“A chosen? What is that?”

But before Goxhandar could answer, the towering figure of Vranik took a deliberate step forward. With a casual flick of his vile wrist, he hexed into being the same malefic tempest to descend upon me. It came at me quickly, and panic overtook me. I reacted out of instinct and drove the maul deep into the ground and kneeled, bracing for impact.

A wave washed over me and I saw a pulsing white as every single nerve in my body fired. My muscles tightened and I grit my teeth against the pain. For a moment, I couldn’t disturb a thought. Never in my life had I been tested thus, but just as suddenly as the wave came, the dark spell faded. I had withstood the baleful blast, but I dared not think what would happen to me if it had consumed me. Would I simply cease to exist? Would I go back to that terrible realm so far away?

Vranik stopped mid-stride, his head tilted.

“Grasd Vranik! You have business with me now. Face me!” I cried out, but the words froze in my throat and my voice came out raspy and impotent. There was a piercing, unnatural cold all around me, yet at the same time, I was utterly covered in sweat underneath the Armor. Around me grass and shrubbery was withered and rotting before my eyes.

Then, the Great Foe that I had been chasing for weeks at last spoke and it was more than terrifying. It struck panic into the very deepest corners of my being. All pain I had ever felt paled in comparison. The demon's voice was indescribable and otherworldly as if a being was allowed to walk amongst us, yet breaking all the rules of the world. The voice seemed to speak into my very soul, and his presence and attention were immense, scathing, and malicious beyond understanding.

“Vranik? There is no Vranik here anymore. The name had been shed for many years. Only I remain.”

“Then who are you?” I roared, my fingers trembling and my voice faltering. I never felt so afraid before, and only focusing on the fiery memory of Florencia gave me enough courage to stand proud before this creature.

“Vranik is no more; I alone remain. I am Rasmog the Exalted, the Chosen of Rufasmos, and I will be the instrument that will bring your undefiled world into the pits of damnation, where is its rightful place.”

Then this new creature laughed, I gagged. It sounded so unnatural and wrong, that my mind could not fully grasp what was going on.

“Vranik… I spoiled this wretched soul with much of which he hungered for. He had so many dark appetites that satiated me for plenty of cycles of the world. But his ambitions were pathetically trivial. In the end, I demanded my reward for the strength I loaned him. I can still sense his pitiful, sobbing spirit lurking within this fleshy prison.”

Rasmog the Exalted, Chosen of Rufasmos—I carved that name into my memory, never to forget it—walked forward and all his vile and twisted thralls and slaves gave way. The Lottie Corisseri retreated from us as well, fighting an increasingly desperate battle against the empowered Enemy.

Everywhere I looked, the brave men of Lienor perished amongst the horde. It was then I wondered if we could even win here.

“You…” spoke Rasmog, its voice coming coming from all around me. It had a different tone this time. Enticing. “You are surprisingly able to resist my touch! Pledge your soul to the Great Lord, and come join my side as my lieutenant. You will be granted much power in return!"

“Join you?” I stuttered. Hardly any word managed to escape my lips. “I’m here to kill you, demon.”

“Do not provoke it, Master!” cried Goxhandar.

“Ah!” spoke Rasmog. “So you know our name? It matters not. Your knowledge came too late and before that too early. My kind is everywhere now. Much of your world has fallen. We have already won, yet you see it not. Every passing cycle, your despair grows greater. There is none in your pitiful realm who can stand against me. For your insolence, I will not kill you!” The demon’s voice now filled my heart with a dreadful poison that infected my thoughts. It was unbearable. “No, slave, I shall keep you alive, sustain your miserable existence for centuries through my sheer will and might, until all that you hold dear turns to ashes, and everyone you cherish is bound to me."

Then, with a frighteningly quick assault, the demon launched a psychic assault into the memories of my soul. I was stripped bare, ice-cold tendrils pierced my very being, and it was nothing compared to what the lords of Cappesand had done. It felt like a mountainous mind pressed its will upon me, and it was as if all my innermost thoughts and secrets were revealed.

“Ah!” spoke Rasmog, its rabid face enveloped in darkness. Only its gaping maw for a mouth was seen, and malicious, dark-red eyes bore into me. “I see all those whom you love and care for. Know that all of them I will break and make suffer every pain there is in this world. I will start with your precious Flo—”

I could not, would not hear this cursed beast utter her name!

Summoning every ounce of speed and strength that coursed through my soul, I unleashed a vengeful attack at Rasmog the Exalted, Chosen of Rufasmos. The bright blue bolt of psychic lightning surged forth from my left hand, tearing through the very fabric of this realm, and struck the looming monster’s chest with a deafening crackle.

It recoiled with a sudden wail and roar, and all thralls around it shuddered. Some screamed in pure madness and fled, others fell over dead. The frantic corisseri had a moment of respite.

I had taken the demon by surprise, and the attack had left a deep, searing scar on its chest. It stumbled back and used its remaining wing to steady itself.

A destructive fury consumed me, and I could not control myself.

“Have you any idea who I am, demon? It was I who foiled your plans in Veneiea. It was I who struck down your servant in Scorro before he could do any harm. You should be ashamed, he was so pitiful that I disposed of him without effort! And Pecca? He begged for death before offering me all your secrets on a platter. And it was I, demon, who defeated your laughable army in the south, and the coward that captained it. Now you tell me, what fate does your great lord reserve for such pathetic servants? Were those hasty attacks your desperate attempts to win back Rufasmos’ favor?”

“Have you lost your mind, Master?” Goxhandar did not have a single coherent thought except for panic. “If you fall to this Chosen, it shall rightly take me as its possession. I must suffer an unending existence as the extension of its will. Please, Master, I beg you, flee! I cannot endure another moment as their instrument, please!”

“Don’t you understand, Goxhandar, I can’t flee. There is nobody else who can fight him. If I retreat, who knows how many will die to him!”

The demon did not speak again and seemed to grow larger, and the shadow around him deepened. With great speed, it launched itself at me, and suddenly stood towering only a few yards away. A foul stench of suffocating smoke choking the very life from my lungs.

Then, it lashed out like a wild animal, bestial and ferocious. Its claws struck fast and with deadly precision, but hit nothing but air, right where I had just stood.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

I strained my eyes and mind to follow its moves, and could just barely dodge backward and to the side to escape the cleaving claws. But matching its speed with mine exhausted the strength I had left, and there were no fallen from whom to draw power.

The demon jumped forward and clawed where I stood. I dodged again, expending even more of my depleted reserves. As I was sliding backward, I swiftly countered with a strike of my own and swung the Blood Maul upward. And while I was nearly spent, the maul was still mighty in my hands.

My swing hit true, and with a deafening thud, the spiked flanges scraped along the demon’s upper leg and tore through its grotesque body.

A smoldering chunk of demonic flesh fell on the dry ground, and I could hear that piece scream! I could hardly believe it, and in that single moment of relaxed attention, I allowed an opening. Rasmog seized it and unleashed a ferocious attack.

It reached out with its claws, turned around, and with blinding speed, extended its wings. I saw a shadow pass through me, a flash of black, and I felt a stabbing sting in my left shoulder.

I jumped back and regained my footing.

“Careful!” yelled out Goxhandar.

Rasmog wasted no time and launched itself at me once more in bestial ferocity. I feinted a dodge and struck straight with my Maul. With a booming crash, the force of my blow landed squarely on its lower jaw and sent it flying through the air as a giant. It fell down, cratering the earth.

The ground shook and more of its thralls dropped dead.

But Rasmog rose up quickly, and a savage malevolence burned in its eyes. I understood that the demon never had encountered such a challenge, and neither had I. But I had now spent most of my strength, and to make matters even worse, a pulsing ache set in from using too much blood magic. Even the mere presence of this exalted demon was a strain on my mind, and I felt myself breaking.

I took some steps back, creating space. A pain shot up through my left arm. It stung and was becoming numb. A tickling sensation in my neck arose, and I felt my muscles tense and on fire.

But I saw that Rasmog also was injured. It no longer walked with confidence, as if nothing could harm it. Its massive shoulders were slouched forward and where I had struck its side, seemed to be enveloped in an impenetrable darkness.

“Careful!” said Goxhandar again, and just in time.

Rasmog expelled another mighty psychic attack of indigo bolts from under his cloak of shadow, but I was ready and alert. Through the air flew fist-sized orbs of blue and purple, leaving behind trails of faint light, and they fell with terrifying speed. The ground where they smashed shuddered and caught fire.

I dodged in time, and in retaliation, unleashed my own counterspell of lightning. It missed and I felt even more spent.

“Why won’t you die?” spoke Rasmog with a low growl and stumbled forward.

“You first!” I countered.

Every passing moment was a struggle to hold my body and mind under my command against Rasmog’s presence, and I didn’t know how long I had before my strength was utterly spent. I knew the demon had more energy left, and the longer this fight would drag out, the less chance I had for victory.

Rasmog made a step and suddenly charged, its massive hooved feet making the earth tremble and groan. I couldn’t go toe to toe against it, and in desperation, tried for another tactic.

The demon jumped, and the oppressive weight of its presence seemed to compress my very body, but I withstood it. As it attacked, I wound up the Blood Maul to make an underhand swing. Rasmog saw it and, mid-flight, side-stepped it.

But I made a feint and altered its trajectory. It came up high, and I imbued it with much of my remaining strength. Then, as Rasmog was carried sideways by its own inertia, I brought the maul down with fury. The flanged spikes of the weapon tore into the demon’s side with a booming eruption, and the impact blew me backward.

I fell through the air and tumbled away. Where I had struck the demon, there now was a crater, waist-height, and the squirming body of Rasmog. It clawed at the ground, trying to get away.

Now, all my body was aching, and it felt like I was breathing fire. Heavily I rose to my feet, but my left arm wouldn’t articulate well. My vision began to blur and flash white.

The demon rose, slowly, holding its side as something dark bled from where I had struck it. The air grew even colder, and the light darkened even more.

I saw an opening—the demon was weakened, and I still had a bit of fight in me.

With determination burning in my heart, I made a quick run to the crater. Rasmog rose wearily, and tried to jump backward, but stumbled. Just as it was about to fall over, I swung the Blood Maul with all the rage I could muster. It didn’t have to be a strong attack, but a quick one—Rasmog was already injured.

Goxhandar was quiet as my swing hit, and I felt a vibration run along the shaft as I made contact with the demon’s back. Its stench was suffocating.

Hurting this foul monster overjoyed me, but the very instant I took a deep, victorious breath, a searing pain shot from my shoulder. It coursed along my collarbone, winding its way upward and radiating into my cheek. I began to sweat profusely. It poured my brow in rivers and streamed down my spine.

My vision blurred momentarily.

“Master! Are you alright? I sense a weakness overtaking you,” Goxhandar exclaimed with worry.

“I’m fine. I’m exhausted, that’s all.”

I stumbled my way to the crater, where I saw the body of Rasmog the Exalted, gasping for air and looking around dumbly. But before I moved closer, I saw its eyes were alert and filled with malevolence. This was not over yet.

The battlefield surrounding us was nothing short of brutal carnage. Many dead littered the ground, and I couldn’t tell which side was winning. I saw no thralls nor corisseri. It was deadly quiet.

Rasmog whimpered, its wrecked body leaking disgusting blood onto the soil, and its stonelike skin was smoldering.

“You!” spoke Rasmog the Exalted and spat a vile snot at me. “Curse you, and all your kind!”

I raised the Blood Maul.

“Time to die—” I said, but words failed me.

The pain in my side pulsed and I fell to my knees. I dropped the Blood Maul.

I fought to rise once more but dropped down. My left arm hung limp on my side, gripped by a numbing paralysis. I couldn’t get up.

Rasmog laughed, bitter and spiteful, but impotent. Its voice did not come from all around me, nor did it speak into my very heart. Instead, it was a very earthly voice, and a failing one.

Desperation overtook me, and I had to get to my feet. I tried rolling to my side, but my body failed me again. With a whisper, my armor faded away and the Blood Maul sank slowly into the ground. With a quiet exhale, it too vanished from reality.

“Master!” cried Goxhandar. “You’re hurt! I can sense a foul poison…”

I struggled to follow Goxhandar’s words, as my attention was fixated on the sight of Rasmog the demon, who was limping away into the distance. There were none in his path to stop him or help. I saw no thralls, nor corisseri. It all became very quiet.

Then, with a sudden flash of darkness that only I seemed to notice, the skies overhead ruptured, and countless deep eyes of black gazed upon the carnage. Rasmog stopped in its tracks, looked around in a stupor, and sank to its knees. Writhing violently, its towering but broken body withered and shrank, and the darkness around it lessened.

A primal cry erupted from the demon’s foul maw, but then as a feeble husk, tumbled down the low hill, out of sight.

I wanted to follow the vile demon. I knew it was weakened, but the pain in my collarbone and neck pulsed ever stronger. Soon I could not focus on anything else. There was a commotion around me and frenzied footsteps along with the neighing of horses.

“Mr. Espian?” It was the voice of captain Orsin. He grabbed my head and shook me. “You’re injured. You—”

But he stopped talking very suddenly and a silence followed. All I could see was blurred figures.

“Attonio!” Orsin called out.

I saw a figure arrive. He was bloody and beaten up, with his cloak torn and his helmet dented.

“Take this man away to Lottie!” yelled Orsin. “Let the marshall know what happened here.”

“Yes, sir!” replied Attonio in a shaky voice. A clash of steel and grunts became louder. The horses neighed in panic.

I could only vaguely sense being put on Attonio’s horse. Through my lips no words escaped, and my body was limp. I felt my strength finally fade.

Captain Orsin said to Attonio: “Go now, my dear friend, with speed to Lottie, and may the Gods cloak you from the eyes of the enemy.”

Then he turned to me. “Farewell, Jonas Espian, may we meet again under a new light. This shall be a bitter victory for the Corisseri of Lottie.”

He mounted his horse once more, adjusted his helmet, and drew his curved cavalry sword. He had lost his long mace. “Corisseri of Lottie, to me, men! To me!”

Hooves rumbled around me, but they were few in number now, and captain Orsin charged into the concluding battle with his remaining men with the strength of mind and heart I wished to one day have. Light and shapes blurred together, and to the shaking of the earth and the sound of trumpets, I was taken away on horseback, by a man I had never seen before.

A veil of darkness fell upon me, and all seemed as night to me. I did not hear Goxhandar, and his presence became too distant to sense. I only faintly saw blurred figures clash around me in desperate melee, and all sounds soon melted into a single maddened cacophony.

And then I sank into the deepest of pits, and I strayed out of thought.