Branch 8: Alexo

"Praise Metia. We have cornered the beast."

High Inquisitor Alexo Richall is a proud man. His family has served Metia gloriously for generations. When word of Oracle Avalina's failure reached his cardinal? He knew exactly who to turn too. With birds and relays, the Inquisitor had expertly coordinated and converged the church's elite on 'the Beast.'

The penitent one in the beast's party had kept him well informed of their movements. Even reported when the party had been joined by a necromancer.

Easily cowed the local baron and guild into abandoning the abomination. Still, it had been close. Over a hundred faithful had not arrived yet. But speed mattered more. The longer they delayed the greater the chance of the marquis or king discovering the inquisition's movements and intervening.

The devoted follower of Metia knew to take opportunities when they presented themselves.

Metia's blessings held as the heretic walked headlong into their trap just as they finished preparing it. The cavern's three other exits each had fifty knights, several paladins and priests, plus an oracle, sealing it.

A fourth group was closing in behind the beast after circling around thru side tunnels. No matter which way he tried to run? His flanks and rear would be exposed.

Luminous plants gave the cavern a little light but not much. Each faithful was equipped with a lantern to light there way. The priests' buffs also improved everyone's vision. So the inquisitor could clearly see the beast's confusion.

"Wondering how we could bring so many so quickly? Haha! Foolish beast. The inquisition knows the greatest threat always lies within."

His unsuitably wicked smile, however, was short lived.

"Hmm?" He watched as the beast and his slaves turned on one of their own. Their shock clearly visible to Alexo's enhanced eyesight. "So like the Viper. She never could stop herself from revealing her part in the tragedies she created. Once its too late to stop them."

Her apparent monologue did not last long though. The other six slaves fell upon her with a vengeance. The agent thought it a little odd that the traitor didn't even try to escape, or defend herself, but no matter.

The fate of a treacherous and sullied woman who made a career out of betrayal, did not matter to the inquisition.

The devoted commander lit and fired a flare high up in the air with his crossbow.

"Time to finish this hunt."

In unison, the three groups formed ranks and started advancing. Information collected on the beast's abilities was extensive. He preferred to use the sword and incredibly knew spells from multiple schools. His speed and power were both intimidating.

As a counter, the knights would use spears, halberds, and shields, to limit his maneuverability.

Priests would focus on barriers to further limit the beast's agility while paladins continually target him with purification. Possibly shaking his grip on that stolen body. Lastly, the oracles would barrage his party with dispels and debuffs.

Whichever side the monster engaged would assume a defensive posture while the other two would advance. Keeping constant pressure on the creature and his slaves.

The caster engagement began immediately. Five on the beast's side against twenty-two from the church. The remaining thirteen formed a skirmish line. Alexo laughed at how lopsided the magical duel became.

But why wasn't the abomination moving? It was expected that he would engage at close range immediately. The eyes of the templar leader narrowed.

Even thru the massive amount of mana being burned, his honed senses detected the spike in magic. And that scream? Like someone was being ripped away from something it never thought it could lose. At the same moment inky black smoke exploded outward beneath the beast and began swirling.

"Death magic." Hissed the devoted.

The advance of all three formations faltered as they witnessed the smoke solidify into dozens of dark shapes. A wave of the beast's hand caused the shadows to fly into the church's lines. Well, most of them. A couple joined the slaves, lending their own spells to the magical artillery duel.

A superb formation of the church's finest knights collapsed as claws and swords of necromancy rampaged among them. Tribute to their training, the paladins immediately abandoned the magical duel and joined the melee.

Their skills well suited to facing undead in close combat. Without their numbers the magical duel quickly turned into a stalemate.

The inquisitor's teeth began grinding.

"That bitch! She never said anything about that thing raising the dead."

He knew that with the beast's monstrous amount of mana? The numbers advantage was no longer as big as he planned. The inquisitor comforted himself with remembering he could still punish that duplicitous sow. Even after her death.

"Master!"

A scream turned his attention back to the battle to see the defiler sent flying.

The floor was littered with holy knights but one of the paladins had finally gotten a solid hit in. One of his slaves screaming in reply. The tide was turning again as the church's veterans kept isolating the shadows and cutting them down with weapons buffed by light magic.

Of course the monster leaped right back into the fray.

The slaves were the strongest opponents besides the beast, so his troops had been briefed on how they fought. The first to fall was the beastkin girl. Her acrobatics where impressive. But they also created a vulnerability to being suppressed.

All it took was one slip for a pike to catch her. As her injuries mounted and speed fell? More and more wounds appeared.

Of course the blasphemer's preoccupied casters could not find the time to heal her. Finally she got too desperate and tried a leap too far. Only to be impaled by multiple spears in mid air.

"One down."

The second was the dwarf woman. She was holding over a dozen knights at bay and stopping the left flank's advance almost single-handedly. No fancy footwork with her. Just grim determination. Trading blow for blow. A former paladin herself, it took several peers to batter thru her defenses.

Her armor crushed and bloodied in several places. Collapse came after she failed to stop a mace smashing into her face.

"Two down."

The lines of the three formations finally joined. Half the marquis's troops were down and even their captain was heavily injured. The church was paying dearly for every foot. Dozens were dead. Dozens more too injured to fight on.

The elf necromancer was the third to fall. Her death magic was impressive and she was personally dueling with several priests and two oracles. Of course it was a trap. Probably never even saw the crossbow bolt that entered her ear.

A howl from one of the damned persistent abominations hinted at a personal connection.

"Chyal!"

The monster screamed when he saw the fourth slave drop. Spinning to the ground with a [Sun Spear] in her shoulder. Metia's servant smiled as a paladin sent the beast flying again. Struggling to get back up this time.

The spearwoman had kept her distance and it kept her alive. Running out of room she was finally forced to close. Sealing her fate. One spear can only do so much for so long against a dozen spears. Despite her heretical choice she passed well.

Dying on her feet as blood poured from her mouth. Several spears keeping her propped up as they took the last of her breath.

"Now where is that Oracle who turned on our goddess?"

"Die Bitches!"

Eh?

The senior interrogator's eyes locked onto the monster's position.

Covered in blood with gashes and tears visible across his body. He stood between two paladins, each impaled on one of his blades. Only a couple of his allies still standing. His eyes ablaze with rage.

For the first time in his life, the investigator knew the feeling called dread. Like a flood, black smoke poured from the monster and spread across the battleground. Something, unnatural, was coming.

"[Shadow Levy]"

"...Impossible."

The inquisitor's eyes went wide as he witnessed hellish magic circles appeared under numerous bodies, friend and foe alike, and tears begin opening above them.

Raising multiple undead at once was the stuff of legends and nightmares. Something only the terrifying Lich Kings could manage. Creating armies with a single wave of their skeletal hands.

In the inquisition's eyes, the threat this abomination posed instantly changed to rivaling the demon king. Maybe surpassing it. This unholy thing had to be stopped no matter the cost, and stopped now.

Templar commanders keep signal flares for many different orders on their person. Allowing quick communication across even the most chaotic of battlefields. And this officer has seen many campaigns for his faith. Still, in his decades of service, he had never used this one.

"Emergency cast. [Metia's Verdict]"

The oracles still standing immediately began casting after the seeing the flare fly. A very complex spell with the dangerous feature of consuming every remaining drop of mana in the caster's body.

Such a hungry spell that it often killed its casters. In return? Delivering a divine detonation that would reduce almost everything in its target area to ash.

A too blinding light exploded at one end of the cavern. As the inquisitor involuntarily squeezed shut his eyes, he prayed.

"May the goddess guide your soul back to righteousness."

Richall, Alexo (male, human, tourinese)