Ser Edgar let out a deep, rumbling roar as he appeared next to Andre, his expression showing serious resolve. "All men to the wall! Undead filth approaches!"
The night sky was filled with the sound of clashing metal and urgent voices. Andre gripped his sword,Voidbane, feeling its familiar weight steady him as the approaching nightmare drew closer.
"New recruits with Eldred!" Corvus, the wiry sorcerer who accompanied them, his voice crackling with power, "Veterans with me! Let's show these reanimated bastards what true steel is made of!"
With his heart pounding fiercely in his chest, Andre experienced a sudden rush of rebellion. He refused to allow fear to immobilize him. He was going to be the villain and a few undead wouldn't scare him. He had prepared for this, for a situation similar to this. He looked at Borin, who gave a grim but comforting wink.
Andre took a deep breath and lifted his hands with his palms facing upwards. He concentrated, directing the fear and adrenaline flowing within himself. He followed some vague directions a book had given him when they first arrived at the 10th Legion, clasping his hands and visualizing a ball of energy materializing in the space between them. One hand moving in a clockwise direction while the other moves in a counter-clockwise direction, the air filled with invisible energy. He ceased the round movement, with the sphere becoming more solid in his imagination. After that, he let out a shout that came from deep within him, and spread his hands with fingers wide apart.
"Umblex Lumexa!" he roared, the words tasting foreign on his tongue.
Dark tendrils, glowing with an alien light, burst from his fingers and reached outward. They collided with the approaching army of zombies, burning skin and breaking bones. The goblin let out a surprised scream as it was surrounded by the shadowy tendrils, disappearing into wisps of dark smoke.
The impact was instant. The army of the undead hesitated, their advancement halted. With his vision blurred from the effort, Andre didn't pause. He drew Voidbane from its sheath, the moonlight reflecting off the shiny metal. "For Fort Phoenix!" he screamed, charging into the fray alongside Borin and the other defenders.
The sound of metal hitting bone echoed through the darkness of the night. Andre battled with a new intensity, driven by a powerful combination of fear and adrenaline. He dodged a clumsy attack from an Orc, the smell of rot invading his nose. He thrust Voidbane through the decayed chest of the creature, causing it to dissolve into dust while emitting a mournful groan.
However, the horde of zombies was unstoppable. As soon as one person fell, two others appeared to come forward in their place. Andre and Borin fought side by side, their synchronized movements a lethal display of skill developed over years of practice.
"Hold the line, lads!" Corvus bellowed, a gout of flame erupting from his outstretched hand, incinerating a group of goblins.
As the night went on, every minute that passed felt like a harsh battle for staying alive. Andre's muscles were on fire, his lungs desperate for air, yet he couldn't stop. While his companions were fighting alongside him, he did not give up. He quickly looked at the large shadow of the Ogre at the rear of the group, its bright red eyes staring intensely at him.
Andre could hear his own blood pounding in his ears, blocking out the noisy battle happening around him. He concentrated only on the Ogre's large figure, feeling its foul breath enveloping him as his vision became limited. This monstrous being, standing twice as tall and resembling a mobile fortress, was the key component of the undead army. Bring it down, and the tide could possibly change.
Andre could hear his own blood pounding in his ears, blocking out the noisy battle happening around him. He concentrated only on the Ogre's large figure, feeling its foul breath enveloping him as his vision became limited. This monstrous being, standing twice as tall and resembling a mobile fortress, was the key component of the undead army. Bring it down, and the tide could possibly change.
With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Andre propelled himself ahead. The Ogre let out a deafening roar that caused the ground to tremble, then thrusted a huge fist as big as a tree trunk. Andre quickly turned, feeling the wind rush by his ear, as a fist struck the ground where he had stood moments before, causing a plume of dirt to shoot up into the air.
"Come on, you overgrown pile of rotting flesh!" Andre roared back, his voice hoarse. He rolled under the Ogre's next lumbering swipe, the stench of decay hitting him like a physical blow.
He darted in and slashed Voidbane over the Ogre's thick calf. The sharp edge plunged down deeply, creating a groove that erupted a fountain of dark liquid. The Ogre screamed in agony, its one glowing eye focusing on Andre with a malicious rage.
It moved its second fist, targeting Andre's chest like a battering ram. Throwing himself backwards, he narrowly missed the fist by a hair's breadth and ended up taking a chunk out of the wall. Andre quickly got up and used the force to push himself forward once more. He targeted the Ogre's vulnerable knee, a soft spot he had remembered from extensive training sessions.
Voidbane's black blade a blur sang through the air. The Ogre's kneecap was shattered with a sickening crunch upon impact. The huge beast collapsed to the floor, letting out a loud roar from its mouth.
Andre didn't hesitate for a moment. Jumping onto its back, he gagged at the foul smell. With one last, frantic shout, he stabbed Voidbane into the bottom of the Ogre's head.
The only sound that broke the silence was the exhausted defenders around him taking rasping breaths. The hideous shape remained motionless, a strange symbol of Andre's triumphant battle. He dropped to his knees, his chest rising and falling, sweat causing a burning sensation in his eyes. Before he could even enjoy the short break, a deep fear came over him.
A fresh, stronger presence of death energy emanated from the heart of the forest outside the battleground. It seemed ancient, strong, and freaking terrifying. Disregarding the cries of his aching muscles, Andre quickly got up and ran towards the origin of the fear.
He rushed out of the trees, his breath getting stuck in his throat. In the middle of an open space, lit up by a strange red light coming from a giant egg, there was a monstrous creature that he had never seen before. It was a massive spider, with a body as big as a massive carriage, and its eight legs had sharp claws at the tips. What really frightened Andre to the core was its deep, throbbing red color, identical to the malicious energy that had engulfed him.
The spider's many-sided eyes, shining with a hellish glow, focused on Andre. It emitted a scream that appeared to rip through the very essence of existence. Andre was certain, with terror, that he had discovered the origin of the zombie army, the fountain of this cursed evening. His heart pounded in his chest as he lifted Voidbane ready to end this nightmarish battle.
The huge spider didn't bother with any theatrics. It hurled towards Andre, its eight legs moving so fast they became a blur. Just in time, he narrowly avoided being hit by a sharp claw as the wind blew around him. His nose was overwhelmed by the foul odor of decaying flesh and a more instinctual scent. This was more than just a large bed bug - it was a re animated terror.
Andre quickly turned over onto his back, narrowly escaping being squashed by the huge spider. He made a sudden movement forward, directing Voidbane towards the creature's vulnerable underside. The blade struck against the hard chitin, causing a cascade of sparks. The spider let out a furious screech, causing Andre's bones to vibrate.
However, while he was fighting, the gigantic crimson egg throbbed, its outside moving in a manner reminiscent of a heartbeat. Grotesque figures with glowing eyes emerged from cracks in its surface - skeletal warriors filled with malevolent hunger.
"More?!" Andre roared, his voice raw with desperation. Reinforcements, led by a grim-faced Eldred, charged into the clearing, their arrival a welcome distraction for the overwhelmed defenders. Andre parried a swipe from a skeletal warrior, adrenaline masking the growing fatigue in his muscles. He needed to finish this – and fast.
A booming voice cut through the chaos. "By the power of the Ancients, I banish thee!" Corvus, his face pale with exertion, stood on a nearby hillock. He thrust his hand forward, and with a blinding flash of light, a longsword materialized in mid-air, flying like a silver arrow towards the spider.
It made a sickening crunch as it pierced the spider's head. The huge beast squirmed, its limbs thrashing as it emitted one last, deafening scream. After that, it suddenly went still, its motionless corpse falling onto the ground of the forest with a jolt.
Andre took advantage of the moment and ran towards the huge egg. This abomination, this place where undead creatures are created, needed to be destroyed.
Arriving at the egg, his heart pounded hard in his chest. With a loud cry of urgency, he swung Voidbane, cutting cleanly through the pulsating surface.
The world turned into a blanket of white. Next was the noise - a loud crackling that appeared to come from the depths of the earth. The army of undead, hit by the explosion, disintegrated into ashes, their bony figures disappearing into clouds of dark fumes.
Andre was out of breath, his whole body trembling from fatigue and fear. He was getting damn tired of feeling fear and he had never felt so completely exhausted, so near his breaking point. However, they had done it. The siege was over.
A cheer erupted from the defenders, a ragged but joyous sound. Eldred strode towards Andre, a smile etched on his weathered face. "Well done, boy," he rumbled, clapping Andre on the shoulder. "You did well. Very well indeed."
Andre could only nod, his throat too raw to speak. Right now, he needed some sleep and a shower to get the mysterious goo of of him. They had faced oblivion and won. And that, for now, was enough.