The First Lich Lord

We held nothing back. The necromancers cast spells that would speed up the entire army. The elemental zombies were split between me and Othniel, both of us building massive eldritch spells. The death clerics with me had cast a concealing spell. They were also the only ones providing any kind of defense. The idea was to strike first with all we had and then build more defenses.

I specifically asked Susan and Elon to first target the monk. I had even taken the time to infuse a point of second tier death energy into the arrows that would be used by the two snipers, and the rangers, Jessica and Nick. Susan and Elon had played rock paper scissors for who got the headshot, I didnt know who won.

The eldritch cannons had been synced up and coordinated by Elon. Shooting that far and that accurately took extra time for them to aim, even with her added help.

The hole theyd blown through the shield was almost completely closed when I finished my spell. Pointing Mercy, I unleashed a bolt of eldritch lightning. The spell used very little of my own mana, so I pulled it from the elemental zombies, Othniel had done the same. Between us, wed completely drained the zombies.

My bolt of lightning wasnt targeted at the camp, but the hole that had almost closed. The power of my spell, the eldritch aspect of magic, and the already weak point in the shield, allowed my stream of lightning to rip it wider. My spell arced across the camp where it hit the other side of the barrier and broke through.

Punching through from the inside to the outside was easier than it was to break in from the outside. Then my spell reached its target. The forces arrayed against the fort, specifically the group in front of the gate. The soldiers in makeshift barricades and trenches. It was a long range attack, but the amount of power I channeled more than made up for it. My lightning spread out like a web. With each soldier it hit the power would then jump to three more.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Othniel cast his spell. I had been curious as to what he was working with. Over the last week hed been working on a project when he thought I wasnt looking. Now I knew what it was.

His spell flew through the widening hole in the barrier and arced high to the top of the dome where it erupted into streams that flew towards every single campfire. The campfires then erupted as fiery eldritch elementals rose. The attacks came so suddenly that the only protected campfire was the one in the middle. The newly erected barriers were warding off the streams of power.

Channeling my spell was simple, so I was able to watch the mounted bone guard and juggernauts slam into the camp. Leading the bone guard were, of course, Abimelech and the Dread Thirteen that worked with me on the hill. They brought with them all of the mounts since they could cause havoc on their own.

Building power rose at the center of the camp from the priest, but before he could complete his casting, another targeted volley hammered across the distance. This one was joined by the eldritch bone archers and bone archers who had now advanced close enough to be effective.

The eldritch blasts tore apart the defenses, but only barely. Still, it opened the way for a wave of arrows from the snipers and rangers to target the priest in elaborate robes. It was less accurate, and many missed, but enough hit to make a difference. The man looked like a pincushion.

He wasnt dead, I notice in frustration, holy magic flooding into him. But the remaining three scattered. The accuracy at that range for the snipers and even the rangers was to be expected. But for the rest of the archers and bone cannons it was uncanny. This was due to what Nick and Jessica had been doing.

Every single powerhouse had been marked with a hunters mark that made allies of Nick and Jessica more likely to hit the target. The priests scattering, while normally a decent idea, was a bad idea since it removed their option to collectively build more powerful defenses.

You ready, Jess? I asked my sister.

Jessica bobbed her black mushroom cap head covered with eldritch purple spots. Of course, Im glad Im strong enough to help you now.

Okay, remember, your job is to support the stability of my spell, leave the complex stuff to me.

She nodded, her forehead furrowing as she concentrated and started to build death magic. When she had approached me about helping, I shouldve told her no. Truth be told I didnt need her help, in fact, she could cause problems if she tried to mess with things in the spell. While she had grown a lot, she was still a long ways offshe hadnt hit soul compression yet either. Still, I had like the idea of casting a spell with her help. I was pretty sure she knew I didnt need her, but neither one of us said anything about it.

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As I began to build my next spell and magic poured forth from me, a beam of silver-white light tore from the forts walls. It shattered barriers as it blasted into the forces arrayed against the fort. Raven clearly had gotten the message through, that was not a simple rapidly thrown together attack.

My eldritch lightning had incapacitated or killed all of the soldiers in front of the gate, so when it soldiers charged out, led by a big man driving a familiar cart, nothing was there to stop them. Seeing the friar driving his cart almost made me lose control of my spell, that was not what I had expected. Fortunately, my sister was helping me and her sudden gasp of alarm brought my attention back into focus.

Completing my death spell, I targeted the four juggernauts who were rampaging through the camp in a straight line towards the highest concentration of forces. The spell flew across the field, splitting into four projectiles that sought out the juggernauts. The spell was more death energy than death magic, and when it hit them, the change was immediate. They ran faster and hit harder as they broke into the back line of the soldiers.

As they contacted that group, both Agreldo and Vhytlos unleashed their eldritch power. The flesh golem whip Vhytloss carried glowed with eldritch power as her eye-beams exploded out. The whip cracked and an explosion flattened a section of soldiers.

A third volley went out and the priest who had partially recovered and was trying to hide was turned into pulped flesh. I was worried about the remaining three but then the friars cart blazed forward, leaving behind a path of silver-white light. Multiple beams of power faded quickly only to replaced by another shot from the friar. A moment later I saw three figures running out the far side of the camp, straight for me.

Othniel saw it too, just as his spell completed. Crackling eldritch lightning fired down and hit the cleric in the front. They had not realized where they were running, having lost track in their rush to flee from the friar. The lightning jumped between the three of them before it started hopping back and forth, leaving behind glowing lines of eldritch power etched on their faces.

I was already charging down the hill, Mercy formed into a long curved blade as I poured eldritch power into it. The clerics head snapped back as two arrows erupted through her eyes. She was dead before she hit the ground. A barrage of eldritch blasts targeted the war cleric, but he was too fast and dove aside.

Friar Brown caught the paladin with one beam which quickly became two, then three, then four. The man went transparent before he disintegrated into a pile of dust. The war paladin, distracted by the fate of his companion, did not see Mercy flying through the air. It hit him square in the chest and punched through. It wouldve gone all the way through except for the hilt at the base of the blade stopped it.

He dropped to his knees, staring in shock at Mercy then up at me. Two arrows from Nick and Jessica took him out so he didnt have to worry about what would come next.

Friar Brown waved as he turned and drove his cart back down the hill. I was pretty certain the oxen pulling his cart was the same creature, it was just terrifying now. Its horns gave off small bolts of white lightning as silver fire burned in its mouth. The hooves of his oxen and the wheels of his cart left behind silver fire.

As he raced back down the hill, I saw a box and some hay bounce out, only to be pulled back down into the cart. I was pretty certain I had sat on that box once upon a time.

***

So, I said, walking towards Friar Brown who had dismounted his cart in the middle of the destroyed enemy camp. The cart?

Brown looked at me then around at the camp, the dead bodies, the surrendering soldiers, and my army of the undead. The cart is what youre worried about?

Well, in my defense, I was so shocked to see it I almost lost control of my death magic, and thats saying something.

Friar Brown snorted. I thought I saw your spell flicker. Thank you for coming, those five were a right pain in my ass. If not for this whole divine energy being all sorts of messed up, I could have dealt with them.

Well, you sent Rhea to save my butt. I smiled, it was nice to finally be getting to the point where smiling didnt feel so weird with desiccated flesh as it got stronger. My face was getting downright supple. How bad is your power situation? Whats even going on?

Friar Brown gave me a look. I got his point, this wasnt the place to talk about it. I nodded in understanding. So, this is Friar Brown, Jess said. I had rushed into the battle after the friar, and Othniel and Elon had reluctantly kept her back. Thank you so much for saving this dumbasss life. She hugged the friar.

Despite the grim setting, a soft smile spread on Browns face as he hugged her back. Of course, he is a dumbass, isnt he. If I were writing a book, it would have taken his dense ass the entire thing to figure out what was obvious to everyone else.

Hey now, I said angrily. Youre the one who told me to walk my path.

Yes. Friar Brown frowned at me. It makes a great amount of sense that your path was being used by a corrupt priest to do his bidding and bring suffering into the world.

Hes got you there, Maxwell said, coming up beside me.

Jess let go of the friar. You were right there with him doing the same dumbass things.

Anyways, you dont look like I expected you to, I said in an attempt to change the conversation.

Brown let out a loud laugh and straightened his brown robes, still held by a simple rope, jostling his ample bulk around as he did. What did you expect, for me to lose a few pounds, put on some flashy armor, and walk around like I shat gold?

I mean not all of that, I said, looking at Maxwell for support.

Dont look at me, I dont know the guy. Maxwell took the cowards way out.

Like I told Rhea, Nonus, and all of the other fools who think that, Friar Brown huffed. I am a friar, I live a simple life, I wander around and help those in need, with my cart, and Gus.

Gus is the? Maxwell asked, nodding towards the oxen who was happily munching on a tuff of grass.

The terrifying oxen creature, I answered, yes.

Hey, be nice to Gus, Friar Brown said. He always liked you.

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