A battle with an necromancer.

Chapter 20: A fight with darkness.
“Okay, not creepy at all,” Ikaro muttered, his gaze fixed on the two decayed bodies hanging like grim decorations at the mountain’s entrance.
Athena’s portal had left us precisely where she said it would: the mouth of darkness. The mountain, majestic and imposing from afar, had become a twisted shadow of itself. Its once-pristine ridges now loomed like the jagged teeth of some dormant beast. The air reeked of decay and despair, suffocating us as if the mountain itself whispered that there would be no escape until our mission was complete.
“You think he put them there to add some... ambiance?” Noor quipped, smirking as she pointed at the grotesque warning—a clear sign from the Erebosian that trespassers were unwelcome.
“Pretty macabre, if you ask me,” I said, trying to keep the mood light, though the sight made my stomach churn.
Noor shrugged nonchalantly clearly not impressed by the erebosian’s fear tactics. “Nah, I saw worst stuff in my travels.”
I raised a brow at her. “You really are heartless sometimes you know that right?” I say as well as teasing her.
She turned to me, that familiar smirk spreading across her face. “Oh, come on. You know you love it.”
Despite the oppressive atmosphere, I couldn’t help but grin. Somehow, Noor always managed to deflect the tension with her mischief.
“So, are we doing this or not?” Iris asked, her voice firm as she tightened the last strap on her light armor, her bow slung over her shoulder and daggers glinting at her sides.
Entinos finished stretching, his tall, muscular form imposing in the dim light. “The sooner we rid this place of its filth, the better,” he said, his deep voice steady.
I nodded and took the first step into the mountain’s gaping maw, leading the way. The others followed, and Noor conjured an orb of light that floated above her palm, casting eerie shadows on the stone walls as we ventured deeper into the darkness.
The further we went, the more the mountain revealed its corrupted secrets. The Erebosian had carved out a network of chambers and tunnels, creating a foul sanctuary for his dark experiments. Small outposts dotted the path, guarded by twisted creations—ghouls and undead fiends, their soulless eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
As we approached a wider cavern, I raised my fist, signaling the group to halt. Crouching low, we peered ahead.
The sight stopped us cold. A hulking abomination stood at the center of the chamber, its grotesque form pieced together from various mutilated body parts. It moved with an unsettling, erratic gait, its misshapen limbs twitching as if barely under its own control. Surrounding it, a handful of undead labored in silence, hauling corpses and mining what looked like veins of arcane-imbued stone embedded in the mountain walls.
“By Zeus…” Iris whispered, her voice trembling with revulsion. “What is that thing?”
Entinos spat on the ground, muttering a curse in his native tongue. The rage in his eyes said everything—this abomination was an insult to the natural order, an affront to Gaia herself.
“It’s hideous,” Ikaro said, his usual humor gone. He studied the abomination’s grotesque movements. “I’m not sure our weapons can even kill it.”
“We can burn it,” Noor offered, her tone casual, though her eyes gleamed with determination.
We all turned to her. “Worked last time,” she added with a shrug. “Smaller ones, though.”
“Yeah, but in case you didn’t notice,” Iris interjected, pointing at the behemoth, “that thing is ten times our size. You’d need a lot more firepower.”
Noor’s smirk returned. “Girl, you have no idea who you’re talking to.”
“Focus,” I said, cutting through their banter. “We’ll take it down together. Noor, you’ll burn it once we’ve neutralized it. That should keep it from getting back up.”
“What about the smaller ones?” Iris asked, nodding toward the undead workers. “They’ll attack as soon as we make a move.”
“I’ll handle them,” Ikaro volunteered, his grip tightening on his spear. “There’s only a handful. I’ll create a distraction so you four can focus on the big guy.”
“Are you sure?” Iris asked, concern flickering in her voice.
“I’m sure,” he replied confidently, flashing her a reassuring grin. “I’m not much use against that thing anyway. Besides,” he added, stepping forward, “I could use the cardio.”
Iris hesitated but nodded. “Be careful.”
Ikaro gave her a mock salute before moving off to position himself, his movements stealthy despite the tension in the air.
I turned back to the others. “Stick to the plan. Take it down fast, and don’t let it touch you. Entinos, you’re on the front line with me. Iris, cover us from a distance. Noor, get ready to unleash hell when the time comes.”
Entinos cracked his knuckles and grunted in agreement. Iris nodded, already nocking an arrow. Noor tightened her grip on her staff, her light orb flickering as if in anticipation.
“Let’s end this,” I said, drawing my blade.

Ikaro darted forward, his steps light and quick despite the tension in the air. “Oi! Over here, you rotting assholes!” he shouted, his spear raised as he waved it mockingly.
The undead immediately took the bait, their soulless eyes locking onto him as they sprinted toward their new prey. Their snarls echoed through the cavern as Ikaro turned and bolted, weaving between jagged rocks. The hulking abomination, with its grotesque, bloated frame, remained sluggish, unable to keep up with the smaller, faster undead. Just as we hoped, they abandoned it to pursue Ikaro, leaving us with our window of opportunity.
“Good luck, brother,” Iris whispered under her breath before we all sprang into action.
From our hiding spot, we launched into view of the monstrous creature. Noor was the first to speak, her voice laced with her usual mischief. “Dibs on the left head—it looks dumber,” she quipped, conjuring twin fireballs in her palms.
Entinos cracked his neck and let out a low growl, his muscles taut as he gripped his two-handed sword. His gaze locked on the abomination with the intensity of a predator sizing up its prey. “Let’s finish this,” he said, charging forward like a bull, fearless and unrelenting.
“Begin.” I commanded, and the fight erupted.
We moved as one, our coordination honed from countless battles together. Iris was a blur of motion, darting across the cavern with feline agility, her arrows striking weak points in the abomination’s misshapen form. Each shot elicited a guttural roar from the creature. Entinos held the front line, meeting the beast head-on with sheer brute ****, his massive blade cleaving through its decayed flesh. Noor’s magic was a deadly ****, her flames searing through the creature’s thick hide, leaving smoldering, charred wounds.
I moved with precision, every slash of Dawn cutting deep into the abomination’s flesh. Its blood poured out in dark, viscous streams, staining the ground beneath us. The creature shrieked and swung its massive weapons—a butcher’s knife in one hand and a murderously heavy hammer in the other. Each swing was slow but devastating, the raw power behind them enough to shatter stone.
“Watch out! One hit, and you’re meeting Hades!” I shouted, dodging a hammer swing that sent shards of rock flying.
The fight intensified as the beast grew more erratic, its blows wild and furious. “Dammit, you’re a fat bastard, aren’t you?” I taunted, narrowly avoiding a swipe from its cleaver.
“IRIS, NOW!” I yelled, ducking beneath another swing.
Iris didn’t hesitate. Drawing two arrows, she let them fly in quick succession. Both struck true, piercing the abomination’s eyes. The creature howled in agony, its massive frame thrashing blindly.
“Nice shot, girl!” Noor called out, smirking as she conjured another burst of flame.
Iris smirked back. “Thanks. Try not to let it hit you.”
“More cutting, less talking!” Entinos barked as he surged forward, his blade slicing through the creature’s arm in a spray of dark blood.
With the abomination blinded, I decided to take a risk. “This is probably the stupidest idea I’ve ever had,” I muttered, assessing the distance between me and the beast. “And I’ve had some bad ones.”
Before anyone could stop me, I sprinted toward the abomination, leaping onto its back. The creature roared, thrashing as I climbed toward its heads. Balancing precariously, I drove Dawn into its skull repeatedly, each strike reverberating through the blade.
Below, the team pressed the attack, their strikes coordinated to keep the creature off balance. Noor unleashed a torrent of fire, while Iris’s arrows found every weak point, and Entinos delivered crushing blows with relentless determination.
“DIE FUCKER!” I roared, gripping Dawn tightly as I plunged it into the creature’s cranium with all my strength. The abomination let out one final, guttural scream before collapsing, its massive body hitting the ground with a thunderous crash.
I leapt off its back, landing in a crouch as the beast’s blood pooled around us. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I looked at the others. “Okay, I’m never doing that again.”
Noor snickered, hiding her laughter behind a hand. Iris, smirking, chimed in, “Next time, maybe just throw Dawn at it.”
“Ha ha,” I replied dryly, shaking my head.
Moments later, Ikaro returned, breathing heavily and covered in sweat, his armor streaked with grime. “You look like shit,” Iris said, raising an eyebrow at her brother.
“Yeah, well, I think I smell worse,” Ikaro retorted, wiping his brow. “Let’s just finish this. I’m tired of killing undead.”
“Agreed,” Noor said, setting the abomination’s corpse ablaze with a flick of her hand. The flames crackled as the foul creature was reduced to ash.
I turned to the massive metal doors ahead, their surface etched with ominous symbols. “We’re not done yet,” I said, stepping forward. “Let’s move.”

“I guess this is it,” Iris said, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of unease. Her gaze lingered on the ominous metal doors ahead, as if trying to steel herself for what lay beyond. “He’s in there.” She paused, swallowing hard. “Whatever happens next… it was nice knowing you all.”
“You’re all annoying, but yeah,” Noor agreed, her voice carrying a mix of nonchalance and nervous energy.
I looked at them all, letting the gravity of the moment sink in. “Let’s get this over with.”
Pushing against the heavy metal doors, I gritted my teeth as they groaned open, revealing the chamber beyond. The air shifted immediately—thick, oppressive, laced with the unmistakable tang of dark magic.
The chamber stretched into the heart of the mountain, a chilling spectacle of power and despair. At its center, a staircase descended into a circular platform surrounded by towering black pillars etched with glowing runes. Ritualistic symbols, drawn in fresh blood, marred the floor, their sinister patterns radiating outwards like a spider’s web. Beyond the circle’s edge yawned an abyss, an unending void shrouded in swirling green mist that obscured its depth. The very air felt alive, pressing against our chests as if trying to suffocate us. Only the spirits of the dead seemed to move freely here, their faint whispers a constant, disorienting hum.
And there he was.
Arkealus stood at the center of it all, his back to us, fully engrossed in his gruesome work. A corpse lay splayed on the stone altar before him, its pallid skin stretched tight over a mangled frame. His ceremonial dagger moved with precision, carving into the flesh as though it were nothing more than clay for his macabre art. He didn’t flinch as the door creaked open, nor did he turn to acknowledge our presence. Yet his voice resonated through the chamber, deep and malevolent, each syllable curling like smoke into our ears.
Slowly, he turned to face us, his gaze sweeping across our group before settling on me. “I was wondering when you showed up” he said burning with hatred as he spat my name. “Kayn.”
Arkealus appeared as a man in his forties, his black hair streaked with white at the temples, lending him an air of dark wisdom. Yet, the unnatural glow in his skin and the depth of malice in his gaze betrayed the centuries he had stolen through forbidden arts. His robe, richly adorned in dark grey and bone decoration , spoke to his mastery of necromancy and the arrogance of one who considered himself untouchable.
With an air of infuriating calm, he cleaned the blood from his dagger, a mocking smirk tugging at his lips. “You look different since the last time I saw you. More human, might I add.” His eyes flicked to Dawn, his expression souring at the sight of dawn. "Then again I was looking you through the eyes of the ****, that could distort the perception of anyone.” Despite that, what he said first...he didn’t meant our fight on Delphi… could he know me from before my fall?
“I was wondering when I would see your ugly face.” I shot back taunting him.
Arkealus chuckled darkly, his voice echoing like a **** knell. “Still the same insolent wit in the face of ****, I see, Is this really necessary? You and I used to do our dances alone, yes a god could slip sometimes but come on I thought you and I had something special, But now, you’ve brought mortals into the fray.” He gestured lazily at the others. “How disappointing.”
He sneered, his gaze piercing through me as though he could see the curse writhing within my soul. My head throbbed sharply, the dark magic pulsing like a parasite, and I staggered slightly.
"I’m sorry did I talk too much?” He said with a wicked smile looking at me in pain fully knowing the curse they put on me.

“Shut up!” I said through the pain.
The others turned to me, their confusion and concern palpable. I clenched my jaw, refusing to give Arkealus the satisfaction of an explanation.
He laughed jovially seeing what’s going on as he proceeded to play mind games on all of us “He didn’t tell you all of it did he? Is this your leader?”
He shifted his attention to Noor, his tone dripping with mockery. “And you, Persian. Does Ardvi truly allow her chosen to take orders from a Greek? How far you’ve fallen.”
“QUIET, SNAKE!” Noor snapped, her voice trembling with fury. Fire flared in her palms, but Arkealus’s grin only widened. "You know nothing about me."
“I know you,” he hissed. “The little girl from Persepolis, running from shadows. You’ve hidden well, but you’re still that terrified child beneath the bravado.”
“Noor, don’t let him—” I started, but it was too late. Noor’s fireball flew at him, searing through the air with deadly precision. It dissipated mere inches from his chest, disintegrating against an unseen barrier.
“Thought so,” he said mockingly.
Turning to Entinos, he sneered. “And what of you, satyr? Are you brave enough to meet your end?”
Entinos stepped forward, his voice low and cold. “Keep talking, and you’ll find out.”
“Ah, the beast shows its teeth,” Arkealus mused, turning his attention to Iris and Ikaro. “And the mortals? You’re woefully out of your depth, aren’t you?”
Ikaro squared his shoulders, his voice calm but firm. “We’re exactly where we’re needed.”
Arkealus laughed, the sound echoing like a **** rattle. “How noble. Yet you are only human in a battle of gods…Your father learned that the hard way.”
“You know nothing rat.” Iris snapped, her voice cracking with suppressed rage.
"I know you are afraid to get out of bed every day Iris, I know that you blame yourself everyday for what happened to your father that you cry yourself to sleep. And you Ikaro” He chuckled “I was thinking of something but then I look at you and saw how miserable and pathetic you are, at that point why even bother?”

“I will show you who is pathetic you sack of bones.” Ikaro muttered grabbing his father's weapon tightly.

“Well it was fun, but I have work to do.” He raises three of his white fingers “Three minutes, that’s all I need to kill you all and get on with my day.”
With a sharp motion, his bone staff materialized in his hand, adorned with an ornate skull crowned by a glowing green gem. Power surged through the room, the temperature plummeting as shadows coiled at his feet.
“Let’s begin,” he said, his voice like a tombstone slamming shut.

We charged at Arkealus, a whirlwind of blades, arrows, and spells clashing against his formidable defense. The Erebosian moved with unnerving precision, dodging and parrying effortlessly, his attacks sending us tumbling to the ground or flying through the air.
Entinos, ever the fearless warrior, charged headfirst with his strength and horns, aiming to overwhelm him. But Arkealus didn’t even flinch. With a calculated twist of his staff and a surge of dark magic, he not only parried the satyr’s might but used Entinos’s momentum against him. A sharp flick of his wrist sent Entinos hurtling across the chamber, crashing into a pillar with a resounding thud.
“I expected more,” Arkealus mocked, his voice dripping with disdain as he turned to face the rest of us. “Is this all you have?”
Fueled by determination, the four of us attacked in unison. Ikaro advanced with his shield raised, using Spartan precision to close the gap. Arkealus countered with a spell that erupted from the ground, skeletal hands clawing at Ikaro’s legs and rooting him in place.
“Damnit!” Ikaro growled, struggling against the enchanted bindings.
With unnatural speed, Arkealus leaped onto Ikaro’s shield, using the **** to shove him backward. Ikaro flew through the air, landing hard with a grunt as Arkealus turned his attention to Iris and Noor.
From a distance, Iris loosed arrows with deadly accuracy, while Noor chanted incantations, hurling bolts of lightning and fire. But the necromancer was two steps ahead, weaving through the onslaught with graceful ease. His magic twisted around their attacks, turning them against their wielders.
Noor summoned a crackling thunderbolt, hurling it toward Arkealus with a triumphant cry. He caught the spell midair with his staff, his smirk widening as he redirected it toward her. The bolt hurtled back, forcing Noor to conjure a shield at the last second. The sheer **** of the collision sent her skidding across the chamber floor.
“Iris, watch out!” Noor shouted as Arkealus spun on his heel, deflecting one of Iris’s arrows with a flick of his dagger. He extended his free hand, a burst of magic wrenching Iris’s bow from her grip and sending her sprawling.
Both women hit the ground, disoriented but alive. Their struggles left me standing alone against the necromancer.
Arkealus turned to me, a wicked gleam in his eye. “So, the so-called chosen wishes to test his luck?”
I gripped my sword tightly, forcing my breathing to steady. “You talk too much.”
With that, I lunged, pouring every ounce of skill and strength into my strikes. Arkealus met each blow with calculated precision, his dagger moving like a serpent to counter my attacks while his staff created bursts of **** to throw me off balance.
Despite his dominance, I pressed on, searching for an opening. Finally, I spotted a weakness—a fraction of a second where his stance faltered. Seizing the moment, I slashed across his side, drawing blood.
Arkealus staggered, his eyes blazing with fury. “You’ll regret that,” he snarled, a dark aura enveloping him as he channeled his power. His retaliation was swift and brutal, his blows infused with raw magic. A forceful strike to my chest sent me flying, crashing beside the others.
As we struggled to recover, he raised his staff high, its ornate skull glowing with an ominous green light. Shadows coiled around him, the air vibrating with dark energy.
“Time to end this,” he declared, his voice cold and final.
He began spinning his staff in a whirlwind motion, the light intensifying with each rotation. The chamber trembled, the runes on the pillars glowing faintly as if in warning.
“What’s he doing?” Noor asked, her voice hoarse as she helped Iris to her feet.
“I don’t know,” I said, my eyes locked on Arkealus as realization dawned. My heart sank. “But it’s bad. Everyone, take cover! BEHIND THE PILLARS, NOW!”
We scrambled for cover, each of us diving behind the stone pillars that lined the chamber’s edge. The eerie hum of his magic reached a deafening crescendo as he brought the staff down with a resounding crack against the floor.
A wave of dark magic erupted outward, obliterating everything in its path. The sheer **** shook the ground beneath us.
“HOLD ON!” I shouted, bracing myself as the pillar shielding me groaned under the pressure. The shockwave splintered the rock, but the ancient stone held firm, protecting us from the worst of the blast.
When the dust began to settle, I peeked out cautiously. The chamber was in ruins, debris scattered everywhere, the air thick with the acrid scent of magic and destruction.
“Is everyone okay?” I called out, my voice ragged, as I struggled to steady myself.
Noor was the first to respond, clutching a burn on her left arm from the ricocheted spell. “Define okay,” she muttered, wincing. “Because I feel like I just got trampled by a Minotaur.”
“I hate to agree,” Iris said from her cover behind a nearby pillar, brushing dirt and debris off her shoulder, “but she’s right. We can’t attack him like before. We need a plan.”
Entinos, his horns scuffed and his breathing heavy, nodded. “He’s too strong. A frontal **** is suicidal, and blades won’t get through. He’s too fast.”
“Not exactly,” I said, catching my breath as my gaze locked onto Arkealus’s staff.
Ikaro, still shaking off the impact of his earlier beating, raised an eyebrow. “Got something in mind? Because I’m all ears.”
“When I fought him one-on-one, I noticed something,” I explained, gesturing toward the staff. “He doesn’t move it as quickly as his dagger or his body. That thing—it’s the source of his power, or at least a major part of it. If we destroy it, we might stand a chance.”
Noor frowned, her confidence shaken. “Even if that’s true, he’s faster than all of us put together. Do you really think we can destroy it before he tears us apart?”
“You’re right,” I admitted, my tone uncharacteristically grim. The group looked at me, startled by my admission. “But if we coordinate our attacks and create an opening, we just might pull it off.”
After a moment’s hesitation, they nodded, determination flickering back into their eyes.
We huddled closer, whispering a quick plan.
Seconds later, I stepped forward, followed by Entinos and Iris.
“Ah, there you are,” Arkealus sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “I was starting to think I’d have to hunt you down like rats in the dark.”
I smirked, meeting his taunt. “Careful, Arkealus. Overconfident hunters often walk into traps.”
“Bold words,” he spat, gripping his staff and dagger tighter. “Come and show me, then.”
With a roar, he charged, and we met him head-on. Entinos and I formed the frontline, clashing against him as Iris darted around, her hunting knives flashing. We struck in rhythm, covering each other with precision, and for the first time, Arkealus seemed pressed. Ikaro joined the fray, shield raised, turning the fight into a fierce four-on-one.
“You’re persistent, I’ll give you that,” Arkealus snarled, his tone now laced with irritation. With a burst of magic, he unleashed a **** that sent Iris, Ikaro, and Entinos flying, leaving me alone once more.
“No more running, little mouse,” he growled, his dagger glinting as he closed in on me. I struggled to rise Dawn knocked far from my grasp.
“Looks like the gods were wrong about you, Kayn,” he sneered, pointing the blade at my throat. “You’re weaker than I thought.”
I smirked despite my position. “Maybe. But a good fighter knows when to ask for help. In this case, you’re the one who’s lost.”
He frowned, his arrogance faltering. "Are you blind chosen? I’m the one holding the dagger on your throat now.”
“You are right but you missed something” I said, grinning.
“And what’s that?” he demanded, his confidence unwavering.
“You forgot about Noor.”
He barely had time to turn before Noor leapt toward him, wielding Dawn in both hands. With a mighty strike, she brought the blade down on his staff, shattering it into splinters.
“NO!” Arkealus bellowed, the destruction of his staff unleashing a shockwave that sent him sprawling to the ground, weakened and enraged.
We regrouped quickly, helping each other to our feet, battered but alive.
“YOU PATHETIC SACK OF DIGSTUING BUGS! YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME AN EREBOSIAN? I SAW EMPIRES RISE AND FALL YOU ARE NOTHING BUT PIGS!”
Despite his bluster, he knew the battle was lost. Summoning the last of his strength, he opened a swirling portal.
“This isn’t over, Chosen!” he roared, glaring at me. “**** will claim you all, and when it does, I’ll be there to drag your corpses into the abyss!”
With that, he vanished into the portal, leaving us standing amid the ruins of our battlefield.
“For a powerful warlock, he sure was dramatic,” Ikaro said, breaking the tense silence.
Noor let out a breathless laugh, clutching her bruised ribs. “Yeah, what an asshole. By the way…” She smirked, holding Dawn like a trophy. “I think someone owes me a thank-you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You mean for stealing my sword and only mostly following the plan?”
“It’s been a hard day’s work for little old me,” she said with mock sweetness, earning a chuckle from Ikaro and an eye-roll from Iris.
I shook my head but couldn’t help smiling. “Fine. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied with a triumphant grin, handing Dawn back to me.
My gaze drifted to the shattered remains of Arkealus’s staff. “This means the curse on the Oracle should be lifted, right?”
“If my theory’s correct,” Noor said, though her tone held a hint of uncertainty.
“We should contact Athena,” Iris suggested, brushing dust off her broken armor at this point. “She might be able to get us back to Delphi.”
“HEY!” Entinos called out from across the room, his deep voice echoing. “I found something!”
We turned to see him standing by a large door carved into the stone.
“What do you think?” Ikaro asked, his grin returning. “Up for a little more exploring? Looks like there might be treasure behind that door.”
Iris and Noor exchanged a glance before following him, chuckling despite their injuries.
“You coming?” Ikaro called over his shoulder.
I chuckled, gripping Dawn tightly. “Wouldn’t miss it.”