Frostborn: The Undying Wizard Read Online Free Page B

Caius fought at Kharlacht’s side. With his heavy mace, the burly friar barely needed Calliande’s magical augmentation. The blows of his mace shattered knees and spines, and Caius then finished them off with a strike to the head. 
    Ridmark shot a glance over his shoulder just in time to see Gavin strike down an undead orc that charged Calliande. It had been just over a week since they had departed Aranaeus, but the boy’s skill had improved in that time. His blade sheared through the undead creature’s neck, white fire struggling against the ghostly blue flame, and the undead orc fell motionless. Gavin had a steady head and a steady arm, and if they lived through this, one day he would be a masterful swordsman.
    But for now, Ridmark would try to keep the undead away from Gavin and Calliande.
    He turned back to the attack, the length of his staff shattering another undead skull. The corpse fell, and Ridmark moved closer to the others as they fought their way to the burial mounds. They had destroyed at least a score of the undead, but more still emerged from the ruined fortress. How many of the creatures were there? Individually, the undead were not strong, but they could overwhelm Ridmark and the others through sheer numbers. 
    And whatever necromancer had raised them had to be watching the fight. Perhaps the wizard’s plan was to pin them in place and then unleash his spells in an attack. 
    A dark shape emerged from the ruins, and Ridmark wondered if he had found the wizard.
    It was an undead orc that stood nearly eight feet tall, taller than even Kharlacht. Black steel armored the orc from head to toe, and the creature carried an enormous black greatsword. Eldritch symbols of crimson fire shone upon its cuirass and bracers and greaves, and Ridmark realized the creature’s armor had been reinforced by blood magic long ago, likely the work of an orcish shaman. No doubt that explained why the armor had survived the centuries in the ground without damage. Its owner must have been a powerful chieftain, perhaps even the petty king who had raised this fortress.
    The armored orc spotted Ridmark and raced towards him, raising the greatsword.
    Ridmark sprinted to meet the creature as Kharlacht and Caius fought their way through the other undead. 
    He did not attempt to block the undead chieftain’s first swing. His staff had a steel core, but the sheer weight and power of the undead orc’s greatsword would tear the staff from his grasp. The huge blade blurred past his face, and Ridmark stepped inside the creature’s guard, his staff swinging. It slammed into an armored leg, and the massive orc staggered but did not fall. The staff flared with white light as Calliande’s magic struggled against the ancient spells upon the armor, its glyphs shining with a crimson glow. The orc rushed at Ridmark, and he landed another blow on its armored flank as the creature passed. The undead warrior staggered from the blow, and Ridmark stepped behind it and struck, his staff hammering against the black helmet. 
    The armor deflected the blow of his staff, and the undead orc turned with inhuman grace, the black sword blurring. Ridmark retreated as the creature pursued him with heavy, lumbering steps, its black sword clutched in both hands. One strike from the undead orc’s heavy sword would open him up like a butchered pig.
    The heavy sword…
    That armor had to be heavy, too.
    Ridmark dodged another swing and changed direction. His staff struck the undead orc’s heavy cuirass and bounced away, but he had not intended the strike to penetrate armor. It held the creature’s attention, and the warrior followed him. 
    He jumped into one of the stagnant pools, the cloudy water splashing around his boots, and backed away. 
    The warrior pursued him, striding into the water.
    And as it did, its armored boots sank into the muck at the bottom of the pool. The undead orc staggered, its balance lost for just a moment, but a moment was all that