Rapierian dodged another of the whirling "shadows," feeling the burning heat on his face as it barely missed him. He let fly another arrow at Alcyon, but her answering bolt of lightning tore through the projectile and struck the wall beside him. Anticipating the blast, he rolled with the force of the explosion, closing with his opponent. Alcyon again retreated rapidly down the corridor. The ranger knew she was just stalling to cover the retreat of her allies, but, try as he might, he couldn't close the distance any faster.
Persephone stumbled back, reeling from the heavy blow of the golem. With a roar, Tantalus leapt to her defense, trying to drive his axe into the golem's leg. The stone monster barely seemed to notice, throwing him aside. Still, the moment brought the magess time to recover and throw a fireball into the creature's face.
Behind her, she heard Sisyphus and Prometheus engaging the other golem.
Normally, the fight should have been over swiftly. Skilled as the four undead mercenaries were, the two golems were large and powerful, apparently untouched by any attack. However, as Beorn had said, his spell kept reanimating them every time they fell.
Suddenly, the ground heaved around them, throwing all combatants to the ground. The wind rose to a piercing howl as a sudden tempest erupted. The world flared green as a second star burst to life in the mountains above them.
Persephone hardly noticed any of these events, however, for she felt something else. A massive explosion of wild, chaotic power swept over them. The distant thread of Beorn's control--not active but a menacing threat--snapped, and they were free.
Stumbling to her feet, she saw the others rise. Hesitating, they all stood for a moment, uncertain what to do now. Then, driven by the curse and by the desire for revenge, they rushed toward the glow without a word.
Behind them, the golems rose as well. Like the undead, the spells that controlled them were broken, and they paused in confusion, bereft of goal or purpose. Then, they spotted the mercenaries heading up the mountain. With a roar, they followed.
Above them, Katerei worked quickly, trying to draw as many of the symbols as she could. Beorn leaned over the fissure, the Crolna still glowing in his hands. The kaleidoscope of purple and green continuing to grow by the minute. The wind screamed about her, and she could hardly stand as the ground rocked beneath her.
She had no idea how much time had passed--minutes, hours, days?--when Beorn's head snapped up, startling her. With glowing eyes, he looked toward the north. Then, he began step away from the fissure, slowly pulling the Crolna out of the heart of the storm. This change had no effect on the fissure however. If anything, the chaos rose, and the din about them increased.
Looking toward the sky, Katerei saw nothing...until another flash of the eerily colored lightning illuminated a small black dot, tearing through the clouds in its speed. With a sinking feeling, she realized then what Beorn had sensed.
Struggling to complete the spellwork laid out on the scroll, Katerei somehow frantically managed to draw her weapon. Rapidly, Beorn turned from the fissure, hastily slipping the Crolna back into the pouch at his belt and drawing his swords.
They were only just in time as Selax broke threw the tortured sky and dove on them out of the gale.
