Battle in The Ruined Temple

      Rohane walked past her, his eyes looking around sharply. "Looks can be deceiving."

      Talinia brought up the rear, her bow was out and an arrow notched loosely. "According to the map, the next staircase is through that hallway over there." She nodded to the right, to an uninviting hallway.

      Rohane sniffed the air. "I smell decay."

      Mipsy looked around at the disintegrating temple. Ruined temple, that's what Princess Vyssa had called it when she had pointed them north to the temple. "It's not really a surprise, this whole place reeks of decay."

      Rohane shook his head. His white Blumaroo flopped around his helmet. It would have been funny, except he was the captain of the space ship and captain's ears are never funny. "No, it's a different type of decay." He turned suddenly, "Zombie!" He pointed behind them to a zombie Techo who was sneaking up from behind a rotting barrel as much as a zombie with a dragging foot can sneak.

      Talinia immediately pivoted on her heel, pulled the bow string taunt and let her arrow fly. The arrow hit the zombie's arm; he slowed down but didn't seem to notice too much. Mipsy backed up muttering a spell. She pointed her wand towards the Techo, "Disintegrate!" and a ball of energy flew out of the wand and hit the zombie in the chest. He crumpled to the ground but then suddenly leapt up and took a swipe at Talinia. She ducked under his hand just as Rohane jumped in and delivered a critical, finishing blow.

      "Is everyone ok?" Rohane looked from Mipsy to Talinia as the zombie crumbled into dust.

      They both nodded. "Let's keep going then." He sheathed his sword and turned down the hallway.

      They walked quietly, they didn't want to attract any more attention than needed. They only stomped loudly and banged on shields when they were hunting.

      Talinia ruffled the feathers on her Eyrie wings. She didn't like this dank building. A nearby table collapsed suddenly. Her wings flared and she was halfway to the ceiling, bow drawn, before the last bit of wood hit the floor. Mipsy and Rohane were in equally defensive positions. They stared at the table. The rotten wood did not stare back. Rohane put away his sword. "Must have been the wind or something. Careful you don't take a shortcut to the next floor through the roof, Talinia." Rohane grinned briefly.

      Talinia landed softly on the floor and ruffled her wings again. "Let's just hurry up and get out of here."

      They rounded a corner and came face to face with a rock golem and two more zombie Techos.

      Rohane pulled back Mipsy, who was in the lead, by the back of her robe just as the golem tried to bash her with his hand. He expertly pulled his sword out with his other hand and swung at one of the zombies.

      There was a slight cry from his left, Talinia was trying to push the other zombie away. The zombie, on the other hand, was determined to make a meal out of her foot. Mipsy spread her hands out, "Anarchic Wind!" she yelled.

      All three enemies were forced back a step. The rock golem recovered the fastest. He lunged at Rohane who did a dive roll under his arm and came up in front of the first zombie. He slashed and the zombie crumbled into dust.

      "Good hit, sir!" Talinia yelled as she loosed two airs in succession. One hit the zombie but the other missed the rock golem by a hair.

      The zombie lunged at her, they fell backwards while he tried to sample her ear. Mipsy hit him with a spell. He fell backwards, wobbling, Rohane finished it off. He was about to ask Talinia if she was alright when the rock golem came up from behind and hit him on the head. Rohane collapsed to his knees with a groan.

      "Captain!" Talinia loosed an arrow from her position on the ground. It hit. Mipsy shoved her wand forward like a sword. "Disintegrate!"

      The golem obeyed and turned to dust that floated to the floor.

      "Good hit, Talinia." Rohane grunted.

      "Here." Mipsy handed Rohane and Talinia a healing bottle each. The both drank eagerly.

      "That was close," gasped Talinia. "I could feel my energy draining out of me."

      Rohane left the empty bottle on the floor and stood up, offering her a hand. "Next time take a drink instead of a shot, you're no good to me passed out on the floor."

      Talinia nodded. "Sorry, Captain."

      "But thanks for saving me."

      Talinia smiled. "Yes, Captain."

      They continued to travel down the hallway, around another bend was a room with sagging wooden chairs and broken stone tables. Mipsy pulled a faded and tattered curtain aside, behind it was the staircase to the next level.

      Rohane straightened his tunic. "Let's go, troops."

      He was halfway up when he noticed Mipsy was still at the bottom. "What's wrong?"

      Mipsy hesitated, fiddled with her wand. Her wizard cap was askew, making her look as frazzled as she felt. "I was just thinking, about how the bosses are getting harder, and the towns are further apart."

      "Yeah?"

      She looked up at him, her Acara eyes filled with worry. "Are we going to be ok?"

      Rohane walked back down to her. "Mipsy, you've been traveling with me since the beginning of this insane game."

      Mipsy thought back to the hills they climbed in Meridell, the cold snow they had slogged through in Terror Mountain, the wizards, the monsters, the dangers and she suddenly felt very old and tired.

      "We've been through a lot, and you know what?" He took her paw in his and gave her a rare smile. "We're still here."

      She sniffed, wiped away a tear, and nodded.

      "Captain, you shouldn't try to smile," Talinia commented dryly. "It makes people cry."

      Rohane gave her a withering look as he put an arm around Mipsy. "Come on, we're almost out of this dump."

      Mipsy nodded and climbed the stairs with him.

      At the top were pillars covered in moss and vines. Dirt covered the floor. They walked passed a few walls and then they saw him, Gebarn II, guardian of the Medallion of Wind.

      Rohane passed out healing potions to everyone. "I need everyone at top health."

      They all nodded and drank. Rohane pushed his helmet further down on his head. "Are we ready?"

      Mipsy straightened her hat, Talinia took an arrow out of her quiver and nodded.

      They walked forward and zombie Krawk caught sight of them. He turned to face them, "I have been charged with protecting the Medallion of Wind from you!" he shouted. "And I will not falter in my duty!" He attacked.

      Mipsy cast a hurried damage barrier around her group. That didn't stop Gebarn from smashing a claw into Rohane's chest. Rohane grunted but stood firm, slashing his long sword at the pharaoh. The Krawk back off, nursing his arm. Talinia loosed an arrow but the Krawk swerved and the arrow hit a wall. He charged at Talinia and she loaded another arrow and hit her with his hard head. She fell backwards, dizzy.

      Rohane was instantly between the two, swinging another slash. Gebarn ducked the blow and backed up muttering a spell. A green light surrounded his injuries and he was healed.

      Mipsy groaned. "He can heal!"

      "Stay strong!" Rohane commanded as he advanced forward.

      Gebarn struck Rohane in the chest with a claw and Rohane tumbled backwards in a heap very unsuited to a respectable captain.

      Mipsy muttered a few words and thrust her wand forwards. "Disintegrate!"

      The Krawk raised a hand with a spell barrier. Mipsy's spell managed to crack the barrier and part of the blast hit Gebarn, just not as much as she had hoped. By this time, Talinia was up and she fired another arrow. This one hit true in Gebarn's leg.

      Rohane managed to get up even though he swayed slightly on his feet. "Mipsy, toss me one!"

      He held out her hand for a potion. Mipsy reached into her pouch but before she could toss it, Gebarn attacked Rohane. Rohane raised his sword and they clashed. Rohane twisted his sword and made a quick slash. Gebarn backed away.

      Everything looked a little burry to Mipsy; that happened when adrenaline rushed through her brain. It was a blur of spells, swords, arrows and bony claws. She cried out with disgust, most of her spells were being caught by his barrier, she wasn't helping very much.

      Talinia hit the floor after a particularly nasty strike.

      Rohane ran forward to distract Gebarn from her. "Talinia, heal up."

      As he said this, he slipped and landed on his back, totally unprotected.

      Talinia dropped her potion, pulled out an arrow and fired it at Gebarn before the glass had a chance to shatter on the floor.

      Gebarn turned on her and smashed another claw at her face; she crumpled to the floor.

      "No!" Mipsy cried.

      She cast a hurried spell. Gebarn grunted at the full spell hit his unprotected back.

      He turned on her. Mipsy knew that if she was hit, she would fall, just like Talinia. She braced herself to dodge.

      The Krawk came at her in a bony blur. But Rohane lunged out her side vision and tackled him. The Krawk threw him off and Rohane hit the floor, out cold.

      "Captain!" Mipsy cried, close to tears. She was all alone.

      The Krawk turned his cold eyes on her.

      She looked at Talinia, her feathers in disarray. She looked at Rohane, his helmet dented. She felt a calm settle over her. She met Gebarn's eyes and said coldly. "Nobody hurts my crew and gets away with it!"

      She drew herself up, felt the spell swell in her body and then she thrust forth her hands and wand. "Disintegrate!" she yelled with passion. The spell shot out of the wand and hit Gebarn full the chest.

      Gebarn roared in anguish. "You don't know what you've done!" he gasped. "The Medallion must not be... it must not be reunited!" Suddenly, powerful blasts of energy emitted from his body in all directions, shaking the ruined temple and raining debris everywhere.

      Mipsy covered her head and tried to drag Rohane away from Gebarn at the same time. Gebarn's body exploded a tremendous conflagration. The ground shook, like a great earthquake. After a minute, though, it ended, and the room fell silent. Mipsy uncovered her head.

      Where Gebarn had stood was a new bow, a sword and tunic. She fumbled around in her pouch and pulled out two awakening potions. Soon Rohane and Talinia were awake and holding their aching heads.

      "Did we get him?" Rohane asked after a long pull on a healing bottle.

      Mipsy held up part of a medallion. "We got him."

      He nodded and smiled slightly. "Good job, Mipsy." He stood up on shaky legs and pointed to a crystal orb across the room. "There's the portal to Sakhmet." He pulled Talinia up onto her feet. "I don't know about you, but I could use a rest."

      Mipsy took one of Talinia's arms and put it around her shoulders. "You ok?"

      Talinia smiled wearily. "I feel like a zombie knocked me about, but I'm ok."

      "You know what this team needs." Rohane mused as he touched the crystal. "A healer."

      Mipsy shifted Talinia's weight as they walked through the portal. "Maybe if we're lucky, there'll be one in the next town."

The End