Black Zenith [Adventure RPG / Chapter Four: Fires of Heaven]

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Shooting through the air beneath a black sun, the airship makes good progress, driven by a wind called by the druid. As time passes, the passengers of the ship finally have a moment of peace to themselves, and Myra in particular uses the time to read ancient theories on the principles of magical shielding - a dull, but informative study. The rest, however, seem content to merely rest.

It is not long before the first streak of darkness flashes by, hurtling from the sky like some meteorite made from the shadows themselves, soon striking the land below and leaving behind only a smoldering crater where there before was farmland. Within moments, dark things are crawling up from the impact point, scattering across the landscape, desecrating the very ground as they pass. More dark meteorites follow, like black bolts from the sky, leaving trails of shadow in their wake as they rain on the defenseless land below.

And as the city comes into view, something massive parts the clouds above, bellowing its hatred with a roar that echoes across the land. A great serpent of unparalled size stretches from the skies as it dives on the city, a great mass of black fury and ungodly strength poised to annihilate the entire city below with a single sweep.

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Cursing, Razan lets his staff clatter to the ground. "Find Ziras, and get him out of there!"

A sword of blazing light appears in Razan's hands as he takes a running start, leaping straight off the airship, leaving only his staff behind. A moment later, he appears again on wings of light, heading for Nirthrid and the monstrosity lurking in the clouds above it. Though fast by its own standards, the airship cannot keep pace with Razan, and he quickly outdistances the ship.

Meanwhile, the city seems to be faring badly, even without the titanic serpent above, staring with its eyes of malevolence from above. Meteorites fall on the city, and dark things run through its streets, surrounding pockets of defenders and barricaded houses.

Raising a hand as he falls into a dive, Razan blasts the massive serpent with a beam of magical power, but it barely reacts, instead descending on the town to brutally sweep one of its massive claws through a third of the towns' structures, turning them to rubble and sending debris flying in a shower of splintered wood and bricks.

Then, Razan draws back his arm, hurling his blade at the creature's back. It seems ridiculous, such a tiny pinprick thrown at a veritable sea of roiling darkness. And as the blade strikes, it is deflected, puffing away to nothingness. But the serpent roars in anger, sweeping its tail through the town as it turns to regard Razan, stopping only for a moment before abruptly tearing after him, its eyes aflame with hatred.

Razan, meanwhile, turns to flee, leading the dark serpent across the sky in a chase, as the black sun shines its twisted light from above and rains death.

THE END OF CHAPTER THREE

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