by D. S. Craig
When the smoke cleared, they were both lying on the ground, burned to a crisp. With an explosion like that, it was a wonder that their bodies were still intact. I wanted to know the secret to their toughness, but we didn’t have time for that. We still had more assassins to deal with.
I ran over and joined Lesti. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Come on. We have to help Rose.”
So, we left the smoldering corpses of our assailants and Augustine on the balcony and headed inside, braced for round two.
Aurelia’s Battle
Aurelia dashed through the garden of the Gambriel family manor, the cool evening air rushing past her face. Fang ran alongside her, excitement overflowing. Glancing down at the little elemental hound, she couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t how she had expected it to happen, but this would be their first hunt together as partners.
She couldn’t relish the feeling for very long, though. They were getting close to where Astria had told them the intruders would be. She doubted they were moving so slowly that they were still in the same place, so she gave a quick hand signal to Fang, and they both ducked down in the shadow of a large hedge. With the number of enemies that Astria had told them about, it would be foolish to rush in. So, they would wait here and get the jump on their foes instead.
Aurelia decided to rely on her hearing over her vision and focused on the sounds around her. Meanwhile, Fang’s eyes darted around the night, picking up on all sorts of insects and small animals she couldn’t see. If this wasn’t his first hunt, she would scold him for not focusing on their prey. However, he was young, and such distractions were to be expected. It would probably take at least another six months of training before he could stay focused in a situation like this.
Almost as if trying to prove her wrong, Fang’s ears suddenly perked up, and his head snapped to the side. Through their connection, she could feel his thoughts. The prey was coming. A moment later, Aurelia heard it, too. The sounds of several footfalls reached her ears, despite the intruders’ best attempts to keep quiet.
It was quite hard for such a large group of people to be stealthy, and clearly, this group’s training was lacking. Aurelia smiled as she remembered her own mistakes from her time training with her father. As the sound drew closer, her heart rate began to accelerate, much as she tried to suppress it. This would be her first hunt since making her deal with Lord Dawster, so despite the odd prey, she couldn’t help but get excited.
Getting as low as she could without lying prone, she peered around the hedge they were hiding behind. It took a moment, but her eyes were able to adjust to the darkness, and she could see the outlines of her targets. Signaling Fang to get ready, she drew the twin daggers hidden in her dress, preparing to attack.
The following seconds seemed to stretch into minutes as she waited for them to draw closer. Each movement and sound became more and more pronounced to her heightened senses. She could feel Fang’s excitement building as well. His youthful vigor and natural hunting instinct poured through their connection, making Aurelia’s adrenaline spike harder than usual. It was almost too much for her to handle.
Just as she was about to be overwhelmed by the sheer energy flowing through her body, the time came. Without a word, Aurelia sprang from their hiding place, heading for the closest target. Using their connection, she instructed Fang on which enemies to attack. The plan was to wipe out or disable as many of their foes as possible before they could react.
Aurelia struck the first blow, plunging one of her daggers into the throat of her target before he even saw her. She felt an odd amount of resistance as she silenced him, but paid it no heed. Ripping her dagger free, she dashed toward her next target. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fang dispatch his opponent, using Shadow Step to catch them off guard.
As she moved toward her next target, the group started to react to the attack. Still, Aurelia was too quick for the next victim in line. She rushed in, ducked under their guard, and swung her dagger up hard into their abdomen. She grimaced as she felt the blade once again hit a strange amount of resistance, almost as if her opponent’s skin and muscles were hardened.
Still, just like before, she ripped her daggers free and turned to find the next opponent. As she did, one of the assassins leapt at her, blade raised high overhead. Aurelia didn’t bother to look their way; in the next moment, Fang sprang from the darkness and knocked them out of the air, pinning them to the ground.
With four targets now eliminated, she expected her opponents to start rallying and considered ducking back into the shadows. However, as she looked around, none of her opponents were drawing their weapons. Instead, they each pulled out a small vial and began to drink from it. Such odd behavior sent a chill down Aurelia’s spine. Whatever was in those vials couldn’t be good news. But if they were going to give her an opening, she was going to take it.
Rushing forward, she slipped behind her next victim and slammed both daggers into his back with all of her strength. Rather than sinking deep into her opponent’s flesh, the blade ground to a halt after only barely breaking the skin. Aurelia stared wide-eyed at the man’s back for a moment, trying to process what had happened before ripping her daggers free with all of her strength.
Her hesitation cost her. She was still off-balance when another assassin rushed at her, far faster than their allies before them had been. Aurelia didn’t have time to dodge or put her guard up as the short sword swung down toward her neck. Just before the blow could connect, it came to a stop, the attacker’s arm wrenched back violently by the force of Fang’s Shadow Step.
Aurelia took some distance from her opponents as they gathered, using the temporary lull in combat to her advantage. “Fang, regroup.”
Hearing her call, Fang released the arm he had been tearing at and dashed back to her side, avoiding the angry swipe of his victim with their good arm. Scanning the garden, she was surprised to find that Astria’s estimate of the number of opponents hadn’t been far off. There were exactly twenty-one foes remaining. For a moment, Aurelia considered calling for help but stopped just as she was about to give Fang the signal.
In her mind, she knew that calling Astria now was the best course of action, but her pride wouldn’t allow her to do that just yet. After everything Lesti and Astria had done for her, she was deeply indebted to them. The pair had saved Fang and her with almost no help. Calling for aid after only defeating four enemies wasn’t an option.
Glancing down at the elemental pup by her side, she began to focus on controlling her magical energy. “Fang, we’re going to use it. Get ready.”
His eyes lit up with understanding, and he crouched low in a ready position. Aurelia manipulated her magical energy, forming a bridge between herself and Fang, and began to pull his magic into her. Soon their magics mixed and flowed together, giving Aurelia full control over their combined might. Using the techniques she had learned from Astria, she manipulated the massive amount of energy in Fang, causing it to swell.
Focusing, she formed an image in her mind of the shape she wanted. A faint purple aura began to wrap around Fang, growing denser by the second until it finally became a solid mass of magical energy. Her opponents stared in disbelief as a massive wolf made of pure magic now stood before them. While they tried to process what was going on, Aurelia poured her magical energy into her daggers, using what they had learned from Rose. She still couldn’t store energy in them long-term, but it would be good enough for a short fight like this.
With her preparations done, Aurelia leapt at her foes, Fang moving in sync with her. Slipping into the center of the group, she began to slash at their weak points, cutting at their joints and soft spots. Her opponents tried to counter, but every time they did, Fang’s wolf form would cut them off, biting and clawing at their vitals. The world around Aurelia slowly became a blur as she moved faster and faster, whirling about in a flurry of blades, fur, and fangs.
It took everything the group of assassins had to defend agai
nst their attacks. The leaders tried to shout orders and organize a counter-attack. Still, no matter how quick they were, Aurelia and Fang were faster. The magical link they shared was further enhanced by the thread of magical energy flowing between the two, binding their thoughts together more tightly than ever. Through that, Aurelia could see and feel everything that Fang did, as if she were seeing it herself.
After several seconds of continuous attacks from the pair, the assassins began to falter. While none of the wounds Aurelia landed were lethal or deep, they were starting to add up. Seeing her opening, she launched her attack in earnest, slamming her dagger into a nearby assassin’s chest after Fang knocked him off balance.
Once again, the dagger stopped short, barely piercing the skin. But this time the strike was lethal. Using the technique she had started practicing on the tree, she released a burst of magical energy straight into the man’s heart. Whether it burst on impact or simply stopped from the shock, she didn’t know, but her opponent coughed up blood and leaned heavily on her dagger. Aurelia swiftly pulled her blade away and moved on to her next target, letting him fall to the ground.
Seeing one of their allies struck down, the rest of the group began to panic, wildly slashing at Aurelia as she drew close. This only made them easier to fell. Three more of their number laid dead on the ground in a few seconds, slain similarly to the first. Yet, just as it looked like their morale was about to break, a voice rang out from the group.
“She’s a tough one. Buy me some time!”
“No, you don’t!”
Aurelia and Fang both immediately turned and rushed toward the man who had given the instructions. Aurelia wasn’t about to let him drink another one of those potions. Unfortunately, she didn’t anticipate how willing her opponents were to die. Eleven of the remaining members leapt together, cutting off her path and slashing at her wildly. She cut them down mercilessly along with Fang but was too slow.
In the back, the man finished chugging a deep purple potion. As the last drops passed through his lips, he turned and grinned at her. “Too late, girl.”
Worried he would attack her while she was still busy with his allies, Aurelia moved to quickly dispatch the remaining opponents. To her surprise, the man didn’t rush her. Instead, he started to convulse, and his body began to morph. It was a terrifying sight to behold, but what scared Aurelia was the faint sense of nausea she felt in the pit of her stomach. She ducked the desperate blow of the last remaining member and slammed her dagger into the bottom of his jaw.
With all eleven dispatched, she rushed toward the man, hoping to finish him before his heinous transformation could complete. The five remaining assassins moved to intercept her, but that was part of her plan. With all the focus on her, Fang had a straight shot. Using Shadow Step, he appeared right in front of the man in an instant. Jaws made of pure magical energy opened wide, preparing to close around him when suddenly the man let out a tremendous roar.
A wave of magical energy exploded from his body, sending Fang flying backward and causing Aurelia to stagger. Thankfully, the other assassins were not immune to its effects, making them unable to attack. Unease building in her chest, she rushed to rejoin Fang.
“You okay?”
He slowly stood, shaking off the impact, and glared where the man had been standing, letting out a low growl. Through their connection, Aurelia could tell he had mostly experienced a few bruises, nothing serious. Following his gaze, she readied her blades once again.
Standing before her was a creature similar to, but more human than, the archdemon she had seen Lesti and Astria fight once before. Tough, leathery grey skin covered its entire body. Elongated arms dragged the ground below it, giving it an unsettling appearance. Eyes black as the void turned and looked at her, sending a chill down her spine. The man was no more—he was now a full-fledged demon, with the magic aura to match.
Aurelia grimaced as the wave of sickening magical energy rolling off the creature washed over her. Thankfully, the aura of this demon seemed far weaker than that of the archdemon, and she was able to handle the nausea with just a little bit of willpower. Still, she recognized the situation was dicier than before. Not only was it still six versus two, now there was a demon of unknown strength in the mix.
Aroooooo!
She gave Fang the signal, and he belted out the loudest howl he could manage, informing Astria and the others that there was a problem. However, in the next moment, the situation rapidly changed. The remaining assassins made a break for the manor without a word, giving the demon a wide berth. Aurelia tried to chase after them, but before she could react, the monster made its move.
In the blink of an eye, it was on top of her. Its long, clawed hand swiped down at her with an unbelievable amount of speed. Throwing up her daggers, she braced for the blow, but it never came.
The creature was fast, but Fang was slightly quicker. Using Shadow Step, he rammed into the demon knocking it back.
The creature glared at Fang, a look of pure hatred smeared across its face. It lunged wildly at him, forcing him back. Aurelia wanted to jump in and help her companion, but there was nothing she could do with as fast as they were moving. She reached into the secret pocket inside her dress and grabbed onto several small stones. Pulling them out, she threw them at the demon, yelling the activation phrase. “Awaken, Mini Golems!”
At her words, the small stones sprang to life while flying through the air, unfolding into miniature stone golems only a few inches tall. They latched onto the demon and began to punch and kick at it with their tiny limbs. For those that didn’t understand what was happening, it was a rather comical scene. But thanks to the magic infused in them by Rose, and the spells constructed by Lesti, the golems possessed a strength that far exceeded their tiny bodies.
Suddenly swarmed by the tiny juggernauts, the demon flailed wildly in an attempt to remove them. However, Fang didn’t make that easy, using every attempt as an opportunity to bite and claw at the creature.
Aurelia began to focus on an image in her mind. The golems were meant to be her trump card, but she knew they wouldn’t be enough to defeat a creature as strong as a demon. So, she took a gamble, putting together the pieces of a magic circle Lesti once showed her.
It was a dangerous move. Aurelia wasn’t as good at memorizing the circles as Lesti. In fact, she was downright terrible at it. Until now, she had only managed to remember a few simple spells perfectly. If she messed up the one she was building here, there was a good chance it would kill her outright, or cripple her at the very least. Still, she had little choice. As she was now, she couldn’t keep up with the demon’s speed.
Sweat broke out on her brow as she quickly rushed to finish the spell. The wolf aura surrounding Fang wavered slightly as she struggled to keep up with both tasks. Her body began to feel hot, letting her know she was nearing her limit. Once the spell was complete, she would have to finish things quickly, or risk burning out.
The puzzle slowly fell into place as she inserted rune after rune into the circle in her mind, reconstructing it piece by piece. Then, just before she completed the spell, the demon smashed the last of the golems and turned angrily toward her. A sense of panic started to well up within Aurelia, but she pushed it down, forcing herself to remain calm. She was almost done. She just needed to focus.
Sensing her emotions, Fang leapt at the demon in an attempt to pin him down, but his attack was reckless and predictable. The creature quickly sidestepped it and sent him flying with a backhand. With nothing else standing in his way, he dashed at Aurelia with blinding speed and swung his long arm toward her head.
At the same moment, she finished constructing the spell in her mind. It activated, and a surge of magical energy flowed into Aurelia’s body at an unbelievable speed, filling her with power. Throwing all of her strength into her legs in a panic, she jumped to the side, flying into the nearby bushes, and the demon’s arm swung through empty air.
The demon stared at her with a confused expres
sion for a moment before charging at her once more. Aurelia hastily freed herself from the bushes. Careful not to throw too much power behind each movement, she rushed at the demon. The creature, still not used to her new speed, swiped at her wildly, giving Aurelia room to duck under his guard and aim a decisive blow to his abdomen.
This time, her daggers slammed home, piercing the creature’s flesh easily. However, Aurelia still wasn’t entirely in control of the power her spell had granted her. Her momentum lifted the demon off his feet and caused Aurelia to stumble forward. The demon used this opening to grab onto her arms, preventing her from using her daggers to rip his belly open. Then, it opened its mouth wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth that raced toward her face. Panicking, she pulled back with all her might, but the creature’s grip was firm, and she only managed to pull him closer.
Just before its jaws could close around her face, another pair of jaws made of pure magical energy closed around the creature’s neck—Fang had rejoined the battle. The impact knocked the demon away from Aurelia, causing it to pull forcefully on her arms. Then, it lost its grip and tumbled to the ground, Fang’s jaws still clamped around its neck.
Seeing her chance, Aurelia leapt at the demon, daggers raised high above her head. They slammed into its chest with a thud, causing the creature to start flailing wildly in an attempt to knock her off. She wasn’t going to let it escape this time. Planting her knee firmly on its abdomen, she used all the strength in her lower body to hold it in place. Twisting her daggers, she cut horizontally across the creature’s chest, right where its heart should be. But even after what should have been a lethal blow, it continued to flail about wildly.