Seeing that they are losing the drawbridge, the demons on the battlements hurry down the stairs and grab swords to push the chaos elves back. Winged archers take to the sky, making it harder for the golem and children to hit them. With all of their attention on the front of the castle, none of the defenders notice the griffin silently swoop out of the clouds and dive into an open courtyard. Having the other champions on her back and clinging to her paws, the struggling beast nearly collapses on the rough cobblestones. Even after transforming back, Luke is left gasping and groaning on all fours. A healing pulse from Delvin helps him recover, but there is a stiffness to his limbs and tightness in his chest thanks to his growing anxiety. The familiar scent of the Baron reaches his nose and turns his stomach until he dampens the keen sense of smell he has borrowed from Stiletto.
“Let’s get inside quickly,” Dariana whispers, leading her friends through the nearest doorway. She stops in the well-lit entry and waves for the others wait, her telepathy searching for anyone not involved in the battle. “I am picking up thoughts down that hallway. There is a demon waiting for us by the portal. Its mind is guarded, so I can’t take it out from here like I had hoped.”
“I really don’t like leaving the chaos elves alone,” Nyx admits as she peeks out a window. A pair of winged archers are knocked out of the sky by a fiery boulder, their screeches drowned out by the storm. “If their defenses fail and we’re not here then they could be slaughtered. There are only one hundred demons and that’s still enough to defeat a couple hundred inexperienced chaos elves. Can we please go back and help them?”
“We have to get moving, Nyx,” Delvin replies, taking her by the hand. Another explosion rocks the castle, the impact sending pebbles bouncing into the courtyard. “Sounds like they have everything under control. These are minor demons, so it’s nothing to worry about. The real danger is ahead and waiting for us.”
“That might not be true,” Luke whispers while drawing his sabers. The half-elf steps back into the doorway and keeps his eyes on the clouds, his sound sight picking up large forms that are spiraling toward the courtyard. “Looks like the Baron left three Spurges here. They’re hunting for us, which is why they are hiding from the battle. All of you go to the portal and I’ll take care of them.”
“In your condition?” Sari asks as she tries to see the demons. Unable to locate the powerful creatures, she grabs her stiletto and hides next to the entrance. “Your confidence and courage are still damaged. One of those things would be hard enough for you like this, so you’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you take on three.”
The forest tracker sighs and looks at his friends, most of who show no signs of wanting to leave. “I have to do this to get better. Won’t work if I have all of you to protect me. Better I attempt this test against the Spurges than the Baron.”
“Far be it for us to stop you from being reckless,” Timoran declares while turning to walk away. He tosses a minor healing potion over his shoulder, the small vial barely caught in Luke’s mouth. “Lily gave me that for emergencies, but you may need it more. We will claim the portal and wait for you. Do not take long, my friend.”
“I’d argue with you if I thought it would do any good,” Nyx mutters, punching her best friend in the arm. Seeing that Sari is refusing to move, the channeler takes her by the wrist and guides her away. “He’ll be fine. If we don’t have confidence in him then he’s not going to have it in himself. Besides, this means more of the bigger demon for the rest of us.”
In spite of Sari frowning at him, Luke smiles and waits for his friends to disappear around a corner. Stepping back into the empty courtyard, he waves his sabers in the air to get the lurking demons’ attention. Three muscular forms slam into the ground and create cracks that run to the surrounding walls. Stone wings with veins of lava flap to kick up dust, which becomes faint clouds around the Spurges’ legs. Each of the terrifying creatures has four arms that wield poison-coated blades, the dark green liquid dripping and leaving burn marks on the ground. Two of the demons yawn and reveal rows of jagged, barbed teeth while the one in the middle stands with its arms crossed.
“You have grown stronger since our last encounter,” the Spurge states with a grin. He steps back to let his companions go ahead, their large wings making it difficult to move around the courtyard. “While you look the same, I can smell the power in your blood and hear the scars within your soul. Life has not been very kind to you, especially since there is no priest to trick me this time.”
“Vorgabog was a long time ago,” Luke admits with a bow. He sprints at the nearest demon and leaps over its attacks to slice one of its wings off. “I get the feeling that your friends aren’t worth my time. So, how’s the family?”
“They are doing well. Thank you for asking.”
“I’d love to catch up, but I need to get back to my friends.”
“And we have to either be sent home or devour you.”
“Never enough time for old friends, huh?”
“Yes, but it seems you will amuse me like the last time.”
Luke blocks two of the injured Spurge’s blades and leaps high into the air to avoid the remaining weapons. He plants his feet against the growling demon’s lower wrists and spins to lop its head off, the body fading as he flips away. Kicking out, he bounces off one of the stone wings of the friendlier Spurge. A burst of wind beneath his feet gives him extra distance to avoid a flurry of swords that repeatedly clang together. Feeling an unexpected boost of strength, Luke races toward the demon on his right. Metal scales appear on his arms for a brief moment, the effect disappearing as soon as he slashes off all four of the creature’s hands. Defenseless and angry, the Spurge leans forward to bite and misses as the half-elf dances away. A moment of hesitation gives the demon what it thinks is an opening, but the champion meets the charge with a stab the chest. The Ring of Uli sparks for an instant and sends a shockwave of pink magic into the demon, which explodes in half and disappears.
“Sorry about that, but I’m still recovering from those scars you mentioned,” Luke explains, facing the final Spurge. He can hear the Sword Dragon chuckling in his head, the beast waiting for another chance to take over. “Not really sure what’s going on with me. You wouldn’t be willing to go back to the Chaos Void on your own again, would you?”
With two blades dragging along the ground and the other two held high, the Spurge races forward. Luke rolls to the side and is batted away by a stone wing, the blow knocking the wind out of him. Rapidly blocking the barrage of slashes, he dodges every toxic weapon by no more than an inch. Not wanting to depend on the spirits to save him, the half-elf keeps them restrained while leaping around the courtyard. Luke slashes at every opening, his sabers leaving deep gouges in the Spurge’s dark skin. With his attention more on dodging than attacking, the battle continues longer than the champion would like. The situation gets worse when the demon begins swinging its weapons in opposite directions at the same time, which makes it more difficult to avoid their poisonous edges.
Realizing that he cannot last much longer, Luke tries to use a window sill to help him leap over the massive creature. The fragile stone breaks beneath his heel and he falls to the ground, both of his sabers slipping from his hands. The Spurge lifts all four of its arms for a death blow that misses when the half-elf rolls away from the wall. Driving his foot into his enemy’s groin and following up with a punch to the inside of the knee, Luke stuns the demon. The flailing swords prevent him from reaching his own sabers, so he catches one of the hairy arms and pulls it back. Instead of impaling the Spurge on its own weapon, the move only results in him hanging on while the stronger creature rises off the ground.
Dropping before he is stabbed, the half-elf sprints for his sabers and keeps his ears tuned to what the demon is doing. He spins around in time to see his enemy dive towards him, flecks of lava flying off in its wake. Unable to block all four weapons, Luke leaps away and lets them cut his shirt instead of his flesh. Being so close t
o the ground, the Spurge is unable to stop itself from crashing into the earth and kicking up a cloud of dust. Its wings clear the courtyard with a mighty flap, but the champion is nowhere to be found. Turning in a circle and sniffing the air, the demon backs against the wall and watches for movement. Too late does it remember the window, which Luke’s arm smashes through and twists around to stab the creature in the head. Violently yanked into the open, the forest tracker pulls his saber free and flips around to decapitate the chuckling Spurge.
“That wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected,” Luke gasps as he picks glass out of his arm and neck. Drinking the potion, he is about to hurry after his friends when the entire castle shakes and the storm above begins to wail. “Why do I get the feeling that something really bad happened without me?”
*****
After leaving Luke behind, the other champions hurry towards the throne room, which has had its doors torn off. Heavy footfalls can be heard coming from inside, a metal clink ending every echoing thud. Delvin moves ahead to peek around the corner, the warrior almost speaking when Sari darts across the entrance. The floor is littered with banners that have been torn from the ceiling and a wooden throne has been driven into the center of the back wall. Chandeliers sway from being batted around, two of them threatening to fall from their rusty chains. Heavy breathing and a low hiss can be heard from outside, but there is nothing within the room to explain any of the noises. None of the windows are broken and the other walls are intact, which makes them wonder if the demon has left.
“I swear something is in there,” Dariana whispers as she gets closer to Delvin. Leaning over him to get a look, she frowns at the destruction and lack of a portal. “There is nothing else in this castle besides us, this one big presence, and a few weaker demons. A guardian wouldn’t stray from whatever it is protecting, so the portal has to be in there.”
“We believe you, but that doesn’t change the fact that we don’t see anything,” Nyx says while walking into the open. Flicking tiny fireballs into the room, she fails to get a reaction from whatever is waiting for them. “It could be invisible, which means I wouldn’t have any idea if it’s in there or not. Although, it sounded really big and metallic, so being unseen wouldn’t hide the noise. Not sure it could hide in there either. What if it can transform into gas or the garbage on the floor is really its body?”
“Everyone wants to be the hero, huh?” Delvin mutters with a sigh. Adjusting his shield and joining Nyx, the warrior waves for the others to get closer. “We don’t have time for debate, so here’s the plan. Dariana is going to keep scanning for thoughts to warn us of an attack. Stay just outside the door along with Nyx, who will save the rest of us if need be. Distance can help with your aim and give you time to think while we either fight or get chased around. Timoran will go inside after Sari and I reach the middle of the room. Hopefully, the demon attacks and we can end this with one charge from behind or at the side. Really wish we had Luke here because his extra senses would make this a lot easier. Oh well, work with what we got.”
Delvin and Sari enter the throne room with tentative steps and take care not to touch any of the shredded banners. A wave of energy caresses their muscles, the warmth holding an undertone of promised malice that they try to ignore. The sensation becomes stronger as they continue walking towards the splintered dais. Before they reach the middle of the room, a pebble hits the back of Delvin’s head and he turns around to see who wants his attention. Dariana frantically waving her arms barely registers in his mind as he focuses more on the large creature clinging to the wall above the doorway. The demon is made entirely out of black metal and resembles a six-legged panther with four eyes of red. Seven sharp tails dangle over the body, their keen edges glinting with different colored light. One of the ends runs along the guardian’s back to set off a lightning spell that sends a curtain of sparks over the entrance. Opening its mouth, the creature unleashes a hissing wail that chills the blood of all who hear it.
The demon leaps at Delvin and Sari, its powerful legs leaving crumbling dents in the fragile wall. Hurtling towards the two champions, its rear is exposed to Timoran, who charges with his great axe held high. Sensing the barbarian at the last moment, the guardian’s talons telescope out of its paws to dig into the floor. They continue growing until the monster flips and impales the ceiling with the long nails, which retract to finish pulling it to safety. Hissing like a cornered beast, the demon watches Timoran by moving one of its eyes to its rump. Spotting Dariana and Nyx in the doorway, the creature moves closer to the dais and drops into the wreckage where it remains crouched in wait. Two of its tails lash out to create a wall of flame in front of its face, which gives the illusion of its head sinking into its body.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it’s scared of us,” Nyx states as she joins the others. A few steps to her right proves that the creature is watching her, but it turns to Timoran when the barbarian coughs. “I almost feel sorry for fighting the thing, but we don’t have a choice. The portal is definitely here and killing the guardian must be what opens it. Aura threads are all over the place and each one goes to the demon.”
“Are we sure it is a Named One or from the Chaos Void at all?” Timoran asks while moving away from the group. He bangs his axe against the floor whenever the guardian turns away, making sure it is focused entirely on him. “My limited experience with unique demons is that they can speak, which is how we know their names. This creature appears to be incapable of speech unless it is too scared to communicate. I cannot shake the feeling that there is something off here.”
“Melsha,” the demon growls in response to the barbarian.
“There goes that theory,” Sari says, her spinning daggers reflecting light from the flames. A tail lances out in an attempt to stab the shining dots that disappear when the gypsy puts her weapons away. “It does act more animalistic than I would have expected. Doesn’t seem interested in fighting either. Begs the question of how do we open the portal without killing something that might be terrified of us. Unless it’s a distraction. Maybe I can make friends with the poor thing.”
Before anyone can stop her, Sari gets closer to the fire and holds out her hand, the flames fading when they touch her. Melsha sniffs at her knuckles while two of its eyes move to the shoulders in order to peek around the gypsy. Not wanting to startle the creature, the other champions move away and do their best to avoid looking dangerous. Without warning, the guardian tries to swallow Sari’s entire arm and bite it off, but its teeth cannot break through a thick layer of ice created from its own saliva. The enraged beast starts to thrash as the gypsy slides her arm out of the solid cast before nimbly dodging the lashing tails and the various spells that are unleashed. Instead of giving chase, the demon gasps and hisses while struggling to dislodge the ice. With a loud crunch, Melsha shatters the blockage and starts banging its head against the ground in response to the painful shards going down its throat.
Sari braces herself for an attack, but the guardian lunges at Delvin and claws maddeningly at the warrior’s shield. Caught by surprise, it is all he can do to protect himself from the heavy demon since his sword harmlessly bangs against its metallic hide. A blast of wind knocks Melsha away, but not nearly as far as Nyx had hoped. Charging the channeler, the creature swiftly leaps to the side when Timoran tries to attack, his enhanced strike putting a hole in the floor. Hissing at the barbarian, the demon wraps its tails into a tight braid and spins around to use them as a flexible club. Blocked by the champion’s axe, the edged weapon sets off an explosion of multiple elements. Sent flying by the blast, Timoran nearly falls out of the window, but he is caught by Sari who grunts as her arms threaten to dislocate. To his relief, Melsha refuses to take advantage of the situation and focuses on Nyx again.
“Melanie and Raksha! Stop this right now!” Dariana shouts, surprising everyone. The telepath marches towards the demon and scratches it behind the ear. “I can hear both of you clearly now. Relax and let me undo some of
what my father has done to you. My power is not the same as his, but I can separate you. As long as one of my friends lets me use her like a scalpel and another as a sleeping pill. I’m sorry if I got the terms wrong.”
“Not even sure what you’re talking about,” Sari admits as she finishes pulling Timoran back inside. She smiles at the guardian’s echoing purr, but her expression falters when the creature angrily hisses at her. “This isn’t a demon, is it? The Baron combined a cat with something or someone else. How did you figure that out?”
“They were thinking as one until the fight started,” the telepath explains while controlling Nyx and Delvin. Blades of magic burst from the channeler while a soothing mist flows out of the warrior. “Melanie is a little girl who my father was about to kill. Instead, he took her in and gave her a metal body. She is terrified and wants to run away from here. Raksha is a cat that Trinity brought back as a gift for my father and he altered the poor thing to make sure it survived this place. It is also scared, but wants to attack. Two minds in a merged body. Once separated, the portal will open.”
Dariana controls the glowing blades weaving around Nyx and has them cut a thin line along Melsha’s flank. Using Delvin’s powers to keep the creature sedated, she carefully peels the hard skin away to reveal Raksha’s fleshy body. Hungry and in a daze, the orange and black cat puts up no resistance when Timoran carefully extracts it and places it on the floor. The cautious animal’s three tails whip at the floor, one of them coming close to striking the barbarian. Having had her body stretched and remolded, Melanie requires more concentration to repair. As the fiery blades become strong hands of force, the strain is nearly too much for the thick metal that is steadily developing a polished sheen. Compacting the material and keeping it malleable, Dariana struggles to maintain its strength and flexibility, which allows the girl to move in her altered form. Using Melanie’s memories to get every detail right, the telepath fixes her and uses Delvin’s power to fuse all the seams. The Baron’s pets huddle together, both of them fearing that they are going to be attacked. It is only when Sari places a bowl of milk and some fruit in front of them that they relax.
Warlord of the Forgotten Age Page 21
