Chapter 6

Near the western wall of Gestalt lay the largest forest of the area. It consisted of great tall pine trees that stretched high into the air. Dew still lay upon the leaves on this early morning, and a thick mist emanated from within its woody darkness. The air was chill from the cold.

Traditionally birds and other animals could be heard throughout the forest's canopy. Songbirds would call at each other from branch to branch. Small creatures would chirp and rustle leaves as they foraged for food.

Today, the forest was silent. Nothing inside of it could be heard making a single sound.

Out of the mist trudged two large demonic looking shadows. Their forms slowly staggered out of the forest, heading towards the great wooden walls of the town.

Most of the populace was just starting with their morning duties. Many were already at their work, and most children were still asleep in their beds. A few groggy guards stood half asleep at their posts on top of the northwestern gate.

A great thumping was then heard rumbling along the western perimeter. A slow booming sound repeated its resonance through the air, much like that of a battering ram.

A few guards that were patrolling inside of the city ran to the wall to investigate. The area in question was at the end of a long alley between several small houses. A numerous amount of homes bordered along the great wooden wall. Those still at home also turned their attention to the noise.

One of the soldiers yelled to the men at the nearby gate. "Wake up you worthless vagrants! What can you see?"

A large crack was heard, and the wall vibrated. Metal bracings used to hold together the large logs of the wall, popped loose. The bronze pins that once secured them in place fell to the ground. With no support, a portion of the wall about twenty logs wide crashed down into the street. It smashed into the backside of one of the nearby homes, tearing the entire house down. The house's walls splintered and collapsed.

From the rubble, and from over the fallen wall, crawled a large Pontian monstrosity. Easily taller than two men, the beast walked upon four multi-segmented legs that crackled with each step. Upon this base was a long snakelike neck which arched high into the air. Each section of its torso was covered with black pieces of heavily armored exoskeleton. The mirrored plates shone in the morning sun, reflecting the area around them. Between the armor, a soft reddish-black flesh pulsed with each breath. Upon its head sat a plate of similar armor from which two small cloudy white eyes peered out. The face plate was shaped similar to that of a human shield, but the top edges curved backwards into sharp points. A large sharp bridge ran along the center of the headpiece.

With its mouth of tiny sharp teeth slightly agape, it scanned around its current area making large swooping motions with its neck.

Behind the first creature, came a second. Built the same as first, this one had noticeable scratches and bite marks along its body. As the second Pontia crawled through the same opening, the first swung its head around and made to attack. The other scrambled a bit back, yelling a horrid scream at the first. Each seemed very fatigued and frustrated with the other. With a slow shamble, they both continued to make their way into the town.

An alarm had already been sounded within the city, and half of the Holy Protectorate within the town had converged around the village's new visitors. Donovan, Sidney, Marissa, and fifteen other full Church members stood at the ready. They carried weapons ranging from large spears, to bows, and the standard long swords. Civilians that had seen the madness fled quickly back to the protection of their homes. Older sages whom had just arrived to see the beasts firsthand called for a runner to fetch the high priest Darria. Obviously the situation was serious if he needed to be involved.

The mages were powerless to help at first as the tight quarters of this city district were too dangerous a location to use the more destructive projectile magics. They attempted to subdue the beasts with charms and sleep spells, but they proved ineffective as the Pontia still slowly surveyed their area.

Two Protectorate with long polearms at the ready, tried to flank the forward most beast. As one of them tried to stab into the beast's undercarriage, the monster had already retaliated at the second soldier. Raising one of its large clawlike legs it stabbed into the center of the guard's chest. Her armor was no match for the mandible, and her frail body collapsed under the weight of the puncture. The initial soldier's attack also failed, his weapon breaking upon contact with the metallic exoskeleton. With a quick juke of its neck, the Pontia slammed the body of the defenseless guard through a nearby stone wall.

A multitude of gasspin flew through the air, painting trails of dust as they flew. Cast by several of the Protectorate mages, they rocketed through the air directly at their targets. Each shard harmlessly shattered upon contact with the creatures' armored skin. A second volley of several small fireball spells also did not prove to cause much damage. Flame appeared to engulf the lower bodies of the beasts, but the creatures continued to press on with their armored legs only slightly smoldering. The Pontia continued their march through the newly created fires.

Marissa, holding a large long bow from a distance away, fired a single long shafted arrow at the head of the closest beast. The arrow followed the curvature of its headpiece, connecting with the left eye. The Pontia reeled back with a yell.

In desperation it rammed its head into the brick wall of a nearby home tearing the arrow, as well as its eye, out in the process. Black blood oozed from the wound. It bent its bloodied head towards the ground, pausing its advance. With the first beast retreating in pain, the second beast now moved up in front of its partner.

Sidney and two other guards engaged the foremost beast. They tried desperately to make swipes with their swords at its thin legs in attempt to cripple the creature. Sparks from metal hitting metal flew onto the street with each attack. Their blades were easily deflected by the legs' impenetrable armor.

With a quick hop forward into the air, it crushed two of the guards with its massive form. The monster then opened its large jaws and lunged at Sidney. Its large mouth grabbed a hold of Sidney's entire head with the quick attack. Sidney dropped his weapon and both of his arms went limp. With its jaw still clamped firmly onto Sidney's head, it threw its neck back in a circling arch. After quick bite during the movement, the soldier's headless body was flung over the wall. A distant thud could be heard. With a short swallow the Pontia paused for a moment then moved on.

As the disastrous fight continued, the monsters were slowly making their way from the dusty alleyway into the cobblestones of the main town square. Soldier after soldier fell, and the Protectorate kept pulling back.

The new location was much more open than the previous alleyway, and so the square lent itself to being a better battleground. Bigger and more powerful spells began to fly. At that time, the high priest Darria could be seen joining the defenders with their fight. He began to assess the situation with other sages.

An older mage chanted a few words that boomed through the square, and a blizzard of ice began to enwrap one of the creatures. The ground below it froze and ice began to appear beneath the beast on the stony floor. The monster's clawed legs could not support itself upon the icy road and slipped. Its large frame toppled over onto its back, temporarily stunned.

Several church warriors immediately pounced on the beast. Their swords pierced into the soft hide found between its chinked armor. It howled in pain unable to defend itself. Thick, black blood began to ooze onto the cobblestones.

One of the larger soldiers approached the beast carrying a huge war hammer. With a struggle he lifted his weapon high into the air. A quick grunt later and the hammer sped down towards the ground. It easily crushed the black exoskeleton of the fallen Pontia's flailing neck. The armored plates seemed to shatter and the monster's esophagus deflated of life. The warriors continued to hack at the beaten monster.

One monster still remained, and it appeared more enraged with the loss of its partner.

The angry Pontia charged into a mass of about ten Protectorate who were stationed in front of some city shops. Both warriors and mages were included in this group. The beast attacked viciously with its mighty jaws and long neck. Men and women were flung left and right; wizards were torn into pieces. Broken bodies quickly littered the area where the defenders had previously stood. The Pontia twisted its neck and head to face towards the rest of the soldiers behind it. Blood dripped from the monster's open jaws. A look of satisfaction was upon its single remaining eye.

Darria spoke several rustic words while clasping his hands. The wizard's fingers became transparent for a moment and then they returned to their original state. He pointed at Donovan's long broadsword that was within the warrior's hands. A golden glow began to emanate from the weapon, starting at the hilt of his blade and running towards the tip.

"Quick!" Darria yelled. "Attack while the blade is still enchanted!"

Donovan and two other guards ran towards the remaining beast.

Before he could make his attack, the monster had hit him square in the chest with the broad side of its head. With his arms crossed to absorb the blow, he slid upon the ground into a shop wall. The shop that he had settled against was that of his parent's bakery. They evidently were either still inside making that day's bread or watching the events outside unfold. The glow upon his sword began to fade.

The compatriots that had joined Donovan with the last charge were desperately trying to defend themselves from the Pontia's attacks. The monster had moved to pin them against another wall. With its advance on the soldiers, it turned its back to the young warrior. One of the soldiers lunged at the lower portion of the creature's neck and the beast retreated a step.

Donovan with his sword at his side began a quick sprint towards the beast several paces away. As he reached the monster's backside, he laid down on the slippery stones of the town square. With the momentum that he had gathered, the warrior slid underneath the creature's massive undercarriage. When he re-appeared on the other side of the beast, he quickly knelt and shifted his sword behind his back. As the warrior rose up with his back to the beast, he flung the golden sword over his head. The upward stroke sliced through the center of the armor plates protecting the monster's neck. They split wide open with the forceful blow. The flesh inside flayed out in a large puffy mass; now no longer compressed by the hard exoskeleton.

The monster froze for a moment, and a multitude of gasspin again flew through the air. Now exposed, each of the gasspin penetrated deeply into the billowy flesh. The hundreds of shards had been cast so quickly that the beast was unable make a single cry of pain. The force of the blows knocked the beast over; its head and neck unfurling as they hit the ground.

As the remaining guards charged at the beast to continue their attack, shuddering could be seen within the midsection of the dead Pontian monster's neck. A mass began to form, a mass much larger than what the neck could withhold. It began to move and pulse.

Several guards yelled in unison at the top of their lungs, "Infection!"

Gasps could be heard throughout the crowd.

The neck continued to shake, and then finally the mass exited the fallen monster's mouth. It flew high into the air with great force. The flying object took the form of a medium black ball of tar-like material. Hundreds of tiny arms and legs stuck out, each writhing around chaotically. The demonic limbs flailed in the air, grabbing and stretching into the sky.

The infection form Pontia continued to fly through the air until its flight ended with a crash through a window. The window it had penetrated belonged to that of Donovan's parents. Glass shattered and fell to the ground along the bakery's northern wall. Immediately screams of desperation and panic could be heard from inside. Donovan went white with terror.

Darria had recognized the new threat once it had begun forming in the neck and had already begun to cast a spell. Reaching into one of his satchels, he pul led from it a spool of thick blue thread. With the end of the thread in hand, he drew a circle in the air in front of him. The coarse thread hung in the air magically as he drew. Once the circle was complete, he placed his open right hand, palm up, into the floating shape. He then curled his fingers, and clasped the hand tightly. In one quick motion he pulled his clutched fist out of the circle.

A rumble could be heard far into the distance. From the horizon raced a huge bulbous mass at tremendous speeds. From the silhouette, it appeared that the mass was a large chunk of rock. The massive object had been torn from a nearby mountain, and it hurtled towards their current position.

Once Donovan had seen the infection form break into his family's home, he dropped his weapon and raced to help. If he got there fast enough, he could evacuate them without the infection spreading. With deep heavy breaths and great long strides, he sped towards his home of old. He prayed that he would reach them in time. He would be able to save them he thought. He must.

His sister, Bettany, opened the front door of the shop and began to flee. She stretched her arms in front of her as she ran; her hair billowed frantically behind her. Tears flowed down her face, and frightful cries bellowed from her small form.

Darria's attack had begun to pick up speed from its long journey. The mass was getting closer and closer, glowing red hot from the sheer velocity. It was obvious that the planned target was the bakery, and he hoped to completely destroy the infection with a great blast.

Donovan was still racing to get to his home, and Bettany was still fleeing the scene of terror. As both siblings were but a few steps from each other, the mass of rock came crashing down into the bakery. The walls were instantly transformed into tiny splinters; the ground beneath it cracked and smoldered. Tall flickers of flame shot into the air around the impact site.

Both brother and sister were flung into the air from the force of the attack. Bettany's tiny body fell, rolling multiple times on the ground. She lay crumpled upon the square's cobblestones, her hair frayed along the ground. The flames had caught her clothes on fire, and they continued to slowly burn. She struggled to breathe, albeit barely.

As Donovan flew, time seemed to slow down and he could easily see his quickly approaching destination. A fallen Protectorate sword lay uprooted, its hilt jammed into some broken cobblestones, its blade rising into the air. He tried to roll and avoid the weapon, but was unsuccessful in his attempt.

The sharp edge of steel impacted onto his face with massive force. His body slid up the weapon, cutting a deep groove from his forehead, through his left eye, and down into his chest through his thin iron armor. He tumbled off of the blade back onto the ground. Blood gushed from the large wound. He did not cry in pain.

The blast had also sent his parents flying into the square. However, they did not appear as they once had. The infection had worked quickly, and both of their forms were deformed and twisted. Underneath their tattered and burned dressings, both their arms and legs were abnormally long. The once human hands and feet were enlarged and clawlike. Their jaws had become unhinged, and their eyes had sunken deep into their skulls. Their skin was a disgusting tint of midnight black. They lay twitching on the ground, tongues and limbs flailing.

Donovan struggled to pick himself up. He could barely see with his right eye, and blood from his giant wound had begun to flow down his face into it. He still had not yet made a sound of pain.

He could see Darria standing over his mother. The priest began to chant with a bellowed voice, his hands moving in rapid motions above her. The body became motionless and slowly rose a few inches from the ground. To Donovan's disgust and horror, his mother's skin began to bubble and tear. It started to burn away, turning into a thick black smoke on the air. The muscles followed suit, then accompanied by her bones. Her skeleton quickly decayed into dust, and all that was left was a faint glowing blue mass. The mass, half the size of the destroyed body, hung in the air for a moment. With another few words from the priest, the ghostly mass turned into vapor and disappeared.

Darria next walked over to Donovan's father still twitching upon the ground. He performed the same ritual, and a similar blue mass floated in the air. The mass shuddered then dissipated.

Donovan, cringing, began to crawl towards his little sister lying upon the stones of the town square. The flames on her clothing had cooled, but the skin on her right side had been badly burned. Darria appeared above both of them.

"Please. You must save her!" Donovan cried. "Retrieve an Ifriit and she can be saved! She has not yet been infected! Please!"

Darria replied. "An Ifriit seed is far too valuable for this. Besides, it is quite obvious that she was in contact with the infection form. It is only a matter of time before she succumbs to it. We must exorcise it before it can reproduce."

Donovan clutched at the high priests robes, and pleaded again. "She must be saved! She is but a child! Just a child! Save her!"

Darria called for other guard members to remove Donovan from the square. Badly beaten, blood still oozing from his wound, he fought against the holds of the guards. He cried out for help to the high priest and to those others found in the square. No one moved or said a word.

As he had before, Darria began to chant above the little girl's body. The tiny body floated above the ground and then soon began its transformation into nothingness. Instead of the blue vapor that remained like that of his parents, the mass was instead a bright orange.

Darria did not finish the second part of the ritual. The aggregate of amber vapors began to rise into the air. It continued to lift itself higher and higher to the heavens, until it finally disappeared.

Before succumbing to his injuries and the massive amount of blood loss, he heard the voice of the great high priest Darria.

"Hrm, it appears that she was uninfected after all." He paused. "A pity."

Continue to Chapter 7