Stathis swung her sword, cutting into the body of a zombie. It was long dead, the dried flesh tough and leathery, a bone resisting her swing. It still had enough power behind it to cut through an arm, dried flesh dropping to the floor. There was a grunt of effort from Brina, somewhere amidst the mass of undead. Stathis’ wings were still glowing, her own movement and that of the zombies making for strange, warping shadows.

One tried to jump at her, arms outstretched, and she swung for it, hacking through one wrist with enough force to send it sprawling, then pivoting and stabbing another through the chest. It groaned at her, arms flapping and flailing, not seeming particularly hindered by the length of metal shoved into it until she drew back and sliced through the thing’s neck, head flying off.

She charged forward, using her weight and momentum to carry herself forward, simply smashing several more of the things out of the way, dragging one with her when it grabbed her. She could see the defensive line, not much further away, a recently-felled tree-trunk serving as a barrier. A shield-wall had been erected, sturdy shields extending the barrier, swords stabbing and cutting. They were holding the zombies off, but the weight of numbers was starting to press on them, bodies falling heavily onto the shields.

Stathis twisted to slice off one of the arms of the thing that had grabbed her, the creature unable to hold one with just one limb, falling to the ground behind her. Sunlight blazed from her sword, pushing back the night, and her next swing cleaved through another zombie with ease, the dead skin parting as she swung through them.

The bright light caught the attention of the defenders, the defensive line wavering for a second as they were distracted before they bolstered themselves.

‘For the light!’ The battlecry cut through the air, over the low groans of the zombies. She wasn’t far now, but there were dozens of the things, slowly turning towards her, trying to bundle her to the ground with sheer weight of numbers. But every strike cut through limbs and torsos, dismembered bodies falling to the ground behind her as she cut and sliced her way through.

‘Make way!’ The line of shields was only a few paces ahead of her now, and she swung with furious speed, trying to open up a gap. She could see the defenders, their faces tense and weary, trying to be reassuring, even as she decapitated another zombie, the body falling to the ground and almost tripping her up. They moved with good discipline, two shields moving apart and presenting a gap for her to squeeze through, into a less cramped space inside of the defensive line.

Two people were on the ground, wounds bleeding, field bandages not enough to staunch the bleeding. She quickly dropped to one knee, sheathing her sword and touching one. Golden light washed out, his wounds closing up, just enough to hopefully keep him alive. She repeated this action with the next.

‘Were they the most heavily wounded? Who’s in command?’ She could hear bodies slamming into the wood, the dull impact-sounds of swords on dry, dead flesh. One of those in the line, his helmet bearing a tarnished fringe of golden metal half-turned, unable to separate himself from the defensive line.

‘Me. We’ve got others injured, but they can manage. If we can get through this.’

‘Any sign of an enemy leader?’

‘In this light, no. Fortunately we were together when the attack started – any scouts would have been killed without getting any information back. Do you have any other support?’

Stathis looked over the shields, seeing Brina waving and dodging her way through the undead, skewering and slicing them, or sending out magical blasts.

‘Get over here!’

Whatever Brina shouted back, Stathis couldn’t hear it, but she managed to evade another grab and started to run, skidding and ducking her way around attacks. Somewhere out of sight, wood creaked and groaned, a tree falling over. Stathis turned towards it, trying to see what was large enough to cause a tree to break.

A few seconds later, a tree-trunk came tumbling out of the darkness, spinning end-over-end. The shields all turned upwards to try and take the impact, the thing crashing down, defenders dropping to the knees, a few dropping downwards, dazed from the hit. The zombies immediately took advantage of the disruption, trying to grab for the defenders, hands scrabbling against armour.

Stathis tried to fill as much of the breach as possible, slicing her sword with as much force as she could muster, every impact now causing a flare of sunlight. Some of the zombies seemed dazed by this, giving everyone a chance to recover themselves as Brina ran forward, her small size an advantage in dodging.

There was another ponderous wooden creaking sound, Stathis stepping forward towards it, just as another tree trunk, still covered with leaves and branches, came flying towards them. Brina turned and gestured, a cloud of silvery sharpness shooting out from her hands and flying towards it. When it hit, the light started cutting through leaves and branches, stripping away foliage, but doing little to check the momentum of the thing. Stathis shoved one of the soldiers out of the way, trying to brace herself for impact, settling her feet squarely.

It slammed into her, her whole body getting knocked back from the impact, her shield-arm going dead and numb, but she had managed to take the brunt of the hit, and stop anyone else from being crushed.

The darkness seethed, a chunk of it seeming to solidify into a humanoid form, a hulking armoured shape, black-tinged slabs of metal covering their form, a giant sword hung on their back. Red lights shone out from their spiked helm, staring at Stathis.

‘A challenge, then! Come, face me!’

Lightning shattered the sky again, a blazing white line that blinded Stathis for a moment, earthing itself into an obelisk, the depthless black absorbing the energy.

‘Shall we end this?’ He unslung the giant sword, an oversized slab of metal, the blade covered with jagged spikes and spurs, although the sheer weight of it would probably be enough to deal heavy damage. ‘Can you withstand my blade?

It was Peresperan’s bodyguard. At least, assuming Peresperan was still alive – if he was close, then a powerful necromancer would be dangerous. Stathis yelled back. ‘Shouldn’t you be guarding your master?’

‘He is otherwise engaged. A shame, as he would quite like to destroy you personally. To think that you were so bold to hide yourself in plain sight! To use his assumptions about his sister against her. I thought you the kind to act with foolish honour – that was masterfully done. But I have no need of his aid to deal with a single warrior, no matter how blessed they are.’

He swung the sword around with worrying ease, resting it on one shoulder. The blade was so black it looked slick and oily, vague movement seething inside, if that wasn’t just Stathis’ eyes deceiving her.

‘Fight me alone or with your followers, it matters not. My blade will taste your blood.’

He swung it, Stathis able to hear the sound as it cut the air – even before being magical, that thing would hurt. She cut down a zombie, stepping forward, hearing the shield-line re-establish itself behind her. ‘I don’t suppose we can talk terms? It would be easier to not have to fight?’ That sword would slice her shield to kindling with a single strike! And even blocking it with her sword would knock her off balance, before whatever magical powers it had.

‘If you wish to surrender without fighting, that it rather dull, but I will happily kill you. I get paid the same, after all.’

Stathis had to keep chopping down zombies as she moved, feeling the ground beneath her feet – muddy, slippery, uneven, not the best for fighting. Maybe she could try and unbalance him, if he overextended with that sword? Semari might be able to do something better, if she were anywhere nearby!

‘I’ll do what I can, but I think this is one for you.’ Brina’s voice came from nowhere, whispering into Stathis’ ear. Stathis glanced back over her shoulder and nodded – any help would be appreciated!

As soon as she was away from the scrum, he charged, sword coming up, slicing through the air. The sheer size of the weapon made the attack overly choreographed, Stathis sidestepping outside of the arc of the swing, but was too far away to attack back. It dragged the air with it, a chill wind sucking at her.

‘What are you here for? You know that black sphere is going to devour everything, right? Even if you want to conquer or rule, that’s worthless if everything is destroyed.’

‘I’ve been paid for a job, and I’m a simple man.’ Another swing, this one coming closer – although he was moving the blade in wide arcs, he was keeping it under control despite the size and momentum of the weapon, more than just a simple brute. ‘I might just be a mercenary, but I do have some honour. That can be dealt with in time.’

The darkness of the blade roiled, the weapon now covered with mind-warping patterns, threatening to ensnare Stathis’ attention. She went still for a moment, waiting until he stepped forward for another attack and stepping inwards herself, bringing her glowing sword onto his breastplate.

Metal screeched against metal, his armour taking the impact and turning the sword aside. Had she even scratched it? She couldn’t tell. At least the light from her blade made the oppressive darkness of his armour and weapons less intense, put the metal was solid black, not simply burnished metal.

‘Why are you doing this?’

‘I took a job, and I always try and finish. And if I win, then I’ll be sitting pretty.’

Stathis just barely managed to duck underneath a swing of the huge blade, the rush of air riffling her hair and almost hitting her. If that connected, she’d be in a lot of trouble! She stepped in close, hoping to use the size of his weapon against him. Another attack against his breastplate, and he just took the blow, not even trying to get out of the way. She felt her blade catch in the armour though, knocking a chink in the tough material - at least it wasn’t indestructible then. Not that she had come even close to penetrating it!

He shifted his grip, using the oversized pommel of the sword as a bludgeon and trying to smack her with it. It was slower than the blade end, but there wasn’t enough space to manoeuvre, and she took the hit on her shoulder. It had enough force that she felt it through her armour, forcing her to take several steps backwards.

‘You’re being a mercenary for people that might destroy everything! That’s a little far to go just for money!’

‘There’s more to it than that, but it’s not really the time to talk about that.’ That lethal blade swung towards Stathis again, and she managed to block it, feeling the shock through her body, one arm still numb. The impact shifted her body out of alignment, her arms knocked askew. Stathis shoved her shield forward, managing to connect, but the man was too heavy and solidly planted for it to do anything.

This time when she attacked, she blasted power through her sword, making it blaze brightly enough to hurt her own eyes. The red eye-dots narrowed, hopefully dazed as well, giving Stathis the chance to land a more solid hit. She felt the armour give slightly under the attack, metal screeching in protest. The light was bright and warm, blasting out from her blade.

Stathis tried to follow up with another attack, but he jumped backwards, moving with practised agility, using the weight of his sword to counterbalance his own movement.

‘The stories of your powers aren’t exaggerated, then. That is an irritating ability! To cleanse and destroy – small wonder that you are able to destroy undead with such ease. And yet you associate with one of the Uth Tremari – should she not be anathema to you?’

Stathis glanced around – all that armour, and whatever he was beneath it, had to be heavy, Was there any terrain she could use? It all looked the same – bushes and trees, without any conveniently-placed pits or swamps she could shove him into.

‘Janaxia’s not that bad! At least she won’t destroy the world. Except by accident!’

‘A shame she isn’t here – it would be convenient to destroy you both.’

Her shield crunched and splintered under the assault of his next attack, breaking into useless splinters and leaving her with only half left, still buckled to her arm. The metal and wood fragments dropped to the floor, Stathis shifting to a two-handed grip on her sword.

‘You don’t have to do this. You could leave? And whatever…’ She had to throw herself backwards out of the reach of another strike. ‘Whatever’s been done to you might be reversed?’

‘I am quite content with my new form. The power is impressive, as you can see!’

The blade whistled past again, savage barbs of black metal gleaming as they reflected Stathis’ light.

‘That’s not the Blade, is it?’ Not that it would make much difference if it hit her!

‘So you know of that? No, it is not. I would hesitate to wield such a thing! But it is imbued with a shard of power.’

He lunged, a feint drawing her sword low before thrusting, blade skewering through her armour, screeching as it sliced metal. Cold pain flared in her arm as it pierced her flesh, feeling like a razor-sharp needle of ice sticking into her, leeching away her energy. Stathis’ vision swam, and it was a struggle to stay standing, her legs going weak beneath her.

She managed to twist away, the blade sliding back out of her. The light coming from her sword flickered and waned, the figure chuckling. ‘You see? Such a power even you cannot hope to withstand.’

Stathis forced herself to attack again, managing to land a blow on his side, but it was getting more tiring to empower her attacks – she wouldn’t be able to do many more!

The darkness of his armour paled, the breastplate starting to glow with a cherry-red tinge. Stathis could feel the heat herself, and turned to see Brina twisting her fingers around a piece of metal, itself glowing with heat.

The man hissed in pain, a stench of burning meat and flesh filling the air. Stathis took advantage of his distraction to attack, hearing the breastplate ring under her attacks, although she wasn’t sure if she was achieving anything.

‘How refreshingly efficient! It is pleasing that you are not an honour-bound fool – it will make your destruction more pleasing.’

Stathis attacked again, this time with enough force to make him take a step back, although still without breaking through his armour. He shifted the grip on his sword to be single-handed, parrying an attack as he did so, before gauntleted fingers twisted and wriggled.

There was a burst of shadows and he vanished from sight, long strands of darkness collapsing to the ground before vanishing. Stathis whirled away, wary in case of being attacked from behind, but there was no sign of him.

The rest of the zombies were still fighting, but Stathis attacked them from behind, slicing and cutting through despite her weariness. There were more injured soldiers, but the zombies seemed weaker now, or less coordinated, their numbers getting ground away in the face of superior organisation, until they had been destroyed. The soldiers then steadily systematically destroyed the corpses, breaking skulls and severing spines to ensure that the bodies couldn’t be raised up again.

Brina approached. ‘Sorry, hope you’re not too pissed about me interruptin’?’

‘Better than getting skewered again! That sword of his drains life or something. Don’t want to get hit with that again. Although he didn’t seem too affected by it, so he’s probably boosted or enchanted or something. That thing’s not the Blade though, which is good.’

‘So we’re not facin’ a legendary artefact of destruction? That’s a plus.’

‘Unless Janaxia’s pissed at us again. Any idea where we are?’

‘I’m no good in the wilderness! Think I recognise those trees though. We came pretty far when you flew. Probably easier to get everyone back there rather than anywhere else. Especially with the way we left.’

‘Yeah, these guys don’t need to know about that. Could you tell them that you’re an agent? Might be easier than me introducing myself straight up.’

Brina rolled her eyes. ‘Sure, I guess. You’re goin’ to have to tell them though, might be easier sooner than later? But you’re the chief.’

‘Thanks.’ She raised her voice so everyone could hear her. ‘There’s a town nearby, it’s safe there. Or at least safer than anywhere else.’ Brina made some swift hand-gesture, the leader of the soldiers looking at her, then nodding. ‘I don’t know the way back to the rest of the expeditionary force, but they’ll probably show up again. At least there, you can rest, and there’s food.’

They completed the grisly work of destroying the undead before forming up into a marching column, those that were wounded kept in the centre, and everyone moved off, managing a brisk trot despite the recent combat.