She pushed him through the door and followed him in. The windows had a set of shutters on the inside that she shut quickly upon entering. She ran to the kitchen and warned the other bakers. She grabbed a set of knives she used to slice bread and gave one out to each person. It was all they had on hand, but it was better than being caught unarmed.
“Mommy!” Nathan whimpered and began to cry. Tears rolled down his cheeks while thoughts of the demons attacking again rushed through his mind. Nathan was still scared from the last time the demons attacked Salidon. He gripped the handle of the knife tightly and his hand shook. The other two bakers looked at him with sorrow. The demons started pounding on doors outside and threw rocks at windows. Screams of terror started to erupt outside. The sounds of warriors joining the fray soon followed as they began to defend their precious city. Nathan had mixed emotions. He craved to join the fight but was also afraid. His nerves made him shake all the more.
Lord Emalf appeared from the gigantic purple vortex over Salidon. He floated in the air with a wicked grin. The burns on his skull-like red face were almost healed as he enjoyed the madness he brought to Palatovia. His betnoirs with red eyes had swarmed the city in droves. The human warriors of Salidon were dispersed all throughout the city to defend it. Emalf loved how the human forces were being divided as his army of demons attacked. He knew that by dividing his foe’s forces he would be able to annihilate the city. He didn’t want to conquer the city for the wealth or the riches. He was all about the destruction. The more he destroyed the more powerful he became. Power was his motive. He wanted to rule all with extreme force even if what he ruled was just a wasteland.
Emalf roared and commanded the demons, “Destroy them all. Conquer this land and show no mercy.” Emalf knew he didn’t have to speak aloud but did so to strike fear in the humans with his deep, strident voice. His order echoed down the alleyways and off many walls of the city. The citizens of Salidon screamed when demons ransacked their homes; otherwise they tried to hide in silence.
Warriors of the city struck the demons with pole-arms, axes, swords, daggers, and arrows. The fight left many bodies, both human and demon, lying on the ground. The citizens couldn’t flee because Emalf had ordered demons to stand guard at all the exits of the city. Those that tried to escape were either chased back indoors or slaughtered.
Victoria, a female warrior in black and silver armor, was in command of a centuria of warriors. She carried a special longsword that she called Diami made of finely crafted Salidonian steel. Like Caled, its sister sword, it had a leather wrapped diamond hilt. Even with the dark cloud overhead, the sword shone brightly.
Beside her, another knight named Arthur, dressed in silver armor with a crest of a lion on his shield, stood tall and ready for action. He had already cut down nine vicious demons that stood in his way. His sword was similar to Victoria’s longsword in design and durability, but it was crafted by an unknown smith of the Knights of the Shining Kingdom, a gift for his loyal services as a member of the Knights of Shining Kingdom.
The purple vortex grew even larger, letting in a horde of demons, a swarm of flying spiders, and pixies all fighting under Lord Emalf’s command. The ground started to shake and buildings collapsed; large worms and carrion crawlers erupted from the solid earth and toppled over street signs, shops, statues, and parts of the castle walls. The underground river of Salidon leaked and started to flood the low-lying streets. The worms avoided the water and worked their way to tops of buildings still standing or uphill. Mass chaos had broken out when the vortex spit out the hellish creatures.
The war horn of Salidon continued to blow. Red flags were now flying in all watchtowers of the city. Warriors collided with the demons on the ground, but they started to lose their advantage when the flying spiders and pixies started fighting as well. Victoria and Arthur remained strong, fighting side by side. Several shamans and wizards joined the fight and enchanted Victoria and Arthur’s weapons, their swords glowing a vibrant yellow and striking the enemy down with ease. The demons on the ground fought viciously but realized their numbers dwindled quickly. Lord Emalf let out a steady whistle. The flying spiders flew down to the ground beside the demons and the demons climbed onto their backs, cheering in their snarly roars knowing they had a flight advantage over the humans. The spiders took to the air again with the demons now riding on them with weapons and claws ready.
Arthur yelled, “Set up flight positions and keep your shields up. Have the archers take post alongside someone for cover. Stagger their positions and get these spiders grounded.” The order was repeated through the ranks in a wave-like fashion. The Salidonian warriors were well trained in getting new orders across the army with minimum delay. In a single motion the army dispersed and grouped in such a fashion to maximize their defense against the aerial strike. The pixies were up in the sky with the spiders and demons and were much harder to hit with arrows or thrown projectiles. The army hoped more spellcasters would arrive soon.
The pixies were a mean group who terrorized the fairies and wanted little to do with the human race. They despised the lagartos and hated the dragons most of all. Some believed their hatred of the dragons was out of jealousy.
The pixies cast many spells but favored “burst” most of all. Burst was a streak of lime green light that struck and stunned its target and for several seconds so other forms of offense could be taken. The pixies would use the spell to disorient their enemy and escape or find a way to continue striking. The pixies would usually flee unless they had an ally with them that could cause serious damage. In this battle, their allies were the flying spiders and they felt no need to flee.
The pixies stunned many warriors and the flying spiders rained down on them. The humans guarded one another from the vicious attacks while their comrades tried to recover from the pixies’ spells. One after another the human warriors lost touch with reality and became confused and couldn’t move. The spiders waited a moment before attacking, knowing it was best to wait for the humans to be stunned before striking because the humans could cut them down with one easy blow.
The centurias of warriors started to crumble. One by one the spiders picked them off. The archers struggled to keep up with the flying spiders and the tiny and nimble pixies, but their shots were not enough to stop them both. The humans were outnumbered and needed the help of the spellcasters that still haven’t arrived. They started to think that they were alone and the battle was already lost. Dread spread across the faces of many. A swarm of flying spiders attacked at once. Ten warriors were lifted off the ground and used as projectiles to strike others. They tumbled like falling bowling pins as green lights flashed in their faces and spiders thrashed at them. A few of the spiders were cut down and some of the pixies were unlucky enough to take an arrow, but it was not enough to hinder their forces.
Struggling to maintain their ground, the humans pulled together and locked shields. They pushed forward and attacked the demons before they had a chance to destroy the city and attack more citizens. When the humans felt like they had the upper hand, more alamours dropped from the spinning vortex high above. This time the alamours did not hesitate to kamikaze and explode as they landed. Chunks of rock and debris became dangerous projectiles when the alamours burst in the street and atop buildings. The air became cloudy with dust. The humans, demons, spiders, and pixies had difficulty seeing anything. The demonic horde had reverted back to attacking with no thought or strategy in mind. They pushed forward and trampled the humans.
The war horn sounded off again, much louder than the first time. Hundreds of warriors in ten by ten formations marched into the streets. People started peering out second or third floor windows to see what was happening despite the high risk of danger. Nathan was not one of them. He stayed in the kitchen away from all doors and windows. He started to think about all his friends and hoped they stayed safe. Nathan’s mother stayed by his side and said reassuringly, “The army will take care of us.”
“I know,” N
athan answered, aware that his mother was just trying to comfort him. A loud crack came from the front door. Neither jumped. Nathan’s mother gripped the knife in her hand firmly. Nathan noticed her knuckles turning white. He loved his mother and wanted to keep her safe as much as she did him.
There was another crack at the front door and pieces of it flew across the room. Two betnoirs stood in the doorway black as midnight with glowing red eyes. Out of instinct, Nathan leapt up from behind the oven and charged at them, with his mother hot on his tail. They attacked the demons with unrelenting force, stabbing, kicking, pushing, and forcing the unwelcome guests back outside as two Salidonian warriors rushed to help Nathan and his mother fight the two demons in the street. Both warriors were armed with swords, axes, and were protected by shining silver armor. They each stood about six feet tall and their faces were hidden behind full helms. The two betnoirs knocked Nathan to the ground and swiped at him with long, sharp claws, and just as the claw grazed Nathan’s shirt, one of the warriors thrust his sword into the demon’s back, also wounding Nathan.
He reached up to check himself and the scratch was shallow and not deep enough to leave a scar. He quickly scrambled to his feet and stood back to let the warriors take care of the other betnoir.
The warrior that pierced the demon attacking Nathan yelled, “Get back inside!” Nathan recognized Yalta Menzar’s voice. Nathan took another look at him before going inside and noticed the quiver of arrows and bow strapped to Yalta’s back. Yalta was well-known for his skills in archery and tracking. Once in the clear, Nathan’s mother followed her son inside.
Yalta turned away and spoke to his lieutenant. “Leonard,” he said, “We need you to organize a mobile defense for the shops on this street. Can you do that?”
“Of course!” Leonard said with a wide grin spread across his face. A twinkle shone in his eyes. The moment tested his courage and leadership abilities; he was eager to prove himself as he did in the evacuation of Centuria when the demons attacked. He quickly ran to the nearest centuria of warriors and asked for ten volunteers to follow him down the street full of shops. More than ten volunteered and he had to turn some away to keep the ranks strong. Leonard said to the volunteers, “Our job is to keep the shops clear and safe. We are to stay moving and guard this area but be wary of the alamours that glow from within. They can explode and destroy all that is within their proximity.”
“Yes, sir!” they responded in unison. Leonard felt a rush of respect and embarrassment from the title, “Sir!” He thought, Was this what it felt like to be a general of an army? The elation made his body feel warm and he couldn’t keep himself from smiling at such an inappropriate time. The warriors followed him down the alley, ready for battle. Betnoirs started rushing them from the opposite end.
“Stand your ground,” Leonard told the warriors. They listened. The approaching demons looked horrific with their fierce grins, tough muscular bodies, and long, sharp claws. Leonard laughed at them. His confidence had grown through the roof into the sky above. Nothing will be able to stop me now, he thought. The first warrior to make contact had long brown hair that flowed out from beneath the helm. Leonard remembered meeting the warrior earlier in a previous battle. Her name was Olivia.
Yalta yelled out to Olivia, “Warn the citizens of the demons that burn from within. We need to get the families to lower floors to protect them from the explosions. If they have basements, have them go there. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Yalta,” she replied and began to make her way to the private residences. She knocked twice and charged into the homes to warn the civilians. Each time she entered a new home she was extra cautious to let herself be known so those inside would not attack out of fear of the demons. “Hello? My name is Olivia. I have orders to warn you to get to the lower floors of your home. The demons can strike from the skies and blow off your roof. Please do get to cover and stay there until given the all clear.” She repeated these orders each time she entered a new home regardless if she could see people inside.
Near the castle of Salidon, Yalta led his group to guard it while King Roberts waited inside. To their luck, spellcasters started to arrive from thin air to aid in the defense of the city and castle, putting up green aura protection spells. Now, the flying spiders no longer had the advantage of having a stunned opponent.
The warriors and archers charged and attacked the enemy with full force. Spellcasters enchanted their weapons to make them more effective in battle. The spellcasters also sent out fireballs and lightning bolts to strike the pixies. When the pixies realized that they were no match for the human spellcasters, they fled leaving the spiders and demons to their own accord.
Lord Emalf felt the shift in the battle and returned to the castle. He looked around the scene and took pleasure in the chaos and death, even of his own. Then he noticed the dried leaves flying through the air and set them afire. The small bits of fire were not deflected by the magical green auras surrounding so many. Warriors were singed and several of the spiders burst into flames when a burning leaf touched them. Emalf charged the humans and stampeded over a large group. Careless in his movements, he did not realize he ran into the archers’ range and between many spellcasters. The wizards and shamans were a particular threat to Emalf— wielding magic and other abilities far beyond his understanding. They already captured him once.
Emalf hovered above the town and laughed hysterically as the demons tore apart the city. Giant glowing rocks started to fall upon Salidon. Seconds later, the glowing rocks transformed into demons with long claws and razor-sharp teeth. Their skin was black but thin and transparent. The streets remained empty of people except for the warriors and a few spellcasters who held their ground against the demonic horde, but they were tiring quickly.
Emalf trampled and crushed many humans before being thwarted by the spellcasters. Blue chains wrapped around his ankles and wrists, ice crystals were being blasted at him, and the shaman made the ground wet and difficult for him to walk across. Emalf had the ability to levitate, but the magic chains around his limbs weighed him down. His rage grew and fire enveloping his body expanded and became hotter. Thick smoke filled the air around him and made the warriors choke. The battle started to shift in the demons’ favor. Yalta screamed out, “What’s happening? We need to clear this smoke. By Usha, let us get a strong wind through here.”
The clerics and other spellcasters knew that Usha would not bring a wind just from a simple prayer, so they took direct action. They summoned powerful winds to push away the thick smoke filling the air, but they forgot about the leaves on fire and sent them down the street away from the castle. The warriors knew immediately they had to abandon the fight and rescue the civilians in the burning buildings before many perished. Emalf let out a loud evil laugh at the scene.
Yalta kept his distance and continued shooting arrows at the demons and the flying spiders. A demon leader had noticed his long-range attacks and ordered his clan to take him out. They surrounded his position and the flying spiders circled overhead. Yalta started shooting his arrows rapidly and called for assistance, but the strong winds from the spellcasters and the fires ablaze drowned out his cry. Several spiders shot strands of sticky web at him and the bow in his hands was whipped from his grip. Yalta pulled out his sword and started hand-to-hand combat with the demons surrounding him. His instincts took over and his fluid movements struck his enemy with precision and speed. Olivia ran out of a burning building leading a family of four when she saw Yalta surrounded. She told the family, “Get as far away from the fighting as you can,” before turning to run to Yalta’s aid. She commissioned every capable warrior and spellcaster she ran passed to follow her. Within seconds there were fourteen people behind her.
Yalta screamed out a long gurgling curse when a betnoir shoved a claw into his chest. Just before his scream was a loud pop that made even Olivia jump. She felt like she didn’t move fast enough and forced herself to use every last bit of strength she had left to reach Yalta
’s position. Yalta grappled with the demon but was unable to get it away because its claw was stuck in his chest. The pain forced him to drop his sword and he fought the demon with his bare hands. Pushing, pulling, swinging, and screaming, the two danced in place as Yalta said, “To hell with it,” and kicked the demon as hard as he could. Blood splashed his face. He felt lightheaded with every breath. The world around him became blurry just before he passed out.
Olivia and the warriors stood over Yalta while the clerics bandaged his wound and cast healing spells. Their hands glowed a soft blue as they gently touched the hole in his chest. Yalta remained motionless except for an occasional chest rise on the side of his torso. The winds seemed to halt, sounds of the fires and fighting faded, clashes of metal were faint, and Olivia had tuned everything out except for what was happening before her. Her face had gone pale. She didn’t know what to think, if she could think at all.
Olivia felt someone touch the back of her shoulder. She looked to see a young boy’s hand reaching for her. Nathan stood beside her with the same pale face and concerned expression. The fighting in the city had ceased. The humans had driven the demons out, but they were still picking off flying spiders scattered about and trying to put out fires.
Emalf destroyed the castle and found the artifact he was looking for. Then he was gone. King Roberts was taken to the underground chambers when Emalf started pulverizing the castle.
Nathan nodded to her, then looked to Yalta sitting on the ground. The clerics were kneeling beside him with hands still glowing a soft blue. Yalta was alert and talking to the healers. The soft glow made his eyes appear yellow, but his chest wound was healed. The whistling sound with each breath had stopped. Olivia asked, “How much has passed?”
Rise of Centuria: Fall of Centuria Volume 2 Page 12