Evolution: A Warlock’s Rise To Power

"How dare that bastard mock me. Instruct Hieguard to ignore Lucan and take down the barrier." The Plague Baron commanded.

***

Several players had fought their way from the fortress to the giant and surrounded MILOCARA while he finished his preparations. They made sure to keep the undead away from him.

The monk had over channeled the icy essence inside his body to the point where he gave off a cold and bleak aura His pale skin had started to take a shade of blue and frost clung to his hair.

Reaching out with empty hands, MILOCARA grasped the air. A thick chain made of ice with each link being the size of shield began to take shape.

"RAGHH!"

With a loud grunt and all his strength, MILOCARA threw one end of the chain. As it flew through the air, more links began to form on it. It struck the giant's ankle and began to wrap around his leg. The chain didn't make it far enough to complete a circle but whatever flesh it touched began to become covered in an ice that was quickly spreading.

MILOCARA threw the other end of the chain towards the giant's further leg as its feet became locked to the ground.

"FIRE EVERYTHING WITH KNOCKBACK!!!!" Commander Gear shouted, not wanting to miss the chance.

Soldiers and players alike fired everything they could towards the giant's chest. Hieguard lost his balance and began to falter but he did not fall.

Lucan took what remained of the energy in the formation and channeled them into several consecutive telekinetic slams and had his illusion deliver a punch. The giant ignored the figure before it, it had been tricked enough times.

*Bang*

Lucan's mega fist was the last push needed to send the giant tumbling backwards, but it also exhausted the formation and the barrier protecting the fortress.

MILOCARA had sprinted deeper into the legion of undead as soon as he released the icy chain. He ignored the blows and hungry hands from the zombies and ghouls that tried to feast on his flesh. His health was falling but it wouldn't matter if he succeeded.

Although it was night out, he found himself covered in a dark shade. Something was blocking out the light of the stars and moon.

He glanced upwards to see Hieguard falling.

He interlocked both his hands over his head and brought a hammer fist straight towards the ground, unleashing the last of his overcharged icy energy, allowing it to escape his body.

A sharp, pointed, pillar of ice burst upwards from the impact. The pillar grew to be over fifteen feet thick. MILOCARA was immune to the damage from his own ice, but he couldn't protect himself from what was coming.

*BOOM*

The giant fell on it's back and was impaled by a large pillar of ice. Hundreds of undead and a few players were crushed to death when he fell.

"AHHHH!"

Hieguard let out an agonizing cry when he saw the ice had pierced completely threw him. He tried to push himself up but found that the pillar was radiating an icy essence through his body. When he tried to get up. The flesh around the ice had frozen to it. If he removed himself from the pillar, he would be hurt again, this time the wound would be even bigger since every bit of his body within 10 feet of the pillar had been completely frozen.

Silent wasn't going to let MILOCARA's sacrifice be in vain. The giant needed to die and quickly. Still several hundred feet in the air, Silent activated her necklaces strongest ability. She summoned the Empresses eternal guard.

50 soldiers in dark green suits of metal appeared by her side, but only for a moment. They began to fall. Silent turned her wings downward and flapped fast as she led the descending charge. After activating the necklace, a pale green crown appeared on her head. As Silent dove down she pulled out her bow and took aim.

The eternal guard recognized the mark of their empress. Seeing that she was taking aim at a target, they realized their mission.

The 50 guards equipped spears and straightened themselves as they plummeted downward like darts.

"FOR THE EMPRESS!"

"FOR THE EMPRESS!!!!"

"FOR THE EMPRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It started with one, but the others quickly joined in. The falling armor-clad guardsman began to scream in a fanatical fervor as they neared the giant.

The tips of their spears began to glow with a green energy.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

They plunged into the giant, weapon first, then unloading the ethereal energy to send a blast deep into its body. The guards had spread out during their fall. They impacted his chest, legs and arms.

The fall did a decent bit of damage to the guards, but everyone of them was an elite. They all survived, only losing 20 to 30% of their health. Even after they rolled to the side, spears of green light kept the giant pinned in place as the icy energy kept spreading further from the pillar.

The giant was impaled in 51 locations and unable to move. His death was drawing near. He stopped resisting and left this world, finally regaining his freedom.

***

"Sir, Hieguard. He is dead." Spoke an attendant.

"Do you think I can not see?" The Plague Baron said. "It does not matter, the barrier is broken and the giant manage to cut a channel into the fortress wall before he died. Send out orders to push into the fortress and I want that rogue Silent Night dead. Once she falls, moral will drop and these pathetic insects will scatter."

***

Queeny could no longer hold her transformation and reverted back to her original form once Silent stepped on the ground. She flew to the rogu's hair and attached herself while resting to regain her strength.

The eternal guard formed up around their empress waiting for a command.

She did not hesitate to give them one. "SLAUGHTER THE UNDEAD!!!"

Their swords unsheathed and their blades got busy.

Silent rushed into the undead with her daggers drawn. She fought her way towards the crevasse in the wall. It would be easier to defend at the choke point compared to sprinting into the ranks of the zombies and ghouls.

Stepping into the passage through the wall she was besieged by undead on all sides. With a wave of her hand ethereal energy rolled out in every direction. With the pitiful willpower of undead, they were unable to resist the magic that was grabbing hold of them. Numerous portals were opened as the undead were sucked away to various realms.

The eternal guards stayed close to their liege and formed together to block up the opening in the wall. Standing behind her guards, Silent took out her bow and started to fire into the undead.

***

-"Holy crap, she is amazing."

-"Silent, please let me be your husband."

-"No Silent, let me be your wife."

-"I will be your boyfriend slave. This servant will follow the Empresses commands."

-"Let this one be your foot rest. All hail the empress."

-"Silent do you need a servant to feed you? All hail the Empress."

-"All you men are pathetic, why would such a powerful lady even look in your direction. Empress let this girl carry your arrows. All hail the Empress."

***

Adrestia flew into the fortress and landed near the top of a tower. Sturdy and a few other Willow members were watching the battle from above. An illusion of Lucan appeared before them.

"Lucan, what can I do for you? It seems like you are still greatly outnumbered. Do you perhaps need a hand?"

"Help… no. I want all of the spoils of war for myself. I will contract you to fend off the undead. If you have interest in some real work, I could use a more powerful team elsewhere. I am willing to pay double for your A team."

"Hmm, double? I think we might be able to work something out. Let's draw up a contract."

***

"Sir, this isn't good." Said an attendant, running into the Plague Baron's tent.

"It is fine. They will put up a struggle, but the second transportation formation will be completed soon. Then we will be able to bring men directly from our territory."

"No sir, I just received a report from Desolation. They say they may be under attack."

"What?! What do you mean "may" be under attack? They are either being attack or not."

"Umm, take a look sir." The attendant said, changing what was being shown in the projection.

A lone figure and a beast stood outside the walls of Desolation, the capital of the Plague Baron's territory.

"Who is that?" The Baron asked.

"He a traveler and acolyte of Lord Quilldrake."

"And he is by himself."

"Yes, we can't detect anyone else in the area."

"Then just kill him and be done with it."

***

Tyrannical Kyp stood before the gates of Desolation on the shoulder of a 15-foot-tall gorilla like creature that had four arms and a set of large tusks gutting from its mouth.

"This is your last warning! Surender immediately or suffer the consequences! Those who oppose Lord Quilldrake will not survive!" Yelled Tyrannical Kyp.

Many eyes were looking towards the beast tamer but most of them were focused on the quadkong that he was standing on top of. Nobody noticed the little brown sparrow standing on the players shoulder, whispering into his ear.

The thousands of guards that had lined up on top of the wall to check out the commotion laughed.

A small green portal appeared behind Tyrannical Kyp, very quickly it spread out to half a mile wide.

A ghostly regal figure stepped through the portal. "Not bad, not bad. It is good that they still have the courage to laugh in the face of death. You, Kyp is it?"

"Yes Ghost King." Tyrannicall Kyp said as he glanced over his shoulder.

Floating out of the portal were over 30,000 ghostly warriors.

"How would you like to lead the charge and shut these mangy dogs up?"

A wild grin spread across the face of the beast tamer. "How could I say no to leading the charge of a ghost army?"

"Then be on your way when you are ready." The Ghost King said while rubbing is hands together. "It has been far too long since I claimed souls for my own army. Let me see who dares to look down on the King of Ghosts."

Tyrannical Kip merged into the shadow of the Quadkong. The beast let out a mighty roar that was followed up by the wails of the ghost.

The walls of the city were now dead quiet. With a single step forward from the Quadkong, the ghost army charged towards the city.