Constant coincidence

You watch in awe as the gates crumble. Niran is powerful, no doubt, but you honestly expected more. You would expect Niran to bring more magic than himself, but instead it appears to be the opposite. Either he is supremely confident, or there’s some trick happening. Either way, there’s only one option open for you here.

“Ferra, Alex, you know the drill. Niran is the key. Even if they don’t crumble, taking him out is a massive victory.”

You raise your sword, and your voice. “We fight! Forward!”

With that, your side surges forward to meet the Order troops. You form the tip of the spear, with Alex and Ferra right beside you. Through the enemy lines, you catch glimpses of Niran, who is seemingly waiting and watching. In the distance, you can hear the whump of the catapults beginning to fire at the dreadnoughts on approach. And then you reach the enemy, and all attention is focused on the fighting.

It only takes a moment for you to realize how outmatched the Order is. Caliburn shatters swords and caves in shields, and you drive into the enemy relentlessly. Beside you, Ferra is a whirlwind, unstoppable and vicious. On the other side, Alex is a pillar of flame, forcing the enemy back. Combined, the three of you slice through the lines with ease, and soon you’re through, and facing down Niran himself.

“Ok, girls. Leave him to me.”

Alex nods and turns to cover your back, but Ferra stumbles, dropping to one one and gasping. You hear Niran laugh, and see him holding up a small, metallic cube. Ferra, struggling to her feet, snarls at him and begins to stagger forwards. You put a hand on her shoulder.

“No. Let me. You rest.”

Ferra looks at you defiantly for just a moment, and then nods. “As you wish, master.”

Niran laughs again, and you can hear the insanity in his voice as he speaks. “So, it’s master, then? Good that you have her well tamed, it will save me the trouble once I take her to my lab.”

You glare at him, and charge forward. Niran responds with a wave of a hand, and a glob of greenish fire flies your way. Just then, however, a panicked bird flies between you, and the dolt of flame strikes it, burning it to ash. You hardly break stride, closing the gap quickly. Niran seems unconcerned as you bring your blade around in a glittering arc, aiming for his head.

You catch nothing but air, as Niran vanishes, appearing again near the edge of the woods. You hear him laughing again. “Surely you don’t think you’re the first brute with a piece of sharpened metal that’s tried to kill me! Your luck can only last so long, fool!”

You charge towards him again, as he winds up another spell. Just as he unleashes it, however, the ground beneath him roils, and his magic howls off to the side, harmlessly wide of the mark. A glance back shows you that Amara is in a watchtower, aiding the battle with her powers. With a snarl, Niran hurls another bolt at the tower, and Amara dives clear as the structure dissolves into dust.

By now, though, you’ve reached him again. You swing Caliburn, and Niran throws up a warding hand. Your blade reflects off an invisible barrier, though you hear the corrupted mage grunt with the effort.

You swing again, and Niran blocks again. You snarl, winding up another strike. “How many can you block, Niran?!”

Niran throws his free hand to one side, and a blade of sickly green light appears. “More than you, I suspect.”

He thrusts at you, and you parry, just barely. You hear the metal of your blade squeal as the corrupted magic reflects away, and you stagger slightly from the force of it. Before you can react, he swings again, and the impact of blocking drives you to one knee. Niran laughs again, lifting his arm for a blow you can’t possibly avoid.

There’s a blur, and a purple flash from behind Niran, and his arm is severed at the elbow. Niran screams, staging away clutching a stump where his forearm was. You look over in surprise, and see a familiar, ragged figure with a blade of purple light. The figure rises to his full height, muttering as he strides towards the wounded mage.

“The key. Protect the key. The cure. Cleansing. Sanity.”

You look back to Niran, who is backing away. As you stand, he shakes his head. “This isn’t over!”

A quick gesture with his uninjured hand, and he vanished in a cloud of greenish smoke. You sigh, and turn towards your savior. To one side, you see Ferra rushing over, seemingly recovered with Niran having fled. The ragged, towering figure shakes his head.

“Explain later. Fight. Battle now.”

Without another word, he turns towards the battle. You shake your head, and do the same.