The Nekromancer - 108. Chapter 108

Jakun looked over the four armies, goblins marching unmolested toward the village. Beside him, the Planetar was waiting quietly, a fiery longsword in hand. Their foes were marching into a ravine, the perfect place to bring death and destruction down upon them, and yet the two still waited. Distance was warped in Jakun’s mind, but he knew they had at most ten minutes before the army would be upon the village.

“Our goal is a fighting retreat,” he said, looking at the angel. “My summons are strong. Bolstered by your magic and healing, they will be even stronger, but they’re limited in time. I have twenty minutes at best with each spell I cast, and there is only so much death they can deal within that time.”

“So why did you call me? How am I supposed to help?”

“Shore up the front line when I cast my spells. I will remain up here, providing ranged support. I will send cats to support you, though there can only be five due to space. They’ll probably not be able to handle many attacks, but I’ll do my best to find good companions for you. Keep in mind that whatever comes through is under my control. If a demon is best for fighting, I will summon one.”

“Naturally. I would expect no less from someone with chaos dear to their heart,” the Planetar said, stretching his wings.

He dove over the edge of the ravine, Jakun stepping up to work his magic. First came tigers. Large and fearsome, they answered his call, chaotic energies swirling around them. The cats charged past the Planetar, wasting no time in tearing into the army. Jakun watched as panic ensued, goblins behind the front lines pushing forward as their dying companions tried to retreat, creating a general block in the ravine. Swords and spears shoved at the smilodons, the chaos inherent in their summoning creating a shield of energy to drive the weapons away, and Jakun let out a grim smile as death became the order of the day. The cats would remain standing until goblin champions could be brought up to fight them.

He saw one now, pushing up toward the great cats, and Jakun took aim, a spark flying from his finger. There was an explosion of flame, a near forty foot circle burning through the goblin lines, incinerating all in its path, including the champion.

The amurrun took a moment to string his bow and conjure a suit of armour. He had a replenishing quiver and plenty of targets for when his spells ran dry, as they invariably would.

A cloud of arrows and bolts flew at him, Jakun opening a portal before they could reach him from range. Stepping through the gate, he took a moment to reorient himself, and then he sent another fireball at the archers, wiping them out in a single fiery blast. He spotted an empty cave in the far side of the ravine, and the catfolk sent another wave of tigers into the opening, the cats launching themselves at the goblins from the side.

The lich could see the goblins trying to retreat, and he launched his final fireball, working at range. The latest explosion sent terrified bodies pushing back toward the front lines, more meat for the murderous tigers. His mid power spells all but gone, Jakun worked on lesser spells, another portal putting him in the thick of the goblins just long enough to cast a grease spell before teleporting back up the ravine walls. It was a risky move, and he was out of teleportation spells, but watching dozens of goblins sliding in the ensuing mess was worth it. Even better, it served to clog up the ravine further, preventing the front lines from retreating.

Casting a quick buff on himself, the amurrun held off on spending more spells, switching to his bow. Arrow after arrow launched in quick succession, finding gaps in armour, pinning foes, and focusing down larger enemies below. Jakun kept up the fire as he watched the battlefield, goblins slowly thinning out until finally his summons winked out of existence.

The Planetar flew up beside him, the two studying the remnants of their work.

“You didn’t need me,” the angel said. “Why summon me?”

“Insurance,” Jakun shrugged. “For every bolt my summons took, you were there with a soothing hand, healing their wounds.”

“They barely had any. Your magic was chaotic, but strong, turning the goblins away even as they struck.”

“I do not believe I am finished yet. At least three hundred of the goblins escaped,” Jakun pointed at the far end of the ravine.

“Any sane foe would not return. This village is protected by the ghost of a cat with a power so great, it slaughtered hundreds who tried to attack.”

“Perhaps that would be enough outside my mind,” Jakun murmured. “Mom!”

Aofe appeared on the cliff beside them, a passive look on her face.

“Have I completed my trial? Have I proven myself a capable defender yet?”

“That was not what the trial was about. It was about showing you your strength, letting you test yourself,” Aofe said calmly. “You had nothing to prove to anyone but yourself.”

“Hundreds are dead with nothing to show?” Jakun demanded incredulously.

“As you and the angel have both said, only in your mind. You may pass through the next door when ready.”

The barrier appeared before the three of them, Jakun staring at it in disbelief.

“As I said, you did not need me,” the Planetar said. “However, I will still hold you to your promise. You will hunt down evil in the world, or I will raise the very gods you seek to join against you.”

“It will be as you say,” Jakun replied, raising his hand.

The magic binding the angel faded, the being vanishing swiftly as he was freed. Jakun turned to his guide, anger flashing briefly.

“Why would you put me through this? I compromise my personal values, I slaughter hundreds, all for what?”

“Hundreds? No. Thousands stand to die in your name kitten. It is one thing to play at being a god. But how does it feel to hold lives in your hands? To know that people are living and dying by your words alone?”

“Don’t call me kitten. You are not my mother,” Jakun growled, before passing through the door.

The lich was finished with his guide. She seemed determined to ruin him, and he would no longer be her plaything.