The Forgotten Zodiac

((Sounds good.))

Malice lowered his Gauntlet hand and gave a very small tap on the rock hangs holding his legs, watching as they became powder. "Your attempts to fight back amuse me," he said, then turned his head sharply as Cynyr raced forward again. He leapt and dodged nimbly as Malice struck again and again with his dark electricity, and at times the lightening would nearly overtake the wind mage. But he avoided it each time, lunging around the room in tight, rapid fashion.

Werr had to throw up another sheild for himself as a stray lightning bolt shot his way. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized that Lexi could watch them from the shadows of the room, although she couldn't intervene in any way. Still...he had to fight for her sake. And for Cynyr's sake. Everyone...

Werr threw the rock shield forward with his guantleted hand, sending two shining swords flying in from other directions. He didn't exactly expect that to work, but while he was using those as a distraction, Werr was able to turn and with a wave of his hand, several screeching Things were plucked up off the ground and thrown in Malice's direction.

Malice yawned and lifted his hand, a wave forming and destroying the Things on contact. "Really? Really? Come ON, people! If you're going to kill me at LEAST make it look like you're trying-"

A thin scratch suddenly appeared on his cheek and a tiny dribble of blood began trailing down his pale skin.

Welk reeled back around to Werr, having raced past so quickly that Malice had barely even knew what hit him.

Werr grinned, ready to put up another sheild at a moment's notice. "Good job, Welk," He said quietly, quick to start the attack all over again. The swords, the Things, all flying towards Malice at high speeds. He didn't expect any of that to actually work; but he was thinning the ranks for the others and keeping Malice occupied at the same time. There had to be a limited amount of the Things, after all...

Werr glanced over his shoulder and saw what appeared to be...more Things. But these had a black symbol on their skinless chests; a simple eye. Obelisk was clearly controlling these. They fought against the other Things, waging war where the mindless drones didn't see them coming. Obelisk himself was standing among the Things, naturally given a wide berth. Seria was near him, as was Diana; he effectively was a safe haven for those who could not fight as well. Forin didn't appreciate leaving Diana to his care, but Seria was there...

Malice was angry now, they could all tell. The scratch had told them, and himself, that he wasn't invinsible, and he knew it. He flared his wings, beginning to flap them harder and harder, rising off of the ground. More Things poured into the room, clashing with the others.

Vorpal was screaming about murder and death and killing everything in the entire room, but he was also giving Forin tips. Things like warnings about approaching Things or a different way to utilize the red-glowing weapon.

Luen was using his ice powers, seemingly dancing across the room. He would spin and narrowly avoid a charging Strider, then perform a tight row of backflips to dodge a few stray blasts from Malice. Mostly he kept his back to Forin, guarding his friend while the Tartaran guarded him as well.

((Invincible, not invisible. xD))

Obelisk's Things fought long and hard, but they really were only pathetic lackies. Before long, there were only one or two of them left, especially as more poured in. Werr took in a deep breath and concentrated, raising his hand. A small orb appeared, and without warning, the Things started being sucked towards it. They were all jammed onto what was soon a writhing mass of Things, an orb of disgusting red color and screeching voices as Werr raised it above Malice. Then he dropped it.

((I know, I misspelled it there. xD I already got it.))

Malice glanced up as the shadow fell over him, then sighed and watched as they bounced off of an invisible surface. The mass rolled right off and Malice smiled. "Like I wouldn't protect myself," he said, grinning at Werr. "I have an inpenetrable shield in a ball shape around me. Nothing can get through this. Nothing!" He laughed, using a large blast of lightening to tear up the ground in front of Obelisk. Seria grabbed Diana, holding her close to prevent her from being injured.

"Tch!" Malice sneered, forming a strange sign in the air with his hand. The shield ruptured for a split second and Malice sidestepped, watching as Obelisk shot past. Malice grinned, giving a mere touch on Obelisk's shoulder with the Gauntlet, then reformed his shield to its entireity when the bandaged being exited. The touch was instant; Obelisk's bandages were torn to shreds, except for a few ragged pieces that passed for clothing. Wounds covered his body, like time had paused and a hundred people had cut him with swords.

"Hmm," Malice said with chuckle. "My defense is still standing."

"You really think that will stop me?" Malice said, his temper flaring. "You believe that will STOP me?! Do all of you REALLY think you can end me?! PATHETIC!" He pointed the Gauntlet at the ground, releasing a roar of anger as the floor splintered. Power surged forth in a tidal wave, blowing chunks out from the walls and bowling people and Things off of their feet left and right. "I will crush you all!" he shouted, flaring his wings and laughing at the power that flowed from him at that small movement.

"Then why don't you?!" Werr screamed at him, throwing out a beam of light at Malice, and Obelisk focused all of his drilling on that point, making a small hole in Malice's defenses just large enough. It was obvious that the Eternal being's wounds were taking a toll on him. He wasn't even moving anymore, and one Thing was even inching towards him, wondering if it could get the jump on the powerful creature.

"You want me to crush you?" Malice said, tilting his head at Werr and ignoring Obelisk. He placed the Gauntlet over his chest, enhancing his armor and cloaking it in the dark powers of the Artifact. The power in his broken shield ran over and covered him, and that combined with the Gauntlet's powers was so powerful that not even Obelisk could damage it. Malice had enhanced Welk's body too much. It seemed nothing could damage it...

((CoughcoughexceptthepreviousownerwhohasalreadyscratchedMalicecough))

Obelisk didn't stop trying, smashing his powers again and again against Malice's shield and armor.

"All of this is a game to you, isn't it?!" Werr spat. "We're just toys! If you're really that great and powerful, then get it over with! Get us out of the way and you get to continue on with your blasted plans to do gods only know what! We're it, aren't we? The only thing standing in your way! But you haven't defeated us yet, you haven't been able to break us...any of us! We're all still here, we're all still fighting...if you're so powerful and mighty, then kill us all already! It should be easy for you!"

"Werr, you'd better have a plan," Nate snarled, running a sword through one Thing after another, fighting to keep them away from Werr.

Werr's words were enough to get all of Malice's attention. He didn't bother with words, instead hurling a huge blast of shifting, wavering shadows and pure decay and anger at the boy, screaming his rage.

Cynyr leapt up, deflecting one blast with his sword, but a second followed just behind the first and slammed into the panther, blasting him unconscious as he fell limply to the ground.

Malice didn't even give Werr a chance to react to his fallen friend. Another blast, bigger than ever, was aimed right at him.

Werr didn't react in time. But the Guantlet did. His hand was jerked up to support the Guantlet as it took the force of the blast; Werr felt his arm snap under the pressure, but his arm didn't drop. The Guantlet wouldn't let it. He started screaming, but his voice was lost over the earth-shaking roar coming from the two halfs of the Artifact. Out of the corner of his eye, Werr saw shadows; Obelisk had thrown up shields for his friends. But it was waning as Obelisk grew more and more weary. Werr decided then that he would have to push back against Malice. He threw everything he had into the Guantlet, and bright power started bursting from his own half, rushing towards Malice with all the intensity of the dark waves.

Malice roared, pushing back against the blast of light, but the intensity emitted from both ends was incredible. It seemed that nothing would break the struggle and the two would be trapped forever, but something raced from the side and slammed headlong into Malice.

Welk shouted in pain, but he noticed that Malice was affected by his fire. The demon lord was actually burned by Welk's flames for some reason, and he was quick to notice this. He backhanded the tiny Spectral, sending him crashing to the ground, limp.

"No!" Werr screeched, and threw more into the Artifact. It was all he had, but he kept pressing more and more into it until the Artifact felt like it was going to fall apart, it was vibrating and surging so much. But it held fast, and Werr felt his arm and hand being ravaged by the sheer amounts of power and energy bursting from the Artifact. Snap, crackle, pop. But even though he tried to pull away, he couldn't. Part of it was the fact that the Artifact held his hand and arm in place. The other part was because he knew that if he let up now, it would mean death to them all.

Cynyr slowly stirred, blinking wearily. He pushed himself up, determined to help his friend, and darted over to Werr, scooping Welk into his hands as he passed him. "Werr!" he called, pushing close to his friend and touching his shoulder. "Let me help you." He pushed his wind powers into Werr, feeling a terrible chill take over his body as he forced out his magic. It enhanced the power of the Gauntlet, and they saw Malice start to strain.

There was a tug on Werr's armor all of a sudden. Welk had woken quickly, and he said "Take my power too! I have an idea, but you have to get away from Malice to do it. And you'll need the Gauntlet!" He forced all of his power into Werr, further empowering the Gauntlet.

The dark lord screamed, fighting with everything he had.

"Alright...let's see if we can't blast Malice out of this stupid castle," Werr nodded, panting with the effort. He knew that the most they could do would be to push Malice away; the Gauntlet wouldn't be capable of destroying its equal. But what Malice didn't have were friends.

Werr smiled. Cynyr was here to help hold his broken arm steady. Welk and Cynyr were giving him energy, and keeping him from passing out at the same time. He leaned against them, depending on them for support in more ways than one at this time.  That's what Malice lacked; he had no one to fall back on. No one who could step in and offer to lend their energy now, in his time of need.

((A mistake that Obelisk, unfortunately for the heroes, will not make next book. I decided that he will have a wife; and not some twisted creepy lady, either. Some chick will actually fall in real love with Remor and Obelisk, and ignore the fact that he's a terrible monster. o3o))