Cry of the Helpless

Nervas mind raced. The last he saw was Lilian screaming. A Ghoul slammed straight into her. He made to help, but blackness swallowed him. An immediate numbing spread through his body. He couldnt see a thing.

Paralyzed with terror, he felt a painful stab in his neck. Something invisible gripped his heart, which started to pump like mad. He gasped for breath. He could feel his blood leaving his body from where the stabs in his neck came from.

He couldnt move.

He was weakening horribly in a great speed. The pain in his neck increased, and his head was soon filled with swirling colors.

His eyes snapped open, and to his horror he saw the inky-black strands of Vampyres hair smothered above his face. He soon became aware that she was sucking him dry.

"Your blood is sweet, Wizard" Vampyre whispered as she withdrew her lips from Nervas neck. "Dying by my hands is something to be proud of"

Where the fucking hell was Lilian?

A pandemonium of sounds invaded his ears. His eardrums throbbed with the screams, crashes and howls that now came from inside the city of magic. He cried out when the fangs came back, tearing and burying deeper into the wound. Blood flowed anew, and in a stronger gush.

Damn, Nerva thought with gritted teeth. He groped underneath the vampire. His eyes blazed.

"TURN UNDEAD!" he shouted.

The fangs withdrew from his smooth and bleeding neck. Vampyre was shrieking as she rose to the air, clawing her burning face. Nerva managed to scramble away to safety, but right then and there a Raydric leapt to attack him with a demonic squeal.

"SOUL STRIKE!" he yelled, summoning five ancient spirits to deliver a swift attack.

The Raydric was blasted some fifty meters away, but rampaging Ghouls and Skel Prisoners quickly took its attack. Nerva had never been surrounded with so much Undead. He couldnt stand and breathe properly; a good amount of blood was separated from him, weakening him instantly.

RROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

There was a great bang from Geffen. To his horror, Nerva smelled smoke. Screams and yells arose. The roars and jeers from the Undead was a deafening din. Nerva was close to panic.

"MAGNUS EXORCISMUS!" He shouted.

An ethereal ray of dark violet in the shape of a grand cross swept toward the attackers. Five hundred Ghouls and Skel Prisoners were obliterated in the blink of an eye. Nerva stood up, staggering and dizzy, the pain in his neck tripling.

"YOUR BLOOD IS MINE, WIZARD!" Vampyre shrieked, soaring toward him.

Nerva felt his heart skip a beat as it tried to pump blood. He hadnt got enough oxygen-even his brain was protesting, but he had to defend himself. He braced himself for another attack.

"LEX AETERNA!"

Vampyre did not duck the Holy attack aimed for her. She was hit by swords made of pure light and fell to the ground in a heap, her skin melting like putty, sizzling dark smoke. Upon seeing this, the oncoming rush of Undead stopped, stared, and retreated back into the night with a shout.

"LILIAN!" Nerva shouted as he went back inside Geffen. "LILIAN, WHERE ARE YOU?! OH MY GOD-!"

It was terrible. Undead swarmed all around the city of magic, attacking everyone and destroying anything in plain sight. Nerva was siezed with horror as he saw a Raydric tear a twelve-year-old Novice from limb to limb right before his eyes. A Ghoul chased after a woman who was trying to escape with her baby. The monster siezed the child and gobbled him up like some common meat. Five more Ghouls from behind attacked the mother, slaughtered like she had never existed.

"NOOOO!" Nerva yelled, raising his hand to the sky. "LORD OF VERMILION!"

A huge and loud quake shook the city. Avaris, Einhard and Maximilian were all taken aback by the ambush. All around them, like a nightmare, their hometown was quickly falling to ruins.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?" Avaris cried, tears spilling from her eyes.

"I DONT KNOW! I HAVE NO IDEA! ITS RAGNAROK! GEFFEN IS FALLING!" Einhard howled insanely.

"SHUT UP!" Maximilian yelled, punching Einhard in the face.

All around them, Wizards, Sages, Magicians, Alchemists and Blacksmiths rushed to the battle. Everyone was so busy fighting the attackers that the most important task of evacuating the defenseless Novices, commoners and elderly was forgotten.

Fires exploded from the ambushed houses and bakeshops. The Forge, the Blacksmith guild, blew up dramatically in blue-green flames that reached to the night sky.

An onrush of Wraiths charged at the three of them. Avaris reached for paper seals that she kept in her pouch. The paper seals gleamed like the sun. Avaris floated to attack.

"BURNING DISIR FURY, ATTACK!" she shouted, launching the paper seals at the Wraiths.

Avariss paper seals were like homing missiles. Each sought out a Wraith and stuck itself onto the monster before exploding with a great and burning bang. Maximilian had to cast a Safety Wall to protect himself and the helpless Einhard.

More and more Undead attacked Nervas students. But Avaris, the brightest and more powerful of the three, had no intention of giving up. Summoning all the knowledge her Master Nerva taught her, she intended to fight.

Avaris summoned her scythe out of thin air and spun it above her head.

"Sera'kim, serakim, Oberon Lord of Faerie, hear me!" she chanted.

"Oh shit, this is going to be big!" said Maximilian. "Shes preparing for Darker Than Darkness, A Sages most powerful attack! Weve got to go, Einhard-!"

A Zombie Prisoner sneered at him instead of Einhard. Einhard, it transpired, was already dead. The Zombie Prisoner was holding a greasy jelly that looked like human brain. Einhard was lying on the ground, his skull torn open. Maximilian felt pure terror spread in his body. His Safety Wall did not protect them from behind.

Then hatred replaced Maximilians fear. He faced the Zombie Prisoner, eyes half-blinded with tears.

"DAMN YOU!" Maximilian shrieked. "FIRE PILLAR!"

A billowing pillar of fire swallowed the Zombie Prisoner, obliterating it in a flash. Then Avaris shrieked. Maximilian looked up and saw that a Wraith had her in its bony arms, ready to suck out her soul.

"Maximilian, help me!" Avaris gasped as her scythe fell to the ground.

He was ready to cast a Soul Strike when somebody else got there first.

"SPEAR BOOMERANG!"

A Thornecraft Wind Lance whizzed through the air and struck the Wraith just between the two shoulder blades. The Undead vanished and Avaris crashed to the ground. Maximilian was quickly at her side.

"Ava! Ava, wake up!" he said hysterically. "Youre going to be okay, Ava!"

Lilian quickly joined them. A huge chunk of her armor was missing, and her pink cape was in tatters. Blood was streaming down her nostrils. She bent over Avaris anxiously.

"Shes alivethats a pulse, Im sure of it." She told Maximilian. "She just knocked herself out."

"Where is Master Nerva?" Maximilian demanded. "Where is he?"

Lilian bit her lower lip. "I-dont knowbut hes all right, I assure you. I got separated from him at the gates because a Ghoul attacked me!"

Another explosion, mightier than the first, shook Geffen. Several houses fell in ruins with the impact. Blacksmiths, Sages, Wizards and Alchemists were running all around them, busy with fighting. Destructive spells rained down the city from everywhere. The night sky was pulsating with violet light from the Wizards and Sages summoning.

"We wont win!" said Lilian, standing up. "Hundreds are still coming! Weve to keep up! We need Priests, Monks and Acolytes!"

"But we cant summon them here!" said Maximilian, who carried the unconscious Avaris on his shoulders. "Well need a Recall Crystal!"

The screams, howls, growls and explosion never ceased. The tumult got louder. Geffens streets was soon littered with dead bodies, the colorful banners and lights that were there just minutes ago were all completely destroyed.

Lilian and Maximilian fought back attackers with great difficulty. Avaris was still unconscious, and to be able to properly cast a spell Maximilian had to put her down on the ground. Lilian was right; there was not a chance that Geffen would win this-no matter how many times they kill an Undead, more and more replacements rushed into the city from the western wall.

Hope was dwindling very quickly.

Nerva bent over an Alchemist, who had been bitten by a Ghoul on the right leg. He was trying to Heal the young man, but he kept writhing and twisting with pain on the ground.

"Will you stop moving!" Nerva spat. "Im trying to save your life!"

But the Alchemist just screamed louder-and died. Nerva was horrified with what he was seeing. As soon as the Alchemist died, his body started to change. Right before Nervas eyes the Alchemist turned into a Ghoul. When its eyes reopened it reached for Nerva and attempted to bite him with its contaminated teeth.

"Oh no you dont!" Nerva yelled. "HEAL!"

A blast of holy force killed it in a flash. Nerva staggered and stood up once more. His theory proved correct. The people who died with Undead bites were transforming. It was gruesome-they writhed and twisted until they deformed themselves, violet drool flowing from blackened lips-!

Nerva shook his head. "Nothis cant be happening!"

Already the loss of blood was making him dizzy, but this horrible realization made his legs feel like marshmallows underneath him. If this was the case, the best thing to do right now was leave Geffen for Prontera-the nearest inhabited area.

Nerva had an idea.

He fumbled with his pockets-tissues, bills, and a couple of zeny fell out of his hands and onto the ground. Then, in the innermost folds of his cape, was a shiny new Mistress Card.

"My peoples hope lies with you now." Nerva told the card as he summoned its power to unite with him forever. "Give me your power!"

The Mistress Card turned into a beam of golden light that encircled him before entering his body with a jolt. Nerva reeled and almost collapsed, but he was able to right himself at the last moment.

A Ghoul came running toward him. Nervas eyebrows knitted to a frown.

"Get out of my sight. Soul Strike!"

The attacker exploded in a rain of entrails, mossy teeth and violet blood. Nerva wheeled around and dashed to the nearest huddle of commoners and elders he could find. When he reached them, the people were hysterical but relieved to see their doge.

"Now, we dont have time to lose!" Nerva shouted. "When I open a portal, jump straight in-nothing to worry about, it will take you lot to Prontera! Understand?"

"Warp Portal!"

A pillar of white light appeared on the ground. The people started pitching themselves inside at once. Nerva left quickly and started to look for other huddles that wanted to get away. He opened Warp Portals everywhere; the monsters could never enter them and chase after the people. But Nerva knew that this help was far from being truly useful. A whole lot more might be trapped in burning homes, being chased by those Undead or else turning into Undead themselves. He bit his lip so hard it bled.

On the way he saw a Novice about to be killed by a Raydric. At the last second Nerva was able to cast Kyrie Eleison and protect the kid. Hed blasted the Raydric away with Turn Undead before opening a portal and throwing the kid into it.

All around him Nerva saw fire. Geffen was alive just hours agobut now it was like a candle dying in the middle of a sudden gust. Then something else struck his mind. His prophecy from two years ago came back to him.

Was this the prophecys fulfillment? Another explosion occurred, and this time it was the Magic Academy that fell. The Alchemist Laboratories and Sage Guild were already burning ruins by that time, records of techniques lost

"Master Nerva! MASTER NERVA!"

"Nerva! NERVA!"

Nerva looked up. Lilian and Maximilian with the unconscious Avaris were running toward him.

"Its no use, Nerva, we must get out of here!" Lilian yelled, grabbing his collar. "Theres nothing we can do! The people have all gone! Its useless to defend this city; its already in ruins! We must go or we die!"

"Shes right, Master Nerva!" said Maximilian. "We must escape to Prontera now!"

But Nerva could not move. If the Undead destroyed Geffen, they would surely be coming for Prontera next. The capital city had to prepare itself for an attack; an inevitable open war. The least he, Nerva, could do, was to summon powerful magic that will seal the Undead army here and give the capital enough time to prepare and arm itself. He could not leave Geffen yet.

"Warp Portal!"

Maximilian, Avaris and Lilian leapt into it. Nerva stood for a few minutes before sealing the portal. He was left behind along with a few brave souls who still fought on even though it was already obvious that Geffen could no longer be saved.

Nerva summoned his staff and spun around on his heels. He made to run to the citys heart, where the Arcane Tower used to stand. Wind whipped through him, bringing with it the foul smell of death. He had never felt angry like this for years.

But Nerva was holding to his decision as he entered a narrow street, still running. I will not let the Undead pass through here that easily. I shall summon the Arcane Tower from its ruins and lock the invaders here!

Twenty Raydrics and Zombie Prisoners appeared in his way. Nerva did not have time to waste here; every second was precious.

"Magnus Exorcismus!" he attacked.

Another explosion. Nerva veered southwest, his sooty cape billowing behind him like souls. A few Ghouls jumped up at him. He pointed his staff at them.

"Frost Diver!"

He reached the spot. Thousands upon thousands of Undead swarmed around him, enclosing him with a thick and impenetrable barrier. If he had been an ordinary Wizard, he might as well have been good as dead.

"Foolish human, he thinks he can fight us."

Nerva looked up. Out of thin air came the Dark Lords chief minions: Dark Priest, Stormy Knight, Baphomet and the badly burnt Vampyre. Nerva threw them his most venomous glare. Stormy Knight threw back his head and laughed.

"You see? He still thinks he can stand a chance!"

"Of course I stand a chance." Nerva said grimly. "Why else would I let myself be left behind?"

Stormy Knight shut up immediately. The circle of Undead swarmed tighter around Nerva, but they could not go any nearer. The Arcane Towers influence was keeping them at bay.

"Surrender to us, Wizard." Dark Priest spoke in his low voice. "And you shall be rewarded with life eternal."

"No thank you, I dont want to go ugly." Nerva answered defiantly, secretly burying his staff into the soft ground. "And I dont plan to surrender."

An angry murmur spread through the Undead rank. Dark Priest swirled nearer, his black robes billowing gracefully like some devious fog.

"I want your soul, Wizard." He said. "Let me kiss you and give me your soul."

Nervas eyes narrowed into slits. "In your dreams, @$$hole."

The grounds shook. The Undead Army went into hysterics, wanting to know what happened. Even Baphomet had to fall back. The rumbling sound much like thunder got louder. Then they realized it came from underground.

From the spot where Nerva buried his staff, the Arcane Tower arose..