Crystalline Chaos

by Gabriela Voelske

  “Let’s not wait around,” Sebastian spoke up, patting Solomon on the back as he passed by the mage. He cringed at the sudden touch, but soon let out a sigh of relief on seeing the King. For a second during the relative silence, he was wary that one of those creatures had managed to sneak around them, but it hadn’t occurred. Solomon shook his head to clear his mind, jogging after Sebastian to catch his attention.

  “Can I have a quick word with you?” the young mage enquired, tugging on the demon’s arm in an attempt to get him to stop. Sebastian paused for a second to regard him, before smiling and running a gauntlet covered hand through his hair.

  “I’m already well aware we’re going to be attacked on entry, what I’m more wondering is what we’re going to be attacked by,” he responded, knowing full well what Solomon was going to warn him about, regardless if he had spoken it or not. The creature that had just burst forth from the other tower gave an indication of what lay inside. It would be a foolish move to leave the main entrance undefended or an incredibly arrogant one. With the arrival of the second wave of Nightmares, the mage had begun to realise just what he faced, or so the King believed. Never before had the three races joined in alliance against an opponent, no such threat had ever existed previously. He had evidently wagered on the races to continue to bicker between themselves, leaving his intended target wide open, whatever that may be.

  Solomon relaxed down at the words, glad that they weren’t walking in blind. He had noticed Uriel taking heed of what had been said, adjusting his blade into a readied position. Noises of battle hung in the air around them, keeping their nerves on edge as they marched towards the opening.

  When they reached their destination they took a cautious glance around, checking for any enemies that had broken free from the main lines. The immediate area was empty, almost too empty for their liking. While it was possible the Nightmares had just been well occupied, surely there would be at least one to greet them before being promptly cut down. Sebastian grabbed his blades and entered the spire, taking a deep breath as his eye line worked from the floor up to what appeared to be the peak. Nothing appeared out of place, but he hadn’t observed the interior before to make a proper judgement. He gestured for them to follow, which they did promptly.

  “Not the widest arena,” Uriel remarked in a hushed voice, trying to keep their presence quiet if by some stretch of the imagination the mage wasn’t aware of their arrival. The demon cocked his head upwards, noting what the angel had commented on. The spire narrowed towards the peak; it was logical really, but it was going to be an inconvenience with five of them up there. More so without knowing the chaos mage’s capabilities, he could easily wound them all at once if they had little room to dodge without overlapping with one another. “We should split up and take him from both sides,” the angel added, gesturing to a set of spiral staircases on either side of the room. Sebastian nodded and directed Solomon to the right-hand side, to which Uriel took as a cue to utilise the left-hand side.

  They carefully continued on, maintaining a defensive stance as they climbed the too conveniently placed staircase. As the top of the first floor became visible, Solomon started to feel wary. Something wasn’t right but he was having a hard time pinpointing the issue; to the time he had visited with Arariel to now, there was a very slight difference between the two. He examined the area, hoping to pick up the alteration that was bothering him. His attention was directed to the top of the staircase, the top stair misaligned with the platform ever so slightly and it bore a crack, a fresh one to the look of it. As they reached the top, he paced other to the opposite side and observed a similar phenomenon on the opposite side, as if the platform had been shifted from the original location. Arariel walked over the demon mage, wondering what was bothering him.

  “Something’s just not right here,” he spoke, gazing over to watch as the leaders started up the next set of staircases, once they were satisfied that there was no rogue mage on this layer.

  “That crack on the stairs and something about the wall just irks me,” Arariel commented, causing both of them to warily eye the crystalline structure.

  “So glad you could join me here today,” Maelor announced from above them, causing them to violently flinch. Judging by the reaction of Uriel, Gabriel and Sebastian above them, it was obvious exactly who had spoken those words. “I don’t appreciate you bringing your own mages, however,” the mage continued, his voice lavished with spite as he spoke. On cue, the floor the two mages were stood on shattered and collapsed, leaving them in mid-air. Solomon snapped out of the shock of having the floor beneath his feet disappear and grabbed Arariel by the arm, keeping them afloat with fast, powerful flaps of his wings; the angel hadn’t quite managed the same yet. “You didn’t think that was all, did you?” he enquired, watching as Arariel collected himself and managed to fly without the demon’s aid.

  “Solomon, Arariel, behind you!” Sebastian bellowed at them, watching as a massive, two-headed serpentine form began to reveal behind them, heads posed ready to strike. Solomon closed his wings tight to his body and let himself drop, digging his fingers of one arm into the skin of the other. With the blood that ran to the surface, the demon threw a sharp bolt made from the dark liquid at the second head. It distracted it long enough for Arariel to move clear of the oncoming attack; the first head, however, continued to launch forward, only narrowly missing the demon as he dropped through the air. The distance between what was the first platform and the base of the tower was minimal, he only managed to slow his fall enough to stop him painfully crashing into the shards below. The blow was still enough to wind him, however. Uriel tried to descend back down the staircase, only to be met with an invisible barrier.

  "You can't help them," he mocked, earning a scowl from the angel. Uriel glanced over to Sebastian and nodded; the only way to gain access to the lower levels again would be to defeat the one that stood before them.

  "They can handle themselves, they're not Court Mages for no reason," Gabriel spoke up in defiance; while he was concerned for Arariel's well-being, allowing their opponent to rile them up was unadvised. The response he received was satisfying. Seeing the mage's confidence deflate, even slightly, was a minor victory. He decided to seize the moment and gripped his blade tight, speeding forward with a deadly charge. Sebastian was not one to wait on ceremony and followed suit, aiming towards the mage's neck.

  Meanwhile, Arariel had rushed to Solomon's aid, trying to get the demon back on his feet before the Nightmare lined up a second attack. "Come on, let's go," he shouted, gripping Solomon by the arm and putting all his strength into lifting him up. The difference in height made it troublesome, but he managed to heave him up enough to get him back on his feet. They needed to get the beast away from the tower to allow them sizeable room to fight. It appeared entirely focused on them which made the task easier. As the two made for the exit, the creature patiently followed behind, enjoying their attempt to run. "Is it time for your plan?" Arariel hastily enquired, sneaking a glance behind them.

  "Don't think there's going to be any better time," Solomon replied, turning to face the creature now they were clear and out in the open. The angel stopped next to him, cowering at the towering beast in front of them. Even with his proposed idea, could they really take such a thing? Somehow he even doubted that Kaiser would manage to wrestle down this one if he wasn't already busy with the other giant.

  "This may hurt, really I have no idea," he admitted, breaking Arariel away from his thoughts. Potential pain wasn't something that had been discussed, but given the suggestion, it was foolish to believe it would be a painless procedure. He would be utilising his necromancy to essentially absorb the angel's body into his own, merging their individual strengths. It was promised that Arariel would preserve his body once the battle was over, with minimal damage, assuming they weren't injured too badly. Doubts were rising again as to the foolishness of him to agree to such a thing; Solomon had even stated that he had never undergone such a transf
ormation previously. Yet facing down the monster in front of them, if they tried to stand separately both of them would surely perish.

  "Just make sure this damned thing dies," Arariel huffed, finally residing himself to the fact it was too late to back out of their agreement. He felt Solomon place a hand on his neck; the demon's palm was warmer than expected, but the fact he wasn’t sketching any runes was strange.

  "I might have already have done that half," he spoke in reply to his confusion. Since the confrontation was inevitable, the mage had already taken the opportunity to prepare the necessary steps one of the nights the angel had been sleeping. Taking a deep breath, Solomon wrapped his wings around Arariel before starting a low chant. A dark mist began to envelop them, shrouding them from view. The mana encrusted display attracted the Nightmare closer, its body forming a wide loop around them, the dual heads pressing their snouts towards the edge of the shroud.

  A flickering pitch black line formed across one head and a wavering bright white light formed on the other, before erupting out in a spectacular fashion. Its fascination was exchanged for excruciating pain, causing it to violently jerk back and scream. The cloaking shroud lifted, revealing a figure clad in flowing dark silk with an eloquent silver pattern work. Beneath the robes four wings protruded, the top set was sharp and fearsome with a faded crimson, tattered membrane spread across the frame. The bottom set bore the regal elegance that came with the pure white feathers of an angel, glowing in the cold sun as the being stretched them out. His face was obscured by a hood, letting off an eerie presence.

  "This wasn't what I expected," Solomon spoke, "I question what dubious things my father used to do now." He flexed his altered form, examining the cruel sharpness that had become his fingers.

  "Are you complaining?" Arariel's voice spoke up in his mind, giving him the reassurance that the angel had survived the spell.

  "Oh no, this is much more preferable to some grotesque beast," he replied with a grin, directing his attention back to their follower. It was glaring at them, letting off a faint hiss, wary to enter close quarters after the last incident. The scales lining its body flared upwards, revealing a flickering blue flame hidden underneath. "I don't think it likes us."

  He observed the cool hue of the flame as it erupted out. The demon knew that it was anything but cold, however; it would be well advised to avoid being engulfed by it. Lifting himself off the ground, he clasped his hands together and then slowly separated them, producing an elongated, twisted spear of blood. He grasped it in one hand, scouting for a vulnerable location to hit, but no crystals obviously protruded from the surface.

  "There were two crystal lines on each head, but they're not obvious now," Arariel spoke up, "I haven't seen anything else, though, so far." Solomon gazed at the heads, following the pattern of blue light reflecting off the beast's obsidian hide. It was distorted around what appeared to be a raised area, but it was as dark in hue as its body. Without any other obvious spots, it was the best he was going to manage for a meaningful hit. He dived in close, dodging a ream of flame that the creature spat towards him as he approached. As he tried to aim a shot, it sprinted away, well aware what the demon was attempting. With a scowl he flapped his wings to follow the heads as they circled around him, occasionally jerking the heads up and down to throw his shot off.

  After a few circuits, Solomon got fed up and threw the bolt forwards, taking a deep breath as the Nightmare let out a furious shriek as the bolt sliced through one of its heads. He had little time to rest as the tail of the creature wrapped around his chest, pulling his body into a tight crush as it swiftly surrounded him within its coiled body. The air was being squeezed from his lungs while the searing heat from its scaled body tore at his flesh. His mind screamed with pain but his body was unable to carry out the same message.

  "Solomon!" the angel cried out in his mind, his senses equally wracked with the pain the demon was experiencing. Solomon replied breathlessly, feeling the heated coils press tighter. He pressed his palms against the creature's hide, cringing as the skin singed in the agonising heat. Clearing his mind, he channelled energy to the outer edge of his body, a combination of the necrotic energy let off by his own dying flesh and the mana within his bloodstream. Darkness crept out over the pitch black scales, before impaling deep inside. Once the magic had penetrated thoroughly it exploded out, forcing the coils surrounding Solomon to retract violently, releasing him.

  He took a desperate breath, collapsing on the floor as he gasped in the cool air. His body ached intolerably from the built up pressure and heat, the smell of burnt skin stung his nostrils. With a cursory gaze up, the demon could see the Nightmare was still alive, although it was highly disorientated and weakened; the blue flames had disappeared also. In his current state, he would not stand a chance, but his mana reserves were still in plentiful supply.

  Heaving himself up to his knees, Solomon steadied his breathing and examined his wounds. The presence of blood in his mouth hinted at internal injuries, not that it would surprise him given the attack. Blood magic could repair those injuries, but it would be an exhausting task without the other areas that needing healing. Burns were a difficult thing to mend and bones were beyond his ability so far if any were broken.

  Placing one hand on his chest and the other above his stomach, he dug his fingers into his body. Arariel watched from his subconscious in shocked silence, the ability to push on despite the agony he could feel the being was experiencing amazed the angel.

  "My palms are too burnt to direct mana through them, my fingers, however, are not," Solomon gasped, answering a question that had yet to be asked. He took a deep breath, allowing the energy to flow steadily from the tips of his fingers. Some of the pain began to ease, restoring part of his broken concentration, enough to finish off the creature or so he hoped. Once he was satisfied with the state of his body, the demon retracted his fingers, leaving a pattern of holes.

  “You sure about this?” Arariel enquired, seeing Solomon resume his panting after healing himself. With a nod, he steadied his body, locking his gaze on the Nightmare. It swayed in the breeze, unwilling to move after sustaining such an injury. He felt around inside the robe, retrieving the angel’s daggers. It took some effort for him to walk forward, but none the less he managed to press on. Even when he was close, the creature made no attempt to attack, not that Solomon was going to complain at the lack of a fight.

  A swift movement of his arm sent the daggers veering towards the broken black scales, while Arariel whispered inside his mind. The demon could not make out the words, but feeling mana funnel once again back through his arms informed him of the intent. Bright chains of pure light expanded out from the ends of the dagger hilts, joining the blades together before a single chain constructed itself towards Solomon, wrapping around his right hand when it arrived. As the blades connected, the Nightmare achingly turned its heads towards them, a look of resignation on the two faces.

  “Has it lost its will to fight?” Solomon murmured as Arariel continued his spell, evidently not willing to take any chances regarding the beast. Even if it no longer had the will, it didn’t mean that it was safe to leave it alive. Given its grievous wounds, it would soon die either way. Perhaps it merely didn’t wish to suffer until the end.

  A mental nudge indicated that the angel had finished his preparations, now he simply had to activate the spell. He placed his other hand on the chain and forced the energy back down the chains, towards the blades. Once it arrived, it spread out equally along the chains and exploded a series of holes in the shell of the creature. The damage proved too much. It went stiff before finally disintegrating into tiny shards, raining down onto the battlefield below. Solomon went to retrieve the blades, cringing at every step he took, but it didn’t stop the demon from grinning.

  “That wasn’t too bad, was it?” he boasted, the pride of having defeated such a thing guiding his footsteps. Arariel just shook his head and smiled, as much as one could due to the arrangement. />
  A loud grunt of pain attracted their attention from the broken mess on the floor, turning towards the direction the sound had been emitted. It revealed that Kaiser was having issues with the giant he had decided to wrestle; it had clamped down on his left shoulder and regardless of the crushing force the demon was exerting on its head with his other hand, the Nightmare had no intentions of letting go. No one was rushing to aid him, the other demons in the area were busy with their own fights and any angel that freed up just tossed a look upward, without making any attempt to help. During the fight with the serpentine creature Solomon hadn’t realised just how much he had moved towards the front line, too much more and they could have had accidentally dropped it on top of them. That would have caused a fair few casualties, more than just the demon’s skin.

  “That’s the best I can do for now, sorry,” Arariel suddenly spoke up, ripping his attention back from the battle unfolding in front of him.

  “What do you mean; we’re still not done here!” Solomon replied angrily, to think he would back out now irked him; he expected more from the angel.

  “Y-your hands, didn’t you feel anything?” he stuttered on hearing the demon, causing Solomon to gaze down towards his palms. The charred skin had been healed up, although the fresh skin was uneven and a bit raw, it was certainly an improvement to its previous state. Solomon bit his tongue, annoyed at his own baseless outburst. “Don’t worry about it, it’s understandable that you’re a bit on edge,” Arariel spoke softly, seeing his regret.

  “I still shouldn’t have snapped at you, though,” the demon sighed, slipping a small smile at the softness of the angel’s voice. “Shall we?”

  “What was your plan?” From the angle they were at they could see that the creature had enough weak spots for them to attack.