Garian looked at the enthralled. “You are to remain here on Rovell. Live your lives until word comes that we need you and then obey. Tell the same to those outside.” He looked at Matt and the others and smirked. “It was not hard to defeat the famed Ellorian Champions after all.”
“Maybe that’s because that isn’t them,” said a voice to one side. Another Andier and Korrin stepped from inside a guard station to one side as the Lords of Fear turned sharply. A second Soliander and Eriana walked out of the other station on the other side, the wizard beginning to cast a spell. As he yanked the Dragon’s Fire Wand from up his sleeve, Garian’s piercing gaze swept over Matt and the others, none of them having moved.
“What is this?” he asked of no one in particular.
“A trick,” said a dismissive voice from the Orb of Dominion. “It is no matter. Obey and serve!”
Eric yelled, “Now, Ryan!”
Chaos erupted.
The knight ran toward the assassin as the lords turned in surprise. Kori was too slow to stop Ryan’s blade from cleanly slicing through the staff just below the Orb of Dominion, which dropped as she reached to catch it. Ryan swung again and cut her arm off at the elbow. She screamed and dropped the useless staff from her other hand to clutch at the wound as blood spurted from it. The orb struck the stones with a whack but didn’t break.
“Kick it away!” yelled Eric as he backed up, throwing a knife at Garian and striking him in the chest. The knight complied, sending the orb tumbling at the rogue, who stopped it with one foot. Kori staggered toward Aeron and Ryan backed away. The second Soliander completed a spell that sent a hail of fist-sized stones pummeling the lords. Lord Voth leaped at the wizard, sword slicing the man in half and leaving a trail of frost along the wound.
“Rise,” said Aeron, gesturing toward the now dead wizard.
“Burn!” yelled Anna, and pointed at the corpse, which burst into flames instead.
As if they had standing orders to protect the lords, the enthralled warriors moved to attack them. Anna turned and held up one hand, palm outward, as if to stop them. And it worked, to Matt’s surprise. Had she suddenly become a partner in battle, more than just for the undead? If so, she was a welcome addition. Matt saw Lord Garian’s eyes on them and knew something was coming. He struggled for another spell he could cast first.
“Try hitting it with your sword,” Eric suggested to Ryan.
“Worth a shot,” the knight said. He swung the blade high above his hand and brought it slamming down onto the orb with a clang. A shock wave knocked all of them back and onto the ground, Matt striking his head on the stones. He sat up, trying to ignore the pain, eyes on the Lords of Fear, who had also been felled. He followed Garian’s shocked and angry gaze to the orb. It has split into the three pieces, two of them rocking on the floor on their spherical part, the other face down on the broken side.
“No!” said Garian, rising. A glance around the room revealed the enthralled men starting to sit up, their faces no longer intense and enraged, but calm and bewildered. “Attack them!” Garian commanded. But no one moved to comply.
Matt saw his chance and gripped Soliander’s staff in both hands, willing as much power as he dared and not bothering to waste precious moments getting to his feet. “Enuminsar!”
A fountain of flame roared from the staff’s crystal toward the lords, the scorching heat making Matt’s lungs hurt and his eyes sting as if it would incinerate anything in its path.
Just before the wall of flames reached them, he saw both the wizard and necromancer raise their hands and speak words he couldn’t hear over the roaring. The flames shot upward and out as if hitting a wall. With a swirling gesture, Matt directed the fire to the right, left, and up to go around any barrier there, and as the flames complied, they cleared his view of the enemy. Both Garian and Aeron stood with hands forward to protect themselves. Matt watched in satisfaction as their horrified eyes watched three tongues of fire rush around the invisible barrier toward them. Aeron turned to block one and succeeded, Garian did the same with the one above, but the other one engulfed Lord Voth and soared past for Kori, who dove out of the way toward escape.
Suddenly a knife flew at Garian and struck him in the arm. He gasped and stumbled toward the portal, the flames above diving closer at him, as if his barrier had nearly fallen, one hand still raised to keep it there. He shot a look of hatred toward Eric, his eyes then widening. From the corner of Matt’s eye, he saw the rogue pulling back his arm to throw again. Garian turned and ran through the portal, Kori close behind. Eric’s knife flew at Aeron instead, and the necromancer barely dodged it before running for escape, too. A thunderous crash outside suggested one dragon had plummeted to the ground.
Lord Voth stood alone before them, seemingly unfazed by one spout of flames engulfing him, only his legs visible. Wondering if three would be worse, Matt directed the others spouts into one unified blast, now that no magic shield stood in the way. No sooner did all three converge on the undead knight than a scream of pain split the air from the burning creature. Matt kept the flames going for another minute as the knight tried to get away from them. Matt made the torrent follow him, the
