Chapter 26: The Death of a Good Man

Over the next week Phillip's condition had worsened, his face was white, he was always in cold sweats and he kept coughing up black liquid, although they all assumed it was his blood due to the hint of red it also had. And every day he seemed to get worse, he'd wake up vomiting in the night and completely exhausted in the morning.

Argamir and Harnor had taken a lead in the group due to Cornelius spending most of his time with Phillip and trying to find a cure…at least that's what they thought. Then came that day, that one day that shook the entire group. This is how it happened.

Cornelius walked into the study room; Harnor, Argamir and Arthur were peering over maps and notes that they had double checked, trying to find the location of the fourth Tome. "I'm going on patrol everyone" Cornelius announced, but hardly anyone had paid attention him and he resumed his walk to the outside.

"Maybe the Elves?" Harnor suggested, "My brother Haldor and his tribe will most likely be in the Everglade Forest."
"You have a brother?" Arthur asked.
"Well he wouldn't count me as a brother anymore due to my werewolf disease, but if anyone knows where the next Tome may be, it would be Haldor."

Argamir shook his head to this statement, "yeah, but you remember what Flourence told us yesterday" Argamir pulled up a map of the continent and pointed at Coldwind. "The Dark Destroyer's forces are moving up to the mountain; another two days we'll be surrounded and any attempt to escape the magical barriers we've put up will result with Shadows on us in seconds."

"What about the old mine?" Everyone in the room turned to see Phillip standing in the doorway. "The old Iron mine further up the path, goes straight through the mountain, completely bypass the Shadows…" Phillip stumbled, Alice and Hawke quickly jumped out of their seats and caught him, and they lowered him into a nearby chair.

"Thank you" Phillip said, then he began coughing violently, Alice grabbed a bowl and placed it under Phillip's chin just before he coughed up more black liquid. "Feels like my chest is about to collapse" Phillip wheezed.
"How do you feel?" Arthur asked, kneeling next to him. Phillip smiled, "I feel like death, but beyond that…fine." Phillip coughed more and spat into the bowl.

They all heard a bang, Harnor had slammed his fist into the table, "no good, I looked at the old map of that iron mine."
"And?" Phillip replied.
"And there are five tunnels that all lead towards a central chamber, eventually leading to the other side of the mountain. The problem is there is another tunnel at the crossroads of the tunnels. That tunnel leads to the surface, right into the Dark Destroyer's forces."

Argamir studied the map, "I bet the Shadows have already infested that tunnel, but it seems we have no choice. Within the next two days we'll have to fight our way through those tunnels, problem is trying to get Phillip through in his condition." He then glanced at Phillip.

"Don't worry about me Argamir, it won't matter soon anyway." Phillip smiled. At that moment there was a loud, rumbling noise outside. Harnor instantly ran outside to look, and then returned shortly after, "there's been an explosion at Cornelius' patrol route!"

"Do you think the Shadows have broken though?" Alice asked scared, but The Hatter shook his head, "no, Cornelius put up strong defensive spells." Argamir was already picking his sword up, "everyone man the perimeter, make sure nothing has got through, Flourence and Hawke you're with me, Arthur and Harnor stay here and look after Phillip." He quickly commanded, everyone gathered their weapons and followed Argamir outside.

Phillip coughed more, "Arthur, I need to talk to you, alone." He said glancing at Harnor. Arthur nodded and helped Phillip back into his room and set him down on the bed. "Arthur, I'm deeply sorry for what's happened to you, about Galeron and everything." Arthur nodded.

"I'm also sorry for your loss" Phillip added, Arthur instantly thought of his parents, the parents that he never knew. "Thank you" he said. Phillip shook his head, "the loss that is about to come I mean." Arthur's face screwed up with confusion, but not before then heard something heavy hit the floor in the study.

"Someone's here" Arthur stated as he reached his wand, and then realized he left it on the study table. Phillip quickly stood up with suprising strength and gripped Arthur's shoulders. "Arthur, I must ask you, and it will be hard. But don't hate him or blame him for what's about to happen. It must be done."

"Wait…what do you mean? What's going to happen?" Arthur asked desperately, but the door had already begun to open. "Out the window, quickly!" Arthur did so, he jumped out of the open window and landed on the floor, Arthur crouched below the window sill; just enough to see what was going on.

Cornelius was standing with his black wand pointed at Phillip. Phillip stood there, unafraid, at peace. "I'm sorry it's has come to this." Cornelius said, Phillip nodded, "so am I."

Cornelius lifted his wand to Phillip's chest hand, and then he lowered it. Arthur once again reached for his own wand, and then realized he didn't have it on him.

Then, Phillip spoke. "Cornelius…please. I beg you." He pleaded. Cornelius raised his wand up and said quickly, "Murdero Maxima" the purple killing curse shot out of Cornelius' wand and hit Phillip square in the chest. Phillip fell backwards out of the window; Arthur fell to the side to avoid his body falling upon him.

Arthur couldn't believe it, he refused to, but the concrete proof was there, lying on the ground in front of him. Phillip's lifeless eyes stared up to the stars, a small smile etched across his face. "Cornelius!" Arthur yelled, he jumped back through the window, Cornelius was already gone. Arthur ran into the study, Harnor was on the floor, Arthur checked his pulse, and he was still alive, knocked out by a stunning spell.

Arthur grabbed his wand off the table and began running after Cornelius. He could just see him; Cornelius' dark silhouette moved though the remains of Coldwind, just past Mr Nord's house. Arthur ran faster, reaching the bottom of the hill. He continued running, and then tripped over Mr Nord's unconscious body. Arthur reached the edge of the village, Cornelius was just about to walk through the spell barriers, and then Arthur screamed at him. "CORNELIUS! HE TRUSTED YOU!"

Cornelius turned around, his wand at the ready, tears running down his cheeks.

"Artica!" Arthur yelled the spell flew at Cornelius; just he blocked it with a shield charm. "FIGHT BACK! YOU DAMN COWARD! FIGHT BACK!"

A stunning spell hit Arthur in the chest; he flew and hit the floor. "Never call me a coward boy!" Cornelius yelled back, Arthur stood up again, "COWARD! FIGHT BACK! KILL ME!" Another stunning spell hit Arthur in the chest, this time winding him. Cornelius quickly ran away, he passed through the barriers and then… he disappeared, leaving Arthur on the floor, crying.

Arthur knelt down beside Phillip's body and cried, he felt Mari squeeze his shoulders and try to comfort him. Everyone gathered around Phillip's dead body. Alice lifted her wand up and the tip of it lit up blue. The Hatter followed with his cane, then Hawke with his staff. Flourence and Argamir lifted their swords up into the air, then Harnor with his bow. Mr Nord lifted his axe, Damon his sword, then Mr Patient with no weapons at all just lifted his hand up into the air.

A good man had died then, another one had betrayed them. They all watched the broken Arthur cry on Phillip's chest. A good man had just been murdered.