By Richard LeBlanc
Chapter Eleven
"You seem awful calm." Miseorn began.
"Yeah - I do - don't I?" he retorted.
"You plan on using your storm magic to get me? Maybe that pestilence spell you are so fond of?" he asked.
"No. Those would be a waste of power and effort. Your cirlces and wards would protect you from any spell or creature I could cast or summon." Lord Arachnid replied calmly.
"Then - you are giving up?" he asked in modest disbelief.
"No - that would be silly. Besides - just because you are protected - doesn't mean i can't reach you." he replied.
"By all means try - i may not be adept in the art of counter magic - but i do kow a little." he retorted.
"I'm sure you are. have you heard of a little spell - it is from the old school - but i am sure that a smart man like you must have heard of it - it is called - Gloom." Lord Arachnid began. With a wave if his hand - the spell was countered.
"I have heard of it - and it won't happen." he retorted.
"You no like? I have others." Lord Arachnid commented. he began to cast another spell. But once again - before he could even complete the ritual Miseorn countered it. Lord Arachnid quietly laughed and looked over at his prey.
"I've been keeping tabs on you - ever since this all began. We are a pretty even match - or at least you were." he began. Miseorn looked at his smug looking opponent.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Well, we were an even balance - until you used those huge mana eating monsters. You see? You weakened yourself in the long run. But then again - you probably didn't expect me to survive against those things - me just being a spider wizard and all." Lord Arachnid explained.
"I still have enough power to deal with you." he retorted.
"Perhaps, but you wasted your mana trying to stop me. Think for a moment - how would a gloom spell really hurt you? You have wards to protect you should your circle fail - or did you forget that?" he asked. Miseorn was going to deny the statement but realized that he had been overzealous in his counter magic.
"Now - seeing as i have your undivided attention - allow me to take you to the darker side of my power. This is a spell i stole from a dying necromancer. It is called - the shallow grave." Lord Arachnid stated coldly. Miseorn watched as all of the spiders he had killed a short while ago began to return to life.
"How will that help? I killed them before - i will do so again." Miseorn began.
"But wait! I'm not done - You might be immune to my creatures and my spells but your wards - and circles - are not. Tranquil winds - banish all enchantments!" he hissed. Miseorn watched as all of his protective wards and circles began to fizzle into nothingness. he then looked over at the sinister look on the spider wizard's face.
"Now - my friends - have something they want to share with you." Lord Arachnid began. Miseorn heard a collective hiss coming from the slowly advancing spiders. He began totake a step back - but then - all of the spiders leaped at him. Lord Arachnid watched as the ravenous spiders began to eat the wizard alive. Seconds after the wizard had perished - the fortress began to shake.
"Oh - this will be beyond unpleasant." he muttered.
Outside - for miles around the sparatic hermits and nomads watched as the towering fortress began to slowly crumble. The wizard that had ruled that northern empire - had finally perished.
Back at the source of the ruined fortress - Lord Arachnid slowly dug himself out from the mountain of debris.
"Did I saw ow?" he strained. Nibbles peeked out from his hood and chirped.
"Okay - ow..." he replied. He crawled out and leaned against a pillar that had managed to withstand the collapse. He rested his head against the pillar and was about to rest when something caught his attention. He slowly moved away from the pillar and turned to face it - it had the same markings on it that he had seen in the mad hermit's cave and that ruined city.
"My - god. The last piece of the puzzle was here." he muttered. He knelt down before the markings.
"In the days of old - the people of Crae - the strongest empire faced their most dire foe...The tiny spider that was ignored - has killed off the strongest among - us. The little spider - called by some the Raece spider - for its dark ability to end any race of creatures or people it comes into contact with - is said to be descended from the dark god - of death." Lord Arachnid read. his fingers traced over the preserved glyphs.
"The capital city of Crae - the proud city - fell before the tiny spider. Only a few managed to survive the dark plague that the spider has brought upon us. The Raece Spider - now nicknamed the Spiders of Crae - still live there - entrapped by the spell of a clever wizard. Should the last seal break - heaven help us all." he read. he sat down and placed his hand on the pillar.
"I will find this spider and free it from its prison. Come Nibbles - we have no time to waste!" Lord Arachnid statd energetically. he hurried away from the shattered ruins. Mere seconds later -steam rose up from the rubble and took on the shape of a woman.
"Yes - by all means hurry - i will be waiting." she taunted as she faded into nothingness.
To be continued in Forbidden Places!
