by RG Long
"These things can be killed," he shouted over the commotion at Silverwolf as they raced through the streets. "I've seen one be destroyed before."
"What army managed that?" she yelled back at him.
"Not an army," he said, pulling her into an alley and out of the massive crowd of soldiers and civilians fleeing the demon that had continued smashing a path toward the middle of Beaton.
"This," Ealrin said, panting, but holding out the spear. "Remember the wolves? I think they're from the same stock. If this spear can take down a hound, it should be able to do one of these demons."
Silverwolf looked from the spear to Ealrin's eyes.
"And you said you wouldn't trust ME?" she asked incredulously. "We'll be lucky if we can make it out alive, let alone try to fight one of those monstrosities."
Screams from the main road told them that the demon was coming closer. Out on the street, Ealrin saw bricks flying and a cloud of dust filled the alley. Beaton would never again be the glorious city it had claimed to be after this havoc was finished.
"Silver," he said, not knowing quite how to put what he was feeling into words. Hadn't Holve given himself so that others could flee the demon fighting them? Would he be so brave as to try to fight off one or more in an attempt to let others go? Hadn't Bertrom saved Silverwolf with his last brave act?
What was there for him, a man with no memory of his past, to lose? So many of his friends had laid down their lives for others. Was it his turn?
"We have to try to give them a chance to get out. The people."
"What? The ones who were just trying to kill us or the ones who wanted to arrest us?" she asked hotly, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed up at his. "Why don't you look after your own skin for once?"
Ealrin knew there wasn't time to argue. He couldn't explain it. There was just something inside him that told him it was right.
"I've got to try," he said, looking into the main road again. He turned and began to walk back towards it, carefully making his way there, in case the demon came right on top of him.
"You're mad," Silverwolf said behind him.
He knew there was truth in that.
But he also knew that one person fighting for the needs of many could make all the difference in a war. So he would do his part. Without a glance back to the assassin he had befriended and fought beside for the last few days, Ealrin ran into the streets again, fully intent on hurling a spear at the first demon he came into contact with.
The opportunity presented itself much sooner than he had planned on. Once his foot stepped out onto the stone street, the demon who had appeared in the upper district strode not ten paces away from him. For one penetrating moment that seemed to stretch on for an eternity, Ealrin took in the great beast.
It was every bit as tall as the last one he had encountered. The raging monster towered over two-story buildings and its armor covered most of its body with black, interlocking plates. Seeing Ealrin, it raised its whip back and prepared to bring it down to strike. He rolled to the other side of the street and felt the chain of the whip miss him by a hand's breadth. His dive had taken him closer to the demon and he raised the spear with his left hand, attempting to strike the thing with the ornate and powerful tip. This first blow deflected harmlessly off of the demon's armor.
Ealrin dodged right and swung with his sword, knowing the blade would do little damage against the thick armor of the demon. What was more, though he knew he had hit the beast's skin with the sharp blade, it bounced as uselessly off of it as if he had hit the armor that surrounded most of the demon.
All of it, save for its belly, Ealrin saw.
Again the whip flew and just missed his shoulder, instead exploding a stone stoop behind him. The debris hit him hard in the back and he ran haphazardly away from the blast.
Then he heard, from his left, a familiar voice.
“Hey, ugly!” Silverwolf was yelling as she threw a rock and then a dagger at the demon. Both hit the large helmet, but neither did more than annoy the beast.
A loud demonic wail came from it as, with its other hand, it swung the long sword down where Silverwolf stood. She dodged, but only just. The stone street below the blow flew apart and blocked Ealrin's view of the white-haired woman.
He closed in again with his spear held high. With a wild sweep, he managed to scrape the front leg of the demon and saw a bright purple flame shoot from the wound.
It bucked onto its hind legs as it recoiled in pain, kicking wildly with its front one at Ealrin.
He back away as quickly as he dared, keeping his face towards the beast. The whip rose again and came down to where he was standing. Again he dove, but this time his reflexes had not been fast enough. His right leg had caught a portion of the whip and it burned to his skin. He let out a yelp of pain, even as he came closer to the demon.
Still rearing up on its legs, Ealrin had gotten himself under the thing and let it fall down on top of him. Even as the beast lunged, he held the spear fast to the ground, praying it wouldn't snap.
It didn't.
The demon fell onto the tip of the spear with all of its might. Purple flame erupted and seared Ealrin's hands, though he dared not let his grip on the spear fail. The tip disappeared into the beast and a hot sticky liquid ran down his hands. It thrashed wildly about in pain and kicked Ealrin hard in the chest as he tried to get out from underneath it, wrenching the spear free. He flew ten feet backwards and into a pile of rubble. Silverwolf was at his side in an instant.
“Stupid idiot!” she was yelling. “You nearly got yourself trampled!”
Ealrin's head felt oddly disconnected. It was spinning of its own accord, or so it felt. He closed his eyes and the world felt like it was turning upside down.
Yet there was something in the relief in Silverwolf's voice that held him to his body. Ealrin opened an eye and looked groggily around.
“Is it dead?” he asked, his voice sounding dry and cracked.
Silverwolf looked behind her and then turned around again, nodding.
“I think so,” she replied. “But you're a fool for thinking you could take that beast by yourself.”
“Thanks,” he replied, not really knowing what he was saying.
Screams still seemed to fill the street and his vision was very blurry. Yet he looked into the eyes of Silverwolf and found that they were comforting and steadied him.
With great effort and feeling a lot of pain in his leg, he lifted himself off the ground and stood. Though he could put weight on his leg, it still burned with every step.
“Where are the others?” he gasped, looking about at the now deserted street.
Silverwolf's gaze was just down the road, towards the fountain. She pointed and said simply, “There.”
No fewer than twenty of the beasts stood around the center plaza, all ablaze with purple flame and all looking at the figure standing in the center of the circle on top of the giant fountain. The figure was clothed in the same purple flames with an impossibly large sword in his hand.
The demons wailed loudly.
Then, as one, they bowed to Rayg.
"Welcome!" Rayg's voice boomed over the ruins of the city. "After years of entombment, you are free! I am the one who ensured there would be sufficient bloodshed to bring you to the mortal realm. Now that you are here, bring the flames of destruction upon every living thing so that more may come and the destruction of this realm can be complete! Do all in the name of our Master and Lord!"
At this command, the demons turned and all walked towards the outer wall, where most of the soldiers and citizens had fled. Their demonic wails filled the air and Ealrin covered his ears.
"Still want to save the world?" Silverwolf asked him after the cries had died down, but still needing to shout over the crashing of the demons as they demolished whatever lay in their path.
Ealrin saw that Rayg was now suspended in the air, hovering behind the demons, wreathed in purple flames. They all were walking towards the pl
ains outside of Beaton, towards the people gathered and fleeing there.
With pain still in his leg and both his weapons clutched tightly in his hands, Ealrin made his way after them.
"Yes," he said, stumbling forward to whatever fate lay before him.
39: The Speaker's Power
Demons leapt over the walls of Beaton and out onto the plains below, mowing a path of carnage wherever they went. The dragon swooped down and breathed its fire at one of the beasts, which recoiled in pain. The demon swung its huge arms wildly, trying to grab at the dragon even as red and purple flames danced all over its body. It screamed howls of pain and rage. Another demon came to the aid of its brethren and grabbed the tail of the dragon with its mighty arm, grounding it. The two fought and clawed at one another viciously. Red fire poured from the dragon's mouth while the demon tried vigorously to beat at the winged beast with its mace.
Elves who had just recently dived into the fray took aim at two demons now charging in their direction. Though they peppered them with arrows, they still drove on toward them. Several attempted to cut at them with their swords, to little effect.
The dwarves all appeared to be rushing towards the demon that had been attacking the dragon. Axe and hammer cut down any that stood in their path.
Most of the men wearing the green of the Southern Republic were running away from the city as fast as they could. Others who wore red, or else were dressed in common clothes, were either rallying around the elves and dwarves who were fighting the demons as best they could or running for the hills beyond.
It was no longer a fight of men against dwarf and elf. Now the only thing everyone was doing was fighting or running from the monstrosities that bore down on them.
All of this took place in plain view of Blume, who was still controlling whatever sword and shield she could find to defend her and the road that led to the ship where her friends were. The old man who had showed up still stood by her. Together they had kept the soldiers of the Southern Republic from returning to the ship. Whether they intended to flee with the children in tow or burn the vessel with the occupants inside, Blume didn't know.
She knew that no matter what, however, she would protect those within. Jeremy and Abigail were in there. All the kids from the Home for the Helpless who had been brought forcibly to the fight were as well. Blume knew that she would do whatever it took to keep them safe from harm.
Even if it cost her the only life she had to give.
The old man was keeping his fair share of Southern Republic soldiers at bay as well. Blume had little time to contemplate this, but when she could spare a breath she shouted above the commotion going on around them.
"I thought you were with the South?" she said, using a shield to deflect several arrows from hitting him in the chest.
"I'm paid by them," he replied, eyeing the shield and then thrusting his halberd into a man who had charged them, sword flashing and eyes full of rage. "And after this I doubt I'll be seeing my coins. Name's Anders by the way."
Blume was aware that the rushing water that was spilling from the city would soon fill up the river. What she was unsure of was, however, if the kids on board were skilled enough to be able to untether the ship themselves and get away, or if they had the mind about them enough to do so.
Most of the fighting was taking place away from them. Demons fought against combined armies of men, dwarves, and elves. Blume allowed the swords and shields around her to fall to the ground. She felt tired and hungry. Her energy was being sapped away from her. The magic she had performed was minimal, but still she knew there was only so much she could do before she would be drained completely.
Her necklace stilled glowed with a green light as the demons fought on into the fields around them. It wouldn't be long now before they came their way. Blume set her eyes on the nearest one. She had never seen such a horrible beast, though she had been told about the one that had beaten the army of Thoran.
Like a terrible bull with the torso of a man wreathed in purple flame, it was larger than a house. This one held a great trident and a shield in its hands. With every swipe of its weapon, soldiers all around it fell.
Then, in a flash of purple flame, Blume saw, standing on the wall of Beaton, a figure clad in black, an impossibly large sword held high above him. The figure leapt down from the defenses and, instead of falling to his death, he sped along the ground as if flying towards the first group of demons and began to cut a path of carnage all around him.
A fear swept over Blume. A debilitating terror kept her rooted to her spot on the barrel. Rayg was killing more than any of the demons that rampaged across the fields of Beaton. Blume watched as swathes of soldiers perished at the hands of the man who appeared to be more demon than human.
"The proposition of us escaping with our lives looks rather grim," a voice said behind her.
Blume wheeled around to see Jeremy and Abigail standing behind her and next to the old man, who was looking at them as though just seeing them himself. Jeremy held a small knife in his hand that he had just picked up off the ground. Abigail was clutching a spear to her chest.
"What are you doing!?" Blume shouted at them. "Get back on the ship! You'll get killed out here!"
"So will you," Abigail said shortly, betraying her fear in her selection of so few words. She trembled visibly.
"Now just a minute," Anders said, looking at the pair of them bewilderedly. "You kids can't fight those things!"
"We are more aged than Blume, the Speaker you see here, both of us," Jeremy countered.
But there was no more time for talking. One of the demons was charging past a group of dwarves, sword flashing and body spreading purple flames all over the fields, right for the spot they were standing.
Blume looked at her friends standing there, ready to fight with her, knowing that they would surely perish if the demon came anywhere close to them and got in even one swipe of his sword. With great pain, she turned away from her friends and began to Speak words of magic, words that she knew her body could not endure for long. She only prayed that Anders, a man she barely knew, would have the sense to get them all away while they had time.
A blinding, brilliant, orb of green light formed in her hands. Powerful waves of energy pulsed from the depths of it as she held it steady. The demon continued to race towards them. Controlling it for as long as she dared, Blume hurtled the ball of energy toward the demon. It sped towards it and, as the two connected, the demon burst in an explosion of purple and green.
Satisfied that she had given her friends a few moments at least to escape and run, Blume exhaled, thinking it to be her last breath. So much of her energy had gone into that one spell that she could feel herself losing consciousness.
But then her necklace began to glow more fiercely than ever before. Soft green wisps of vapor began to emanate it from it. Slow puffs of the green energy rushed into Blume’s mouth, filling her lungs with air and power. She gasped, realizing that her death was not immediately going to occur, but instead saw that she was surrounded by green, wispy vapors of energy. She stood tall on her barrel and surveyed the battle before her. Demons were still battling the armies around them. The lone figure of Rayg finally caught her gaze, and she knew what must be done. Without a glance back to the friends, feeling more strength in her body than she ever had ever experienced, Blume ran towards the carnage.
It didn't take long for Rayg to find the glowing light speeding towards him on the battlefield. He flew in her direction. Blume stopped and raised her hands in front of her, preparing herself for what might come.
Rayg landed paces away from her and simply stood, staring for a moment.
"Foolish child," he said, a smile creasing his face, his sword pointed right at her heart. "You know not the power you are facing nor the one you are so unable to control properly. What hope do you have against the might of those who have transcended time and space to devour the world?"
"Enough to fight," she replied, and let bursts of
energy explode from her hands. The world around her became a blur of green power and purple flame. Rayg's sword flashed again and again, nearly missing her several times. For every slash of his sword, Blume sent a blast of energy at the enemy she hated more than anything.
"Feeling useless yet!?" Rayg bellowed as he brought his sword down hard. Blume only just managed to sidestep the blade, but the explosion that it caused when it hit the ground caused her to fly sideways and land on her back, sprawled on top of the bodies of those who had fallen in battle.
"Those pitiable creatures you lie upon are the scum upon this entire planet," Rayg said as he walked over to where she lay, temporarily too stunned to move. "I have come to cleanse the dirt away."
"Just like Androlion then?" Blume asked, teeth gritted and trying to raise herself off the ground. All at once she felt very drained. Darkness was beginning to close around her eyes. The green energy around her seemed to fade.
Rayg laughed, throwing his head back and cackling madly.
"That fool? No. Nothing like Androlion, silly girl. He had visions of a world fallen into ruin and thought he could prevent such a catastrophe. The truth is that he sped it along with his war on the races. I'm just finishing the first part of what we sought to have him do: bring enough blood upon the land so that the tide of demons could flow freely. Soon enough, lives will fall so that our Lord will bring about the true end of all races upon this despicable rock of a world and let a new order take their place."
He looked at her and she saw that his eyes had become blood red.
"But for you," he said, his smile widening and his hands bringing his sword above his head. "None of that matters. Only your death and the destruction of that vile thing around your neck."
Blume still struggled to stand, to crawl, or move at all. Her energy continued to fade and her body felt heavier and heavier with each passing moment. Rayg was all her eyes could see. The rest of the world was a dark blur. Comprehension filled her. All of her losses and pains were because of the demon man standing before her. He had brought about the death of her family and friends. It was he who had caused calamity to come to the world she knew. And it was he who would end her life as well.
