by D A Godwin
Thin black tendrils ripped and tore at the air like steam forcing its way from a boiling pot. From within its swirling depths a shadowy figure began to form, as if something rushed towards them.
Shalindra’s mouth went dry as she realized Tormjere and Birion had been right—they had run head first into a trap.
Another demon, smaller than the first but just as frightening, shot forth as the mists collapsed in on themselves. Its head was thin and stretched like a goat’s, covered in coarse greyish hair and set with a pair of spiraling horns where the ears should have been. The skin of its man-like torso was equally grey but hairless and wrinkled. Arms shaped like a man’s hung from hunched shoulders, while the legs were bent the wrong way at the knee and covered in the same hair as its head.
It never stopped moving, launching itself at Tormjere. He dodged away and raked his sword across its outstretched arm. Unfazed, it lashed out again, but its arm crashed against Shalindra’s shield, which had manifested in front of him.
I do not know if we can take both.
Focus on the goat first. We need to separate them.
Shalindra shadowed Tormjere as he moved left, trying to keep the goat creature between themselves and the larger one. The demons seemed to realize what they were doing and shifted to counter, and suddenly Tormjere and Shalindra each faced one of the creatures.
The larger demon charged towards him and he dodged aside, then cursed as he recognized the bluff. The goat had feinted at Shalindra and was now bearing down on him from behind.
Shalindra’s shield came late, pushing the goat off balance rather than stopping it. Tormjere twisted away, but the demon’s broad, sharp teeth sliced across his arm. He rolled across the ground towards Shalindra, barely ahead of the goat’s snapping teeth.
Shalindra prepared to shield him again, but instead found Shining Moon at the ready in her left hand.
She swung without thinking. The hammer accelerated in a streak of silver, travelling far faster than she expected. Her own arm seemed a blur as the weapon slammed into the goat’s head, shattering a horn and driving the creature face first into the ground.
There was no time to ponder what had happened. The scaled demon thundered towards them like a boulder rolling down a mountain, and they dove in opposite directions to avoid its charge.
Tormjere rolled to his feet and hacked at the demon, trying to turn its attention back to him. He barely ducked the answering strike. His sword was damaging the armored scales but not cutting deep enough to do serious damage.
The goat was back on its feet now and advancing towards Shalindra, forcing them even further apart.
Trumpets sounded unexpectedly from atop the walls.
A retreat?
He’s not only stupid, he’s a coward.
Shalindra could feel his disgust for Poloni, but he channeled his annoyance into a renewed assault that drew blood from the scaled demon and halted its advance.
The goat attacked her furiously. If anything, the damage she had done had only served to make it more dangerous. She could barely defend herself from its rapid series of slashes and bites. Shining Moon dangled forgotten from her wrist as she retreated from the onslaught.
Tormjere tried to fight towards her but the scaled demon anticipated his every move. It kept its bulk planted firmly between them, its long arms preventing every attempt to get back to her.
Shalindra stumbled but regained her balance, but her shield came up too slowly this time. She ducked beneath the demon’s claws, but its arm clipped her shoulder. It was like getting hit with a tree. She flew to the ground, crying out in pain as she tried to escape.
The goat gave her no time to recover. She flung her symbol above her head with her good arm and hunched beneath it, her hammer forgotten on the withered grass at her knees. The ground began to shake with a familiar rumble of horses, and she fought to hold on just a few moments longer. The goat continued attacking, so intent on getting past her shield that it remained unaware of the approaching danger.
When it finally noticed, it was too late.
Shalindra ducked as the knights’ charge thundered past, lances levelled. Three points struck home, but even with the weight of a full charge they failed to fully penetrate its armored skin. The force plowed the thing backwards, its clawed feet digging into the soft earth.
More knights charged past, their lances splintering against the scaled demon. More annoyed than injured, the creature swiped at the horsemen. Seizing the opportunity, Tormjere dashed past it and swung at the back of the goat’s unprotected neck with all his strength. His sword struck savagely, cutting deep through fur and muscle. Mortally wounded, the goat flopped to the ground, thrashing about as it expired.
Tormjere ran towards Shalindra.
Birion wheeled and cast aside his broken lance, then sent his charger racing toward the princess. He arrived just as Tormjere lifted her off the ground. Shalindra gave a small cry of pain and clutched her shoulder as she was thrust onto his horse. Birion instinctively wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling.
“Go!” shouted Tormjere, slapping the horse’s rump.
“Fall back!” Birion yelled.
On command the riders turned and raced after him. The remaining demon stood as still as the mountain it resembled, ignoring them.
Tormjere saw the expected flickers of energy drifting up from the goat’s body and rushed to inhale them in the unexpected lull. He managed to draw a few of the embers to him, but the rest hovered in the air, resisting his attempts. Short on time he tried more forcefully, but they barely moved towards him before being pulled away.
He glanced past the corpse as he realized what was preventing him from taking it. The scaled demon had apparently reached the same conclusion, and as their eyes met Tormjere saw not only surprise but a flicker of… curiosity? It lasted only a heartbeat before the demon bellowed in rage and charged straight over the goat’s body.
Tormjere snatched Shining Moon from the trampled grass and jumped away.
As she bounced painfully in Birion’s armored arms, Shalindra could do nothing to stop the burning agony that prevented her from feeling her right arm. She looked past his shoulder and saw Tormjere standing alone against the demon.
“Put me down,” she said through clenched teeth.
“You are sorely wounded my lady, I must… oof.”
Shalindra smashed the heel of her hand into his mouth, loosening his grip and knocking him backwards in the saddle. The horse slowed as the reins were jerked, and she slid from his grasp before he could right himself.
She hit the ground hard and tumbled across the grass, narrowly avoiding being ridden down by the next horseman. She clawed her way upright, her right arming hanging limp and blood running down her face.
I am not going to leave you.
Tormjere swung Shining Moon. It accelerated in a silver streak, missing the demon’s head but striking solidly against its chest. The force was enough to stagger the huge creature. Tormjere struck it again before sending it toppling backwards with a third blow, then turned and sprinted towards where Shalindra sat alone in the middle of the field.
He covered the distance quicker than he should have been able to and dropped the hammer on the ground before her.
Their eyes locked, and suddenly she was looking at herself through his eyes, or she looked at him looking at her, or… who was she? The world repeated around her as if she was standing between two mirrors, and she sought desperately to steady herself. He saw the pain in her as she had seen it in others, and as his hand pressed against her she covered it with her own. Silvery light engulfed her shoulder. Broken bones moved beneath her skin, drawing a ragged cry from her lips. He was unskilled and hurried, but the raw strength of his will was incredible. She struggled through her own pain to guide their efforts, still unsure of who was healing whom, or even which one of them she was.
He shook his head and jerked away from her, disoriented.
Behind you.
/> The demon knocked him aside before he could turn around. Light turned to shadow as it loomed above her, its arm drawn back for a crushing blow. Eluria’s symbol was already in her hand, and her shield met the demon’s fist with a thunderous clap and a cascade of silver sparks. Another blow came immediately after the first as the demon hammered ferociously with both fists as if it intended to drive her and her shield into the ground. Every impact was like the kick of a horse to her already injured mind. Silver sparks showered about her as she prayed helplessly for anything that would make it stop. The thundering impacts were so loud she couldn’t even hear her own screams.
Tormjere charged back in and struck repeatedly, searching in vain for any weak point. Finding none he resorted to brute force, hacking over and over into an arm that was bigger around than he was until it finally began to droop. The demon ignored both Tormjere and its damaged appendage as it continued pounding with one arm. He shifted his efforts to the creature’s thigh.
He could have been punching a stone wall. His arm began to go numb from the pounding, but he refused to stop. The demon’s leg finally gave way, and the creature settled to the ground. Impervious to whatever pain Tormjere was inflicting, it held itself upright with its wounded arm and continued to pound on her shield over and over with horrendous blows.
Tormjere jumped to reach its head, cutting across its face to little effect. He jumped again, and this time his sword sliced across an eye. The demon recoiled, and for the briefest instant its attacks stopped.
Now.
Mistress give me strength.
Shalindra’s hand somehow found the shaft of the hammer, and with the last of her strength shot to her feet, her vision so blurry she couldn’t see what she was aiming for. Shining Moon obeyed, accelerating in a blinding uppercut that slammed into the creature’s face with enough force to send it toppling backwards.
Tormjere was on it in an instant, stabbing it through the eyes repeatedly until it stopped moving.
An odd silence settled over the battlefield.
Tormjere ripped his sword free and inhaled the power rising from its body, not caring what he took, only how fast he could possess it. Like a glutton at a feast, he sucked in every bit until his stomach was filled with a writhing, burning mass. Unable to contain it all, he fell to his knees and retched.
Regaining his feet, he staggered back to the creature’s head. Methodically, he hacked at the neck once and then again. Filled with strength that he had never imagined, he gripped the massive head with both hands and, with a savage twist, tore it from the demon’s shoulders. He hurled the grisly package towards the enemy forces like a stone from a catapult, where it landed with a messy splatter and rolled through their ranks.
Tormjere’s glare slid across every Ceringion that had turned his way, daring them to approach as he sought the wizards he knew must be there.
His gaze settled on the now familiar magicians in a cluster of horsemen. One looked worried, and the other was gesturing in his direction while carrying on a heated conversation with the armored knight beside him.
Tormjere didn’t care what decision they reached, he was going to kill them both and put an end to their attacks. They didn’t have an army in front of them now, only a few hundred men.
The shock on the wizard’s face as he advanced sent an eager thrill through him. He had taken only a few steps towards them when Shalindra’s pain flooded into his mind, overriding any other sensation.
He turned and rushed back to her, all thoughts of vengeance forgotten. Her face was streaked with dirt and tears and her eyes were unfocused. Spying a riderless horse, he seized it by the reins and pulled it to her.
Shalindra tried to stand but found her knees weak, and she leaned heavily on his arm as he lifted her onto the horse. Her ears were ringing, her shoulder felt wrong somehow, and pinpricks of light danced around the edges of her vision.
We need Enna.
He spurred the horse to a gallop and clung to the back of the saddle as he bounced awkwardly on its rump. He steered the animal around the fighting and didn’t slow until they had passed through the gate. Prepared to ride straight to the temple, he instead reined to a stop when he saw Enna’s small form slipping through the crowd of soldiers towards them. He slid from the mount and caught Shalindra as she tumbled from the saddle.
Ignoring Tormjere, Enna immediately took control of her.
“What did you do to her shoulder?” she demanded, running her hand up Shalindra’s arm and over to her neck.
Shalindra gasped in pain and her knees buckled again.
“We put it back together,” Tormjere said. “Sort of,” he added under his breath.
Enna made an unhappy sound. “You should leave healing to those of us who know how to do it.”
Still relying on Enna to keep her upright, Shalindra gripped Tormjere’s arm where the gaping, red gash left by the demon was already beginning to blacken around the edges. Her eyes met his, and she whispered a prayer through clenched teeth. Tormjere’s wound sealed, shedding the dead, blackened skin in flakes.
Shalindra’s head spun, and she sagged against Enna.
You could’ve waited.
You could have died.
Enna threw him another look of displeasure as she guided Shalindra in the direction of the temple, but made little progress as the street became clogged with the men and horses now pouring back through the gate.
Tormjere pushed his way through the crowd ahead of them, clearing a path for the women. He was already evaluating the fight even as he shoved people aside. They had been fortunate to escape with their lives. He would have to thank Birion for the timely assistance. Should they find themselves in such a situation again, however…
His thoughts were interrupted as Poloni’s carriage came clattering to a stop nearby.
Enna stopped and looked back, but Tormjere waved her on. “Keep going.”
Poloni came flying out of his carriage in a rage, his shrill voice parting the crowds faster than his guards. “Who gave the order for this?” he demanded. “Who sent men outside the wall?”
Spying Tormjere, he advanced angrily on him, his voice rising to an uncomfortable shriek. “Where is she? Is this her work? Does she think she can play at war with my men?”
Birion stepped forward. “My lord…”
“Retreat was sounded! Did you not hear it?”
“We were fighting two demons,” Tormjere said crossly. “Did you not see them?”
“Your personal crusade is not my concern. Had you been inside the walls instead of traipsing about the field in search of trophies, you would have remained safe.”
His patience at an end, Tormjere took a threatening step towards the baron. He hadn’t raised a finger, but Poloni backed against the wall, looking terrified.
“She’s the reason those demons didn’t tear this city apart stone by stone, and you would do well to express your gratitude,” he said, leaning so close their noses almost touched. “The next time you seek to abandon her on the battlefield, it will be your head flying through the air.”
In disgust, he turned and stalked off before the pale-faced baron could respond.
* * *
The temple of Eluria here in Tiridon was much the same as the one he’d seen in Fallhaven except that it was surrounded by smaller gardens. Smooth white columns ran the length of the face, and low, deep steps led up to the entrance. The color of the evening sun lent a warmth to the stone and calmness to the air.
Neither warmth nor calmness were reflected in Enna’s eyes as she stood waiting for Tormjere at the top of the steps.
“How did you do it?” she demanded.
“I’m pleased to see you as well,” Tormjere said, stopping two steps down so they faced each other eye to eye.
“You could have killed her had you made even one mistake.”
“All the pieces went back in the same place,” he said. “And she did most of the work.”
“Restoration is not just putting
pieces back together,” she said indignantly. “Nor can you heal yourself. You cannot simply repair the damage and expect everything to be fine. Their spirit…”
“We didn’t have much help. Should I have left her crippled?”
“No, but…”
“Or perhaps let one of those urtrifornu, as you call them, kill her?”
“Urtrifornu refers to demons in general. Unturu was the specific type you fought today.”
“So, you know all about them? That might have been helpful to share earlier.”
She stared at him icily before answering. “Elves have battled against creatures such as those since long before humans arrived, and you forget that…”
He raised an eyebrow.
Her anger seemed to drain from her. “I am sorry. I know that you did what had to be done.”
“But I’m still not allowed in?”
“Kayala and Adira are displeased with you.”
“Who’s Adira?”
“She is Sister Superior of this temple and oversees all who worship Elurithlia in this city. It might be best if you remained outside for now.” She turned away from him.
“Tell me why you can’t heal yourself.”
She took two more steps, then stopped and faced him. “Restoration employs the knowledge granted by one’s deity, but it also requires the restorer to give of themselves, supplying the energy needed to bind that which is restored to the body. A pot of water cannot be poured into itself, in the same way that no living creature may give to itself.” She turned again to leave. “I will let you know when you may see her.”
Tormjere took a seat on the smooth marble steps and began to wait.
An Enemy Revealed
At daybreak, Shalindra made her way back to the wall with Tormjere, over the objections of both Kayala and Enna. She was tired and sore from the battle, but at least her shoulder moved as it was supposed to. The bed at the temple had been soft and comfortable, but she had felt an oddly compelling need to be on the wall again. Or maybe Tormjere had felt the need. Sometimes, like in those quiet waking moments at the beginning of the day, it was hard to tell whose thoughts she was hearing.