I marched toward the river, keeping a steady pace. My bandage around my cut bounced loosely with a single band waving behind me. Sharp rocks push into the tough spots on my feet. My breath is still heavy from my previous fight with Tenbrion. He caused so much pain to get what he once had but instead pushed it further away I think as I push closer and closer to the river. The river gave off certain energy and with each step the energy pulsed harder and harder.

I finally reached the bank of the river; the strange energy it gave off was still pushing against me, almost as if it was saying turn back. The water was shrouded in a thin fog, the waters below the fog was dark. If it weren't for the ever shifting waves it would almost appear as if the river was a solid. I stare down the river seeing if there was an end to it, there was not. In each direction the river seemed to flow endlessly only stopping when it the shadows consumed it. I reach in my bag, my fingers reach the void. Thank god this still works. I grab a few empty vials, each the same size. Lower myself down reaching toward the waters. The bottle enters the water along with my hand. A bite of cold sinks into my hand. I wait until the bubbles in the water stop and then pull the vial out.

At first the bottle comes out full but soon water drips out. I place my over where it seems to leak from only for it to just drip through my finger. A cold sensation overtakes my finger each time it dripped through. This persisted until the vial was bone dry. I stare at my hand to see it with the same dryness of the vial as if I never touched the river in the first place. I knee back down and try to fill the vial again only to reach the same result. I tried again with a different vial, but it made no difference. I place the vials back into my bag and cup my hands. I dip my hands into the water allowing the chilled water enter the cup I made. I bring my hands up toward my face. The water slowly drains away from my hands, causing the feeling of the bone being chilled.

Hmmmm, seems that glass can't hold this water at all but my hands can... maybe if I drink it, then it will stay.

I stretch my arms toward the river, and fill my hands. I slowly raise the water up to my face. I stare into the water for a moment, my reflection is shown on the shadowy water. The reflection stared back at me with dark eyes like an evil clone. Finally I begin to bring the water to my face ready to drink the liquid. My hands are about 4 inches away from my face when I hear a rattling of bones from behind me. I quickly drop the water to the ground and turn. I try to send my blade out but it didn't respond to my command. Must be the anti-magic.

I look forward to come face to face with a skeletal face. The creature stood about 6 foot 6', it wore an old fashioned viking helmet with the large horns protruding out from the sides. The helmet was darker then the river flowing just a few inches behind me. It wore a chest plate that matched the same color of its helmet. Small bits of padding rested on its shoulders, with sleeves of a shirt underneath it reaching a little further down its arm. Past the sleeves skeleton arms hung downward, metal bracers on each arm the color showed it was the same material of the helmet and chest piece.  In its right arm it held a black spear and in the left was a large shield. Below the chest plate was a leather skirt, with black metal disks studded into each stripe of the kilt. Large metal greaves clung to its boney legs.

(Here is music for this. I Stand Alone by Godsmack)

He lunged forward sending his spear my arm, I quickly raise my arm to block the spear. The spear makes slides to the outside of my arm, as the metal touched my mechanical the arm felt even more mechanical and less a part of me. The skeleton pauses then slams the spear against my arm pushing me further to the side and away from the river. I lose my balance and quickly step back to gain my footing again. The skeleton takes this brief second to dash forward with amazing speed and slam me straight in the face with his shield. I roll backward and land in a kneeing position. I stand up wincing from the strain on my wound. I look at dead eye sockets of the skeleton and smile.

"You can do better than that can't you?" I spit some blood on to the floor and get into a sturdy stance, "Well, don't just stand there come at me skelebro."

He throws the spear toward me and I quickly block it with my arm, "That all you go..." I looked back at the skeleton who was now charging at me with a small sword.

He swings down and I block with my arm, the force of the blow returns me to my kneeling position. As he pushes the sword down I see brief moment to attack.  I quickly push his sword upward and lunge forward with my real arm in order to punch the boney bastard. My fist makes contact with his skull, a subtle crunch noise echoed outward as his head flew off his body.

"Weak skeleto..." The shield arm swung and punched me in the stomach.

I jump back, the pain quickly spreads throughout my body. The skeleton's body walks over to its head and places it back on its head. The skeleton moved its jaw back in place and took stance. I charged with my arm flung back. It raises its shield with one arm. The two forces collide causing a resonating clang of metal, as he held his ground. His feet dug into the ground as well as mine. We push against each other until I hear sound of a blade cut air. I spin around in time to block a sword from slashing my back. I look toward my second opponent to see another skeleton. I roll to the side to avoid the first skeleton's sword swing down at me.

The skeletons charge at me the first one striking low and the other high. I raise my arm at just the right time to block both the blades, their force pushes me further back. My back presses against a large stalagmite. In unison the skeletons stab their swords forward. I duck just before the blades embed themselves into the stone. They try to pull their swords out of the stone. I get to their sides and smash down against their arms shattering the first ones bones. I use my other arm to push him away. I grab the handle of the weapon and yank it hard, causing rocks and dust to pull out as the sword left its hole.  

"My turn assholes." The skeleton's rattle, most likely their way of laughing.

The bits and piece that were once the arm of the first skeleton shot back toward him, slowly the bones knitted themselves back together until the bone was a solid piece again. The skeleton walks back the spear it had thrown at me earlier and picked it as the other wrenched it's sword from the wall. They reformed their stances and prepared to fight once again. I held the sword in my left hand so I could use my right arm for defense. I charged forward, slashing down the spear skeleton. He blocks the hit and his friend slashes at me but I stop the blade with my arm. The spearman pushes my arm up and swings low knocking my feet from under me. They stand over me ready to end it. It can't end like this. The skeleton raises the spear over my body. I did too much just for it to end now. He begins to send the spear down.

No, I won't let it end like this! I thrust metal arm upward and grab the spear mid-air. I let go of the sword and grab the spear with both hands putting as much force as I could into pushing it to the side. I succeeded the skeleton hold the spear was flung into his friend leaving his spear in my hands. I quickly stand up, the strain from the fight made my legs weaker but the adrenaline flowing through my veins kept me moving.

"I am Celt the fucking bugbear! I faced a god just today! I will not be killed by two damn skeletons!"  I rush forward.

The skeletons were still getting up as I attacked. I first used the spear to bat one of the skeletons' head off in order to buy me a bit of time. Then I twisted the spear around so that the point was facing the other skeleton's head. I shot the spear down impaling the spear through his head. The other skeleton had just recovered from his recent decapitation. I swing to the side taking off the sword skeleton's head in the process. I swing low severing the legs at the knee joints making him fall to the ground. I raise the spear still with the other ones head still on it and impale it through the fallen skeleton's head.

I release the spear and back up a little bit. I smile at my handy work. The skeleton's bodies walked around looking for their heads patting the ground since the head could not return how the normally would. The bodies bump into each other and the stalagmite where I had almost lost my life. I give a hardy chuckle at my success. I walk over to the sword and shield the one skeleton had been carrying before it abrupt decapitation. I grab the shield first, it was roughly shaped like a kite and its edges were rounded. The shield color was a deep black just like the other stuff the skeletons wore.

Next inspected the short sword he had been using. The blade was widest near the hilt then curved in a ways before curving out once more, one final curve to create its tip. I grab a hair off my head, and drop it on the blade. Sure enough the blade cut the hair in two. The hilt was the same as the blade with a slight curve to make it more comfortable for the hands. I strap the shield to my left arm and hold the sword in my right. Better to have these in case there are more of them. I turn around and walk back to the river. What I saw off in the distance as I turned literally made my jaw drop.  Thousands of the skeletal creatures marched in formation, each carrying a spear, shield and sword like the other two. The army of the dead halted for a moment as each one of them pulled out their spear.

"What in the hell are they doing?"

Each of the skeletal figures brought their arms just like how a javelin thrower would. Oh god please don't tell their going to... They all pushed their arms forward sending the spears into the air. The spears created a shadowy cloud blocking out the ambient light shining down from the roof of the cavern. Well fuck... I lift the shield to block the incoming projectiles. A few moments pass before a spear lands a few feet behind me reimpaling the skeleton's bodies. Serves them right. More spears begin to descend on me. The first spear that hits the shield pushes me backward, I keep my stance standing strong against the waves of spears that continue to pound against the shield. A spear cuts the side of my neck and a small trickle of blood flows down my back. Oh god that was close... A spear shoots downward and enters my foot.

"HOLY SHIT THAT FUCKING HURTS!" I scream.

The spears stop falling, I look around to see the entire area covered with spears. I look back to the army to see them charging. I pull out the spear from my foot and throw it to the side. The wound was minor, since the spear had not fully penetrated my foot.

"Well, when in Rome." I begin to charge at the massive army.

I unstrap the shield while running and grab the non-pointed end. I quickly stop using the momentum to send the shield darting forward like a bullet.  The shield hit the first row of undead soldier causing them to stumble back leaving an opening in their ranks. I spit some blood out before I begin rush into the break. I scream as I punch forward smashing into one of the shields leaving a dent. They begin to surround me, each held their shield and swords ready for anything. I see my previously thrown shield lying on the ground. I quickly strap it back on.

They made the first move, each one swung downward, I raise the shield and block the strike, and the force sends me to my knees. I push back up making the skeletons step back returning to formation. I circle around waiting for one of them to strike, but they did not. Each one was ready to strike but they did not move.

"What? Did you all lose your ner..." I choke a little.

A slithering feeling crawls over my leg. I look down to see a chain, moving on its own it slowly made its way up my leg. Suddenly my leg gives out, there was no pain, and no warning before it happened almost like its energy had been drained instantly. Wait, oh shit it's draining my energy! I reach down and try to pry the chain off of me but no matter how much strength I put into stopping the chain, but still it persisted. My other leg gave out and I fell to the floor. The chain slithered its way up my body, sapping the energy from the places it passed over. I crawled past my arms and taking their energy with it. It finally circled around my neck, draining the last bit of my energy.

I saw a black leather boot in front of me and with my last remains of energy I muttered, "You cheating asshats." Then I slip from consciousness.

Next Chapter: Meeting Mother Nature (21) Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 14 Minutes