blacksmithoftheapocalypse
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1215. Get out of here
🕑 Added 2024-11-10 17:29:27 +0000 UTCIt felt as if everything had halted. The burning zombies stopped attacking, and the soldier, who had run for the gate stood still. Natina's heard her own ragged breathing. It was as if the world had halted for just a moment, to listen.
“Down from the sky. Into the fight.” a voice erupted into the silence of this still world. it was a quiet voice in a language Natina didn't know, yet understood the meaning of. Her gaze trailed to the skies above, in the direction of Delta.
“Hearts full of rage, full of thunder and glory.” The heaven above them actually darkened with clouds, as if a storm front approached from the direction of Delta. The burning meat sacks began moving again, with reignited vigor.
“Swords in the wind crossing the sky.” A group of small figures appeared in the far distance. Natina shook her head. Seeing the undead move again, she forced herself to escape the weird state she was in. It had only been moments since the beat began, but it felt like minutes.
“What are you all waiting for?! Get out of here, evacuate through the portal. You are just in the way,” Natina finally barked her command, ripping the soldiers out of their stupor. How was she supposed to fight properly, when she had to look out for all this luggage?
“ Lords of doom bring an end to your story.” The cry of a melody erupted among the mountain, shaking the very bedrock they stood on, as the figures got closer. The Chosen of Kali could feel her knees weaken under the vibration and suppression of the music.
The figures were close enough to make them out. There were five figures in the front, one riding a griffin, three riding horses, and one riding what looked like a horned beast. The moment she managed to get a closer look, she regretted it immediately, as her heart proceeded to drop down her pants.
A knight in dull gray armor, carrying a staff and a shield. The armor looked menacing, giving off a feeling of dread. The knight rode a metallic horse covered in almost fluffy-looking frost and left a trail of snow in the sky.
<Ding! You have witnessed Wolfram, the Horseman of Conquest. Your resistance lowered by 15%. The effect of all crowd control effects and status ailment is doubled in his presence.>
A knight bursting with flames, parts of his armor looked black, but many parts were glowing red and yellow from the heat. He carried the burning blade of a sword without a hilt and rode a metallic horse, bursting with pure crimson flames, leaving a trail of fire and smoke in the air.
<Ding! You have witnessed Bazilith, the Horseman of War. Your defense is lowered by 15%. All damages you receive are doubled in his presence. >
An automaton resembling a knight in heavy armor made of a crimson material with red markings. Compared to the others, it was slimmer and sleek in design, a fusion of armor and golem. In it's hands it carried a frightening contraption, which resembled a staff, fashioned with a boat hook at one end, and three chains that ended in vicious hooks at the other end.
This one rode a stag, which looked like it was carved from black crystal, except for the silver antlers on its forehead. The stag left a trail of water droplets on its path.
<Ding! You have witnessed Strix, the Horseman of Hunger. Your resistance to draining effects is lowered by 15%. All resource consumption is doubled in his presence. >
Natina immediately recognized the last one, as she remembered her jealousy for the mount. The fourth horseman rose a pale white Night Mare. It was a night as black as darkness itself, emitting the aura of death from his armor that looked like black crystal. He carried no weapon, except the horde of undead surrounding the camp.
<Ding! You have witnessed Haa'Skon, the Horseman of Death. Your maximum health is lowered by 15%. Resurrection is impossible in his presence. It becomes harder to control the undead.>
She immediately felt the effects of the horseman of death. First, she felt sick all of a sudden as her health dropped to 850/1000. Then the threshold of the control stat needed to control her undead rose sharply. It felt like a 20-25% increase in requirement.
Natina shivered as the realization hit, that Minas Mar had been hiding four more legends. What would have happened if her original plan succeeded? At that time she would not only have faced the tree, but these four, too, and maybe the old man on top...
She looked around. At her command, the living members of her army got back in motion, sprinting toward the massive gate. They were just humanoids, but their legendary effects were overwhelming. She needed Kalzemir, if only-
<Ding! You have witnessed the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Fear has taken hold of you. All casting times and cooldowns are increased by 20%>
They actually had a set effect, as legends?! The Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Natina's thoughts came to a grinding halt. Puzzle pieces she had not connected before were now falling into place. The phrase had unlocked a memory like a key.
When she became a royal of Spatia, she learned about legends and myths. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was a Myth existing across the Patchworks, just like the dragon myth of whom dragon inherited their legendary properties.
However, unlike dragons who could actually be encountered, the four horsemen were more like a rumor. Their existence was doubted and unproven, as no believable witness reports could ever be found. The point was that she was right now staring at something that was not supposed to exist!
“Born under the sign of the hammer we stand and here you all may die.”
Shocked she witnessed what was happening below, past the portal. The soldiers of Spatia had jumped through the gate into the skies above Delta, where they intended to use <Home Call> to escape back to their home base.
Jump through the gate, fall for a bit and vanish. This was what was supposed to happen, so why was Natina now watching the people fall and fall? As if in slow motion, she watched on as their faces twisted into expressions of panic and horror, as the system skill didn't activate even past the portal.
Their mouths were ripped wide open, screaming cries of panic and fear that could not be heard at this distance, as they vanished into the crown of the tree. Whether the horrific plant devoured them, or their bodies exploded upon hitting the Iego System didn't matter. Their demise was certain.
“Blood spilled on the ground, the battle horns sound. Let thy armies die!”
Over two-thirds of the soldiers had already jumped by the time people at the rim realized that the plan was not working. Natina watched over 2000 people jump over the rim of the portal and fall to their deaths like a horde of lemmings. All at her command.
Above the music swelled again.
“Down from the sky. Into the fight. Hearts full of rage, full of thunder and glory.”
The four horsemen literally swooped down from the sky, raising their arms. They were finally coming to get them! Four legends were diving at the camp. She wanted to summon Kalzemir and Diromold, resist even if it cost her the rest of the soldiers. However.
<Ding! You have been affected by <Ride of the Horsemen>. You are stunned.>
“Swords in the wind crossing the sky. Lords of doom bring an end to your story.”
Was this the end?
“Tsk, to think even my summoner forgot my existence.”
...
--Delta--
Idylon Mo stared down at the tree crown below where over 2000 people had just vanished, finding their end because of his deeds. Although he knew what he was doing, when he created a spatial lock above Delta, he only quite realized it, when it actually happened.
This had been his plan. He had theorized that a spatial lock was unable to close this gate, created by a legendary artifact. Maybe it would have been better if he had been wrong... Even when they were soldiers of Spatia, he couldn't help but feel some burden on his mind. Did they deserve to die like this?
Shaking his head, he chased away those thoughts. He could still ponder on his actions at a later time, he had something more important to do now. With a serious look, he approached the supermassive gate above Delta.
Comments
Beggar of Freedom
Divines bless your kind heart!
Natalie
Ooo I wonder what/who it is that Natina has forgotten about?
