet.
"Well, unless we have any business to attend to we should get
going." Said Natayla.
The only thing left here that Draco cared for was Fluffy, even though he
knew the bear could do with more rest he didn't want to leave him behind,
he had a feeling the bear would want to remain near his side as well.
"I just have to get my friend."
Draco went back to where the bear was resting, at his approach Fluffy
looked up then rose to follow. "How are you old friend?"
Fluffy gave a low throaty sound then rubbed against Draco.
"I'm glad your okay too, come on, we're leaving." Draco was
just about to turn and leave but noticed his discarded equipment. While it
was replaceable he decided to take it with him, including the broken bow.
"Okay, I'm ready." He said as he exited the abbey and moved to
join the two necromancers.
