by Isaac Hooke
Banvil suddenly turned around and ran toward Malem’s companions in front of the ruins. No doubt the demon intended to use them as hostages.
Malem spurred Lantos into the air and fed stamina to Sylfi from his reserves. The act weakened him greatly, and he couldn’t afford to give stamina to anyone else.
Transform! he ordered Sylfi. Get the others to safety!
Sylfi changed, ripping through her clothing, becoming a Chromium. She began tossing the weak companions into the opening in the ruins, scooping them up in her talons, and maw. Timlir and Grendel helped her.
Banvil arrived just as Sylfi finished delivering the last of them; Timlir and Grendel dashed into the opening for cover. Meanwhile, Sylfi took to the air, and flew out of the way before the Balor could stomp her.
“Little dragon bitch!” Banvil said. “I’ll cut off your head and shove it up your reptilian ass!”
“Ha!” Sylfi taunted. “That the best insult you can come up with? Banvil, the Balor with no class. And soon, no balls.” She dove at Banvil, coming in behind the demon so that she could rake its back with her claws. Her scales protected her from the flames that coated the Balor.
Banvil twisted its torso and swung at her in outrage; the demon nearly connected its fist with her belly, but Sylfi narrowly dodged out of the way.
Banvil turned back toward the ruins, reached up to grip Goldenthall, and lowered the former king to the ground. Goldenthall raced inside, no doubt to attack the others who had gotten away.
But Malem had closed by then, and while Banvil still had its back to him, he swooped past the demon’s neck. He swung the crystal sword, Arathal, in an arc, and cut a big gash into the demon’s shadowy flesh. Arathal glowed a bright red as stamina filled Malem.
Banvil turned and swatted at him, but Lantos dodged out of the way, pulling higher.
Malem transferred the fresh stamina to Aurora and Weyanna, hoping the summoner and ice mage would be able to protect the others from Goldenthall.
On the ground below, Xaxia had just arrived as well, and she wove between Banvil’s feet and dashed into the ruins to deliver what aid she could to the companions.
Malem attempted to wrap his will around Banvil, but still couldn’t touch the demon’s mind.
Sylfi came in for another attack run.
Banvil turned to strike at her, and she was forced to abort her attack, swerving away before she could impact with her talons.
Malem used the diversion to come in from the other side, and he swooped underneath the Balor’s arm and cut a long diagonal slash down Banvil’s side. The demon roared, slamming its fist at him, and landed a glancing blow on one of Lantos’ wings.
The pegasus moved away, pain emanating from its energy bundle, and quickly lost altitude. The poor beast released a roar to accompany that pain—it was a sound that horses of any kind rarely made, and it was very unsettling. Malem was forced to land the creature.
He dismounted and ordered the creature to run toward the cave.
Weyanna, heal Lantos when you have a chance, he sent.
Malem distributed his spare stamina among Gwen, Brita, and Wendolin so that they were all up to speed once more. From the tenseness he sensed among them, he knew they were still fighting Goldenthall.
He tried to touch Banvil’s mind, and this time he was finally able to wrap his mental tendrils around it. But when he tried to squeeze, he was unable to get a firm grip. Banvil was still too strong.
The demon marched lumberingly toward him and attempted to stomp Malem. He weaved between those impacts, striking the demon in the foot with the crystal sword, and then moved away swiftly, not wanting to be hit by the expected kick.
But Banvil didn’t kick him. Instead, its tail swung underneath the demon’s body, forcing Malem to dive to the ground. It passed just above him, narrowly missing.
He rolled away as the tail withdrew, and Banvil turned around, and struck down again, this time with a fist.
Malem dodged it, and then dashed forward, plunging the blade into Banvil’s knuckle.
The demon unfurled its fingers, surprising Malem, and knocked him backward. He let go of the sword.
The Balor raised its hand, with Arathal still protruding from between the knuckles. Banvil plucked the blade free with the fingers of its other hand, as a man would remove a porcupine’s quill.
“Now you all die,” Banvil said.
Mist arose from underneath Malem. From the fear he sensed from the others in the ruins, he knew more mist, generated by the sword, had appeared inside. While Aurora was unable to drain strong-willed and higher-level creatures with the blade on her own, in the hands of a Balor, Malem had no doubt that Arathal could operate to its fullest extent.
He and the others were about to die.
He reached out frantically, wrapping his mind around the demon’s. He had to hope that his latest blow had weakened the Balor enough.
Unfortunately, Banvil still squirmed frantically beneath his touch. He would be impossible to Break, given Malem’s current strength, versus the demon’s.
Unless…
His companions were dead anyway if he lost. So, he took stamina from all of them equally, bringing them to about twenty-five percent of their rested strengths. It would hamper them in their battle against Goldenthall, but the others who were not bound to him would have to take up the slack.
With his newfound strength, he tried again. He tightened his will and managed to constrain the mental wriggling of his opponent. He almost had it… almost…
But not quite.
The white tendrils wrapped around his thighs, and he could feel the stamina he had taken draining away, along with his life’s essence.
So, this is how it ends.
Malem had come all this way, fought all these demons, external and internal, only to die here, in a realm so far away from his own, losing to the beast that had hunted—and haunted—him his entire life.
And then Corinne slammed into the demon from behind. The pair toppled to the earth, and the ground rumbled around Malem. She wrapped an arm around Banvil’s neck, placing the demon in a choke hold.
Malem’s will abruptly tightened into a fist as he crushed Banvil’s.
Malem collapsed from the drain.
“Banvil is mine!” Malem shouted weakly. He had to contend not only with the drain of Breaking, but the stamina loss caused by Arathal as the crystal sword leeched his life force.
Repeal the sword’s killing mist! he ordered Banvil.
Fuck you, Breaker, Banvil sent.
And you as well, Malem told the demon. Now repeal it!
He drained stamina and squeezed the vice of his will tighter. Banvil gritted its shadowy teeth, and then the mist retreated. The sheer rage, mixed with defeat, that Malem felt from the demon’s energy bundle as the ghostly tendrils withdrew into the soil was extremely satisfying.
“The demon is mine!” Malem said as he struggling to his feet. He approached Corinne. “Stop!”
Her dim silhouette glanced at him, and then at last she released Banvil. She pushed herself up from the ground and shoved his head down one more time for good measure, and then stood.
Banvil, meanwhile, hauled its body up so that it crawled on hands and knees.
“You have defeated me once again,” Banvil said, head bowed. “You are my master.”
“I am tempted to kill it,” Corinne said. “To hell with balance.”
“Don’t,” Malem said. He didn’t add the reason why: Otherwise I’ll lose my powers.
He restored stamina to his companions, taking from Banvil.
Sylfi landed nearby.
Xaxia and Timlir managed to subdue Goldenthall, Weyanna sent. And Wendolin has bound him in branches from the many arrows Gwen launched. Oh, and I’ve healed your pegasus.
Lantos emerged from the cave, fully healed by Weyanna. The others came behind her, bringing Goldenthall, whose hands were bound behind his back by vines.
Malem retrieved Arathal from Banvil’s
feet, where the Balor had dropped it during the tussle with Corinne and tossed the crystal sword to Aurora.
“This belongs to you,” he told her.
“Thank you,” she said.
“So that’s it?” Sylfi said. “We’ve won?”
“I suppose so,” Malem said. “I’m free of the Balor’s influence, while I wear this.” He tapped the amulet tucked into the top of his armor. “I need never fear Banvil again.”
“Oh, it would be wise to fear the demon, I think,” Wendolin told him. “You may have Broken him now, but once he returns to his realm, he will no longer be yours, and will scheme in the shadows.”
“Probably,” Malem said.
And remember, that amulet can be destroyed, if you allow too much Darkness to enter it, Wendolin pressed. That’s how Vorgon ruined your last one.
Yes, except the only way Banvil could cast Darkness at me was if he allied with another Balor, Malem told her. As I can Break his Darkness.
Banvil might very well arrange an alliance like that, one day, Wendolin said.
Then we’ll just have to deal with it when that day comes. Malem switched to voice and said: “It’s time to go.” He glanced at Corinne. “Can you open a portal home for us? So I can have Banvil return to the Black Realm?”
“I’m too weak to open a portal of any kind,” Corinne answered. “Let alone one big enough to harbor a Balor. We will have to wait until more Paragons come. They’re on the way. Though I’m uncertain their arrival will be… genial, given what happened to Iridaceae.”
Malem turned toward the demon. “Banvil, I don’t suppose you can return to the Black Realm from here?”
“No,” Banvil replied. “Only from your realm. All the routes are closed to me in this land.”
“So you can’t open a portal of any kind?” Malem pressed.
“No,” the Balor said.
“But Goldenthall created temporary portals for oraks…” Malem said.
“And he may still create such portals, owing to his human nature, but I cannot,” the Balor said.
“Maybe Goldenthall can make those portals bigger, if you grant him enough stamina,” Malem told the demon.
Banvil smiled grimly. “No matter how much stamina I lend my servant, he doesn’t have the power to create a portal large enough, and long-lasting enough, to hold me. Plus, the portals he creates are one way, leading to this land only. I’m sorry, I’m afraid there’s no way to get back from here. Not without assistance.”
“So, wait,” Malem said. “You came here, all the way to this land, without any actual means of returning to the Black Realm?”
“I always assumed I would simply stay here and destroy the other Paragons one by one from the shadows, until this realm was mine,” the demon said. “Then I wouldn’t have to go back.”
“Shit,” Malem said. “I killed Iridaceae for you. The other Paragons, when they find us, aren’t going to be happy. Hell, Corinne almost killed you herself. Or she would have, if I hadn’t helped you.”
“I had the situation under complete control,” Banvil claimed.
“Sure you did.” Malem felt the ground shaking beneath him and saw powerful beams of light reflecting from the mountains on all sides, sourced from something beyond them, just out of view.
“Sounds like someone’s coming,” Xaxia said.
28
Malem mounted Lantos and drew Balethorn.
“Brita, Weyanna, transform,” Malem told them.
The pair stripped off their clothes, and became a Chromium and White respectively, joining Sylfi in dragon form.
“May I ride with Banvil?” Goldenthall asked.
Malem nodded. “Wendolin, release him.”
The vines that bound Goldenthall’s wrists fell away, and the former king ran to Banvil, who promptly scooped him up and set him down on one shoulder.
Paragons entered the valley, coming in from the northeast and southeast, forming a half circle around the companions, and the ruins. Six of them in total.
“Where is Iridaceae?” a particularly large Paragon asked in an angry voice.
“The demon belongs to the Breaker, now, Glitra,” Corinne said. “We may—”
“I don’t care!” Glitra said. “Where is my sister?”
Malem urged Lantos forward a few paces. He had done the deed, so he would be the one to share the news. “I’m sorry. She didn’t make it. I… I killed her, when Banvil possessed me.”
Glitra stared at him, then the glow coming from her body doubled in strength. Tripled. He had thought that the Paragons could not blind him with their bodies in this place, but he was wrong, and he was forced to shield his eyes then.
“Kill the Balor!” Glitra roared.
The Paragons marched forward, closing the gap. Meanwhile, Malem and the others retreated several paces, as did Banvil. Corinne retreated, too, attempting to shield Banvil from the Paragons with her body.
“Slay the demon!” Glitra said. “Destroy its essence entirely!”
“Can they do that?” Malem shouted up at Corinne. “I thought if a Balor dies outside its native realm, the demon is merely reduced, as already happened to Banvil when Vorgon cut off its head?”
“We have ways to kill a Balor entirely in this realm,” Corinne responded. “By using our whips of light to drain it entirely of essence.”
“Why didn’t you use those whips of yours against Denfidal when you were in our realm?” Gwen called. “Instead of making us retrieve Banvil’s sword?”
“I had no access to the necessary powers in your realm,” Corinne said.
“She has an excuse for everything!” Gwen said. “She’s almost like one of those storybook writers who pull stuff out of a hat on a whim as it suits them!”
“Your demon will not survive this day, I’m afraid,” Corinne said ignoring the comment. “I will do my best to hold the Paragons off, but I am only one against many.”
“You’re not alone,” Malem said, commanding Lantos to rise. “But I do have one last question: what about your precious balance?”
Apparently Glitra overheard, because she was the one who answered.
“In order to restore balance, the Balor must be slain,” the Paragon said. “A life for a life.”
And then Glitra threw out one arm, and a thick whip of light emerged. Malem slid Lantos to the side, but he wasn’t the target. The bright light traveled past him, and skirted by Corinne as well, heading directly for Banvil.
But the demon was ready, and released a ribbon of pure Darkness in return, of equal thickness. When light touched dark, they canceled one another.
“We can do this all day!” Banvil said.
Glitra cocked her head. “Can we, now?”
She launched another whip. But this time, the five Paragons with her also released similar tendrils of light—they had repositioned, so that their attacks skirted Corinne.
Banvil countered with threads of Darkness, but he could only make three of them thick enough to counter the tendrils entirely. The other strands only partially negated the attack, so that three whips of light got through and struck the demon. While reduced, those whips wrapped around the demon’s arms, and torso, and still inflicted great pain and stamina drain. The demon staggered, and smoke arose in plumes from the impact sites.
Malem quickly fed Banvil endurance, drawing from his companions. A moment later, dark streaks appeared along the surface of the light whips, where they contacted the demon’s flesh. Those streaks grew and expanded, until the entire sections touching the demon turned black. They promptly dissolved and Banvil broke free.
Run! Malem ordered the demon. Metals, stall them!
Banvil fled, lumbering toward the far side of the valley. Corinne joined the demon, once more doing her best to shield the Balor with her body. But the Paragons pursued, spreading out to the left and right so as to better aim past Corinne, and whenever they had a shot at Banvil, they took it: whips of light intermittently assailed the demon.
Ban
vil negated those whips, sometimes before they struck, sometimes after, and tried launching Darkness at the Paragons in turn, but his offensive attacks were always turned back before reaching the targets. Corinne sometime intercepted the darkness with whips of her own.
Malem didn’t blame her; these were her friends. While she might not condone the death of Banvil, she could not condone attacks against other Paragons, either.
So, it was probably best that she didn’t know what Malem was planning to do next.
He dove Lantos toward his companions.
Meanwhile, Sylfi, Brita and Weyanna approached the incoming Paragons, and circled them, breathing flames into their eyes. The dragons were immune to most of the light magic the Paragons launched at them in turn, though Malem suspected if the Paragons combined their attacks, that wouldn’t be the case.
Aurora had also summoned mini-Balors, but they were useless against the light beings. The Paragons merely stomped them into oblivion.
Sylfi was struck in the side when Glitra’s fist connected with her flank, and the Metal plunged toward the ground, the pain emanating from her in waves.
Malem frantically fed Sylfi stamina; meanwhile, Weyanna dove after her, and released healing mist. Sylfi recovered a moment before impact, and pulled up, as did Weyanna.
Withdraw for now, Malem ordered the Metals. Circle them, keep your distance. Don’t antagonize.
The Paragons once more concentrated on pursuing Banvil, who had only gained maybe a hundred yards on them
Malem had closed with his companions by then, who trailed a short distance behind Corinne after Banvil.
Aurora, the crystal sword! Malem sent.
I can use it! she replied.
Can you drain the Paragons remotely? he asked. As you did to my army when you fought for Denfidal?
They are too strong, she answered. The attacks will have to be direct. I can close with them. Let me ride one of the dragons.
The dragons are too big of a target, as you saw, Malem sent. Give me the sword.
He still sensed defiance from her, but then: Take it.