The Forsaken Hero

The demon bore only the faintest resemblance to its human host. Its towering, thirty-foot-tall form consisted of writhing shadows bound together by encircling runes and scattered shards of dark steel. Three-foot-long claws protruded from its many fingers, with an extra arm sprouting above its left shoulder. Most chilling of all was its face, which was entirely featureless.

Initially, it appeared unharmed by Soltair’s attack, but my eyes quickly fixed on the crystallized sunlight cresting over its right shoulder, running down its back. The Sunpurge floated on the surface of the amorphous shadow, in the same place where the third arm protruded from its other side.

”What in the name of the gods is that?” Trithe whispered, shivering as the blank surface of its featureless face turned towards us.

”Some sort of demon?” Soltair pondered, ”But it’s unlike the others. Perhaps a new type?”

I expected the demon to roar or speak with the same vile voice as before, but it remained completely silent. We all tensed as it raised its three arms, and its soul surged with power. I barely caught sight of an internal sixth-circle spell before it vanished, and thirty magic circles materialized on the ground around it.

Inky blackness poured inward from the runes, condensing into points at the center of each circle. As the magic circles disappeared, the points levitated into the air, hovering several feet above the ground.

”Summoning magic!” I exclaimed, finding the runes similar to when Korra summoned her water dragon.

”Quick, stop it!” Fyren shouted, preparing to dash forward.

But we were too late. With a series of crackling pops, the points expanded, swelling to form a small legion of demons. These were much smaller than the first, more akin to the fodder we fought at the gate, but they seemed elementally aligned with shadow rather than fire. Their scales oozed an oily darkness, spreading a noxious taint wherever they stepped.

As the demonic army assembled, Soltair took a deep breath and turned to us. ”Here’s the plan. Trithe and I will take on the big one. You two keep these small fry from escaping. We can’t afford for any of them to find a town or village.”

”Agreed. Let me know if either of you needs to switch out for a breather,” Fyren replied.

Moments before we separated, I hesitantly raised my voice. ”You should target its shoulder. If you can get the Sunpurge to spread, it will make the fight a lot easier.”

Soltair nodded, and Trithe glanced at me with a touch of pity. ”Will do,” he said.

They blitzed through the chaotic lines of the smaller demons, blasting the leader with fire and light. The demon lunged to meet them, its arms smashing craters in the grounds. The ground shook with every collision, but I forced myself to look away as the army advanced.

Fyren took a step forward, raising his sword. ”Stay behind me. Scions may appear weak, but your defenses won’t withstand this many.”

”Scions?” I filed the name away for later, adding it to my list of things to ask him about. My soul had mostly settled after the strange, malevolent presence’s attack, so I embraced my mana, preparing to cast a few spells.

But as the comforting warmth filled my soul, the scions’ aimless eyes sharpened, filled with an insatiable hunger. Fyren took a sharp breath and glanced back at me, his grip on his sword tightening. ”Here they come.”

The ground wilted under their clawed feet, as the scions rushed toward me, seemingly oblivious to the heavily armed adventurer in their way. Fyren’s sword claimed four of them before the nearest was forced to address his threat, but even they continued to cast hungry glances in my direction.

As Fyren disappeared into a sea of dark scales, I summoned several firewalls, barricading the remaining scions out. As the horde vanished behind the curtains of flame, I breathed a sigh of relief. But the reprieve vanished when, moments later, the creatures hurled themselves through the magical flames, screaming in pain as the fire seared their flesh. Many succumbed to the heat before breaking through and collapsed in smoldering heaps. But even amidst the charred stench of their fallen comrades, the rest picked themselves up and resumed their charge. I cast a few Aegis spells to buy myself some time before casting several Binding Winds. The third-circle magic was one I had relied on often for self-defense, but I had been hesitant to use it since the incident in the High Valley brothel. But, with the demon’s claws against the Aegis, I had no time for hesitation.

Fyren fought his way back to me, his sword claiming a demon with every slice. The scions were so fixated on me they neglected him, allowing him free reign over their ranks. The way his magical techniques turned their formless, shadowy flesh to ash was almost mesmerizing, and I nearly forgot to cast my own spells.

The cracking of the Aegis snapped me back to my senses, and I began manipulating the wind to grasp the scions. Typically, Binding Winds were used to restrict a creature’s movements, but I had adapted it to do more. Like throwing someone through a wall. Or launching them into the air. I took advantage of both options, lifting the scions dozens of feet into the sky before letting them plummet or simply dragging them back into the wall of fire. The battle would have been straightforward if I could use even second-circle combat spells, but I had to rely on creativity and make do with what I had.

As the last of the scions fell to my magic and Fyren’s blade, we turned our attention back to the battle between Soltair, Trithe, and the Shadow Demon. They appeared to have the demon on the defensive, but their attacks didn’t seem to cause any substantial damage. The writhing shadows absorbed both sunlight and fire, and whenever they attempted a high-level attack, the demon would viciously counterattack, thwarting their efforts.

Several times during their struggle, the demon would expose itself to their attacks and summon another wave of scions, but we dispatched these with relative ease, making use of their suicidal tendencies to charge toward me. If anything, I was grateful for the waves of scions as they provided me with an opportunity to observe the summoning process closely, trying to discern the internal workings of the demon’s casting.

”Cover me!” Soltair finally shouted, leaping back to create some space. He raised his sword and began casting another Dawnfire Spear.

”Wait, I can’t—ah, fine!” Trithe exclaimed, moving closer to the demon.

The Shadow Demon’s arms blurred as it launched a furious offensive, attempting to break through to Soltair. Trithe weaved and dodged between the attacks, but her speed and agility began to flag as the Demon’s relentless assault continued. Sweat glistened on her forehead, and she panted heavily, though the resolute determination in her eyes remained unwavering.

”Hurry!” She shouted, only just avoiding a claw. Wind blades and magical techniques began to break through her defenses, lacing her with cuts and bruises, but she continued to dodge the brunt of the attacks.

I held my breath, realizing it was impossible for me to support her with any spells. I couldn’t keep up with their speed, which meant I couldn’t anchor any spells to her soul. My only option was to place a static spell like a firewall, but that carried the risk of catching her off guard or impeding her movements.

”Fyren-” I began, but he silenced me with a shake of his head.

”It’s fine. This is their chance to grow. If things become too perilous, we can intervene, but let’s observe and see what happens.”

”Alright,” I nodded reluctantly. Now that I had access to Regeneration, I could heal nearly any wound that wasn’t immediately fatal, with the exception of oddities like Sunpurge. Wasn’t it Soltair who claimed suffering was just collateral damage?

Fortunately, the worst scenario never came to pass. Soltair completed his spell before Trithe endured anything more than minor scrapes and cuts. As the Dawnfire Lance streaked through the air, the Shadow Demon crossed its arms, absorbing the impact on its forearms. Trithe leaped away from the ensuing explosion, rolling to her feet beside Soltair.

”Excellent work,” he said, wiping sweat from his forehead. ”Sorry I took so long.”

”Don’t abandon me again,” she panted, but her words held only token resistance.

As the dazzling explosion dimmed, the Shadow Demon reappeared. It staggered, dropping to one knee before pushing itself up with its hands. Strands of Sunpurge flowed through the shadowy tendrils of its arms, slowly seeping toward its torso. Its featureless head dipped as if examining its wounds before turning its gaze past Soltair and Trithe, fixing its attention on me.

”Xiviyah,” Fyren spoke slowly, eyes riveted on the demon. ”Now might be a good time to retreat. With that much Sunpurge, it’s destined to perish even if we leave it alone, and—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the creature’s aura erupted. I stared in horror at the frenzied, chaotic energy of its soul as it consumed itself for power. In an instant, the demon vanished and reappeared right before us. I screamed, caught entirely off guard, as its claws tore through the Aegis, curving menacingly toward me.