The Return of Magic by Chris Mazzoli

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Ryvn wrapped his undead fingers around the hilt of his sword and locked eyes with the human commander. "Sebastian, you are a fool. Why do you insist on this course of action?" Ryvn yelled, trying to overcome the din of battle around them.

"Your kind shall not keep the secret for yourselves! This is our world now, and we mean to have that which you hide away!" Sebastian, sweat plastering his curly black hair to his face, shouldered past a fellow attacker and brought his battered shield and long sword to the ready.

"Why won't you..." Both fighters paused as a flight of black-shafted bolts hissed overhead. "...listen to me? We are cursed! We do not keep that which is hidden away from you for our gain, but for yours." Ryvn stepped forward arms spread wide, "Look at me! Do you want this for your people?"

Sebastian's eyes swept over the undead leader. Wisps of hair clung to a cracked and leathery scalp. Ryvn's clothing, millennia stained and worn, hung limp on more bone than flesh. Sebastian shuddered. "I will not hear of it. The books of magic have kept you alive for a thousand lifetimes. I will have that power!" Sebastian charged, grunting as Ryvn sidestepped the attack and drew his sword.

"Yes, the books of magic have kept us alive! Alive, when all we have dreamed for is death. Humanity is better off without such knowledge." Ryvn brandished his sword; its ink-black blade shed tendrils of darkness into the bright afternoon air, sending the temperature crashing. Sebastian's breath clouded and his sweat froze as his beady eyes fixed on the wicked blade.

"You know this, this legend?" Ryvn asked, sinking into his ancient battle stance.

Sebastian nodded as he watched the tendrils of frozen death do their hypnotic dance before him. "Yeah, the Darklyte." Sebastian licked is lips.

"That's right, forged from the formless void. Nothing of this world can stand against it." Ryvn lowered the blade and tensed his body for action.

"The time for talk is over, Ryvn! Humanity will have what you hide. Magic will be ours again!" Sebastian launched his attack. Ryvn made no attempt to block Sebastian's blade as it pierced his side; instead, he brought the Darklyte down in a sweeping arc leaving tendrils of frozen void behind it as the dark blade clanged off the bronze shield. Both warriors, having tested each other's defenses, leapt back.

A chunk of dried flesh and gristle hung at the end of Sebastian's blade. "Seems to me you're missing something," he said with a wry smile.

Ryvn grinned and shrugged, "I haven't needed it in a long time, but your shield seems a little worse for wear."

Sebastian looked at his trusted shield. The bronze stood a stark white along the line of the Darklyte's kiss. Sebastian gave it a light rap and the bronze shattered. Sabastian's face tightened.

"If you do not give up this quest of self-destruction, this will happen to you too." Ryvn pointed the Darklyte at his enemy, chips of frozen flesh falling off his hand and forearm from the intense cold of the blade.

A horn blared from above, and another flight of black bolts rippled into the final line of defense.