02 Wrath of Flames

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

  “Isn’t that the truth.”

  “You guys all set?” Ethan asked as he approached the team armed to the teeth.

  Kira nodded, pouch filled with vials and her thick leather that left nothing as to her form a secret, glowed faintly. Nell and Magnus stood close, also dressed warmly and wore enchanted armor, but Magnus’s was a knight’s black metal armor. All were nodding as Floa landed on Ethan’s shoulder. “Activate your freezing spells and stick close to me. I’ll keep them from being overwhelmed. Our insertion point will be two miles outside Kyoko’s castle.” He didn’t bother activating his freezing spells because he didn’t have any. As a Fire Elemental he was every snow affinity Demon’s natural predator. “Alright, Floa, send us.”

  Green hands came together and the world changed.

  Near pure white buffeted the seven the instant they landed in the unnatural blizzard. The eyepieces recalculated position in less than five seconds while they reoriented to read they landed on the Yuduken River in Siberia. Going from minus thirty to minus three hundred was one heck of a blow for them all to overcome. Add to that gusts of snow whipping past at over thirty miles per hour and Floa holding onto Ethan’s hair for dear life and maybe one might get an inkling at just how dangerous the situation is that they entered.

  An opposing force rushed from their leader and snow turned into steam for over a hundred feet. The team turned to Ethan and they all saw his glowing fist tracing rapidly. It was Kira who asked “What are you doing?”

  “A trick Merlin taught me. We’re about to have company any second. Nell three o’clock, shoot now.”

  In an instant the Nymph unstrung her Dragon’s horn bow, a shiny black piece of art for a longbow and had age rings running down it when it was once a single horn. She notched an arrow, pulled the string and loosed at air without knowing why, but did as ordered.

  Heavily clothed, but barely four foot tall, a yellow skinned, tooth rotted and an unhygienic Elf appeared in the warmer climate. Only to find an arrow shot through his forehead in the next moment. Not dead center as Nell would have done if she had had clear line of sight, but it dropped dead with its new head accessory. “Thanks!” Nell said with a chipper lilt.

  “Done. Everyone don’t move a muscle.” Ethan said and they complied.

  “Bloody…” Ethan slapped a hand over Kira’s mouth.

  Right after the first Elf was shot down, a dozen more appeared seconds after, all either had bows drawn or fingers glowing crimson.

  And they weren’t alone.

  Over a hundred Dragons opened the frozen Yuduken River from the blizzard. The dragons all were a hundred or so feet long with different hues to their scales and were burning. Some were red, gray, brown, white or black and their heat kept the unnatural winter storm at bay. A rather tall Elf of five foot ten or so stepped forward to remove a face mask. Unlike his brethren he had bright white teeth, yellow skin and commanding eyes that glowed. “Where did the Order scum go? I felt Pixie magics?”

  “Sir!” A beige Dragon nudged the fallen Elf with a large claw, fire escaping with each breath. “Got a dead one here. Nymph arrow by the smell of it.”

  The tall Elf looked through the area, extending his senses and said “They are gone. Fools sticking their nose is business that doesn’t belong to them. Probably scared them off… or Kyoko’s powers did. Let’s return to the front and kill her quickly. Return.”

  The area cleared and with all the Dragons vanishing, the storm returned.

  Magnus was about to move till he saw Ethan shake his head.

  Hidden in the storm was the same powerful Shaman Elf leader and two Dragons, waiting for any fools to think the way was clear and fall into his trap.

  After twenty minutes, the Elf said “If they had stayed, they are frozen by now.” and left the area with his men.

  “We’re clear now.” Ethan said, containing the heat around them.

  “You certain?” Ellen asked as she pulled a hoof from the snow.

  Kira nodded. “They are gone. That Elf has joined assaulting the castle.”

  “What did you do?” Blake finally asked. “I mean, couldn’t we have been discovered just by using your powers?”

  “Thank Merlin for that spell.” Ethan said as he looked out into the snowstorm. “It is an invention of his that hides a targeted area from sight, smell and extrasensory perception. But at my strength it will fail in thirty more minutes. Kira, tell us what you sense.”

  “About three hundred powerful Casters at my level with six hundred more lesser ones. That Elf who waited for us is second most powerful… maybe near nineteen class B. It is an army of Casters to the north, two miles ahead or thereabouts, Boyo.”

  “That is my assessment too, but I’m sensing a thousand Dragons just from the fire they are producing, most focused in one area. That being the castle most likely.”

  “You can sense fire?” Blake asked.

  “Yeah. It’s a lot easier than detecting activated energy. But I can feel all types of flames dotted ahead. Most likely bonfires to hold off the massive freezing power emanating from a central source… Kyoko. I’m imagining it looks like movies I’ve seen… no, more like the last war we had… only smaller and it’s just the seven of us against thousands of them.”

  “Are you planning to use that fire tornado to get us in.”

  For some reason Ethan found it funny and chuckled. Blake raised a scaly brow as his question was serious. “Nah, too destructive, but this was all part of the plan.”

  “Care to enlighten us?” Blake asked, keeping an eye on the storm he couldn’t believe was held so easily at bay. Without such a gift they’d all have died dozens of times over even without their charmed armor. Ethan’s abilities were versatile in more ways than he could truly believe.

  “Let’s find cover first and find Nell a tree to climb. Follow me to the top of that hill I think is ahead. The flames are elevated so that is all I can think it’ll be. I know you can’t see it, but there is a fire in a cave up there. It is likely a lookout point with Goblins. We’ll talk when not in the open. I’ll keep a flame in the middle of my back. Follow it.”

  Ethan took off at a jog, but not so fast as to lose Nell or Kira. They followed the beacon burning in his back, barely feeling the bite of a Demon Lord’s awesome and fearsome power over ice and snow. Beyond a foot was blinding white flurries so dense being blind wasn’t just an analogy as they ran over the frozen Siberian river. What they couldn’t do, he could. The radiant heat from a fire up on a hill was like a beacon in total darkness. Too easy to follow. Soon they crossed into thick trees, all of them using spells in their shoes to run atop the snow rather than sink up to their waist. Only Blake was barefoot, using advanced running skills to stay above. Ellen brought up the rear, her horseshoes barely glowing and not making a sound even with the howling wind.

  Since all were athletic, Kira being the least, they traveled up a steep hill, avoiding trees and greater dangerous terrain conditions without injury. Thick trees were frozen solid and barely swayed. They all got the feeling the trees would shatter like glass at any moment, but as a bonus the winds were less severe thanks to the density of untamed nature.

  Strong, musky smells along with a little earth and blood drifted into Ethan’s nose from upwind. He stopped and knelt. “Blake, is that the smell of Goblins?”

  They all looked at him carefully, but Blake sniffed and tasted the air with his tongue. “Yes… and I think the blood is human and the other is likely Arachne, but no more than two. I didn’t notice it right away. We need to talk.”

  “Later. Nell, Ellen, you’re up. Kill all but the most talkative. Be careful, you’ll leave my effective range after two hundred feet. I can’t extend it without alerting our Shaman friends to our position.”

  The Nymph and Centaur readied their bows and climbed ahead without making any noise. Nell hated clothes, but even her sap would freeze like the forest around her in minutes. But being a Nymph, she was naturally light-footed. Ellen simply made
sure her hooves were activated and were fed by her Spirit Energy as they split up and angled to the source of the fire Ethan was relaying to them via the headsets.

  Flickering orange soon came into sight and Ellen’s whispers turned her armor into white camouflage. Her horse half would have been better, but these extreme temperatures were deadly. Hearing her, the rest of the team turned their armor snow white with streaks of brown to mimic twigs. Ellen scoped the cave first and found it to be decent for her and the others with the bonfire roaring. She had her camera zoom in and found “Nell, six Goblins and an Arachne.” Goblins were mostly quadruped when moving about, but had hands and were excessively strong. A typical, common Demon with thick hair covering their entire body. Their coats would be white if they bathed, which almost all didn’t. And they were fast, almost as fast as she and didn’t tire easily. Arachne were half woman and half spider. The spider woman in the cave had four eyes and a pair of fangs hidden behind a petty mouth. But their greatest weapon is their thread. It is nearly unbreakable without enchanted weapons. And their venom is paralyzing, allowing for their kind to toy with their prey before killing and eating.

  Nell climbed a nearby tree and didn’t disturb even a snowflake and she whispered “I see them…” The Nymph looked through her eyepiece’s thermal imaging function to pick up heat sources to find one sneaking up on her friend. “Nell, sit down on my command. A Goblin is sneaking up from behind. Three, two one…”

  The Goblin scout caught the scent of a Centaur mare and grinned as it was his lucky day. He smelled no one else and one occupied female was no problem. He didn’t need to call his friends to take her down. Besides, He thought gleefully. they’ll want to take my prize and meal. Just one more ste…

  Ellen’s posterior hopped up and before the Goblin could react it fell fully on its dog-size body. It was about the size of a German Sheppard, but against a one ton Centaur, there was no contest. Snow crunched louder than expected, but over the howling winds it was muffled to the point of nothing. In Ellen’s ear she heard Nell’s comment “Death by a horse’s ass.” Ellen smirked as it was the truth and funny as she looked back to find the dead Goblin’s head twisted at an unnatural angle with the expression of ‘Did someone get the license plate of that bumper?’ To make sure he was down she stomped a sharp hoof through its skull and wiped the blood away. Ellen said “I’m going to climb the wall for a better angle. Cover me, Nell.”

  The Nymph drew the string taut and aimed at the cave, readying to assist if something goes wrong again. That scout was a clear reminder that anything can kill them, especially so outnumbered and nearly blind.

  Ellen activated another ability to her shoes and she ran silently up a slick rock wall that would kill anyone else who’d attempt. She slowed and curved around so she stalked down from above, her powerful legs keeping her from collapsing at the precarious vertical angle since her hooves were stuck tight to the surface. She looked like a spider walking down a wall, but it wouldn’t seem humorous with her bow ready to kill and notched.

  Seven Demons relaxed, all bearing the brand of Sheedan somewhere on their body, staying warm by the fire in front of the cave.

  None were aware of what awaited. Through Ellen’s vantage, the team saw the six goblins and Arachne, but two of the Goblins were roasting a small human leg, a child’s leg. And they seemed a little high, especially one. A deep rumble was choked down in Ethan’s chest and if not for Magnus’ powder white gauntlet on his shoulder to keep him calm, the enemy could be alerted. They listened to the Demons talking and selected two.

  It was over in a second. Five dropped with an arrow in their throat’s, mouth or the Arachne’s brainstem. The shots came from outside and above by marksmen. But since Nell was the best, she winged two of the most vocal Demons, not putting any of her Spirit Energy into the arrows to outright kill them. Others lay dead without making a sound.

  Nell and Ellen rushed to the fire to warm up in the cave, unable to last away from Ethan anymore. Ellen’s hooves shattered both legs of the living Goblins, making them scream, but unable to go anywhere.

  Ethan and the others ran in, but his fist glowed and they watched beside the fire as the wide opening turned to stone with mounds of ice and snow, an illusion, but one they would have swore was a real wall if they weren’t already inside and watch it being created. Floa flew to Kira and they all warmed up aside from the Elemental who scooped up icy sand in his palm. “Nice shot you two. Awe, for me? You shouldn’t have.” He told them sweetly and gestured to the gifts.

  The Goblins were downright terrified of the seven foot tall giant of muscle the white leather couldn’t hide. What was worse was the look of loathing in those strange eyes and the hatred his posture screamed. “We’ll never talk.” One spat through the pain in both legs and the arrow pinning his shoulder into the stone wall.

  “You sure about that? Tell me, does this change anything?” Ethan’s hand with sand ignited and their beady eyes widened in more fear than the pain they felt. “Your reactions say otherwise. As you’ve already guessed, I’m the Fire Elemental which took out millions of your kind in minutes. I can guarantee this” he opened his hand to show a puddle of melted dirt in his hand and dripped between his fingers. “will hurt like Torment when I make you drink. You might tolerate cold, but heat? I really want to see what happens.”

  Strength seemed to leave them as their eyes stayed glued to the molten mess lazily sitting in the gauntlets and felt the heat to know it wasn’t some illusion. It was as real as real can get. “Weee we’ll nooot talllk.” The other sputtered with weakening confidence.

  “Finally a volunteer! Blake, Magnus, please help this gentleman to his feet.”

  The Ogre and Naga left the fire and manhandled the Goblin who started to scream, especially as the arrow in its shoulder broke off from the wall. It sounded more like a pig squealing till Ethan’s other hand pried its jaw apart with his fingers using strength no normal man could dare achieve before funneling the hot liquid down’s it’s gullet. It choked, steam and smoke coming out as it started convulsing. Ethan held up his wrist as if he was reading a clock as it writhed in agony on the ground when the two let go.

  “Seriously?” He yelled after only a minute. “One minute eleven seconds?” he exaggerated as the remaining Goblin hadn’t looked away from its companion for a second, making time seem to stretch till it had gone still. “Hey, Magnus, maybe you should do it. My heat didn’t last nearly long enough. See if Zaxis can kill this bastard more slowly.”

  “Gladly.” Magnus pulled his club and activated the interrogation sequence to turn the heavy golden club an electrified blue that made the air hum.

  “I Talk! I Talk!” the actual target for interrogation screamed when the club was an inch away from touching. “Just end fast when done.”

  “It’ll be faster, but after the child you bastards killed and ate, you will suffer for the soul you destroyed. I see how dilated your eyes are at this fire’s brightness. This is for the kid. Now tell me, is Sheedan personally here attacking Kyoko?”

  “No,” The Goblin admitted in resignation. Ethan knew it was true because Kira was putting a curse on it behind his back, as planned. “she not here. Followed snow witch from Japan to kill dead dead when she declined Mistress’s generous offer and killed emissary.”

  “How many are in this army trying to kill the Yuki-onna?” Ethan knew this thing wasn’t educated by its clipped speech.

  “Many thousand or so. I no good counting.”

  “Who leads this battle?”

  “Snow Dragon.”

  “Snow Dragon?” Ethan asked, not understanding, but Blake standing behind the Demon gestured to explain after. “Fine, what spell stops the attack?”

  “Seven tail Kitsune barrier. No Demon pass. All covered. No escape. We break in soon. We kill. Spread. Order no last.”

  Hearing enough, Ethan ripped a jagged stone from the wall and superheated its core while simultaneously aiming a hand and vaporizing the Goblin’s ha
ir with a blast. Apparently it was female by the six teats on charred skin. Before it could so much as squeal he threw the stone down her gullet, grabbed her by the neck and threw her out of the cave and into the snow. The Illusion rippled and then firmed back properly. “She’ll feel too hot and then freeze to death. Such pain will hurt more than the arrow wound and the shattered legs.”

  “Not a bad interrogation method atop a punishment.” Ellen praised.

  “Before we talk, what is a Snow Dragon?”

  Blake clarified. “The rarest of Dragon kind. Instead of fire, they breathe ice. They aren’t as strong as normal Dragons because ice takes longer to kill, but in a long, drawn out battle, like this, it will sap Kyoko’s energy more quickly. Snow Dragons leech energy from their surrounding area and can choose who to weaken. It is good we learned this before trying to find a way in.”

  “We don’t need to. Kyoko has a hidden tunnel that goes out of her castle, but the bad part is it is covered in ice and steel fifty feet thick. Unfortunately she cannot use it as she sealed it too well. She sent the information about it and I’ve not sent it to you yet. We need to rest so I can debrief you here in private. Nell, break out the food. We’ll kill two birds with one stone. I can talk now since no one can hear us and we have a fire to stave off the chill.”

  They all sat down to eat and listen to him explain everything Tattoo and the council heads devised to stop Sheedan and all contingencies. Even his new sense of smell, telepathy and Kanade’s own changes he expressed. It took fifteen minutes to spill it all and another five to answer questions and let the information simmer and settle.

  “So we are to defend you while you melt a way inside. Then you’ll send Drones after the Elves that showed up before you shielded us to cause panic and make it seem Kyoko has her own Dragon lobbing fireballs to killing their main source of instant travel. And if attacked by a Dragon, Floa is to send them all on her own? She cannot Translocate an army that size, especially with Elves to block efforts. When we reach Kyoko we are to take her to an Accord’s undisclosed safehouse? Does that sum it up?” Blake said calmly, not showing the doubt he felt.