Reborn- Journeyman

by Luka Petrov

A powerful offense that was equally a horrible consistent defense. For now, we bought us a few seconds at most.

  “Both of you, I need you two to cast spells that will keep him immobile, can you do that?” I asked quietly just for their ears alone. I knew that they could, but I needed them to join in on the idea.

  We watched with dismay as the Demon Lord continued to gather more dark magic within his hand. As each second passed we could only feel the anxiety that permeated within our holy light barrier. I knew that if we wasted any more time, then this would be the end of us.

  “Edward... But why—” Yves was the first to answer but the look of concern on her face was hard to ignore. No matter how much I wanted to. But I had to tell them what I was planning to do.

  “I’m casting that,” I confessed, the spell would take a hefty amount of my mana and if it failed, then we were doomed. This was an all-or-nothing type of spell. The only thing I had that probably gave us a chance against the Demon Lord.

  They knew that and Yves shut herself into silence as she realized the severity of the situation for me to use such a high spell that had never been cast outside of practice. But Cecily for the first time took a more serious approach. She was concerned and she should be for this was where her life was being dangled if I failed.

  “But—”

  However, her argument was shut down by Yves. Much to my surprise. I watched them both look at one another as Yves placed her hand onto Cecily’s shoulder. This was used not only as a cautionary action but one that provided a gentle squeeze that would calm Cecily down from any rash intentions that she had in mind. Archmage McAllister waiting in the wings if anything went wrong.

  “Cecily, we have to rescue Walter and Gilmore, don’t we?” Yves reminded her with her usual seriousness. But this time there was a sense of reassurance that vibrated from her.

  That alone was enough for Cecily.

  “Okay. Yves... let’s do our elemental bomb combo spell.” Cecily said firmly, the usual jokester of the group had been rendered into someone who wanted to save those around her too. We had reached the goal that had fought long for and growth was expected to occur even to those we had never seen it in before.

  With that, we had confirmed our stance with only a few seconds to spare. The battle was only just beginning. Everyone chanted their spells fast and clearly. Our lives along with many others hinted at the outcome of this moment.

  The preparations were almost done, but it seemed that the Demon Lord was finished before we were, a curse almost left my mouth because of this miscalculation. This meant that the Demon Lord would attack first if I didn’t think of something quick so that we would be able to avoid the death that was set up before us because of his attack that was soon to come. There was a sizable black orb in his hand the screamed with dark magic. Wherever that would be thrown would cause immense damage that could even kill a person. I could only wonder if my barrier would be able to hold against it.

  However, it seemed that the Demon Lord still hadn’t given up with his original train of thought. He continued to talk to me with the same arrogant tone that had no hint of humanity. He took a step closer and there was a smug expression on his face as he looked over confident. It was evident that he would continue to remain the same despite the hope that justice would make the Demon Lord see clearly.

  “Do you really want to harm me?” Lord Abraxas asked as he began to move the dark orb of energy between his fingers as if it was nothing more than a toy. To him, magic was nothing more than an expendable part of him as if it was an effortless action that didn’t need to have too much though implemented into it.

  It was evident that he felt reassured with his own powers and that we had to be on the ready for whatever was to come. I knew we couldn’t be defeated. If we were to be defeated, then the world would fall to ruin and we couldn’t have that occur. Not when we were so close.

  “You won’t listen to us and—” I argued as I still tried to instill my values into the Demon Lord, I believed in justice, but it was clear that the Demon Lord would never share this with me. A shame because this meant more bloodshed had to appear for the sake of peace. And that only weighed heavy on my heart, but I knew that justice came with the price of death.

  There was no other choice.

  He interrupted me along with my heavy thoughts with a wave of his free hand. He used magic alone to draw out Walter from wherever he had placed him. He looked worn, dark circles were under his eyes and there were several wounds on him. Wounds that would most likely scar as a constant reminder to him of the time he had suffered under the Demon Lord’s cruel care. But Walter was still safe and for that, I felt grateful for that. This meant that I had the ability to save him from the chains that were meant for me. The guilt within me still remained since he sacrificed himself to be where I should have been.

  My teeth were gritted as I watched him and wondered what he had planned next. To my surprise that there was more to the Demon Lord than meets the eye as if this was nothing more than him winning me to his side.

  But this was a trap more or less.

  “Here is that human you begged so badly for.” Lord Abraxas said with a drawl in his tone, it was clear he meant to tease us with the appearance of the person we had looked high and low for. With a sway of his finger he brought Walter closer to us as if he was within our grasp but he truly...wasn’t.

  Walter!

  Surprise covered our features as we were in shock, he was here despite the fact we looked at him for seconds. The image of Walter still had to settle within our brains for us to truly process this information. We assumed that he was locked up somewhere, but he was easily called out with magic alone. This only hardened our resolve to defeat the Demon Lord so that this power would no longer be abused.

  “You guys—Edwar—Mmf!” Walter called out albeit it was muffled as if the surrounding magic had tried to silence him. Each word was directed to us, but he was quieted instantly with a movement from the Demon Lord. His eyes bulged out in fear as he couldn’t figure out what happened to him, he gazed at us for help, but we couldn’t.

  Not yet.

  Lord Abraxas used his magic to silence him much to our own dismay, but we were glad to see that he seemed okay. Just on a physical level, we were not sure how much he suffered mentally when he was captured in place of me. At the very least that was enough to make us find a sense of comfort during this tension-filled time.

  “In exchange just be my servant, I might even spare that pitiful village, Gilmore.” The Demon Lord spoke once more, he dangled the offer in front of me as if that was enough for me to toss away all I had worked hard for. No matter how easy it would be for me to listen I knew that the Demon Lord would never keep to his word.

  That simply was not how he was.

  There was no way I could do that. I had to hold on to my morals or else the Demon Lord would have the upper hand. And that couldn’t happen, so I shook my head, I remained firm with my decision. Now I could talk, the spell had been chanted, and I was able to speak as it remained ready to be cast onto him.

  “No—I will not be your servant.” My tone was firm as I remained unmoved by his words or actions. I would not sacrifice my friends nor will I give up my freedom for this Demon Lord. I pointed the Magi Staff toward him without a blemish of fear to taint my voice. “You will hand us Walter and receive punishment for what you’ve done.”

  I was well aware of the fact that right now Walter was within the enemy’s grasp but there was no other choice in the matter. I had to show my resolve, or all would be lost. Though in the back of my head there was a momentary doubt if this was worth it all...to risk our lives like this but that was instantly chased away as soon as the Demon Lord spoke.

  “Such a shame, it’s time for you to learn. Here have a taste of this.” That was the short and sweet warning we received from him as he flung the orb that was filled with darkness towards us. A simple flick of the wrist and a push of his fingertips was done.

 
The orb focused on us as it spun with precision without a pause towards our direction. We all paled, and I wondered if this was the end. Immediately, I used my body to cover the two girls who stood had my back, my arms spread to take the brunt of the damage in case the barrier was unlikely to hold from the attack. It was the reversal from when Agnes jumped in front to protect me.

  Luckily, I had cast Screen with the Magi Staff and although it took a beating the barrier was able to hold off the orb’s power. Albeit the screen shattered into nothingness from the sheer power and impact. I only took the aftermath of the power that had survived pass my barrier, the burns of darkness brushed my skin with massive impact. The pain was almost too much to the point I almost gasped from the sheer shock my body felt. The burns felt similar to the fire that I could cast as it licked my skin with the darkness that the Demon Lord had created along with my torn skin that had been pulled off from when the orb skidded off me. There were a few bruises on my body along with cuts here and there but nothing that couldn’t heal.

  Archmage McAllister, Yves, and Cecily made a successful Will save, which reduced the damage to half and negated the sickening effect brought on by the Blight Unholy. The four magic users take 5d8 points of damage. Edward failed his Will save, taking 10d8 damage.

  I breathed deeply; my teeth gritted as I tried to hold the pain inside. My eyes were glassy, I could feel the need to scream out my pain but not now. I had to hold on for my friends who depended on me to defeat the Demon Lord.

  “The book!” Both of the girls called out and then they realized that I had barely held on. They saw my wounds as much as I didn’t want them to see the severity of what I had endured.

  I didn’t have to look behind me to know that both of them shared a concerned look before they nodded. I could feel their small hands hover over my body as they used their powers to heal my wounds as much as they could. They only knew the basics to heal me, in doing so would allow my body to be replenished.

  But that was more than enough for me.

  “Seems, I went to soft on you four.” The Demon Lord scoffed as he reminded us of his presence as if we had forgotten him. But, how could we? He stood there as darkness consumed the room, the concrete washed out in darkness and the dried blood of his minions.

  I knew he planned to send another one and I could not cast another barrier as the current spell was on the tip of my tongue ready to be cast. I had to make sure the two of them were focused and ready to attack him with what they had.

  “Archmage McAllister…help us!” I yelled. McAllister cast Fire Shield, to ward off another attack from the Demon Lord.

  Then, I yelled at Yves and Cecily. “You two…cast the spell,” I commanded and both of them could hear the urgency in my voice as I glanced behind me to the girls that looked at me. They had awaited my command and here I was finally ready to give it to them. If they wasted so much as a second, then it would be obvious that death would come earlier than expected.

  And they could not have any of that.

  Our gazes met, and they nodded, my body moved aside so they had a clear view of the Demon Lord. And without a second wasted they cast the spell we had practiced early this morning. The two girls cast the Abyss of Endlessness. Below Lord Abraxas, a ten-foot square hole opened up in the tower floor. The Demon Lord fell into the non-dimensional hole and appeared to be forever falling.

  From the simulated falling pit, Lord Abraxas yelled at one of his minions, “Cast Abyss Endlessness now to reverse this spell!” One of the hunchbacked henchmen came over to the pit and cast the spell to reverse the illusion that Cecily and Yves cast. The pit reopened and the Demon Lord emerged. He appeared shaken as he had spent the better part of his life working himself out of the Abyss. I’m certain that experience only brought bad memories back.

  Lord Abraxas makes a successful Constitution save and came out of the non-dimensional pit. He was dealt 90 points of hit damage.

  The girls, I’m sure wanted to capitalize on the damage the Demon Lord took. Complete control of the situation would now be in our favor. A small smile had unexpectedly begun to tug at the corner of my lips as I felt the upper hand just at my fingertips.

  “Nature’s bind!” Yves through her spell towards the Demon Lord, one of her high tier spells that consumed a majority of her mana due to the grade of the spell.

  Nature had heeded her call and sprouted from the tower’s flooring as strong roots and leafy veins reached out to hold down the Demon Lord with ease. They wrapped around his limbs and tightened around him considerably without any room to escape. This bind was powerful not only due to its high grade but the fact that it had nature’s blessing on it made it a good counter against the dark magic that the Demon Lord used on himself. The two opposite forces collided against one another and eventually one would fall while the other would thrive.

  They had to commit now.

  However, Yves was not the only to cast a strong spell as they had all equally trained to be the best, they could be in order to defeat the Demon Lord and save our friends. Or what was left of them? Cecily was all the more ready to show off her skills. Although she lacked the finesse to cast a spell that could bind, she knew that perhaps she could render the Demon Lord immobile. One look at her fiery eyes one could see the passion that burned within her gaze.

  “Vermillion explosion!” She cast the spell finally, this was one she just learned recently too. I could see the way she struggled to release it, but I knew that I could place my trust into her. Cecily was known for her expertise within the field of explosions.

  One could tell it was new as she had a tough time to cast the spell and to control it in her favor. I could see beads of sweats on her face as she tried to direct the fiery explosions towards his limbs. And she managed to do so as he struggled under the weight of Nature’s Bind. As he was unable to move momentarily, he was the perfect target for Cecily.

  The explosions she made with the fire element were nothing short of powerful. The burned through his demonic flesh and seared through him down the bone. There was a groan of pain that could be heard from him as his eyes burned with hatred towards us. He seethed anger and hissed through his teeth, there was no sneer given to us only untampered anger.

  “Blasted brats.” He cursed towards us and I knew I had to act fast even if he was rendered immobile this was the Demon Lord Abraxas. He was no weak in any sense and he would go far to make sure we were reminded of that. And if it was up to him, he would make sure we’re reminded in a physical form despite the weirdness of having to lug that back regardless of people want it or not.

  Immediately, I lifted my staff of magi upwards. The staff glowed with my power and I knew that the time to act was now or never. I gave one last look towards the girls that had given their all to support me. A smile, a genuine at that, was given them. A kindness that I had always masked with responsibility and justice could finally be seen. And I saw them looked at me in momentary shock since this was not an expression they were used to. I made a mental note to give them more of this before I turned towards my opponent.

  It was time.

  “Good job you two — now it’s my turn.” I congratulated them in front of the angered Demon Lord who had murder reflected in his dark eyes. I then pointed the tip of the staff towards him, my magic swirled as it gathered it’s power to be directed towards him. This new magic was one that I had never used before as it was a high tier spell made especially for him. With an inhale of air I took a moment to savor the spell at the tip of my tongue before I exhaled the final words needed to cast the spell. “Inferno’s Judgement!”

  With that, everyone watched in silent amazement mixed with unified horror as a pillar of fire and holy light descended atop of the Demon Lord Abraxas who was already injured as is. He stared at shock towards the fiery holy light that attacked him. I knew that he had not expected me to have this in his arsenal, but I knew that this was more than enough to harm him to some degree.

  The damage done to him was nothi
ng short of painful and horrifying. The pillar was strong to the point that the stone tower shook from the sheer force. The weather outside seemed turbulent to a thunderous degree and the tower itself seemed ready to crumble as cracks formed from the power of the spell. I could hear the screams or rather the screeches of pain that the Demon Lord was under. The smell of burnt flesh was hard to ignore, but the pillar had finally come to an end.

  Everyone remained silent, unsure what to say as our gaze remained fixated on the small burnt heap on the floor. I took a step closer as I made sure that the girls stayed a fair distance away from the Demon Lord. I was left unsure whether or not he was alive since there was no shift between the light and darkness of the world, I was aware of.

  But I had to believe that he was dead because he remained unmoving. But perhaps that was my first mistake as I didn’t realize that he was injured enough he had to rest and regain the strength he had lost since he had received numerous powerful blows. That had never entered my mind, instead, I headed over towards Walter who was still encased in a magic bind.

  Luckily for me, I had Cecily and Yves with me to figure out how to free him. We tried numerous spells to release him from the magic-made prison but thankfully we figured out that light magic was needed. This was because the Demon Lord was a user of dark magic so light magic was seen as a nullification for the trap that around Walter.

  “You’re safe.” I breathed a sigh of relief onto him. The guilt that he had been captured or even worse killed began to slowly be lifted from my body.

  I wanted to thank him for his bravery because it was clear he was the only one who had extended himself to save me. I began to wonder why we even thought that he was a dead-weight, to begin with. As memories prior to his capture filtered through my head and I was reminded that he lacked proficiency in magic.

  However, with that he lacked in magic he made up with loyalty. Now that was hard to find, and this only made me want to cherish the young boy who looked up to me with such clear and expressive eyes. Even the girls beside me looked relieved that he was safe and within those emotions was guilt interweaved. We had made a mistake in our prior thoughts about Walter. For there was more to him than his incompatibility with magic. And he made that clear with what he said next that was meant for me to hear.