Nir was starting to get dizzy from the blood loss, as she has now bridled with wounds. Her heart was starting to panic. Then she remembered what she learned in the academy. Though her skill in releasing the fire of Zion was inferior with Max who can give it a powerful dragon form, she can still manipulate its form to some extent.
"I gotta do it, or else I'll be a feast for these damned pitiful creatures."
She then says her prayers.
"Oh God of Mercy, strengthen thy vessel to eradicate the evil."
A fire shoot out of her sword and spread like a tornado burning the swarming undead around her. She was panting heavily, her face was now pale and sweats are trickling all over her body. She charged again and swiftly slashed her sword to multiple enemies setting them on fire. Their body turned to ashes before their severed heads touches the ground. If she found herself surrounded she will call out the fire of Zion burning everything around her. Nearby she can hear Max slashing and plunging his sword releasing the holy power but she could not see him.
They can no longer hear, see and feel anything other than the booming of fire, slashing of sword to rotten flesh and bones and the eerie voices of the undead. Both of their body is covered in dust, wound and gore. There were fire and pile of dust everywhere.
Nir was caught by a creeping undead and found she was imprisoned, then suddenly Max screamed in pain, but she could not see him. Her heart froze in terror and panic. She willed herself to focus and gather all her remaining strength.
"No, I cannot die here. I will not let anyone die again for me."
She crushed the skull of the undead holding her with her sword. Nir raised her sword with both of her hands at chest level pointing it upward. She silently prayed the Archangel Michael's prayer. Time stopped for a few seconds as the power of the Archangel flowed out of the sword. Nir opened her eyes and thrust her sword to the ground and shouted.
"Holy Fire of the Archangel Michael!"
A wave of blue flames covered the ground like water released from the floodgates. The holy fire of the archangel Michael was more potent than the fire of Zion, but only a few people have it, for only the favored ones of the Archangel were blessed with it. There were seven Archangels and they all gifted their special powers to their favored ones. The power was great but humans' were different from the Archangels' thus using it was taxing to the frail human body.
Nir almost toppled down face first after the release of her power but she managed to brace herself with her sword, using it as a support. While leaning on it she noticed Max not far away from her lying on the ground, eyes closed but have a smirking smile plastered on his face.
"Thanks NIr, those guys bites real hard. They must be hungry."
She smiled at least it seems like his wounds were not serious and that she made it on time. But her smile was short lived. The wild shrill scream was coming again, worse than before as if the undead were furious and out for revenge. She tried to stand but her vision got blurry. She can only summon a faint holy fire on her sword, she has no strength, and same applies to Max who was lying down on the ground.
"Nir if you can, you should go. You can at least warn the temple and avoid a massacre. There was a city nearby, we could not afford these creatures to go out of the forest."
For her, Max's request was ridiculous. How can she run and left him here, she was a Knight though not yet a full-fledged Templar Knight but still it's on their code that they should never run from any fight unless the ratio is more than one is to five.
"I know what you are thinking Nir. It is not ridiculous for you to run. You're not a Knight yet and beside we are severely outnumbered way beyond our code of one is to five. Listen to me Nir, a Templar knight has another role and that is to protect the people from evil."
Max said in a serious and sincere manner as if he was a teacher giving the last most important lesson to his disciple.
"I understand Max , but I am sorry I cannot do it, I don't have the strength to even stand with their frenzied bloodlust I will not be able to outrun them."
Nir replied slowly as she catches her breath struggling to keep herself awake.
"I see, then I guess it cannot be helped then we only have one way and that is to fight. I wish I could have invited you over dinner and let you taste Sarah's cooking. She's a good cook. Ahhhhhh! I'm so beat, she'll be angry with me again."
Max was having his monologue when another earth quake occurred and then the vibration came and legions of undead are crawling out of the pits on the ground. They fell silent as they started to concentrate and gather the remaining strength they have, but both of them knew that they're situation is grim unless a miracle will happen. Their gazes were fixed on the undead as a movement was caught in the corner of Nir's eyes. She felt a gust of wind, she instinctively closed her eyes when she opened it again there was a man with jet black hair, cold purple eyes and pale white skin standing proudly in front of her. What she saw reminded her of the day she cursed bot God and the devil. He was there on that dreadful night when she lost a part of her soul.
The man looked at her with an appraising eye and said something she could not comprehend. Her eyes were starting to close, she was losing her consciousness, she cursed but there was no voice that came from her mouth and all she can remember were the blinding light, the silver rosary dangling on the man's neck and the cruelty of fate.