Edited by: tommyjl7
Together with Lanele and Marie, we set up a totem under which we sat down in a lotus position. The corruption was overtaking the forest at a horrible speed. Up until now, I didn’t realize why devils yearned for bodies of mortals so much, I was merely thinking that they wanted to get rid of restrictions which made them unable to interfere into our plane of existence, as they were nothing more than spirits. Boy, I was wrong.
Now, I could see with my own eyes why devils and angels are so feared and respected, what was nothing more than the minor corruption of a clearing with an altar a moment ago turned into madness which was changing the whole forest. You could literally see it spread – the tree’s leaves changing from green to purple in a blink of an eye, soil starting to rot making bugs and vermin escape their holes and flooding the paths in panic.
And this horrifying cry at the back of my head. Lives of trees, recently sparkling with dim flame would blaze for a moment before perishing.
- “Hear me out oh Nymphs of the Wind.
I am begging for thy mercy marked with kind,
Send down your breeze, to purify thy land…”
I would gently sing a verse, which the priestess would repeat after me together with the witch.
Thanks to our words, the totem started lighting up with dim, greenish glow. The magic would hum a music that only magicians could hear.
- “With our words, and bound by thy blood,
Get rid of the evil, that your home has flooded,
We cry for thy help, of Gnomes of the ground,
Spirits of protection that with might were crowned.”
A tingling sensation, almost as if blades of grass somehow charged themselves with electricity.
A single green spark appeared on the top of the totem gaining power with time, becoming brighter, bigger and warmer. The magic within the minutes gained enough strength to cause a light wind which would force blades of grass into dance.
The sparkle would slowly rise in the air, and when it reached a height of three-four meters, it popped, sending a wave of blissful energy around us “trapping” us inside of a barrier which stopped corruption.
The masses clashed – from the depth of the forest a dark miasma, the pieces of magic looked like purple bugs which tried to fill every space – crawling in every possible hole, plastering itself to every surface.
And the green one, a gentle one, as if made of hexagonal cells creating a wall. Upon touching the taints, the powers would buzz before turning the purple magic into smoke.
Slowly, yet steadily, the barrier was pushing onward, reclaiming the forest back. Not everything touched by corruption could be saved though. Many older trees couldn’t withstand changing its nature over and over again. These poor lives would let go and fall into eternal slumber, though the last noise they would make was a relieved, peaceful sigh.
Three magicians against the devil, fighting in the middle of the night. If not the greenish glow of the barrier, we would be sitting in complete darkness, for dense branches of the trees have completely hidden the light of the moon.
The barrier was actually more like a chain, a sequence of single spell-words which were creating the whole structure. And a chain is only as strong as strong as its weakest link. That’s where Johann, or should I say – what remained of him, would attack.
- “Gisele…” I called the dragoness as I had some time to spare between verses of incantation.
- “What do you need?”
Her usually carefree attitude was gone. She was focused, even though excitement was glowing in her eyes.
With a gesture of my head, I showed her the direction from which I expected the devil-werewolf attack. And I was not mistaken.
The first thing we heard was a low growl, then, red eyes shining in the night. Gisele balanced her meteoric blade in hands as she took the fighting stance. Yet, after the moment, more of the red-glowing eyes appeared in the night. Devil brought his friends.
- “Impudent fools!...” the monster growled stepping closer into the greenish afterglow, so we could see it “… this land already belongs to me! You are like a pebble fighting with a flood! Like a single leaf on the path of a hurricane! I would admire your bravery if it wouldn’t be a pure act of foolishness!”
The creature lost every remaining trace of humanity. He was a huge, bulky wolf standing on two rear legs, with bit hunched backs, muscled legs and arms, with claws like butcher-knives and pitch black fur. He almost completely blurred with the darkness behind him. A perfect night-predator.
- “The forest is not your property. As long as a single creature lives, as long as a single blade of grass grows, it belongs to the Mother…”
- “This whore has nothing to do with it!” the creature grinned in a savage smile “… Don’t you know? Goddesses can’t interfere directly. There is only you, in this big, dark forest…”
I stood up, raised my staff and hit the ground. The totem shook violently before shooting a bright green beam of light into the sky which erupted like a flare banishing shadows from the area revealing creatures that the devil brought. Bunch of wolfs, foxes, one bear, all corrupted, twisted… broken. When the light erupted they flinched in pain and cover their eyes. This was the real reason why they did not attack yet. Twisted beasts of the night hated the light.
- “I am Her Wrath. I am the messenger of her words. Be gone, creature of horrors, you are not welcomed here...” I said in a quiet, demanding tone “… I reclaim this land.”
- “AFTER MY COLD, DEAD BODY!” devil hissed.
- “So be it.” I said closing my eyes for the moment, searching my mind looking for spells I found fitting for the current situation “… Gisele. Would you kindly?”
- “It would be a pleasure.”
Dragoness and members of the brotherhood formed a circle near the inner edge of the barrier. Once again, I sat under the totem completing the circle with witch and priestess. The barrier started spreading again.
Devil roared and charged, behind him, all the mass of animals followed. Werewolf crossed the greenish barrier, though the light visibly harmed him, he landed in the place where Gisele stood just a second ago. She moved to the side, swung her blade from the side trying to slice the werewolf in half. Beast only raised his arm to deflect the attack.
The blade dug centimeter or two into the flesh of monster. A surprise sparkled in his eyes.
- “No mortal’s blade should wound me!” he roared pushing Gis away
- “How about the metal of the fallen star, bitch!?”
Dragoness showed truly wolfish smile as she charged onto her opponent.
At the same time lesser animals tried crossing the barrier in other places, the weaker ones would only bite and scratch the surface, damaging the wall of light as they couldn’t cross it, the stronger ones, like a couple of wolves and the bear, managed to get inside, yet once again, the wall of light brutally tried to burn the corruption out of their bodies.
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Fighting within the barrier was a huge advantage for us. Here, beasts were bit slower, weaker, not to mention that they were still standing within the light, taking small doses of over-time-damage. Yet, it still wasn’t the main purpose of the spell.
Two wolfs died during crossing the barrier, as the blades of hunters fell upon their heads. One of the wolfs jumped with its mouth open at Jasper, who raised his sword and burrowed it in its jaw to the hilt, yet a moment later he was knocked on the ground by the bear.
With his sword stuck in the corpse of the animal, he was defenseless. Bear raised up on its rear leg and let out an intimidating roar, roar of triumph, it was about to collapse its whole body mass on the disarmed scout of the brotherhood.
At that moment Sam jumped from the side and using all the strength he had he smashed the leg of the monster with his morningstar. Though the bear was still standing and was more than just ready to keep fighting, Jasper managed to roll out of animal’s reach and release the sword from the still warm body of the monster.
- “Pulse incoming!” Marie yelled trying to stabilize her part of the barrier's structure.
As if on command all fighters took a defensive stance, waiting for an opening that would let them to perform a carefree attack.
Up until now, the barrier was growing steadily, the more magic we pour the more it would expand. Yet before we set it up we agreed, that we would change the tactic as the enemies would enter it. We started accumulating the power near the totem, forming something like a spell-core, a battery that we would overcharge before releasing a pulse.
Totem shined dangerously with blinding light before it released the ring of pure force that knocked monsters inside a little, expanding the area of barrier, sending monsters that were biting on the surface away.
The only danger this strategy carried was its instability. When the barrier enlarges steadily, you almost don’t have to pay attention to its structure. When it increases its size in pulses, for a few moments the barriers becomes… full of holes until we would stabilize it "manually".
Through these holes, another bunch of corrupted beasts got into the barrier, yet we didn’t really mind. We predicted that. In the moment of a pulse, monsters inside became stunned, as if hit by flash-bang. They couldn’t see and I was pretty sure they heard that high pitched ringing sound in their ears.
In those splits of second hunters ended lives of several beasts. This way, we allowed them to come in waves.
The only creature not affected by the power of the pulse was, of course, the devil. Though part of his fur vanished in green flames, he looked as if he almost did not notice being hit by the wave of magic.
Stronger, bigger and faster than Gisele he was pushing her back, forcing her to defend over and over again.
Sweep of clawed hand from the side deflected by the side of her colossal blade, werewolf put his leg closer, twisted his body and bolted onward with its mouth opened wide toward dragoness’s neck, Gis was forced to take step back, then her opponent still using the momentum of his body twist managed to rest his body mass on his frontal limbs, turned in place so his back was facing Gisele, raised his rear legs and kicked powerfully. His muscled leg landed directly on her stomach.
I couldn’t see Gisele’s face, yet I heard her groan. She was forced to move two meters back to catch a breath, yet werewolf did not give her time to rest. He bolted onward striking like a mad animal with his arms even faster than before. Though I could feel magic oozing from his body, he decided to deal with her with his pure physical power. I was pretty sure he could generate much deadlier pressure by using dark arts… why did he restricted himself?
Maybe because he wanted to show us we are no threat to him? Or maybe because he was a formless, shapeless, body-less creature for eons and right now he was merely savoring the sensation. Of flesh being ripped under the pressure of his claws, of blood splashing his body. Or pure carnal desires.
Yes. Guessing by monsters eyes, he was enjoying himself. Every now and then he “missed” the attack that could seriously cripple Gisele’s combat ability.
Another claw slash that damaged Gisele’s armor to the point, where broken links of chained armor broke and fell on the ground revealing leather vest, the last line of defense separating blood thirsting monster and dragoness body.
I wanted to get up, I want to leave everything and aid her, my heart was pounding, my mind was screaming. Yet I remained there, under the totem, chanting the spell.
I decided to trust her. Before we started this little charade she said that she will manage to hold him back until the end. I believed her.
Or I wanted to believe.
- “Pulse incoming!” This time it was Lanele who yelled.
Another ring of light and another group of monsters perished.
Hold up there, Gis, one more pulse. Just one more to go!... Yet, the more the barrier grow in size, the more time is required to reach critical mass.
And Gisele wasn’t in very good shape, even more, I didn’t see when or how, yet on her vest a flower-like pattern of red started blooming.
- “Zari-el, Zari-el…” the monster kept mocking me as he was circling around panting dragoness “… You know, you are quite a celebrity down there. Personally, I have no idea what is this whole fuss around you. The lady gives you so much attention, the higher devils are whispering your name, the avatar of change – they call you. T-ha! Look at you, nothing more than another silly mortal, nothing but a dust from under our nails… I know that you lust for this woman, who knows, maybe even you love her? Yet here you watch her bleed, you watch her get wounded, her life perishing before your very eyes… and you do… nothing? I am disappointed. I wanted to see your rage. To see your sins, to see how much more beautiful you could become as the darkness would bloom within you… and yet you hold back. What do I have to do to see your response? Zari-el?”
Nobody else was there to help her. Rupert was fending off two huge mutated crimson wolfs, Sam And Jasper were still battling with a bear, it had grown weaker, it was pretty much crippled, yet still deadly.
And werewolf approached Gisele kneeling in the clearing. She tried attacking with an uppercut, yet the monstrosity stopped her attack catching her fist with his palm and tightening the grip.
- “A pathetic attempt!...” he yelled tightening the grip of his fist. I hear bones in Gisele’s hand snapping, I heard her letting out a quiet groan. Yet she never complained, instead, she raised her leg and kicked the monster it the side.
He barely noticed the strike. He let her hand go, instead, he catch her leg, raised in the air and slammed on the ground. This was when I heard he yelp in pain for the first time, moment before she cough blood.
The pulse was still in the middle of a charge.
I set out a mental order to my familiars hiding in the nearest bushes. One last trump card that was supposed to get us some time.
Kaito bolted onward and dig his fangs in the back of werewolf’s neck. The ravens flew high letting out high pitched scream that was bombarding sensitive ears of the beast, huge vulture-like bird attacked its face trying to scratch out the eyes, while Sebastian materialized in his garuda form and dug his talons in devil’s stomach.
Darkness erupted throwing my familiars away. Dawn and Dusk stalkers – little ravens didn’t withstand the blow and perished. I ignored notification saying about my link with these two being broken.
Marrow-eater was sent to the ground, before it managed to get up, the werewolf stomped on it breaking bones of its vessel.
Another notification.
Kaito got up from the ground, despite his wounds he started circling around the werewolf readying himself for one last desperate attack.
And Sebastian was just sent four meters away, not affected my darkness itself. That was the moment when the devil noticed his presence.
- “Bahoru?”
- “You are mistaken…” bird-monster hissed “… Name that master chose for this vessel is Sebastian.”
- “From all the devils, to see you here…” for a moment the creature froze, I thought (and hoped) that in fear, yet I was greatly mistaken “… THIS NIGHT KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER!...” he howled at the moon “… Imagine the splendor that shall fell upon me as I would say that I have defeated the infamous Bahoru!”
Werewolf licked his lips.
- “Once again, address me properly… You filth.”
In hell realm I was sure that Sebastian would hand his ass back to him, I did my homework and read about the position that he holds within the Heira’s society. But here, the power of devil was limited by his vessel.
Even lesser devil like the werewolf in front of us (or so I hoped that he was a lesser devil) with the possessed body could defeat top-tier existence that was summoned by an inexperienced conjurer.
Werewolf completely lost interest in Gisele and tosses her away like a broken toy. Then he bolted onward.
- “PERISH, BAAHORUUU!”
Even though in terms of pure strength the werewolf was on a completely different level than Sebastian, my familiar had the advantage of ages of battle combat training. He raised his winged arm and gently push the strike off the trajectory line, then he moved to the side, bent the attacker’s hand and tossed him over his arm, right on the small tree which broke under the pressure of heavy body.
- “Once again. The name I was given is Sebastian. I treasure this name, for it is something that I can truly call mine. I will teach it to you, and I will take every. Sweet. Minute. To do so.”
Werewolf raised from the ground annoyed as Sebastian took some kung-fu-looking battle stance, squatted a little over his leg, with one leg spread onward, with his open palms directed on his new opponent, one on his head-level, another one on waist level.
Maybe I was worrying about Sebastian a little too much?
Then werewolf roared and coated himself in dark miasma, which slowly sink into his body enlarging his muscles even more. The eyes of werewolf that up until now were glowing with dark red afterglow shined with deep purple.
Or maybe I did not.