“I’m glad to see you could manage without me.” He chuckled
The shaman retrieved a cloth from his bag, handed it to him, and pointed to his forehead. “I’m glad to see you in one piece.”
“Of course!” he replied and used the cloth to bind the wound on his forehead. “Do you really think a bag of sticks and hay could stop me?”
“Normally, no,” Chatan said and gestured at the remains of the golems around them. “But scarecrows don’t usually attack on their own. Normal isn’t gifted to us in our occupation.”
“Heh, no kidding.” Nemo chuckled, opened his shotgun, and replaced the rounds. “All right, if that’s taken care of, we can now get going, right?”
Before the other man could respond, both were startled when the remains began to float. The rest of the team in their scattered locations witnessed the same thing. The scraps piled together into balls and glowed in different colors as they rushed away and disappeared deep into the field.
“No…shit!” Rika shouted and the others turned toward her. She pointed into the field. “That’s the ritual site, right? You said it seemed to slow down. That was because it lacked power!”
Chatan paled slightly as the truth clicked. “Those weren’t meant to simply kill us. They wanted us to defeat them using our magic.”
“They absorbed it,” Faro said, his voice close to a whisper. “They are taking it to the portal.”
“To finish the ritual.” Kendra growled with open frustration. Dimitri stared solemnly into the field behind her.
Nemo gritted his teeth and rested his gun over his shoulder. “So much for us being able to do this the easy way.”
Chapter Twelve
The group ran in a mad dash through the fields, some more on guard than others. They watched as the clouds above began to disperse but not fade and instead, blanketed the whole sky. The wind picked up and Chatan seemed to try to control it but it roared with a ferocity he could not hold. Faro slid his tome off his belt as he ran, placed it inside his satchel, and held it against him as they drew closer.
Rika could feel the entity. Different types of magic had different feelings but none were truly anything other than slight differences—pressure, a small heat, or even a haze similar to walking into fog or smoke. Typically, only those with considerable experience would notice anything as peculiar or a sign. But this was different. There was a sense of heaviness and not only in her body. As she ran, she felt she not only had to do so with extra weight attached to her but as if she raced through something trying to keep her away.
Both Kendra and Nemo’s breathing began to get more labored and soon, hers did as well. was this merely an effect of the portal opening? Or was this caused by the presence of the demon itself? It was more tangible than anything she had fought or witnessed before.
They reached the center of the field where a glowing orb of light shifted between different colors. Rika pushed herself to move faster and was the first to break through into the open space. The obelisks floated around a large, swirling abyss in the center of the clearing and purple and red runes glowed as they siphoned the energy from the orbs. The remains of the scarecrows were scattered around now, blown a little by the wind.
She rolled the sleeves of her jacket up and sprinted to one of the obelisks as the others of her team finally made their way in. The purple light of her disenchantment magic swirled around her hands as she began to place them on the obelisk.
“Rika, don’t!” Nemo shouted, but his warning came too late. The runes flared and turned white as something struck her chest. She was thrown back and caught by the necromancer and Dimitri before she could make impact with the hard soil.
Kendra’s blade flared. She held it aloft and attempted to destroy one of the obelisks, but Faro ran in front and stopped her. “It’s too late!” he shouted. Even at full volume, his words were barely audible beyond the roar of the wind and the unnatural howl that issued from the portal. “We can’t stop the summoning! If we try, we’ll cause a backlash that could kill us. We have to face it!”
The cleric pursed her lips but nodded and lowered her blade. Rika steadied with the support of her teammates and they all stared as the last of the magic was absorbed by the portal. The obelisks became inert and dropped as the aperture widened. They all stepped back and prepared themselves for what was to come.
They didn’t have long to wait. A large hand was the first thing to emerge from the portal. It pushed against it as if it were some kind of muck and the glimmer wrapped around it. A second arm was followed by pointed horns and finally, a head. No clear features were visible and it all took the ebon shade of the gateway. Finally, the demon uttered a snarl as it forced the rest of itself through. Chatan flung himself down and placed his hands on the soil, and an earthen wall arose around them. A burst of magic was unleashed that shattered the wall and hurled them into the fields
Rika landed heavily and tumbled for a few moments before her gaze settled on a stream of blue fire that streaked toward her. Even with her ability or absorb flame, her instinct was to avoid the attack. She rolled hurriedly to the right as the path of flames scorched the ground where she had been. The fire was both mesmerizing and unnerving and she cautiously held a hand close, but even without touching it, there was something wrong about it. It burned, but when she jerked away and ran her other hand over it, her palm felt chilled.
She stood, shook the pain off, and ran to the clearing. Chatan and Kendra were already there and the others appeared soon after. As they gazed at the being, the darkness faded to be replaced by dark-blue skin in which yellow eyes formed with slits for irises. What she had thought was a pair of horns were actually two—one pointed to the sky and the other covered the sides of its head. It had a vertical mouth and rectangular husks around its lips that peeled back to reveal long, spear-like teeth. Aside from four legs, it also had two long, spindly arms coated in blue flames that traced up to its shoulders.
The entity’s eyes finally cleared and it lowered its head to scrutinize the group. Rika saw nothing to indicate fury, confusion, glee, or any emotion at all. Then again, she wasn’t sure if she could even read its emotions. It arched its back and stretched its legs. Standing at full height, it had to be at least twelve feet tall. It leaned away from the group and several small holes beneath its eyes flared. Was it smelling them?
It finally made a noise that might be described as a gurgling hiss. It snapped its mouth closed and extended both arms. Nemo and Kendra were the first to react. The necromancer emptied his shotgun while the woman used the blast she had saved for the obelisk on the demon. The bone bullets seemed to annoy it, but the holy light drew another hiss and it retreated, its large legs shaking the ground as it stumbled.
“I don’t know if you guys are standing around thinking of a clever plan!” Nemo shouted as he withdrew two of his explosives. “But now isn’t the time for that. Kill this bastard!” He pulled the pins and lobbed them. The demon swiped an arm and they vanished a flash of blue fire. The necromancer cursed as he opened his shotgun and retrieved a different ammo case. Their adversary leaned forward, planted its arms on the ground, and shrieked at the group.
It almost deafened Rika. She tried to summon her flames but they wouldn’t light. Dimitri attempted to summon a familiar, but they wouldn’t take proper shape. Faro dug into both his bag and the ground as he tried not to be carried away by the force of the scream.
Chatan placing his hand on the earth again and roots burst through around the demon, circled its neck, and dragged it away from the team. When it was no longer facing them, Rika’s flames returned and Dimitri summoned Evony and Quill. Nemo hefted his shotgun, selected different colored bullets, and shoved them in while the shaman struggled against the creature and tried to ensnare its arms.
“Everyone!” Faro shouted as he stood. “This being may be somewhat resistant to our magic. If it used our power to help open the portal, it may have been able to absorb some of it as well!”
�
��That means we’ll have to hit it harder!” Nemo roared and fired two shots, one of the bullets a green projectile and the other red. The demon had been able to rip its bindings free but was almost immediately struck by the assault shots. The green slug coated it in an acidic liquid and the red caused its skin to boil. Kendra raced forward and swung at its legs, but it stamped viciously to stun her sufficiently to kick her away.
Rika channeled as much of her magic into her flames as possible and let them flare to consume the beast. She took a few steps forward while Nemo continued to fire and Chatan assisted by buffering the blaze with wind. Something pushed against her and she let her flames die. A small fire spun around the demon like an infernal cage but already, spots of blue began to appear.
Her eyes widened. She turned and ran to Chatan. “Get down!” she shouted as the flames were blown away. She defended the shaman by catching what she could while the others scattered. Dimitri used Quill to become airborne. She looked at the demon that now stood with its arms folded as its flames flared. It snarled and pointed its arm at Chatan and Rika and an orb of blue fire materialized. Chatan formed another earthen shield, but before the beast could fire, a large black snake wound around its arm and yanked it away. The blast streaked into the distant tree line of the forest, where it exploded and utterly incinerated a large group of trees and spread the flames through the woods and the edges of the field.
The shadowcaster dropped from above as Quill dove at the demon and Evony pounced from behind. She sank her claws and fangs into the enemy’s neck while the bird tore at its face. Chatan scrambled quickly to his feet, demolished the rocky shield, and formed it into a boulder. He shoved it forward and it careened toward their adversary like a bullet. Quill flew skyward and Evony jumped away as it struck the target and almost toppled it when it was hurled onto two legs. Kendra uttered a yell as she leapt onto the demon’s chest and stabbed her blade into it and flooded the blade with holy magic. The beast uttered another angry shriek at the sky.
It snatched the woman around her stomach and blue flames flared. Rika ignited her own once again when she realized the dire straits her teammate was in. But before she could act. lightning struck the cleric’s blade and thus the demon and made its grip loosen. Kendra fell and she tried to keep the flames from consuming her using her magic. Rika rushed toward her as Faro dropped an open jar and retrieved two orbs from his satchel. Nemo and Chatan continued to battle the monster although so far, it looked like Kendra’s attack was the most effective. Despite their efforts, the enemy was still strong and seemed almost indifferent to the blade in its chest.
She knelt beside the cleric and held her hands out. While she knew she could absorb the demon’s flames, she might also be able to manipulate them. She merged hers to those on Kendra’s body and was able to draw them off. The blue flames consumed hers and she quickly formed a fireball and cast it deeper into the field.
The other woman held a hand out and her blade appeared in her grasp. “Thank you,” she said and meant it, but her face was still twisted in an angry snarl as she stared at the demon.
“You’re probably our best shot here,” Rika reasoned and focused on her hands where her flames danced. “I don’t know how effective I’m going to be. I’m not sure my flames are doing much.”
“We don’t know what this creature is capable of. Your disenchantment may play a role,” Kendra reminded her and swung her blade. “Besides, my guess is that even if it is resistant to your flames, the right targets will still cause damage.” She nodded to its head. Rika noted its eyes, which darted to watch each mage as they continued their assault.
She smiled and formed several small fireballs in her palm as the two women raced into the fray once more. Kendra took another swipe at its legs and jumped away hastily before it could retaliate with another kick. While the cleric distracted their adversary, she flung the fireballs at the demon’s eyes and sure enough, they snapped closed and it opened its mouth to scream again. She formed the rest into a large fireball and lobbed it at its opening maw.
Faro apparently had the same idea as he pushed forward and tossed a couple of vials down its gullet. A plume of red and black smoke erupted from the beast. It shook its head rapidly and released a gurgling noise. Red dots formed along its throat and chest and the alchemist looked rather pleased.
“Go for the throat, Evony!” Dimitri ordered and the cat snarled and surged toward the demon. Kendra joined it and held her blade aloft. The creature looked haggard with its head down and arms drooping. The two attacked as one with blade and fangs ready to deal killing blows. It seemed they might prevail, but the demon’s head raised suddenly and flames erupted from its body that forced everyone back as it snatched Evony out of the air and thrust Kendra aside to sprawl painfully on the hard earth.
The dark familiar thrashed as she bit and clawed at the beast’s arm. Quill and Kala attempted to help their fellow familiar, but the enemy looked at them and uttered a cry. It wasn’t as powerful as before but enough to cause them to partially disintegrate and shrink and thus force them back. It brought the panther to its mouth and sank its teeth into it. The familiar grew still and dissipated into a dark liquid that the demon drank to the shock of all, especially Dimitri.
The being roared and spread its arms, which seemed to grow slightly. The blue flames grew bright and were joined by a dark, arcing energy that coursed through its body. All its wounds began to heal and as it turned to the team of hunters, another set of yellow eyes opened above the first two. It placed its arms on its front legs, tilted its head, and observed them with a far more focused and intense gaze than it had previously.
“Well, now,” it croaked and surprised the group. Its voice was dry, low, and drawn-out, yet with clear intelligence and even unsettling mirth. “It seemed I needed more to feel like myself.” It straightened and studied the team of hunters before it. “But I could always use more if all of you are feeling gracious.”
“The damned thing can talk?” Nemo asked as he slid silver bullets into his gun. “Like it wasn’t enough of a nuisance before.”
“Funny, I feel almost the same way, necromancer,” the enemy taunted.
“It’s necro-smith!” He aimed his shotgun at the demon and fired three shots, all of which struck it in its chest and erupted in a loud ringing noise—one that turned into a wail and made the others cover their ears. Waves rippled along the beast’s body but beyond that, there seemed to be no adverse effects. Once it stopped, the demon looked at him. “Banshee wails—a sweet sound to my ears. Thank you for that.”
“Son of a bitch,” Nemo grumbled and looked at Rika and Kendra. “It works on lesser demons.”
“Indeed. they don’t care for the music like I do.” The creature held a hand to the sky and small black orbs formed on each finger. “But as you see, I am far from lesser.”
Chapter Thirteen
A sickening but familiar nausea rushed through Rika as she stared at the orbs. “Curses!”
“We are in a rather bad position aren’t we?” Faro agreed
“No, the orbs, idiot!” Rika shouted and pointed at the demon. “Those are curses. Move!”
The being cackled as the orbs left his hand and darted in different directions at separate hunters. There were five in all—one for each of them with the exception of Kendra, who the demon turned his gaze to. “You seem to be the most annoying of the lot,” it growled as dark energy sparked around its hand. “Allow me to return the favor!”
The cleric held her blade up as the creature cast out a blanket of the dark energy. She formed a barrier of holy energy around her, charged her blade, and delivered a searing attack on the demon, which seemed to injure it even in its newly empowered state and forced it back.
“Very annoying,” it seethed and raised its arms as Kendra ran forward and vaulted upward.
Rika spun as her orb was about to hit her. She caught it in her hands and disenchantment magic streamed out and around the projectile and made it shrink and dis
sipate. That was one down, four more to go, assuming none of the others were caught by now. She looked up in the same moment that Nemo was struck by his and called instinctively to him. He held a hand up before he grasped his necklace, yanked it off, and flung it upward. The bones turned black before they shattered.
“I’m glad you’re all right,” she said and hurried beside him. “Sorry about your trinket.”
“I can make another,” he stated. “Besides, it’s not like I need them to know we’re fucked right now.”
A blast near the portal drew their attention. He drew his pistol but still held his shotgun in the other hand. “Go help the others and regroup. I need to get in there. The cleric is alone!”
“It’s nice to see you can put the light and dark stuff aside,” Rika told him as she turned to leave.
“Demons make most people put their bullshit down. Get going!” With that, he ran toward the battle while she hastened toward the others. She was able to see one other orb in the air seconds before it plunged into the crops after its prey. A quick flash of white drew her in that direction. Was that Faro? Was there a potion or elixir he could use to avoid or dispel a curse? It didn’t seem likely. If that was real, whoever concocted it could make a killing and certainly wouldn’t need to put up with this chaos.
She forced herself through the crops and finally reached a path. The orb floated somewhat aimlessly as if it had lost its quarry. A large stone was conveniently positioned to use to leap up and dispel the curse. When she landed, she turned to search for its intended target but found no one. An odd rumble caught her attention and she turned with flames in one hand and her disenchantment in the other. Startled, she stared at the rock she’d used that seemed to be the source of the sound and which, she now realized, was a stone carving in the likeness of…Faro?
Magic Hunters: The Operatives Page 7
