Darkness Descends on the Forests

[Trucido Damnedblood]

"Good, Hmm, we should test this out somehow..." He said as he rubbed his chin. "I don't think there are any heroes in the area. Damn, if we found one, then we could test your new powers out."

[Maliciferum]

Malice cackled again. "I know just the one!" he clapped his hands together. Almost instantly there was a flash of light before Trucido and Malice, and before them was Zee. "Will this one do, my lord?"

[Trucido Damnedblood]

"Yes, a little small, but he will do for the test." He then sat down and pulled out of a bowl of ice cream, "Let the show begin!"

[Zee]

Zee had been currently looking at the moon with his collapsable telescope when he found himself looking at Malice. "Uhhh... what's going on?" Zee stood up and saw Trucido. "Ah... crap." Zee started thinking of a way to get away from them.

[Maliciferum]

Malice smiled, and raised a hand to point at Zee. A wave of vegetation crossed the ground like a tsunami towards him as Malice cackled with delight at his new power.

[Zee]

Aw crap, Zee thought, why did Malice have to do this? He quickly shifted through the spells that could stop the vegetation. "Heat Wave!" He waved his hand and a wave of intense heat rolled toward the plants. The plants, however, were hardly damaged. They slammed into him and rammed him right into a tree trunk. He lost the ability to breathe for several moments, finally muttering a spell. "Flame." The plants burned, the fire from the burning plants singing Zee's clothes. Zee ripped the rest of the way free and fell to one knee, gasping for air.

[Maliciferum]

Malice sighed, "Perhaps this will be all too easy...". Malice watched the small figure across the bower as he struggled to breathe. "What are you doing?!" shouted a small voice in his head. It was Aya's voice. "Why have you betrayed us?!" it shouted again. Malice raised a hand to his head as flashes of memories swam through his mind like salmon fighting upstream. There came another voice "Kill him! The Heroes will fall, and all will perish, we need you to save us!" Malice recognized this voice as that of Flora, the collective consciousness of Allorum's plant life. But it was different, somehow...malevolent. A vision of a lifeless planet arose in his mind. A planet of fire and ash, on which nothing could survive. "This will be the world if you go back to them..." the voice of Flora said, "...Please Herba Malicferum, DO NOT LET US DIE!!!"

The voice was overpowering. Malice felt as if he was being consumed by the vision of the dead planet. "NO!!!" he screamed, sending another, larger wave a Zee.

[Trucido Damnedblood]

Trucido smiled as he watch Malice beat up the hero. "Looks like you are using my gift really well." He said. He put a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth and study the moves of Zee and Malice. Hmm, I should increase the fight somehow...

[Zee]

The wave that was coming at him towered over him. Time to test my new power level. Ever since he had nearly died atop the Tower of Salvation, it seemed the curse had left his body almost entirely. The drowsy effect was still anchored to him, but he was hardly tired from spells anymore.

The only spell he could think of at the moment was magma flow, but it was a high spell, and he didn't know if his new magic would take it. Always time for testing new things, he thought as he tried to remember the incantation for the complex spell.

He finished it at the last possible moment and a wall of magma rose ahead of him. The plants slammed into it, getting vaporized. Some of the plants that were thicker made it through as sharpened sticks from the high speed, however, and Zee only had time to bring his hands up before they struck. Many just wizzed past him, but a few hit home.

He was struck in his right bottom leg, and one actually went through his left arm, stopping only inches from his head. The impact threw him back, and the sticks, weakened by the magma, broke with ease. Zee's back once again slammed into the tree trunk.

[Maliciferum]

Malice stepped down from his throne and began slowly walking towards the injured Hero. Smiling, he jeered "Do you like my new power? Quite impressive, is it not?" Vine began to climb across Zee's body, attempting to crush him like a mouse in the grip of a mighty snake. Malice turned away from Zee and walked over to Trucido. He turned his head and called in a venomous tone "Try not to make a mess when you die!"

[Zee]

"Ma... Mal... ice... " So, this is the end, Zee thought. No! An inner voice screamed in his head, you can still do at least some damage to Malice before he takes you down! Zee smiled... for some reason, that sounded really appealing. Zee wouldn't harm anybody, but at that moment, he wanted to do the opposite. His voice returned, and he spoke more forcefully. "Malice... Malice! Erg!" He knew he was thinking irrationally, but he didn't stop. He started ripping vines off of his body, but more grew back.

Frustrated, Zee pounded the ground with his free arm simply said, "Wilt." A rippling wave emanated out from his body, engulfing the trees and plants in the surrounding area. The plants and smaller life forms died almost instantly. He stood up, shaking dead vines from his body. "Come on, Maliciferum, you don't expect me to die That easily... do ya?"

[Maliciferum]

Malice was a little surprised to see Zee using his power so effectively. "Actually...for a second there, yeah, I did." He turned around and stared into Zee's eyes. This was going to be more fun than he had anticipated.

[Zee]

"Alright... my turn. Flame Throw!" A fireball appeared in Zee's hand and he threw it at the traitor he once knew as friend. Why was the anger controlling him? Zee shook his head, right now, he should be on defense, not offense.

[Maliciferum]

The fireball raced toward Malice. He raised a hand as the sphere of flame came close, and the fireball stopped mid-air. It hung in the air for a moment then with a loud crack, the flames solidified into clear crystal. The frozen flame fell to the ground and shattered. "That's new..." Malice said, a little surprised. "You will have to do better than that, fool!"

[Zee]

After seeing his attack stop just like that his body snapped out of it's anger. Run, his sensible side told him, you know he's stronger than you. You need to report this to the other heroes. Zee took a step back, raising his hands. "Malice, what has gotten into you? What about all of your friends?"