Spirit's Lullaby

by J E Mueller

  I tried to remember what venom it could be. Very few demons had the ability to bite and envenomation someone. Temporarily, of course, for the Blessed. She would be severely weakened for two or three days, making it so she wouldn’t be able to fight like normal. But she would heal.

  “Isn’t that uncommon?” I nudged Lydia as we set our stuff down.

  Lydia hesitated. “Yeah… it is.”

  “So, we’ve come at a bad time, I take it.” I glanced at the tent.

  “Seems to be our luck,” she agreed.

  “Ready to dance, then?” I asked, holding out my hand for her.

  Lydia grabbed it and squeezed tightly. “With you? Always.” She took the lead.

  We dropped off our bags and continued on to where everyone was meeting to fight. The others did the same and were quickly right behind us.

  As we walked, I adjusted my sword and made sure my runes were exactly where I needed them to be. Without a word, I handed a shield rune over to Lydia.

  “Never hurts to be ready,” she agreed and pocketed it away. “Ready to actually fight this time?”

  “You’re the one that tripped over a twig.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Roots are different than twigs.” Lydia rolled her eyes back at me. “And I saved you like three times in the last battle.”

  “After I saved you five times.”

  We glared at each other for a moment before laughing.

  “Keep your eyes open and you’ve got this.” Lydia’s laugh died down and she paused.

  “Remember, dodging isn’t falling with style.” I nudged her, stopping as well.

  “It kind of is though…” Lydia replied thoughtfully. “Anyway, sword?”

  I held it out but didn’t hand it to her. Instead. I gave her my other hand and she took it in hers. Within moments I felt her magic flow from her, through me, and into the sword. It tingled pleasantly and left an oddly warm trail for a few moments before disappearing. leaving me with a sword that glowed a very soft, hardly noticeable, blue.

  It occurred to me we had faced no troubles getting here. I had figured the final stretch would have a lot more demons preventing us from making it to the final destination. While I was happy to be wrong, it still seemed odd. “How did we get here without seeing a single demon?”

  “I bet for this last half it’s just because we were so close to this final checkpoint. They would rather go after a group. Take down as many of us as possible. Maximum impact.” Lydia kept her eyes ahead. “We’ve got plenty now, though.”

  I could sense them. The darkness, anger, and fire that was their normal signature. “Guess we’re perfectly well-rested for once.”

  “I would be if someone would have let me sleep.” Lydia smirked.

  “Funny.” I gave a fake laugh as we passed through a small section of trees. I could hear the distant sounds of combat, only muffled slightly by the greenery we were passing through.

  Chapter 10

  In truth, I wasn’t sure what to expect. This wasn’t it, though. In front of us might as well have been a painting. A group of maybe twenty Blessed were spread out fighting a slightly larger group of demons. In what had to have been the center of the clearing was a small, swirling vortex that was a mix of black, dark purple, and lightning. Smog clung to the immediate area around it and was so thick I couldn’t tell if it was from the vortex or coming from the other side of it. As I watched for a moment, I saw a demon, struggling to pull it’s fairly human size body through the vortex. One of the Blessed noticed it and pulled out a crossbow to shoot. Another demon took notice of the Blessed with the crossbow and went to attack them, but a different Blessed stopped the demon, leaving the first free to fire a bolt. The direct shot to the demon's head left it hanging out of the vortex for a moment before it was slowly sucked back into it. Another emerged and seemed to pull itself through with little problem.

  “What in the name of Shaudrey am I watching?” I asked.

  Lydia gave a small laugh before replying. “That vortex is their way through. Don’t touch it, it’s got a bit of a kick. Stronger demons can pull themselves through with no problem, though those usually just warp through the realms anyway. They have the energy and magic to handle that. For the weaker ones though… well, as you saw, it’s a way into our world but it still pulls them back to their side. They’ve got to be quick. Some try to avoid battle so they can escape into the world, and cause havoc. Let’s make sure they don’t make it that far.”

  “This almost seems too easy,” I said as we started walking again.

  “It usually isn’t too bad, but remember, the biters are out,” Lydia warned.

  “So, more trouble is likely not far behind.” I heeded her warning.

  Without any more hesitation, we entered combat. With the others from our traveling group just barely ahead of us, a turn in battle came. We were the added numbers needed for a clear victory. The demons were already slightly outnumbered, and with us there, they were quickly gone.

  “I’ve never seen this happen before,” someone commented a short distance away from me.

  “They usually come out quicker…” another said, their voice guarded, but they kept shifting positions.

  Everyone was hesitant. Nervous glances went between groups and friends. Several took steps further back and farther away from the vortex. It continued to release a dense smog that seemed no less ominous with the lack of demons. If anything, it was even eerier.

  I felt a tingle of wind and a whisper. “I’d run now,” I heard Lliam say.

  “Let’s get out of here,” I called to Lydia, and turned to move quickly away.

  These people didn’t know me, but no one faltered at the suggestion. We had barely thirty seconds head start when a loud crackling came from the vortex. We turned as a group and watched a swarm of demons emerge. I was glad to see that they were all lesser demons, but still felt a tug on my arm and a flow of magic as Lydia added power to my sword.

  “I wouldn’t doubt there are going to be stronger ones,” Lydia cautioned, not liking that they seemed to be coming through at once. As if this had all been planned. Still, she didn’t hesitate the second my sword was fully charged to dive back into the fray.

  More and more quickly they poured out, and I took note of one of the Blessed swinging wide as a demon lunged to bite another Blessed. The first one met his mark, saving the other from being poisoned, but how many were there? They all looked so similar. They had barely human features covered in a smoldering coal like exterior. Some had horns, some razor-sharp teeth. A few had extra limbs adding to the nightmare feel.

  There was no way not to join back into the fray. The demons were quickly scattering, some looking to pick a fight, others trying to sneak off into the wider world around us. I couldn’t knowingly let them go out into the world. For better or worse, I was back in this fight.

  They wouldn’t stop coming. For every demon we took down, three seemed to pop out until we were starting to feel overwhelmed. Sweat dripped down my face, and my clothes were torn, though for once I had avoided any cuts. Lydia was faring just as well, but some of the others had been at this much longer. I found myself aiding anyone I could. The look of thanks was all any could manage as things continued to get worse.

  “He’s coming,” I heard Lliam frantically state.

  I had no idea who he meant, but something in me filled with dread. I risked a look over at the vortex as the lightning stopped. The outpouring of smoke ceased and the snickering and laughing of demons faded.

  “He’s here.” A demon cackled, and I wondered if any others understood his words.

  There was no time to ponder. The vicious monsters hadn’t ceased their attacks just because something new was on the horizon. The added distraction caused a few to be cut, hit, or pushed over, and the rest of us tried to help our allies regain their footing. Something thundered from the center of the clearing, but I couldn’t risk a look that way. I blocked a set of claws and pushed back, looking for Lydia. Seeing sh
e wasn’t far, I struck and killed my foe before looking at the vortex and saw an arm, much too big to reasonably fit through, make its way through.

  “Aw, hell no,” I said aloud. Those who heard me turned to look. Their faces dropped. While I knew this was bad, I wondered if anyone knew how bad. Clearly, this was all for show and we were very screwed.

  “Ever hear of Beleth?” I heard Lliam ask. “I don’t think most learn real demon lore, but yeah. This isn’t good.”

  “Nope. No idea. Scale of one to ten?” I asked, and saw a few weird glances as I jumped back into the fray. Shoot, I needed to ignore Lliam right now, didn’t I? Keeping myself hidden might actually be a challenge.

  “I’d say an eight. These guys are maybe a two for perspective,” Lliam replied honestly.

  My internal screaming intensified as I tried to keep my reactions down and make sure the demons closest by were taken down. If none were alive to rat me out, no one would know I had this special ability.

  With an audible thud, my attention was drawn once more to the center. Smoke once more was able to make its way through along with the lightning. A creature, standing about nine feet tall and with a massive build now stood next to the vortex. The creature had very human features with only patches of smoldering coal. He gave a loud booming laugh that was deep and dark. With one hand he reached back into the vortex and pulled out a large warhammer.

  At this point, the smaller, more normal for us demons were nearly gone, but enough remained that we couldn’t just turn and run. I was the only one fast enough to escape them, and there was no way I was leaving anyone behind.

  With another laugh I felt the earth shake as the creature Beleth smashed his hammer into the ground causing a quake that knocked most of us off our feet. I pulled the man to my left aside as claws missed his face. The person in front of me wasn’t as lucky and was hit in the arm while another bit their leg. Screaming in pain, the person quickly crumbled, and I blocked the next hit with my sword while kicking away the biter demon. The ground quaked again and this time I stumbled hard to the ground. With only a moment to spare, I rolled quick and managed to strike a demon as it was about to bite into my leg, and with that thrust, banish it. I felt the magic effectively leave the blade, and I wondered how its blessing was used so quickly. Maybe it took more magic to banish those biters.

  I looked for Lydia but couldn’t see her as I pushed myself to my feet. All I could do was block and deal nonlethal damage now. With a glance, I noted that demons were resuming their entrance to this world via the vortex. There was no time to curse the odds as I dodged once more and tried to get Lydia within my sight. No luck. Another block, block, stab, dodge. That’s when I saw Beleth take a large swing of his hammer. While he hadn’t moved, the energy and magic from his weapon sent a blast knocking us all over. Plenty were able to recover and fend for themselves. Not the person in front of me. He was still struggling from the last attack.

  A claw went through his chest and another slit his throat. His body crumpled to the ground and horror swept over me. I had never actually seen someone die. A few gurgles of blood could be heard before he fully collapsed. Terror ran through me as I was frozen with shock and awe. That’s when I noticed something that I had never considered.

  I could see his spirit leaving his body. It started as a small, thin, gray wisp. As he seemed to realize his fate, his spirit grew to his normal size and stared in surprise at his body. In that moment I saw a demon grab for him.

  “No!” I screamed and blocked him, putting myself between them.

  The spirit looked at me surprised.

  Another demon reached for his spirit, and I turned to block again.

  “Come with me,” I heard Lliam say while I countered the attacks around me. He offered his hand to the spirit.

  Confused as the spirit was, it recognised Lliam’s Blessed garb and accepted his hand. Together they vanished. Relief swept through me. I wasn’t certain what a demon could do, but I knew there was no way they should touch the new spirit.

  “She knows,” I heard a crackling voice say as I spun to block an attack.

  An echo and pointing filled the camp. Variations of her, she knows, and that one could be heard. Well, Marella had tried to warn me, and yet… I couldn’t let them have that soul. There were no regrets.

  I cracked open a shield rune and called the magic to me just in time for the first wave. The Blessed looked confused and surprised that every foe turned away from them and focused on me. I crouched low to the ground, ready for another earthquake, and had my second shield rune ready. Instead of another wave of demons, I heard thundering footsteps and Lydia’s scream. I saw her too far away to do much to help me, and Beleth was running towards me.

  “Well…” I said to myself as I felt the shield begin to break. “I don’t think there’s a way out of this one.”

  I watched as Beleth readied to swing his hammer, this time close enough to hit people. He brought it up high and just as he was about to swing he stopped and looked over his shoulder. A form, about seven feet tall, covered in flames with hair standing on end had our attention. With a wave of its hand the lesser demons turned to ash.

  Surprised, the Blessed trying to help found there was nothing left to fight and turned to look where I was. Beleth pointed his warhammer at the flame beast who, instead of showing any concern, merely smirked and vanished. Beleth vanished as well.

  “What even happened just now?” someone called.

  Similar questions of worry and joy popped up, but one thing was quickly agreed upon. It was time to go. Now.

  With a deep breath, I released the magic from the rune.The shield was cracked and nearly destroyed anyway. Many rushed past me, but I had to join up with Lydia. Once together, we retreated.

  “Do you think Beleth saw you?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I replied honestly. “If I could see enough of him to know his next move, there’s no doubt he got a good enough view of me.”

  Lydia cursed under her breath. “We’re going to need a damned good plan.”

  “I don’t know how we can beat whatever that thing is.” It was huge, scary, and clearly strong enough to cause a large group of us worry. Scratch that – caused all of us to worry.

  “Us? No. With divine intervention, maybe. Maybe we can lure it to a spot that can handle both sides for a short time.” She didn’t sound confident, but at least it was the start of an idea.

  “What was that fire thing?”

  “No clue.” Lydia glanced back to make sure nothing was following us. “If I had my guess, as crazy as it might be, I’m going with your demon friend.”

  “Why would Marella expose herself in such a way? The lesser demons were destroyed but the big guy clearly knew who she was. I think he went after her.” We were nearly to the encampment now.

  “If she’s hidden this long I am sure she knows how to lose him,” Lydia said as she slowed her pace.

  I mimicked her, going from a run to an easy jog. “I’ve no idea how to find out for sure.”

  “She seems to like graveyards,” Lydia replied. “Let’s get far away from here and try one.”

  “What about the guy who died?” I asked, realizing we left his body.

  “Angels can handle it.” Lydia shrugged. She watched a few run by her. “They’ve no idea that he didn’t ascend. They’ve no idea why the demons turned on you.” Lydia glanced at me. “I barely understand. What tipped them off?”

  “What was his name?” I asked instead.

  Lydia dropped her pace to a walk. “I think it was Gentry. He was a Gray Violet. Probably three years younger than me.”

  “I saw his soul leave when he died. He was lost, unsure what had happened, and the demons wanted to take advantage of this. They tried to grab his soul, and I blocked them. I knew right where they were aiming for. Anyone else would have seen them leaping for air and likely just sidestep them since they weren’t being attacked. I did that twice, but I couldn’t just let them take Gentry’s s
oul. I couldn’t….” I felt tired. I had no idea how to save that soul and it was only by luck the demons hadn’t taken him.

  “What happened after? Is his soul okay?” Lydia asked softly.

  “Lliam retrieved him. I’ve no idea where they vanished off to, but I assume they’re fine now.” Was there a way to even contact Lliam to find out?

  Lydia stopped as someone rushed up to her. I hadn’t noticed Leon on the field but recognized him from the Black Violets.

  “We’re breaking into groups to head back. You should probably stay in a larger group.” Leon stated, nodding my way.

  Lydia shook her head, dismissing his concern. “It’s a long story, but we’ll be better off traveling just as a pair.”

  “No way.” Leon argued, looking appalled by the idea. “Every last demon jumped your friend for no obvious reason and Beleth clearly was ready to take only her out. We’re lucky to be alive. Anyone closer certainly would be dead.”

  “Did you see what saved us?” Lydia asked crossing her arms. Her posture conveyed that she wasn’t going to lose this argument.

  He hesitated to answer as he looked around. “Yeah, I don’t think anyone missed that. It was a level two demon, maybe even top tier. We’ve no idea why they’d destroy their own kind like that. We don’t even know which one it was. We need to leave now to be safe.”

  “Then leave,” Lydia replied sternly. “I’ve an idea who it is, and if we’re right, then we need to find them sooner rather than later. We can’t keep Tella alive, but that rogue might be able to.”

  “Deals with demons are too dangerous,” Leon spat back.

  “It’s not a deal, clearly they are fighting on their own terms.” Lydia brushed past him. “Report back. We’re going to need more help no matter what answers we find.”

  I didn’t give him a chance to continue and jogged to catch up with Lydia. “This is going to be interesting.”

  “Probably going to get written up when I get back too. It’ll be fun to see what rumors spread from this mess.” Lydia chuckled. “Guess we’ll have to make it back alive first.”