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Tanyth’s army poured over the hill on the north side of the arena. The two Sanquinators had been busy and the army they had built was much larger than Thessa had anticipated. In fact, something had been able to hide much of the force from her senses. They were a frightening lot, much more so than her own force. They were a horde of mindless undead bent on the destruction of the arena gates and anyone who got in their way. Thessa sent her forces to intercept them, and if all goes well, they would reach them before the horde would breach the arena gates or walls, which were vulnerable due to renovations. Since the vegetation had not yet been cleared completely away from the walls, Teoni could use it to trap some of the marauders as they passed by the vine-covered walls. The arena proper was enormous, but Tanyth was not interested in conquering it. He was interested in getting to the Arsenal of the Way and the Earth Chamber, and Thessa knew it. She diverted some of her army to block Tanyth’s route into the wooded area where Marlee and the dryads were housed.
“Sarren, get somewhere safe. Since you are a cat, you can hide.” Sarren jumped down from a wooden table and disappeared into the wooded area where the Earth Chamber was located. Marlee found Thessa and gave her one of the special weapons from the Arsenal of the Way. It was a long shaft with a curved blade on the end, slightly reminiscent of a scythe, but the blade was curved and not attached at a right angle. “What is this?”
“I don’t know. It was in the weapons rack marked for the Black Mage. I thought maybe you knew how to use it.”
“I do not. I am not even sure how I am supposed to hold it. I don’t think I could even swing it.”
“Maybe it’s enough just to look imposing.”
“What defenses does this place have?”
“The dryads told me a few things, but the Tourney master has all the knowledge and some defenses will only work for him. He didn’t expect for me to fend off an attack. He has not gotten around to explaining how things work around here either. At least, he hasn’t explained what to do in case of a full scale attack.”
“I hope Fia can find him and get him back here in time.”
“Me too.” Marlee agreed.
The gate began to rock on its wooden hinges and one finally popped off, making the huge door sag. Thessa’s small band of blood feeders waited for the breach. They all had swords or pears or whatever was handy.
“Marlee, it’s you they want. Why don’t you hide in the Earth Chamber?” Thessa suggested.
“Good idea.” Marlee agreed.
“What, that’s it. They are after you. They don’t know Teoni is here. If we show that Teoni is here, maybe that will stop the attack. Why would they try to get you for leverage if the Green Mage is here?”
Teoni joined them behind Thessa, “I don’t think that matters to them at this point. Whether I am here or not, they will not stop until they get Marlee and use my love for her against me.”
“Oh, so now you love me?” Marlee asked.
“What are you talking about?” Teoni asked
“As if you didn’t know. You are the reason I’m here and you are the Green Mage.”
“Oh my gods! Are you really going to bring this up now, here?”
“We replaced the book you stole. I know you knew we would trade places, but still!”
Teoni let her sword fall, “Marlee, you know I would make the better mage and you the better Tourney Master. I did us both a favor.”
Whatever Marlee was about to say, it got cut off by the doors crashing down and the horde rushing through. Thessa’s forces rushed in and clashed with Tanyth’s army.
“Marlee, get to the Earth Chamber!” Thessa told her. She ran back through the wooded area.
****
Sarren found Tanyth at the rear of his army with Sir Danton and Gaelyn. She ran up to the dark elf and meowed.
“Ah, yes, the cat. You played your part well. Cassany is pleased. She has one last task for you before you are truly free and human again. This battle will end with the Black Mage finally excepting her place and destroying all the undead, and taking their power. She has had the ability all the while. She just doesn’t realize it yet, or maybe she does and is just in denial. Regardless, Cassany still wants the poison.” He reached into his armor and produced a dagger. With a prick of this enchanted dagger, you shall be returned to a human. He poked the cat with the dagger and Sarren reformed into her human form. “Take this dagger.” Sarren took the dagger. “You know what you need to do?”
“Yes, I believe I do.”
“Careful, don’t get killed in the heat of the battle trying to find you way back into the arena walls.” He grinned unnaturally. “Go on, you can do it. You can make the poison for Cassany.”
“I will be careful.” Sarren said, then she turned and ran excitedly toward the gates.
Tanyth stared into Gaelyn’s eyes. “It’s your turn to do your part, friend.” Gaelyn nodded. “Go to her now.” Gaelyn bounded off for the gate toward Thessa.
****
Thessa’s forces were keeping the horde at bay, but it was too easy. It seemed like Tanyth’s blood feeders were weaker than hers and almost let hers kill them. Either Thessa’s criminal element was paying off, or Tanyth’s army was letting Thessa win. Something was not right. She glanced at Teoni, who was nearby wrapping members of the horde in strong vines and rooting others to the ground. She was able to keep the stranglers from getting away from the group and running toward the Earth Chamber. “Teoni, this is too easy. They should be overwhelming us. Why are they holding back?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t realize they were.”
“They have superior numbers. They should be getting through. I am not even casting any spells.” She watched the line of bodies as they cut through the invaders. Then she saw him. Gaelyn was getting through. Teoni rooted him. “No, let that one through. I know him.”
“I am not letting him in. He’s a blood feeder.”
“Fine, I will go to him.” Thessa climbed down the earthen work and ran to him. His eyes were pleading. All she wanted to do was get him out of the fight and somewhere where she could lock him up safely. At least long enough for her mother to get there and cure him. She took his hand and immediately with the other hand, he stabbed Thessa with a dagger. She stepped back. He could not pursue her to stab her again since he was still rooted. He swung savagely trying to get at her but he could not move his feet. Thessa was in a total state of shock. She put her hand over her wound and fell to her backside, all the while Gaelyn was still trying to stab her. In her shock, she almost didn’t believe her eyes when she saw Sarren, now human once again, run past her. She watched as the woman made a direct line for Teoni. Since Sarren didn’t look like a blood feeder, Teoni didn’t root her right away. Thessa realized what Sarren was planning and broke a couple of men off the line to go after her. Teoni was too far away for her to yell a warning. Thessa had separated from her to go after Gaelyn. It only took a second for Sarren to surprise Teoni and plunge the dagger into Teoni’s heart, possibly believing she would take on the mantle of the Green Mage, but she was not truly alive, Thessa had resurrected her. Tanyth grinned in triumph as he entered the gates. She had played into his hands. Teoni went down and Sarren did with her. The green mist of the Green Mage left Teoni and entered Sarren. The woman stood and shouted in glee. She had done it. She was a mage again. She turned toward Thessa and wrinkled her nose in anger. She sprinted to where Thessa lay bleeding. As Teoni’s life force left her, the horde began to unroot and run into the arena. Thessa shook her head when Sarren reached her, “Sarren, the Green Mage is life and you have always been death. You have killed my friend for nothing. You are not like me. My mother cured me. I still smell the taint of death upon you.”
Sarren scoffed, “No, I will defeat you now. I have much more experience.”
“What you have done is not the way. You are not wholly among the living. You can’t kill a mage.”
Sarren bent down to cut the vines from Gaelyn, “I will finally have my revenge!”
Now, Teoni’s rooting spells and vines gave way. The horde began to advance. Gaelyn, when he got loose, was about to stab her. Abruptly, Sarren stopped. Green goo began to pour out of her mouth. “I told you. You are not whole, you cannot be the Green Mage.”
“But Tanyth told me...” She looked frantically or the elf.
“He lied.” Thessa said as Sarren deteriorated with a scream into a bubbling green goo.
Gaelyn broke free and Thessa caught the hand with the dagger and tried desperately to hold him off, but her injury was making it difficult, “My mother is coming. I can have her cure you!”
“I don’t care. You must die.” Gaelyn said in a terrible, angry voice.
“I was once one of you. She cured me. She can cure you too.”
“Die, die, DIE!”
Thessa closed her eyes, releasing the tears that were waiting to fall. She remembered how she took back the power from the blood feeder before and she willed it to happen again. She realized at that moment that she could take them all. She was responsible for all of them and she could take them all back. She leaned into Gaelyn’s ear. “I would have liked to have had the chance to love you.” She whispered. He was the first to go. His whole being disintegrated, and the power surged through her, healing her stab wound. She stood and focused on all the blood feeders, Tanyth’s and her own. She raised her arms, and they all began to go one by one, causing the dark power of death to began to surge into her.