Paladin Wood didn't float in the air presenting a strong front or lashing out with verbal jabs. Hate filled his eyes at his opponent. If earlier words could be considered twisted truths, things he felt but weren't at his core, he was laid bare to Wayne. What smoldered deep in his distorted mess of a face was rejection.
He rejected the very fact that Wayne should be alive. He rejected that he could be pushed to this position.
No matter how he felt, what he was mattered more. That being falling ungracefully interlaced with several buildings level of debris. Further, still Wayne was not finished. Grasping his hand on the keyboard the retracted arsenal spun in their launch tubes. Hundreds of ordnance would be bearing down upon Paladin Wood within the blink of an eye.
Sound bounced around his body, cascading from every direction. A small amount of air inhaled into his lungs. The Knight didn't want to use this power. Ability was meant to be learned, earned through blood, sweat, and tears. Not something bestowed by birth or an outside power.
His thoughts grew idle as time slowed around him. Long ears stretched out from either side of his head like bat wings. Eyes rolling back inside his head for a moment.
Paladin Woods earliest memory was of sound. Soft sheets ruffled as his mother tucked him into bed. Scents, tastes, and images could all fall away. Decay would claim them all, but to him sound was forever. At the fundamental level of reality sound was the core.
The hideousness of the world had seared into his eyes haunting his mind. Only now as he fell into the depths of a cavalcade of sound and violence did his mind fully clear. Hate washing away in the chime of metal underpinning wrenching free from the ground below. Concrete rain carrying away his joy. Faint fluttering heart beats of the Banneret cutting his ties to sadness and loathing.
Insignificant was the world in which at last sound stopped.
All of Wayne's machines shuddered as the squealed louder and longer he shifted his gaze. There was no way that his combat vehicle could have fallen to ruin, nor to a sneak attack. Over engineering might be a problem for some, not for him.
Invisible spirits of all shapes and sizes worked their magic across his equipment. Gremlins, dwarves, and gnomes to name only a few. Even as the magic entwined and enveloped the very fabric of the metallic missiles they slowly came to a stop.
Snapping his eyes back to the Paladin he suddenly came across the horrifying sight. The knight stopped midair, not only that everything within the debris field stopped moving. As they did so the sound was sucked down into the gapping mouth.
Deep down within its cavernous hollows the echoes slowly flowed. Now Wayne grew aware of his own heart beat. That had queued him into the true wrongness of what was happening. The sound wasn't being reduced down into the knight's mouth. It was being amplified to the point the air had become a physical construct of sound.
Any new sound joined, strengthening the magic that sealed down the environment. Paladin Wood looked lifeless, mind seemingly vanishing within the depths of his body.
As if mocking Wayne a low rumble approached from far off yet just as it entered it was cut off. The pressure began to build up around him as he felt even the beat of his heart begin to slow. Eyes going sluggish he pushed his mind to think.
It was the eyes that betrayed the Paladin. As much as the world was sound it was laughably invisible. Blood poured down the knight's face as the seconds stretched. The double edge sword of stopping everything. Still he was not done.
Just as he had used in the prior confrontations his body slowly shifted. Distending down and out into pushing against the world around him. He had not known that this would be the result of the his knew power in conjunction with his old. Mind in no condition to restrict the body's shape it beckoned to the ground.
More blood gushed from his orifices and Wayne did not relent. Something was pushing against the bottom of his body. Doing nothing would be the same as death. Necromancers, even one's reliant on golems, could make a bunch of noise if need be.
The magic that Wayne's summons possessed was largely within a minor category. Instead of using their powers he relied on their technical abilities. During the war hundreds of machines were built by himself alone via his spirits. To say he regretted trading his personal might for that of his people would be false.
Still a master of Necromancy and hundreds of little magical powers. Even grade one's and two's could possess. The result was natural. Each one turned into their spell form. Small flickering flames, cracking electrical sparks, small metal pieces clanking onto one another, and any number of minor insignificant effects flickered to life.
Paladin Wood was powerless to stop the onslaught of powers. After one was cast the spirit would recover and be ready for their next cast. Beyond that each was held perfectly only his own body warped. He would soon be the world's largest human sack of flesh.
Both men were nearly blind from the ability. Knowing he could continue no further the Paladin switched to Phase two. It was natural for Wayne to believe the knight had used up his tricks. These Paladins were limited, and yet, sound returned.
A bubble like popping. All the minor magical noise makers flickered out. The lines he had preinstalled into the Red Riddotto Towers cried out as they rocketed backwards. The massive power of the stopped forces had built up over those ten seconds and with one mighty magical flare spat out in all directions.
Wayne had to close his eyes for only a moment as he sailed through the air upon his platform. When they had adjusted he glared down at his enemy. The sack of a human who'd reached nearly ten feet in diameter recoiled back together. His mass of flesh did not look healthy nor hearty.
Still the necromancer was pushed away from his effective range. To far from him to deploy and still retrieve his armaments. If his opponent was Zeus he'd give them away freely, yet a battle with him still lay ahead. He didn't risk it.
Of the three people affected it was the Banneret who recovered first. Slapping her own broken flesh she gave a command. Something that Wayne couldn't hear. The body spun round bleeding stopped limbs cracked back into position and she grabbed the deflated sack.
They were still caught among the debris field but that was safer than Wayne's intended assault. Wielding his platform he descended upon the attackers. The spirits were already preparing the missiles. It was moments but the knights slipped through his fingers.
Entering their range just as she lunged off a falling bit of rock and out of sight. He might be able to give chase, but Nate was still within the towers. Zeus could show as he chased down and finished the knights. It wasn't worth the trouble nor the setbacks if he did show up.
Instead he looked to the low rumble that came over the horizon. Just as Karah had once drove over the edge of the large hill, so too did the war machine. Tanks, tankers, heavy machinery, taxied aircrafts all spilled up and over into Mawe. Devoured greedily into a spot near the top of the hill.
From what Wayne remembered of the accounts in regards to the Mawe Town defense during the war that was the same location they had staged at before. He frowned at their rotten luck. The military in all their wisdom had arrived early.
***
"Well, it seems all of your chips have been lost. Might I interest you in another deal? Or will you cut your losses?" Burns asked jovially
Nate stared bitterly across the table. The man was undeniably cheating, no question on the matter. The hands had begun as a push and pull between the two. Then once Nate grew a small lead a cavalcade of losses piled down upon him.
Karah watched with sharp eyes ready to crush the skull of the spirit. Naturally whatever force prevented the laser beam would thwart her efforts. Still her body oozed anger. Seeing Nate lose the games had set her off. Next to her Lupita quietly attempted to distract the women.
They were normally antagonistic but the wolf girl wouldn't let Karah bother Nate's game. Of the three women only Boudica was relatively relaxed. A small smile might have crept across her face if not for the glance from her lord.
The two were in sync about what was to come. When it came to a battle she was likely the one most well versed out of everyone present. Thus leading to the silent tactful nature she took as the course of events flowed along.
"Fuck you, you fucking swindler." Karah barked.
"My good lady, have I swindled anyone? Please tell me how I accomplished that task?" Burns responded with a flat smile.
"You know you are that's enough to accuse you isn't it?" Karah shot back.
"Not in the least." Burns said coolly.
"Forgive her, she didn't mean to question your validity. Before I place another bet I do have a simple question if you'd answer?" Nate asked
"Hey what the hell Nat…" Karah started before Lupita clamped a hand on her mouth.
She was new and not particularly experienced, however, something about her contractor had clicked from moment one. To her he never did anything without reason, and his acceptance of her meant she trusted him implicitly.
"Let's get a drink. Leave him to deal with that guy." Lupita said, pulling Karah away.
"I've meant plenty of feisty women. She's got to be at the top of that list, not that she could see it from down there." Burns quipped.
His opponent's face was a wash in a mask of amenability but deep down a fire started to burn. Not anyone was just allowed to poke fun at his girl's height, that went doubly so for this swindler. Still he kept up his mask and only nodded slightly.
"As for your question dear customer, I would be happy to hear it from a well mannered guest." He tipped his hat at Nate.
"Who is this friend here that you're playing?" Nate asked sharply.
Indicating the man sitting at the end of the table cards still laid out in a motionless stupor. Burns eyed the man loathsomely but didn't let on about his mood more than a glance. Facing back to Nate he smiled but they didn't reach his eyes.
"The way the magic works is a game must be called on both sides. My opponent is defeated but holds out till even now. Laughable really. Can't even talk or react anymore."
"Might I ask why that is?"
"Simple really, he sold every part of himself. All that's left is his very existence. Take a page from his book, give up while you've still got your life."
Nate was quiet for a moment before waving his hand over at Boudica. She joined him at his side. Standing stalwartly by him watching keenly at the goings on of the table. Seeing he wanted to say something she brought her ear closer to him, where he whispered to her. After she took a step to the side out of the way.
"Well, then I guess I should take a page out of his book as you said." Nate intoned to Burns.
"Very good, have a complimentary drink on your way out." Burns smiled.
"You are mistaken I meant that I would go big or not go home at all."
"What are you saying?" Burns asked hostilely.
"Quite simply I need that eye, and your entire stock of whatever you have. I'll take it all and in return you shall be out of a home. How does that sound?"
"And here I thought you might be a reasonable person. Fine, what is your real bet?" Burns said distastefully.
"The only way I'll cover everything. I bet everything, or is that insufficient?"
A look passed between the two Nate daring him to try anything. The old gambler huffed before pulling out a load of chips. Placing them down in front of Nate.
"You'll regret this." Burns said.
"NO, I don't think I will. Before we start, shouldn't you finish that hand."
Nate indicated the man to his right. Burns gave a questioning eye but to his surprise the corpse-like person slowly creaked to life. The sound of sand paper rubbing together slowly echoed from his throat in a rasp.
"I think it's time I won a hand."
"You choose now to continue our game, old fool? Fine, would you like to hit? We know what the outcome will be."
A twinkle passed through the corpses' cold eyes.
"Hit."
A swift hand brought out a seven of spades. Burns sneered at the man. Prepared to deal him another card but he placed his hand atop the cards. The two shared a single look.
"I think we're done here."
The man turned the card over, a hidden ace up his sleeve. Or in this case a jack of diamonds. It twinkled a smile at Burns as if it was not his own cards betraying him. His hand clasped down onto the corpse's wrist.
"You cheated. If you cheat then you automatically lose. That was the deal."
"But I haven't touched these cards till now. I didn't tamper with these cards."
In spite of Burns' outburst energy swelled and swirled around the man filling him with energy. Corpse no more, his flesh returned and ghostly blood beat once more through his heart. He stared brutally back at Burns, there was much he still did not earn back.
"It seems you've concluded your business, shall we get on with ours?"
Nate smiled, everything had worked just as planned. He would have to thank the man for being his guinea pig. That was if he could win this next hand against the damnable gambler. A low rumbling came from somewhere outside.
Burns seemingly needed a moment away from his failure, walking over and opening a window. Out to the right was the damage from Wayne's battle. Further to the left up upon the hill was the Beginnings of the Parade of military vehicles. Nate stepped not too far behind him. Worry filled him over what could be happening with Wayne but he had a mission to finish. Only then could he move to assist.
"Shall we proceed with our hand?" Nate asked.