The Fiends charged into the corridor like a crashing tidal wave of howling and deadly spears. Rainbow Summoned and Shaped a wall of thorny vines to slow the Demons down. The Fiends soared upon bat-like wings, and a few twisted acrobatically to avoid the thorns while others got entangled and hissed with fury.

  Four Fiends crashed into Tara, Aaron, and Drake as the trio were fighting. Black barbed spear tips jabbed and were blocked by Drake and Aaron's shields. The two warriors were forced to stop fighting each other in order to survive this new threat. One Fiend tackled Tara to the ground. The red-headed warrior maiden kicked the Demon off as she rolled back to her feet. The fourth Demon rushed to impale her but was knocked to the side by a shield bash from Aaron. While the Amber Guard man-at-arms was distracted, another Demon tried to attack him, but this one was cut down by Drake. The disgraced Captain received a gash from another Demon and stumbled to the ground. Tara swooped in with her heavy-bladed halberd and swatted the Fiend aside, where it crashed hard against the stone wall.

  "Did we just become friends?" Drake said.

  "You are welcome," Tara muttered.

  "Hey, I'm grateful and all, but to be fair, I saved your buddy's life earlier," Drake responded.

  Aaron grinned. "See that, Tara? I'm your buddy now."

  "Will you two quit your yapping and get to fighting!" Tara shot back.

  The onrush of Fiends forced Swordslayer and Ozun to break off their duel. The sword fighters parried, twirled, and countered the jabbing spear thrusts from winged fiends. Swordslayer, in a fluid motion, deflected a spear to the side with one sword, and he sliced the throat of the attacking Fiend with his other blade. Next to him, Ozun sidestepped an attack and countered with a sword slice that removed the Fiend's hand. As the Demon howled in pain, Ozun removed its head.

  "Seek me out if you survive this," Ozun said.

  "You do the same," Swordslayer replied.

  The two teams were separated further as the tides of battle swept them apart. Rainbow watched as Val and her squad escaped through a Rift.

  "Bastards!" She cursed.

  Her anger was short-lived, as she needed to focus on staying alive in the moment. Rainbow Summoned walls of vines to separate the Fiends into smaller, more manageable groups.

  “Tara and Aaron up front! Zabo and Swordslayer cover our flanks!" Rainbow barked out orders.

  *****

  Ahanu was bleeding from numerous cuts and gashes from the wicked barbed spears the Fiends fought with. If it was not for his sister's Vitality Spring, he would have been dead already. Or at least fighting less effectively, he thought to himself. He deflected high a spear thrust, and he countered low with his own spear to impale the leg of his attacker. Ahanu's spear penetrated the Fiend's dark armor and it howled to disappear into the chaos of bodies that surrounded them. To his sides the powerful Frostsworn fought, and Ahanu found himself a rare moment of peace. In that instant, he spotted the Rift aspect open, and five figures emerged. Rage built up within Ahanu's chest. His mentor's killer was among them!

  "He is here," the Spirit Walker Protector growled.

  "Ya? Who?" Helga asked.

  The warrior maiden had just dispatched a Fiend. Rolfe was whooping and hollering beside her as the Fiends fled.

  "Shiv," Ahanu answered and pointed.

  To the Spirit Walker Protector, it was as if the chaos of battle around them was nothing but a gentle spring breeze. The only thing that Ahanu focused on was the five newcomers. They appeared to be arguing amongst themselves over which corridor to go.

  "They will not escape. He will not escape justice," Ahanu vowed.

  "Whoa, I have never seen you so angry before," Helga observed.

  "What is happening?" Rolfe asked after he finished howling after the fleeing Demons.

  Helga pointed. The large Protector squinted his eyes and then nodded in understanding.

  "Proven! The enemy flees before us! Why are we not engaging them?" Dunar roared.

  It was true. Even without Couzart and Jeze, the adventurers were doing well against the Fiends. The major threat was the Greater Fiend, and for the moment, the hulking Demon was contained by Miss Heng and Orn. Ahanu's vengeance took a slight pause as he reflected on where Jeze and Couzart went. But, he resumed his seething when he saw that the Cultists were trying to make their escape down a side passage. Dunar's sharp eyes also spotted this.

  "Kash," the Proven Leader called out.

  "Yeah?" The Amber Guard duelist responded.

  Kash and his team were slowly cordoning off the escape routes of the remaining Fiends. Since the fighting here was under control, Gunhild and Jorgeson broke off to join Miss Heng and Berserker Orn against the Greater Fiend. However, there were still plenty of Fiends to engage.

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  "Can you hold here?" Dunar asked.

  "Ya, that's easy enough. Why are you taking a vacation?" Kash asked.

  "We will help Ahanu to avenge the death of his friend," Dunar replied.

  It was impossible to see Kash's face behind his full helm, but his eyes turned serious. "Go on then, we can handle it here. Don't take too long though," Kash waved them off.

  "You will help me? This is not your fight," Ahanu said.

  Mikal scowled at the Spirit Walker Protector. "Oh, but it is our fight. We owe them a world of hurt."

  "Stop talking! They are getting away, ya?" Helga exclaimed.

  Dunar, Rolfe, Mikal, Helga, and Ahanu quickly gave chase. In a brief moment Ahanu and his sister locked eyes. She was with the other Rune casters in the back, providing support.

  "Don't let this consume you," Rainia said.

  Ahanu could not hear her voice through the din of battle, but he understood. His jaw was firm when he nodded back. As they ran, Rolfe wondered out loud.

  "Anyone know where Jeze went off to?"

  *****

  The chamber with the Hold Core looked exactly like the one from the third floor. The major differences were that there were no puzzles, traps, or a Guardian.

  "From the way you described it. This seems like it is too easy," Couzart observed.

  Jeze studied the chamber they were in and replied, "I think someone long ago cleared the traps and puzzles and defeated the Guardian."

  Couzart nodded at that. "Perhaps it was the Lich? And he did not know how to free the Orb."

  Jeze agreed and searched the chamber. It was empty. The other one had tomes and treasures. Perhaps that was because it was an Ogre that guarded it? She wondered to herself. The Guardian for this Hold Core did not care about tomes or treasures.

  "I wonder how come we didn't encounter any remains? We know there were Monster Portals here, and we saw that the traps and puzzles outside were disarmed. Where are the remains of the guardians?" Jeze asked.

  "Most likely, the Lich reanimated their corpses to serve as his undead minions," Couzart replied and then looked at the double doors they had just come through. The Elite added, "You best hurry, Jeze. The Lich could be on his way here at any moment."

  Jeze pulled out her Channeling tools and went to work. As she studied the Runes and double-checked her Tomes to make sure that she was using the correct patterns, she wondered why the Lich was not here. Once she was confident, she began to altar the Runes that were etched upon the pedestal, and she gently inserted her Will. The energy snapped into place, and just like before, the Hold Core floated downwards. The walls and tunnels hummed and shook as the power left them. The mysterious white lights faded and plunged the room into darkness. Couzart illuminated the room with a quick Light spell and hurriedly snatched up the Hold Core.

  "Yes! Good work!" He exclaimed and then took a deep breath. He held the fist-sized sphere in two hands.

  Jeze saw that the enormous monolith was gone and in its place was a wide stairwell that circled upwards and ended with a portal. The Floor Portal to the next level. She would have guessed that all portals would have powered down, but this made sense. They removed two Hold Cores which powered the first five levels. But, there were two more Hold Cores that remained and they provided energy for the top half of the Stronghold. That was why there was a portal to the Sixth Floor.

  Couzart exhaled slowly. "I'm ready for this," he said.

  Jeze was not sure if he was telling her or trying to convince himself. She wanted to ask, are you sure? But decided against it. Jeze figured this was an important moment, and any doubt or mistake could result in failure and death. Jeze wanted to keep guard, but she couldn't help but watch with fascination as Couzart attempted to absorb the Hold Core's power. Jeze had a pit in her chest. Every time someone used the Hold Core for power, it resulted in betrayal for her. What have I done? She wondered to herself and shook her head. Too late, what was done was done.

  "I feel it," Couzart said with a grin.

  Jeze watched as the energy from the Hold Core leached out in streams of light and electrical sparks and was absorbed into Couzart's chest. He inhaled deeply as the energy pulsated and transferred with greater intensity. It was as if a crack in a damn widened into a larger hole.

  Couzart gritted his teeth. "There is a lot of power here."

  It is a Dragon's Heart, Jeze reflected. But she kept that to herself.

  "Might have been more than I anticipated," Couzart said.

  Parts of his flesh started to peel away and disappear like ash in the wind. Jeze couldn't stop watching. She had no idea what to do. Maybe tap into the Life aspect? Try to contain the Hold Core with the Portal aspect to slow down the energy transfer? With horror, Jeze realized that she didn't have time to do either as more and more of the Elite began to break away like the burning embers of a flame.

  Couzart screamed, and his face consorted with exertion. "I can do this!" He roared.

  But Jeze knew that was not true. He was a fighter and he would fight until the end, but she saw what the Hold Core was capable of. The type of beings that could consume it. Unfortunately for Couzart, he was not one of them. To Jeze's surprise, Couzart's face relaxed and he was talking to her.

  "I do not regret my decision. I do regret that I can not keep my promise to you, Jeze. For that, I apologize," Couazrt said.

  Jeze's initial reaction was to scream at him. To demand that he not give up. To curse him for taking her away from her friends. But she was too tired. In a strange way, she was at peace. Jeze knew, with certainty, what she must do. She will be the guardian of the Hold Core. Until when and for what? Jeze didn't know. But it was her responsibility. Jeze nodded and prepared her Channeling tools so that she could begin etching the Portal aspect to contain the Hold Core once it was released. She will have to hold it after all.

  Couzart accepted his fate and smiled gently at Jeze. "I'm also sorry for placing this burden on you. I truly believed I could handle the power. I lived my life by taking chances. What I told you is true. You can not advance without risk. Be stronger and wiser than I was."

  With that, Couzart burst apart in flames and ash that twirled around the chamber like a tornado before dissipating. His energy remained to illuminate the chamber, and Jeze heard the thud as the Hold Core fell and rolled toward her. She sighed. Jeze was numb, and she went to work to etch the Portal Runes around the Hold Core in order to safely contain it. Jeze knew she had to act fast. It was not if but when the Lich would arrive, and she needed to be prepared. Her friends will be in the dark, and this whole Level no longer has power. There was so much to do. So many problems, but Jeze pushed those aside. It was best that she focused on the task at hand and faced each challenge in their due time. One, she will contain the Hold Core. Two, she will prepare a little surprise for the Lich. Jeze grinned. Despite all that she experienced, she was still able to feel the excitement of the situation. A chance for her to challenge herself! Also, with enough planning, Jeze could make things incredibly difficult for the Lich.