A little known fact is that everything technically possessed a limited amount of spirit energy. Frequently this was due to being part of nature, which held massive amounts of spirit energy. Creatures and spirits like the Blight Spirits would track their origins to locations with massive amounts of spirit energy.
The first of their kind would have pulled themselves together from the bodies of the dead, both animal and plant alike. Naturally Theodora and Boudica weren't originally Blight Spirits but their ancestors would still have come from a similar place.
Beside the natural ability for areas to garner spirit energy, often then wielded by a druid, a building was the clear repository of power. It was from the first buildings, tents, and structures that the earliest Necromancers began their magical constructions. Though when the method for spirits houses originated is still a mystery.
People were made of three parts. The mind, body, and soul. Amongst this selection of parts only the mind was not held firmly in place as to not let off excess power. The spirit is often, within the stacks of books that Teddy was reading through, pictured held back within the body by the mind this was not the entirety of the case. The body was split from the soul via the mind as a preventive method.
Souls let out more power then any average person might believe. Coursing lines of energy would arch off bodies over time. This did not make them any less powerful and in fact the Paladins were using the lack of preventive methods to gain their incredible abilities.
Fusing one's body and soul within the theory of the Necromancers should kill a person but they had been wrong before, and would be wrong again.
The resident or any long-term occupant of a building will infect it with spirit energy over time. This is why buildings that are haunted are always on the older or ancient side. However, efforts are often made by those who know the old ways to keep large landmarks cleared. Having rumors swirling of ghosts at tourist attractions would lose them money.
Banneret Emile had used her ability to demolish buildings upon their enemies before. Once a family of vampires had been eating the local deer population. The order had worried for the local hunters safety, nobly they had sent her forth to kill them. It had been a squat one story building with a well kept garden, black berries growing to one side of the yard.
When her hammer smashed down onto the building under Wayne's golem she reveled in the memory. The small ones hadn't been quite crushed under the weight of the building, their parents desperately holding the debris up over their heads. Screams had filled the midday air as the sun peeled back their skin and melted their bones.
The five story office building was quite a bit bigger than a single family home. Even as she gave the order for it to destabilize it would take some time to begin crumbling. The Hammer of Order, or as those who were preyed upon by her called it the Gavel of Doom.
Knights within the order often did not have special abilities without some form of augmentation. In the case of Knight Banneret Emile, her first operation had borne wonderful fruit. A diligent girl since her youth, when she was placed inside the program by her father. A veteran in his own right, he never had the compatibility for the operation. It was his orders implanted deep within her mind at an early age that let her gain such power.
Orders for the Gavel of Doom came down to how much spirit energy she would use. There were many factors, the main two were duration and order viability. A person struck who has a strong enough will can resist its effects such as Paladin Wood. The more complex or against one's nature an order the higher the price.
Duration was the other determinate. The instant she struck the building the flesh of her drum vibrating out the order was given and ended. Knowing her limits she narrowed the scope of her order down to the spirit energy running around in that floor's piling, which ran down into the foundation. As the hammer came away from the wall the spirit energy rocketed down into the ground.
Wayne had some grasp on her abilities from how she redirected his blade arms. He himself had long prepared for such an attempt on his life. When it came to those who didn't value life, buildings and structures might as well be invisible. The rumbling was low and slow.
On the other hand the Banneret started on her way back up the building knowing it would take some time to fall. Opposite her was Paladin Wood the shining metal upon his helm reflected the light down upon the dark alleys below. Body flashing out from Wayne's right.
The Necromancer moved without care fingers brushing upon his switch board. Flicking one button into the on positioning another volley of middling size shot out at both the assailants. At this point both had become accustomed to the tricks they believed him to possess.
Paladin Wood sped himself up blasting into the center of four limbs. These arms whirled with the sound of machinery, but were only fashioned with fists. As predicted by the Paladin they made a turn in the air around him, he turned round and thrust each leg. They caught two arms each shooting out as spears to pierce their centers with a fizzling sound they were broken.
Back still wide open he was prepared for a follow up attack that did not occur. His precaution over the possible attack had him landing down at the edge of Wayne's building. Only now did the Necromancer look up at him. Up to that point he had treated them like an after thought.
Such an infuriating treatment set Paladin Wood off. This was to be a glorious battle, the stage was set. No civilians would be harmed, and yet the Necromancer sneered at him. As if to say that he was the lowest of being, a hideous being, a being that squirmed upon the ground that did not receive even the pity to be squashed under heel.
Below the dipping edge the Banneret kicked off her own targeted attack using the redirections to move up beside the Paladin. She had to admit despite her hate for the man he was powerful and making this look much easier then her own performance. Clearly the prior orders regarding his level of power had been unfounded.
Only a glance over his trembling shoulders told her this man was becoming lost within his passions. It was a common thing for them who gave up their humanity to battle the fiends of the world. Even now she could feel his mind crunch and chew away at the world around it.
"You bastard. Do not give me that look. Are we not here to shed our blood? Ah, I see. OH, lord, I see it now. The difference between us." Paladin Wood moaned.
Wayne didn't give him an answer, keeping a neutral mask of a face. The Banneret might have moved to kill him but she knew the Paladin was not of his right mind. Taking his prey or making a move might provoke him. Upon the helm was a single panel that could be moved to reveal his face, and he did so.
A gleaming eye stared out at Wayne. Madness swirled within its terribly wrought appearance. Since their previous meeting his features had grown blurred, obscured from the world by a mass of spirit energy. This view did in fact give rise to a change in Wayne and the Banneret.
The Knight took a step away. Had that useless squire not tracked him up to this point? He was nearly completely lost within his obsessions. Wayne didn't know why the man had changed so much but the darkness within the spirit energy was unmistakable.
"You who did not step onto the battleground, you who locked themselves away within their towers. It is you, he who let us wash in the oceans of blood for your benefit."
"Then you were a soldier?" Wayne asked.
"So I am right. A shame, the spark does not lie in wait within you. Not like that boy, yes, he has what it takes. Tell me Necromancer, where is my future companion? I know he shall become just as I am, baptised in the blood of our enemies."
"He is doing as you once had, fighting to save those in need." Wayne calmly intoned.
"Save? SAVE. No, we did not save anyone, the war, the world, the people. We only fought to survive, they only fought to survive." His voice went from a powerful gust to the smallest of whispers.
"Is this what you truly seek?" Wayne asked.
Paladin looked back up at him, their gazes clashing once more in the air. An understanding passing between the two of them. Wayne could feel it, a similar yet twisted feeling to his own. The regrets that existed only with those who felt they did too little for the war effort.
"Death and Valhalla." The Paladin spoke hushedly.
"I understand your plight. Shall I grant you this death though I am unworthy?" Wayne asked.
"You can try."
The talking ceased. The building below cracked and slanted off to the left. A silent signal was given by Paladin Wood the Emile. Though shaken by his words she still followed his orders. The helm became whole once more and the two of them leaped forward.
One hammer bearing down from above the others twin bladed arms lashing out from the right. All the while the building shrieked from below loud and bellowing as if it was hundreds of dying animals. Another whirling sound filled the air as smoke pumped high into the sky.
As it cleared Wayne and his half a building sized contraption were no longer upon the top. A blink of an eye had taken him zooming out along thick cords of spirit energy laid down from the surrounding buildings all the way to the Red Ridotto Estates that loomed in the distance.
"How?" The Banneret gasped.
Her hammer came slamming down into the building. It was a powerful strike but useless to the already crumbling building. Paladin Wood had quickly shifted to look out at the suspended man. Something was wrong. Necromancers always had a theme in his experience, this one seemed to shoot parts and pieces out without care. Yet, they could not be unlimited. Surly he would be running low.
"Now let's start for real." Wayne said.
His finger twitched on the key board. From the surrounding buildings where holes had been carved via his golems and further hidden within them a hissing sound resounded. The two Knights had fallen right into his hands and would not be going anywhere else. This originally had been prepared for Leonidas, he doubted they would be able to combat the trap.
Lights glowed and shined from the surrounding rooftop, the true intention of his magic circles hidden by the lack luster traps laced within. Paladin Wood and Emile only had a second to think before everything was drawn back toward them. Far beyond simply dealing damage to support beams the five surrounding structures exploded carrying large concrete chunks toward them.
The pre-planted golem parts were huge net like structures that swallowed up the paladins, crushing up the bodies of the other two along the way. With a wet slapping sound and crunch a cube of dense material slammed down around the two.
Golems were based around either a magic circle or spirit to accomplish their tasks. The golem that he had brought to this battle field was one powered by a spirit. A seamstress that pulled on the strings attaching the hundreds of nets to catch their prey. Blood began to ooze out from the condensed cube.
"May this serve to end your suffering." Wayne said wistfully.
*CRACK* *CRACKLE* *BOOM*
Wayne was cleared far away from the cage but it exploded with incredible force. Debris was sent hundreds of feet into every direction. The figures of two people shown from within, their bodies beginning to descend toward the ground.
The Banneret was in a horrible state but Paladin Wood stood ramrod still. Helm discarded among rock and concrete. Out from the blackness of the soul energy a horrible mouth spread wide open as if pinned on each corner. Anger filled eyes gazed out at Wayne.
"Well, not that I thought it would have killed him either." Wayne smiled.