Demon Scroll

by Tim Niederriter

  Niu's sword broke another vakari’s weapon before the point could strike Melissa. The two of them fought, facing down the reptiles one at a time, then two at a time. More vakari join the battle and the two of them retreated a short distance. Now, a good dozen more joined the original group of vakari at the gate. Despite having felled three of them in quick succession, Melissa only saw their numbers grow.

  “Hadrian has to come back,” said Niu through her teeth.

  “Don't count on him,” said Melissa, “He’s always gone when the fighting starts.”

  They fought as hard as they could, holding the lizardmen at a distance. Melissa’s electricity flickered along her spear. She drew lines and wards to trip enemies. Electricity jolted at any reptilian who drew too close. Niu used what electricity she could manage to stun those lizard men who brushed against her sword or arms. Neither she or Melissa held a shield but their magic kept them both alive and swinging over several minutes of fighting.

  Lizardmen drew back, finally allowing two of the pale men to step forward. The maladrites each carried two blades.

  “Little mortals,” said one of them, “you vakari are as weak as the humans you fight.”

  Niu gritted her teeth, breathing hard.

  “Who is weak now?”

  The two pale men exchanged glances and laughed.

  “We are not here to dance with you,” said the maladrite, “we are here to take your lives.”

  The two maladrites stepped forward, each set of blades crossed. One of them swung a sword lazily forward to point at Melissa.

  Melissa grimaced.

  “Which one of you want to go first?” she asked.

  The maladrites laughed again.

  Melissa held her spear at arms-length in one hand, then channeled her bane shot through it. The iron Bane left her muscles, rendering her weak-kneed and tired. She released the shot at the nearest maladrite.

  The sword he held before her face splintered apart. Metal bent and shattered. The hilt exploded his arm bent back, burning apart. The iron bane ripped his arm from his shoulder, then passed through his chest on one side. The maladrite tumbled to the ground. He gasped for breath, then lay still.

  His blood coated the ground. The other maladrite raised his eyebrows.

  “You are more impressive than I expected,” he said. He twirled both blades and advanced, though he moved carefully, trying to be elusive in case Melissa could release another bane shot. Melissa maneuvered trying to put herself between the man and the bane she had already released. The maladrite could protect from one side. She needed to time her strike properly.

  She thrust with the spear, he blocked with both blades and kicked her backward. She fell onto her back. He spun his blade, preparing to strike. The bane returned to her like a whip’s crack. Iron spirit sliced through the sword whirling toward Melissa's throat.

  The weapon shattered and one fragment gashed Melissa over the eye. The rest of the shards flew past her harmlessly. Niu leapt forward, stabbing at the maladrite's chest with her sword. Maladrite jumped backward, but then Melissa spear caught him in the other shoulder. Blood erupted from a new wound. He staggered back, clutching his arm as he dropped the broken sword.

  “You two don't deserve us to play nice.” Niu’s lips drew back in a savage snarl.

  “Who wants to play nice?” said Melissa

  The maladrite fell to the ground as blood oozed between his fingers. Despite his pale skin, his blood was as bright as that of any human.

  “Mortals,” he said. “How dare you?”

  Melissa and Niu pressed him, and he retreated toward the mass of reptilian soldiers. Right when he was about to escape, among the vakari, the lizardmen retreated, pointing at the sky.

  A flurry of strings made of light erupted from above. She had not noticed Deckard Hadrian's shadow. The maladrite caught several strings through the chest and arms. Deckard swung him upward and slammed him into the city wall.

  The maladrite fell twenty hands and crashed to the ground.

  Melissa glanced at Niu. Deckard landed in front of them.

  “The gatehouse is lost,” he said, “We must hold them here.”

  “So you couldn't protect the gatehouse?” said Melissa.

  “Not right now,” said Deckard. “In a time like this, we must fight together.”

  “Together?” Niu nodded.

  Melissa frowned.

  “I can agree with that.”

  They squared their stances and fought on.

  Saben

  Saben in his guise as Azel approached the enemy from behind. The starry-faced demon maladrite had not closed with the gate alongside the rest of them. Instead, the soldiers, both reptilian and maladrite battled with two women and a man in an iron robe by the front gate. Saben recognized Melissa, Niu, and Deckard. The gate stood open, but few soldiers were behind it to meet the army. The guards that remained by the gate squared a formation under the opening.

  The remaining maladrites and reptiles rushed together toward the gates.

  Three fighting outside would not be enough to stop them.

  Azel glanced with little eyes at Jaswei and Rond. The two of them followed him through the trees of the orchard.

  Jaswei grimaced.

  “I can't believe I’m about to say this,” she said, “but we need to step in.”

  Saben nodded.

  Rond grunted

  “After all that city did to me, you think I’ll help protect it?”

  “Stay here,” said Saben, his voice a rumbling whisper. He raised himself from their hiding place. His massive demonic frame extended, unfolding from how he had curled up to hide. Limbs, two sets of them, unfurled. One pair picked up his greatsword. The other pair remained open for punching and grabbing. He hoped the demon’s skin was hard.

  “My skin is hard as iron,” Azel said in his mind.

  I hope it's hard as steel, Saben answered.

  Azel offered no reply to that. The two of them rushed as one body toward the fray.

  Saben

  He and Azel leapt into the rearguard of the enemy force. The reptilians watching the back of the formation near the orchard trees flew aside. Their bodies broke as they fell. The ground where the bodies fell turned red. Power surged through Saben’s limbs, the strength of a fifteen-foot tall demon, of Azel.

  Other lizard men howled and yelled as he ripped through them. With Azel’s power, they fell apart as easily as reeds or stalks of grain. Despite their weapons and teeth, their shields and their scales, the vakari were easy prey. Saben darted among them, ripping individuals apart until they scattered. Even their magic could do nothing to stop his impossibly powerful demon form.

  Azel thought to him, “now if only I was using my full strength.”

  “What?”

  “Of course,” said Azel, “you're only using a small fraction of my power.”

  Saben had no more time to question the demon as he struck and hurled bodies away with every blow. His whole frame shook bloodied and vile with murder.

  He and Azel proceeded to wreck through the center of the small group of reptilian soldiers. The vakari formation fell apart and they retreated. Except for the maladrites, the enemy had broken.

  The trio of remaining maladrite dominus pressed the three at the front of the gate. Saben rushed toward them. Azel bellowed in his mind.

  “Not yet!”

  Not yet? Saben grimaced.

  “No,” said Azel, “you must not let the demon hunter see me.”

  If he sees us, Saben thought, he'll know what I did. He'll know you have the scroll’s power.

  “Exactly,” said Azel. “Slip away.”

  Saben reluctantly retreated from the fray. He disappeared into the orchard, leaving a bloody trail behind him. As he moved, he sensed through the demon's eyes and ears. Nostrils flared. He detected the presence of more enemies nearby. More maladrites or vakari?

  Or simply other creatures?

  Saben prowled close to his prey,
knowing they could easily be human and harmless. Harmless, meant something different to one with Azel’s power than to an ordinary human.

  He prowled through the orchards, spotting people fleeing from the forces of the vakari and the maladrites.

  Overhead, a large winged shape swept over the land. It was a massive vakari warrior most likely capable of breathing fire along with flying despite his great size.

  A bowami mire dragon, Azel thought, would be an apt test of my powers.

  “But it's in the air,” said Saben, “what can we do to it from here?”

  “Anything you want,” said Azel, “simply strike and you will have my power at your disposal.”

  Saben hesitated, then pressed his feet to the ground. The clawed nails of Azel’s toes dug into the soil.

  He punched himself in the air, leaping above the treetops in a single bound. The land spread out below him. He and Azel hurtled toward the dragon as one. The creature in the air turned toward them. Azel rushed toward the dragon head-on. Flames began to boil in the creature's throat, along with sprite’s incantation.

  Saben slammed Azel’s demonic shoulder into the dragons neck.

  The dragon sent a gout of flame past them, too slow to act.

  Saben brought down his sword, even slicing the dragon across the shoulder. A great wing ripped. Blood issued forth, burning in the air. Saben swung the blade one more time and then drove it into the creature’s back. The dragon lost all altitude and careened toward the ground. Azel, said Saben, is this only a fraction of your power too?

  “Indeed,” said Azel.

  Saben leapt from the creature’s back before it plowed into the dirt. He landed near the farmhouse. Though they’d been tracking the enemy army for half a day, he wouldn't take long to return to Jaswei and Rond. They would still be near the city gates. He took off running.

  Melissa

  They fought the maladrites to a standstill at the gate. The force of vakari melted away into the orchards. Deckard called to Niu and Melissa as the maladrites and lizard men retreated.

  “You two, come with me to the gatehouse. We have to make sure we can close the doors. There could be more enemies.”

  Niu nodded.

  Melissa gripped her spear in nearly numb fingers.

  The three of them climbed the wall with the aid of their magic. Deckard did not so much scale as simply float up the barrier. At the top, they approached the gatehouse. The battlements were strewn with fallen city guards. Most appeared to have died fighting. Among them lay the bodies of mercenaries in various states of pain and death. Fights against bandits on the merchant caravans would rarely be so bloody. Niu covered her mouth at the sight. Melissa’s iron bane helped her process the slaughter without her stomach turning over.

  They picked their way through the carnage to the gatehouse door. Deckard pried the passage open, breaking part of the wooden frame in the process. The gate mechanism was jammed open with a massive rod stuck between the gears.

  “Whoever opened the gate must have done this,” Deckard said.

  He approached the iron rod and began to pull on it. His sprites and banes cut into it until the metal split apart. Shards flew out of the gears.

  “How did he do that?” Niu said in wonder.

  Melissa frowned.

  “Deckard seems strong, but no one is strong enough to break a metal bar like that.”

  Especially not when it’s stuck in the gears of the gate.

  “How did you do that, my lord?” asked Niu.

  “I'm not your lord,” said Deckard, turning to Niu. “My feather magic can lighten any load.”

  “You can make it light as feathers?” Melissa asked.

  Deckard nodded.

  “The gate can close now,” he said. “We must keep watchful while the guards secure the area.”

  Melissa nodded.

  They went outside as Alma returned with a handful more magisters and a large contingent of city guards. Suya led a team of mage guard alongside them. Good to see everyone working together.

  The gates secured, Melissa, Niu, and Deckard had time to rest.

  The battle lasted mere minutes, but blood now coated the ground before the gate. Dozens of bodies littered the ground with more on the wall. From the parapet of the city, Melissa gazed into the orchard and made out the shapes of dozens of lizard men ripped to shreds by some unknown force.

  “What was out there?” she asked.

  Deckard shrugged.

  “I don't know,” he said.

  Niu frowned.

  “Whatever it was may have saved us.”

  “Perhaps,” said Deckard, “but don't undervalue yourself. The maladrites retreated because of you two.”

  “The vakari are powerful too,” Melissa said, remembering the force of the blow that shattered her world when she shielded the governor.

  Deckard nodded.

  “I fear the enemy remains closer than we think.”

  “Could they be in the city as well?” asked Melissa.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of. Most of these mercenaries, I recognize. They’re mostly loners from Soucot. They do odd jobs about the town, like exploration and retrieval from the wilderness and ruins nearby. It wouldn't be normal for them to attack suicidally to help outsiders.”

  “I understand. They may have been hard-luck mercenaries, but they weren't insane.”

  “Correct, Melissa,” said Deckard. “None of them served the king of Nassio as far as I knew.”

  “The king...do you know where he is?” Melissa asked Deckard.

  “I did. The king of Nassio lives to the north in the warmth of the swamplands. He may approach soon if we aren't careful. For all I know, having been distracted these past few weeks, he may be on the move already.”

  “Well and true,” said Melissa. “If he is, we’ll be in more serious battles than today.”

  Deckard looked calm.

  “I never want to see another battle in Lowenrane,” he said. “But you live long enough...” He trailed off.

  “You live long enough?” said Niu.

  “I’ve lived too long,” he said, “Any philosopher could tell you why.”

  Melissa shrugged.

  “Don't be too sad,” she said, “We saved a lot of people today and you saved us, I think.”

  Deckard smirked at her.

  “Of course,” he said, “what would people do without their immortal protector?”

  Melissa wrinkled her nose.

  “Forgive me for saying,” she said, “but you can leave the sarcasm.”

  He shrugged, his false mirth gone.

  “Just because I'm sad doesn't mean we didn't do well today. You two have grown into strong mages.”

  Katie flushed. Melissa raised an arm and set it on the parapet. They looked over the orchard together. Among the trees, people picked their way through the battlefield. They weren’t all scavengers. Most of them probably tended the great orchards north of Soucot.

  Deckard frowned. His gaze followed Melissa's view over the crenelations.

  “Those people will need help if they’ve been displaced.”

  He took the air once again. Leaving Melissa and Katie on the wall, Deckard, Hadrian glided toward the orchard.

  Deckard

  Deckard touched down among the people in the orchard. He asked them a few questions, but mostly he helped them move into the city. They were keepers of the plants, as he’d thought. He led them to the gates, then helped them into the city. Negotiating for people with innkeepers for their nightly rates was the best he could for them at the moment. They would have their homes back if he had his say, but for the moment the vakari had moved in the from the north. They may not be numerous on land, but they were dangerous to people. Deckard wished he could do more.

  Being a demon hunter did not mean much when one's foes weren’t demons. He was capable of defending himself, but others?

  He let the mortals deal with most of the trouble most of the time. However, at a tim
e like these, he wished he could do more and knew he had to try. He had more power than almost anyone in the southlands. Lowenrane besides the governor was a poor part of the land of mercy. Jediketz, the fallen empire, had all but neglected the place completely. Even the roads in the southernmost riverland were pre-conquest.

  He decided then and there he would defend Soucot as long as he could. Zalklith Once-Broken, the king of Nassio, must fall before Deckard could leave. He disliked being tied down, but with how aggressive Zalklith’s forces were acting, he doubted both of them would survive the season.

  A shame, for they had once been friends.

  Deckard scowled as he took to the air once more. Flying to Nassio once again was possible, but there were no guarantees Zalklith would be there. He could miss too much overnight. Deckard watched as the sun set and the city closed its doors one by one. All the while, the one who never slept flew through the night.

  Elaine

  Healers set to work among fallen guards and wounded peasants from the orchards. Elaine and her aunt went with them. They did what they could, using their witch powers to mend what wounds they could close with magic. As witches, they could also nullify the wasting attacks of the vakari mages. Elaine wished she and her aunt had been there faster, having taken hours after the attack to arrive at the gateway. Just within the gate, a triage had been set up. Two dozen guards and at least twenty civilians were being treated for serious wounds.

  Wounds and death. The coming battles offered worse than Elaine thought she could stomach. Even as she worked, she heard the guards gossiping about the onset of another war with the vakari. The war with Kanor was long gone, but everyone recalled it in their city’s historical memory. When the Kanori struck, the Tancuonese struck back and both sides suffered terribly.

  Elaine made her way through the triage to find her aunt once more. She stopped by a guard, wounded during the fight.

  “Do you need water?”