"𝘈𝘈𝘈! No, no, no!" Alicia screamed as the broom she was riding sped across the horizon expanse.
"Alicia, don't move! You're messing with our balance!" scolded a witch named Barbara, the owner of the flying broom Alicia was riding on.
"I'm trying!" the girl answered, becoming more and more frantic. "But my body is always swaying as if I want to fall! I AM FALLING!"
"Nonsense! You're still panicked. That's why you feel like you're falling!"
"Can't I just hug you?"
"W-what? N-no, you can't!" Barbara's face flushed red with embarrassment. "You have to keep your hands steady anyway, to keep the magic shield on!"
Alicia attempted to close her eyes, imagining beautiful things, instead of seeing the city of Eidyn a hundred meters from the air. Still, to no avail. The strong wind made her feel as if she was being pushed backward.
"Hey, how about you put your trust in me to fly safely, like you and Orb trust each other? You… won't fall, I promise!" the witch suggested to Alicia.
Alicia's eyes opened. The sight of Eidyn looked smaller when looking down, but looked taller and scary when viewed from the side. Alicia took a deep breath. Gradually her fear subsided a little.
"Awright. I got it. I got it."
Barbara finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, now we're back in balance. Keep your magic shield on."
A giant Arcane ball floated containing Alicia and five other magi, who continued to advance towards the burial grounds. Leichenhaufen occasionally spat out acid slime at them. Despite being protected, the flight could be a little turbulent as the trembling Alicia withstood the soreness. Luckily, Alicia seemed to get used to the pain she was in. Perhaps one of the efficacies of the elixir she drank earlier? Or had the girl become stronger as time passed?
***
As Team Alicia advanced towards the sources of the dimensional tear, Haddock and Barthie's unit finally managed to get close to Leichenhaufen, enabling them to surround the giant from all directions. As if given no moment to regenerate from being bombarded by Arcane magic, the giant living corpse grew more aggressive than ever, dispelling them faster while spitting its slime out. The undead's wrath was a manifestation Agosh Grendi's own feelings, who resided over it.
Agosh was infuriated. He then participated in the battle by shooting the wizards, red sonar waves. The unlucky one who got hit by the sonar immediately altered to the living dead, falling from his magic broom in the high sky, then reaching Leichenhaufen to commune with the death congregation.
"A hit! A hit and a hit! Return to uncle Grendi! This is your kismet as my slave!" Agosh's shrieks were deafening. He countered every onslaught from the Magisterium magi, which seemed to be quite troublesome for them to fight a single magus.
Barthie and his unit flanked him from behind. Looking at the historical castle that used to be the necromancer's hideout, his brain was akin to a lit light bulb.
"All of you! Do you see that castle? We can use it to spin out the necromancer's time, while Alicia and others race and destroy the totems!"
One of his men named Briston, understood what he meant. "But, Sir Bartholomew! It's a public landmark! We cannot destroy it."
What a poor choice of words to respond to the Vice Grand Magus when facing the number one magic terrorist of Eidyn. Even when the wind brushed against Bartholomew's face, it did not make his glaring eyes twinkle as he made a vicious mien at Briston, the wizard.
"Ellie's wrath, look at the this idiot, kids! He loves the rickety castle more than his own mother," exclaimed Bartholomew.
"My parents has passed, Sir Bartholomew."
"No wonder you're more aroused by inanimate objects!"
"Sir—"
"If historical objects you are most fond of, I'll turn you to one like your fallen brothers right there!" said Barthie, pointing to the walking pile of corpses.
"I have been mistaken, Sir Bartholomew. I beg for your forgiveness!"
Bartholomew could not understand Briston's framework of mind. He just shook his head. "If no one is protesting anymore, you better start working on crushing that derogated giant to the ground!"
"Understood!" cheered all his men.
They pointed their wands. Simultaneously, they chanted a magic spell:
"DISTANTIO PERVENIRE!"
Bartholomew's unit flew over Leichenhaufen's shoulders. They held their sticks back; their gnashed faces with veins as if they were towing together a heavy weight—none other than that old castle on a hill!
The mossy foundation stones cracked everywhere, the entire interior convulsed like an earthquake. Agosh, who was busy shooting human-altering sonar, sensed not a single thing, before realising stone crumbs fell on his shoulders and gray hair. He heard a cracking sound, suddenly a dark blanket overshadowed him and his pet. Agosh turned around, and it was too late. The entire giant palace crumbled down on him and Leichenhaufen! All the formations of thousands of corpses fell scattered. Before they even assembled again, Haddock unleashed a powerful force to launch the lightning javelin, Fractionem Tonitrua Custos, at the remains of the demonic carcass several times. Leichenhaufen succumbed, for as long as the time allowed it to....
***
The three totems that stood tall were fortunately not too far apart from each other. Alicia's unit had arrived right in front of a totem full of the undead, rushing their feet towards Leichenhaufen, ignoring the living passing by. Seeing such an advantage, the team ran towards the totem while destroying every hampering undead. They took a few meters away from the totem because the temperature around it was scorching; A Tartarus burrow leaking heat into the realm. The totems were shaped like monuments filled with skulls, arranged like collections from catacombs. Directly below them were dimensional rips as cracks in the ground glistening green—sometimes red, flickering as if a big feast were held inside. That was where the cadavers fled from their graves, considering it was as hot as blue blazes, they could roast meat there and let it be burnt in a few minutes. Moreover, the screams of the tormented souls were heard coming out. No wonder thousands of them were dying to go out, attaining for themselves, some fresh air. Being a slave to the necromancer was better than staying.
"Now is the time, Alicia," said the witch who carried her, "purify this place, and let these poor souls rest in peace."
"Ah dinnae even think those souls will ever find peace in Hades," replied Alicia. "Of course, that doesn't mean they have the right to disturb the peace of our realm!"
She was ready with her stance to hold out the purification ritual. "Please cast your protective spells and protect me!"
The first totem was instantly struck by hundreds of Arcane threads. It apparently did not want to take fate for granted. The skulls on the totem came alive and screeched. They resisted Alicia's Arcane power with the might of Khaos, providing resistance that turned out to drain the girl's strength.
She used all her might to breach the Khaos barriers, though, in the end, it was no match with the superior Arcane. The power of Arcane was still struggling to spread throughout the rebelling totem parts, until it finally touched the centre of the Khaos core. Exploded the first dimensional ripping totem! The skulls within it tried to float and escape, but the Arcane stream engulfed them all, sending them into nothingness.
It was only the first totem, and the girl had almost fallen from exhaustion. Alicia could hear her heartbeat behind her gasping breaths. This was the most difficult purifying she had done so far, and she still had to demolish the other two. Correction, three more. She still had to neutralise Agosh Grendi, the necromancer. One could imagine the pain, yet the fatigue she was about to experience.
"You did it!" the other wizards cheered. "Great job, Alicia! Two totems left, and Leichenhaufen isn't a problem for us anymore!"
"I.…" She was still panting. "Can I rest for a wee bit?"
"Are you joking? The units of the Grand Magus and Sir Bartholomew have gone to great lengths to distract the necromancer! We must make the best of it!"
"Ah, yer right, I'm sorry." Alicia tried to stand up. Luckily, two mages wanted to share her burden. Seeing her pale face, Barbara offered her Stillmajik potion.
"Impossible," Alicia refused the potion. "What if your mana runs out before we destroy all three?"
"We're elite magicians trained by the Grand Magus himself, Alicia. We've practiced allocating mana to our magic as efficiently as we can. You need this more than we do."
Though still hesitant as she was, Alicia drank the potion. She still felt the bitterness pouncing on her tongue. Was it true that people really enjoy this plant when used as a steak seasoning? Haddock must have been making it up, or his colleagues flattered him so he would not be offended and throw lightning javelins at them. But other than that, Haddock's elite mages seemed more civilised than the ordinary Magisterium mages, she thought.
Now she was preparing for the second totem. "Follow me," said Barbara, taking Alicia on her magic broom.
They circled the steep hill and found a second dimensional tear. Alicia synchronised with Orb once again and launched another purging. The second totem shattered, and another dimensional tear was sealed for good. The number of the rising dead dropped drastically.
"That's insane. That girl actually did it," said Strongbark, looking at the remnants of the totem explosion from a distance.
The ruins of the old castle suddenly exploded. Agosh emerged from the embrace of his dead lackeys' remains, but the wizards had surrounded him with wands flowing with Arcane. The necromancer was not finished playing. Knowing the two dimensional rippings were sealed, he could not help but smile behind his fury.
"That fucking Arcane bitch. Oh, she's gonna be part of my slave collection this time." Agosh muttered while chuckling.
"I'm sorry, guys. But I aim for that Crimsonmane girl and her Arcane orb," he continued. "It was really fun today. Let's play again sometime!"
Agosh chortled, his entire being turning pale and rotting; he turned into a flesh-eating corpse like the others. The figure was about to pounce on one particular magician, but was thwarted by Arcane's shot from every Magisterium wizard.
Approaching the corpse, Haddock noticed something odd about it. Agosh's hair, which should have been white, was now black and full of balding spots. Its facial features did not resemble the necromancer at all.
The remaining cadavers abruptly rushed out of the castle ruins, but instead of fighting the magicians, they ran as fast as they could in another direction.
Haddock's eyes started to widen. He immediately grabbed his magic broom. "Agosh hasn't run away. He's with the other unit at the third totem's location."
Bartholomew shouted, "What? Damn it! Everyone! To the location of the third totem!"
***
Alicia gulped her third Stillmajik potion. She was ready to seal the last dimensional tear for eternity. The Arcane Stream began to permeate the totem. But just when she was refining the last death monument, the corpses that had just come out of the grave suddenly turned and jumped at her! Alicia was shocked and fell backward, albeit she should still be safe, for the magic vault by the wizards was still present.
Barbara turned to Alicia. "Alicia, wake up! Don't worry, we're still protecting you."
The magic shield was swarmed by hundreds of blue faces with a pair of pupilless eyes, and teeth full of blood and flesh chunks. Knocking, screaming, and pawing at the shield with their hooves, regardless of their skin being scalded by Arcane.
"They trapped us," said Alicia, slightly panicked, "that means Leichenhaufen…."
"In that case, you don't have much time. Quick, carry out the purifying process!"
An aura of panic was everywhere. Seeing them being surrounded by the army of death, Alicia asked a question instead.
"Quick question? Don't you guys feel pain when they paw at the protective shield?"
"We all will faint like you the more you ask! The totem, haste!"
"S-sorry!"
The Crimsonmane girl rushed to repeat the refining process again. Seeing them share the pain with the Arcane might, her morale accelerated even more. Motivated, the Arcane streams snaked their way through the zombies until they finally reached the third totem.
Not even a minute after the purification started, the angry corpses gathered to form a giant fist that soared into the sky. And BAM! It punched the magic shield!
The magicians faltered in surprise. Likewise, their collaboration Arcane shield started to break.
"What on earth!" Alicia yelled.
The resulting shock wave certainly made the wizards frantic as well as the pangs began to manifest, "Alicia, how long will the purification last?"
"My Arcane streams just entered the totem. They need more time!"
"Well, we don't have time! The giant carcass fist keeps punching our shield!"
"I'm doing my best!"
The wizards weaken. They did not have enough Stillmajik potion. Their arms ached when holding the shields with their wands. All they could do was hope the other two units would catch up soon or Alicia forthwith destroy that confounded stake, and away from the hell on earth called the cemetery.
Agosh Grendi came out from above the giant's arm, in the form of an undead that came out of formation, tearing his own face and revealing the sharp nose and dreadful wide grin—the hallmarks of Agosh Grendi.
"Crimsonmane, we meet again! Look at you, destroying my x̸̧̙͔͈̥̀e̴̯͖͕̥̞̊̋̐̕n̵̨̝̤͎̲̼͍̞̥̓͂͋̑͑̀͒́͐͐͘͝ĕ̵̢̢̧̛͇̼̮̹̪͌͒̓͒̒͝ẍ̴̨̦̼̫̬̭͔̼̺̬̼̟̈̀̈́́̐̐̿̅͐͝ą̷̨̤͍͖͉̹̣̘̯̥̄̋b̷̧̢̻̹͉͊̽̌̅͛̄̂͒̀͌̐̔̇͐̕͜ͅy̴̨̝͚̺̤̼̮̫͖͗͊̔̎̃͛̀̀̑̾̇̕s̶̟̹̾͌̓͛̈́̚s̶͓̪̙̬̦̜̺̆͂͌̄͋̑́ portal. And you share the Arcane powers with all mages? The same mages who ridiculed you earlier?"
"Quiet, you rancid necromancer!" snapped the girl.
"I pity you. How low can you be, after willing yourself to be used by high-ranking mages, just so that they recognize you as part of them?"
Arcane's threads faded as Alicia lost her focus. "I said quiet, you reprobate!"
"Don't be provoked by him, Alicia!" said the wizards. "He's preventing you from destroying the totem."
"I'm just saying," continued the necromancer, "rather than being a sycophant of the Magisterium, you'd be better off working with me. You are the most special person I've ever met in the world of thaumaturgy. An ordinary human! Chosen by what you name 'The Silent Divine'! I shall treat your better than them—even those who hire me. With the power of Khaos and Arcane, I sense a future where we will become controllers of the magic world! Just the two of us. To Hades with that crazy sect employer! See? That's how amazed I am. As strong as that is my desire to have you! Unlike them, my intentions are honest as they are!"
Alicia almost filled the third totem with Arcane after she regathered her concentration.
Agosh laughed out loud. "You're ignoring me? That hurts. It's like talking to the dead!" He then raised his giant's clenched fist, preparing to lay out another stroke. "Then I'll make you die for real. Die! Die! DIE!" shrieked the necromancer.
Blow after blow kept launching and made the magic barrier completely destroyed! All the limbs of the mages went numb. Alicia was no exception. She had put all her strength into advancing the purifying process while more and more undead surfaced from the portal.
What a perfect time when Haddock suddenly leapt from his magic broom and lunged at Agosh's jaw, sending him free-falling along with the death's gigantic arm dispersed to pieces!
"Look! The Grand Magus and Sir Bartholomew's units have arrived!" Alicia's entire group hailed with joy.
Smoothly landed, Haddock swung his wand to blast Agosh with barrages of magic volleys without a second thought. That necromancer had not even woken up yet due to hitting the ground hard. Haddock's calm and dishevelled temper was nowhere to be seen. Agosh tried to reach his sceptre but always failed.
The other magi flew around the creeping Agosh. He attempted to summon his staff back to his being, but how unfortunate he was, for the pure Arcane had drained the rest of his strength. Bartholomew walked past him and kicked the long staff away. Agosh stared at him with disdain, while Barthie just retorted him by looking down, implying, "What?"
Then they bound Agosh with the Static Ligaveris spell. Finally, the necromancer was brought to his knees.
Haddock turned and snapped at Alicia. "Hey, why are you taking so long! Can't you go any slower?" His harsh tone made him the second version of Bartholomew Strongbark.
Alicia wanted to argue, thinking that she was already familiar with the Grand Magus. But she became speechless after witnessing his long face, implying the Grand Magus was already overwhelmed and his emotions were nowhere near stable. Luckily, the girl did not try to tease him to find out whether he was pretending or not.
In a little while, the Arcane stream would reach the core of Khaos, and the totem should be completely annihilated. The girl was already trembling, her muscles were numb. Without the rest by her side, she remained focused on grabbing the totem's Khaos core.
All rejoice, for the last dark magic essence was devoured by divine power, and the stake of death died along with the portal!
The wizards forthwith exterminated the remaining undead. Alicia severed her synchronisation with Orb. She knelt down while looking at her fluttering and stiff hands. "W-we did it, Orb… S-so tired, but we d-did it…."
Barthie came near to the bespectacled girl, carrying the Stillmajik potion. "For a muggle, your performance is not bad." The wizard dropped the potion bottle on the ground. "But don't fill your heart with joy just yet. There's one more creature to take care of."
They guided Alicia to the helplessly bound Agosh.
"The Child of Miracles has made her appearance to the world," said Agosh. "There's no turning back for you, Alicia Crimsonmane. I hope you don't regret it later, brat!"
Haddock raised his eyebrows. His words about "The Child of Miracles" seemed to trigger his remembrance. It did sound familiar. Had he ever heard of it? Where did that sentence come from?
"What are you talking about?" asked Alicia, looking at him with disdain.
"Oops. I don't want to tell you. I don't want to tell you." Agosh then taunted her by sticking his tongue out.
"Don't waste any more time, do it already!" the Grand Magus admonished her from behind.
"A-aye, Grand Magus. I'm doing it now!"
Here it was. Closing rites for the day. It was time to take the power of Khaos out of this abominable man.
Alicia synchronised with Orb, injecting an Arcane surge into the necromancer's body points. The mad Agosh roared with laughter as the purification took place! Khaos grappled with the Arcane within him. He became more hysterical while the girl became weaker against the great might of Khaos concealing the man. Agosh Grendi channelled multiple pains to her on purpose, solely just to make her suffer.
"Miss, stop tickling me!" the necromancer mocked. The masochistic cry grew louder as Khaos was slowly pulled out of his arms. Alicia wept, unable to withstand the necromancer's torture—the sensation of tearing flesh and breaking bones. But with all those torments, she still forced herself. Barbara, Briston, and the other magi shared her burden, encouraging her to stay strong.
"You're tough, Alicia. Tougher than Agosh Grendi. You've come this far. Please hold on a little longer! Arcane is with you," Barbara whispered into her ear.
After the torturing battle of body and mind, Khaos once again succumbed to the supremacy of the Divine Grace. The power of darkness exploded out of Agosh Grendi's body, being consumed by Orb's might. The smiling Agosh surrendered as he entered the fantasy realm.
The Magisterium of Arcane Plane saved the day.
And Alicia? She completely purged three magical obelisks and one evil mage in one day. An extraordinary record. She had proven herself worthy of the epithet of Champion of the Divine Grace.
Everyone present expressed their joyous serenade, as if the fatigue was never there. Of course, this did not apply to Alicia Crimsonmane. Her gaze was blank. All the acclamation for her was nothing but muffled whale echoes. A pat on her shoulder felt like a blow, forcing her to fall. Sure enough, Alicia collapsed amidst the cheers destined for her, which she probably would never hear again. []