"Alright, we are out of sight," Greldo said as he turned and stared in the direction of the city.

Irwin sighed in relief as he looked at the others. Lamia was looking around, eyes narrowed.

Although there was some starlight out, the thick cloud cover was making it hard for all except him to see further than a few dozen feet.

"I'll walk in the front," Irwin said as he moved forward. "Greldo, tell me where to go."

"As soon as we are further away, I'll summon Coal. He can lead us around any demons," Greldo said as he moved alongside Irwin. "For now, we need to reach the location of the old northern gate. Do you see it?"

Irwin looked ahead. A vast dirty white layer of snow, marred by deep gauges and furrows inflicted during the many battles and fights, separated them from the ruins of Esterdon. Beyond lay the towering gray and black ruins, and even from this far, he could see a few glimmers of portals in a few locations. A massive section of wall with half of a tower remained on one side, all that remained of what must have been an enormous entrance long ago.

"Alright, let's head out," he said, repressing a shiver. It was cold, colder than he would like, but he didn't dare summon his Coperion Body yet. He might need all of its duration later.

They continued onward, and ten minutes later, Greldo summoned Coal. As soon as the enormous hound was out, he sniffed the air walking around. Then he headed out, changing direction slightly.

"There are a few burrowed things ahead," Greldo said as he followed his summon. "Coal will lead us around them, but make sure you all stay quiet. No talking."

Irwin didn't respond, taking the back so he could keep an eye on anything that might sneak up on them. Daubutim and Lamia moved in between, Daubutim fully armored and with his greatsword out.

As they continued on, Coal kept changing directions, causing them to zigzag toward the ruins at a slow pace. Nobody was complaining, though.

I wonder if Hutch will understand what we did, Irwin thought as he looked around, standing still and looking behind him.

A slight flash of something ruddy shot behind a snow bump.

What…?

Irwin narrowed his eyes but continued moving. Had that been his imagination?

No. I'm sure I saw something, he thought.

He kept walking, but unable to keep his attention on the spot behind him, he kept having to look forward and back. A few minutes later, he had yet to see something again, and he was starting to hesitate. Perhaps it had been his imagination? He hesitated, then increased his pace until he was beside Daubutim.

"I might have seen something move behind us," he whispered. "Can't be sure as it was only a tiny flash, and it didn't happen again."

Daubutim looked at him and frowned.

"Keep watch. I'll warn the others."

Irwin nodded before looking behind them again. There was no movement, but for some reason, after having spoken about it, he felt more certain he'd seen something.

But what could it be? A demon? Someone from the tower?

Almost an hour later, they reached the edges of the ruins, and Irwin hadn't seen any more movement. As the towering buildings loomed closer, he was starting to pay more attention ahead.

A dull thrumming sound came from behind them, and they all spun around. The fire beacons atop Coulwater had been igniting, flicking in the distance and illuminating the area below it. Tiny specs seemed to be moving below.

"Now what?" Greldo snapped.

"They probably realized we are missing," Daubutim said calmly. "Let's continue."

"Do you think your cousin is going to try and come after us?" Lamia whispered.

"Hard to say," Daubutim said as he followed Greldo. "But, be still. There might be demons around."

Lamia nodded, and Irwin saw her look around with a bit of fear.

They passed two crumbling structures before Coal led them along the remnants of a wall that still towered over them. A while later, they reached a narrow crack, and they followed the hound through and into the true interior of Esterdon.

A soft howling and whistling of the wind rippling through and along the remnants of four-story buildings and crumbled heaps of stone surrounded them.

As they moved around the corner of a building of which the top floors seemed to have exploded outward, Coal stopped and jumped to the side, pushing Greldo away. A tiny flickering light barely missed the hooded youth, striking Coal's broad flank.

Irwin spun around, triggering Coperion Body mid-move as he tried to find where the attack had come from.

"Incoming," Greldo hissed at the same time.

All Irwin saw were silent, dusty stone buildings, no movement or glimmering of weapons or armor.

"I don't-" he began just as Daubutim shoved him to the side. Metal upon stone came from the wall next to him, and he saw a thin straw-like piece of metal stick out of the wall. It shuddered twice, then drooped down like a hair, slid out of the wall, and shot to the ground, where it seemed to vanish.

I didn't even see where it came from, Irwin thought as he looked around, feeling his hair stand on end.

"Careful. It's Hult!" Greldo hissed as he jumped back and raised his hand. A muted glow shone through his glove, and a crossbow appeared in his hand, which he pointed at the roof of one of the ruined buildings behind them, instantly shooting.

A surprised cry came, followed by a soft laugh.

"Not bad… I'd thought I would have been able to take out at least one of you like this," a soft voice called out.

Didn't Hult have some kind of air card? Irwin thought.

"Why are you doing this?" he snapped as he stared at the building ahead.

"Why do you think, boy?" A soft burst of laughter came from another roof as two flashes of silvery light shot at them.

Irwin summoned his hammer and shielded Lamia's face in a single move just in time for two metal straws to strike it with enough force that he felt the hammer jolt.

"It's useless," Irwin snapped as he searched for the location of the sorcerer.

"Careful, he can move short distances instantly," Greldo whispered. "I've seen him use three of his cards. Don't let him get too close, or he will remove the air from around you and suffocate you."

"Now, now, that's not nice. Telling on other people's cards!"

More laughter came from one spot before almost instantly moving to another spot.

"How about this, boy? You give me that anvil, and I'll let the four of you leave?" Hult's voice called from another roof just as another two silvery straws shot forward, low over the ground, striking against Daubutim's leg. The young noble let out a strangled cry as he dropped to the ground, clasping his hand around the tubes. Instantly, blood began shooting out with high pressure.

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"Got one!"

Daubutim grunted as he began ripping at the straws.

"I can't get them out," he grunted.

Irwin jumped forward, grabbed one of the straws, and pulled. There was a moment of intense resistance, then he yanked the tube out. There was a finger of meat around it with tiny silvery tubes moving around like worms. Daubutim let out a strangled cry, and Irwin quickly grabbed the second one, ripping it out too.

These things are horrible, he thought as he threw them away while swallowing back his rising bile.

"Oh, you have some strong fingers," Hult shouted mockingly.

Irwin was about to retort when he saw something move from the corner of his eye. Coal moved like a blur, blocking two more straws before they could drill into Lamia's neck.

"Stay close together and move," Daubutim snarled, jumping forward with his hand still on his leg, which was bleeding badly.

"Come now? How about it? Give me the anvil, and I'll stop and leave you alone," Hult called out.

"Don't run around," Greldo snapped. "There are demons everywhere."

Daubutim didn't seem to care as he ran around a corner, and Irwin and the others quickly followed him.

"Have Coal guide us to the center, a spot with a roof," Daubutim snapped.

Two silvery blurs struck the wall just beside his head, and an annoyed tsssk came from nearby.

"Think I can't hit you when you're moving?" Hult snarled.

"Three seconds," Daubutim hissed.

Irwin blinked, then realized what his friend meant.

One, two- he counted, barely even reaching two when two silvery flashed shots from the roof ahead of them straight at Greldo, who barely managed to duck. Is it because of his teleport or his ranged attack?

They sprinted forward, and Irwin quickly realized why Daubutim had said to begin running. Hult's big words were just that as he kept missing them, only able to get close by shooting at them from straight ahead. Still, the tiny straws were hard to see, and even though they had only been hit once, it would be only a matter of time before Hult would manage to hit them again.

"Foolish children! You are going to run into demons and get us all killed," Hult called out. "What use is some anvil if you are dead?"

Irwin gritted his teeth. Even if I wanted to, I don't think Ambraz would stay with you, he thought. As he did, he blinked, then blinked again. What if he just gave the sorcerer Ambraz, who could just return to him? Then he shook his head. Hult won't let us out alive while knowing.

"There is a group of demons up ahead," Greldo snarled as he jumped to the side and dodged another set of blinking metal straws.

"How far is the portal?" Irwin asked.

"The entrance is still far away and if we run like this we will draw way too much attention."

Irwin gritted his teeth as they continued forward, his worry increasing.

"Incoming!"

Daubutim's warning was barely in time, as familiar cackling came from around a ruined building. They rushed in between a crumbled building and one that remained partially standing, but as he jumped in after the others, Irwin saw a dozen Galubs with two horns and one with three horns run into the open.

"Humans!" the three-horn shouted, and Irwin could see the glee in his eyes. "Grab them. We can have fun tonight!"

"Now look what you did," Hult's annoyed shout only angered Irwin more.

It's your fault, he thought as he rushed after others.

"This way!"

Loud screams came and were answered by others, and within moments Irwin heard hundreds of familiar shouts and laughter.

"Run to the entrance. It's our only choice," he shouted.

"Alright! Coal!"

A burning flash of light came as Coal's eyes seemed to light up like torches. Greldo jumped forward and climbed on his back, and Coal jumped forward. The others barely managed to keep up, and Irwin didn't notice any more attacks from Hult. Either he had given up, or he couldn't keep up. Whatever it was, Irwin didn't care.

They sprinted across a square filled with rubble, then along another building, and even though some, Coal seemed to know exactly where to go. As they rushed below a partially collapsed roof, three two-horned Galubs ran screaming around a corner. When they saw Lamia running their way, they let out a joyful scream and rushed her way.

Irwin didn't hesitate for a moment and triggered his Eyes of Blaze. Two churning masses of fire lit up the area, engulfing two of the Galubs. The third one barely managed to back up with a startled screech.

"The entrance is up ahead," Gerldo shouted.

Irwin saw the knocked-down ruins of a massive tower, easily as large as the Coulwater tower. It looked as if a giant had shoved it back, most of the top snapping off. A large opening with crumbled and destroyed edges sat in the center, and reaching the open square, Coal's speed increased. As he loped across, the others couldn't keep up.

As he sprinted after the other two, Irwin knew he was the slowest of them. Still, they should be fast enough.

A flash occurred to the side, and a brown figure appeared on the edge of the square, raising its hand.

"Look out," Irwin shouted just as two flashes of metal shot out just.

Daubutim and Lamia jumped forward, then Irwin heard a startled scream. He crossed the rest of the distance to see Lamia with one of the metal straws in her arm. Blood was squirting out, and she screamed again as she pulled on it, squirming on the ground.

No time!

Without stopping, Irwin grabbed her around her waist and pulled her up.

"Give me the anvil, or she will die, boy!" Hult shouted, just as dozens of Galubs rushed onto the square.

Irwin continued onward. He wanted to pull the straw out, but he couldn't stop.

If I could see that bastard, I could blast him, he thought as he continued forward.

Daubutim and Greldo stood at the entrance, waiting for him and looking around for Hult.

"Go inside. I'm coming," he shouted.

As the two vanished inside, he reached the entrance just as something ticked against the side of his face with the sound of metal against metal.

"Got you, you little… No! That's impossible!" Hult screamed in a fury

Irwin didn't stop as the straw slid down his cheeck, unable to penetrate his skin. Then he entered the building, looking around for the others.

"Orwin!"

There was a large corridor to the right, and the others were running toward it. Irwin fell in line as he sensed Lamia squirming in his arms, suddenly screaming in agony. Startled, he dropped her and grabbed the straw that was twitching. As he pulled it, he felt incredible resistance, and a large section of her upper arm began bulging out. Lamia's eyes rolled up and her head lolled to the side.

I could pull her arm off!

In a flash, he recalled the thin tendrils that had begun borrowing into Daubutims arm. If he waited too long, they could spread through her body and kill her. Hearing screaming Galubs draw near, he gritted his teeth and pulled with all his force.

With great effort, he ripped a large chunk of muscle out of Lamia's body, the sickening sound reminding him of tearing a piece of wet cloth.

When the last bits let go, Irwin almost gagged. Lamia was shivering and shaking, but as he gazed in disgust at the piece of infected flesh, he knew he'd made the right choice.

Dense amounts of metallic tendrils were swaying around, trying to search for more flesh to drill through. As blood sprayed and flooded from Lamia's arm, Irwin swallowed back bile, summoned his flame, and pressed it into the hollow indent that had been the side of her upper arm.

Lamia's eyes shot open, and she screamed so loud that Irwin's ears rang.

"Get him!" a Galub voice shouted from the entrance behind him.

Without waiting, Irwin picked up Lamia and sprinted forward. Daubutim and Greldo were waiting near the entrance, but the feet behind him were rapidly approaching. Risking a look back, he saw dozens of Galubs pouring after him, most with two horns. As the things that had just occurred, from the horrible feeling of ripping out a large section of Lamia's arm which might cause her to lose it, to the constant attacks of Hult, Irwin's anger finally burst out

"Get lost," he roared, using Eyes of Blaze at the widest setting.

A massive cone of fire rippled out behind him, and startled screams came from the Galubs as they covered their faces and heads.

Irwin quickly looked ahead again and continued running, hoping it would buy him some time.

As he reached the corridor, Daubutim looked at Lamia and then shook his head. "We need to hurry and get her to a carded healer," he said in a rush.

"The portal," Irwin said.

It was the only chance they had. He looked back through the corridor and saw the Galubs were shoving those in the front further, many tripping, creating a pileup. They had gotten a bit of time but not a lot.

"Move! We can try and lose them inside, but we have to be careful not to come across something worse," Greldo snapped as he ran through the corridor and through one of the entrances.

Irwin followed him.

They quickly reached a flight of stairs, ran down through a few corridors, around a corner, and down another flight of stairs.

Within minutes the sounds of the screaming Galubs were growing weaker, and finally, Greldo slowed down from the insane pace they had been going at.

"Alright, we are six floors from the portals and close to as deep as I've ever been," he said.

"You know the direction?" Daubutim said calmly as he looked around.

"Yes, I've seen a few maps and spoken with rangers that have gone here," Greldo said. "I was supposed to be one of the rangers to check the next time."

A soft moan from Lamia caused the three young men to fall quiet, and they gazed at her. A thin sheen of sweat covered her pale face, and her horribly mutilated right arm twitched softly. The fingers were deathly white.

"What if we try and put a card in her final slot?" Irwin whispered, raising her left hand. She still had a free slot.

"We have to wake her up, and it would have to be a rare body improvement card with high increases in regeneration," Daubutim said. "Do you have one?"

Irwin shook his head as he looked at the massive gouge in Lamia's arm. Seeing the filthy blood and the blister-covered, blackened flesh, he felt his stomach heave. He looked away and took a few deep breaths.

"Let's go. If we don't get her a healer soon, she won't make it," Daubutim said.

Greldo nodded as he continued ahead, followed by the taller other.

"That vile sorcerer," Irwin growled as he followed the others.

With Coal in the lead, they continued down, sometimes having to backtrack and onetime hiding inside a small narrow passage as a rumbling thing passed them by.

Irwin kept carrying Lamia, whose skin was cold and sweaty, while she began shivering. Nobody spoke until they reached a doorway set inside a partially shattered wall.

"This is it," Greldo whispered as he snuck forward. The others followed him, and as they looked inside, they saw a massive rubble-filled area. Three or four floors had shattered, debris piling around the side, and in the center hung a glowing portal. Tiny golden lighting bolts rippled along its edges.

It's much bigger, Irwin thought as he gazed at the portal. Then he looked around for a way down, only to see a long, pale, dust-covered shape curled around the remnants of two columns.

"What is that?" he whispered.

"A very big demon snake," Daubutim whispered back.