Chapter 43 - 42: Blood and Flame
"Too slow."
Matthias’s voice cuts through superheated air as his body becomes a missile of flame and fury. Fire wraps around his legs like liquid metal, propelling him forward with explosive speed.
Leon’s elite mage zombie raises skeletal hands, but the intercept comes a heartbeat too late. Matthias slams into Leon’s gut with the force of a meteor, doubling him over around the impact point.
The blow launches Leon fifty feet down the marble hallway. He bounces twice off polished stone before skidding to a stop near a shattered pillar. His vision blurs. Ribs scream with each shallow breath.
Through the haze of pain, Leon forces himself upright. His legs shake like a newborn colt’s. Blood trickles from his mouth, tasting of copper and failure.
Another streak of fire screams toward his face.
Leon throws himself sideways, but the heat wave follows like a living thing. Superheated air slams him against the wall with enough force to crack marble. His coat erupts in flames. The skin on his left arm blisters and peels.
He beats out the fire with trembling hands, leaving charred fabric and raw flesh behind.
His warrior zombie appears at his side, spectral armor reflecting the inferno that rages throughout the hallway. The mantis blade gleams despite the heat distortion warping the air.