“This way. Quickly now,” Edwin Ward said as he beckoned the women and children to follow him onward through the city. His normally kind eyes scanned the rooftops and alleyways for danger. The monk-like robes he wore over his armor were torn and tattered from the constant skirmishes as he took one group after another through the city, trying to usher those who could not fight to safety.

The safehouse he and the other followers of Imidean, the goddess of protection, had set up was not far now. Soon, these people would be safe.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye as a winged demon swooped down toward a little girl, clutching a stuffed bear. Edwin knew her as Kira. An orphan now. One of many new orphans that’d been made this day…

The beast’s massive talons were extended, grasping out for her. Edwin threw the glaive he carried. It looked something like a spear, only with a much larger, more sword-like tip.

Kira screamed as the demon roared. Then, Edwin’s glaive caught the beast in the breast, knocking it off course and sending it crashing to the ground with the sickening crack of breaking bones.

The girl gave Edwin a grateful look before her eyes widened with horror at something behind him. Edwin spun and moved aside, narrowly dodging the thrust of a horned demon's pitchfork that would’ve caught him in the small of his back if not for the girl’s silent warning.

The fel beast cackled. “You are alone and unarmed, man thing. Now, you die and I, Berenzegor shall feast on the flesh of—”

Whatever else the demon was going to say was lost as Edwin extended his hand and sent a bolt of holy magic into the creature’s open mouth.

It gagged on the weak spell even as the flesh of its mouth boiled and bubbled around it, a gurgling scream stuck in its sizzling throat.

It gave a panicked thrust of its pitchfork, but Edwin caught the haft of the weapon and turned it aside. With a spin and a kick, he twisted the pitchfork out of the demon’s hands and sent the monster flying backward. The demon crashed into a wooden crate, shattering the wood and breaking something that sounded like glass within the container.

It struggled to get up. Whether to fight or to flee, Edwin did not know and didn’t much care. He was a cleric of Imidean. Goddess of Protection. It was his duty to keep these civilians safe and he would let no demon endanger their lives.

He stabbed it with its own pitchfork. The three blades sank deep into the creature’s flesh, one of them piercing its heart and giving it a mercifully quick death. Edwin pulled the pitchfork free, allowing the demon’s dark blood to gush from the fresh wounds even as he scanned the street and the faces of the people following him.

He counted their heads and ensured none had gone missing in this latest of encounters. But they were all still here and unharmed this time. He gave a relieved sigh and a silent prayer for the demons slain by his hand.

Despite being foul, merciless creatures, he took no pleasure in killing them and prayed that their souls, if they had them, one day found the light. Though, he knew that was likely a vain hope.

Kira, the little girl he’d saved with a throw of his glaive came up to him then, carrying his polearm awkwardly while still keeping hold of her bear. The weapon was lighter than many would expect and he wasn’t surprised she could lift it. A warmth spread through his heart at the sight as the girl offered it to him with shining eyes.

“You dropped this,” she said.

He gave her a smile as he took the offered weapon. “So I did,” he said, “thank you very much for returning it to me, Kira.”

The ghost of a smile crept over her face for a moment but was unable to take hold. He couldn’t blame her. Nobody should have to endure the horrors of a demonic invasion. Let alone a little girl.

“Come now. Let’s get you somewhere safe,” he said warmly and set out to lead the group of around twenty women and children, mostly children, to safety once more.

As they approached the Church of Imidean that functioned as their refuge, Edwin felt his heart soar. Soon, these people would join others he had rescued from all around the city. Soon, they would be huddled in its secret basement, safe from the danger of the streets above.

Despite being so close now, he remained vigilant. There had been too much death this day and he would not lose a single soul to carelessness.

They hurried into the church, their footsteps echoing faster with every step as the group’s pace quickened now that safety was so close.

But Edwin sensed something was off and he called a halt with a raised fist.

All those behind him came to a stop, having been trained to obey the cleric in their treacherous journey through the city to get here.

Edwin stretched out his glaive and empowered it with a divine spell. Making the steel glow with golden light as he lightly tapped the tip of it against the smooth stone in front of him.

A sinister, black circle appeared upon the stone and fizzled out with a hiss as curls of dark energy rose from the now-purified stone.

A demonic trap. But how had they got in? The church was consecrated and defended by—

A body dropped from the rafters, landing with a wet squelch upon the altar ahead of them. Edwin recognized it as the old priest that ran this church. Or what was left of the kindly man. His blood ran over the holy altar of Imidean and Edwin suppressed his rage over the sacrilege.

Demonic laughter echoed through the church and a large, thickly muscled demon appeared in a swirl of hellfire.

“So cautious, little man thing. The others were much bolder than you. They shouted their righteous fury shortly before I butchered them. Rejoice and give thanks in this most holy of places. For you have the honor of dying at Mognath the Black’s talons,” the demon said with mockery in his voice. His sharp teeth were exposed in what might’ve been a smile as he flexed his taloned hands.

The demon was trying to goad him, Edwin knew. But he had dealt with such tactics and similar scenes enough times to know better than to lose his temper.

“Stay close to me. I will protect you no matter what. The demons will be waiting outside to catch any who run. If I fall, you make a break for it and try to slip by them. But, unless that happens, it is safer with me,” Edwin said softly to those who followed him.

“We won’t leave you,” Kira said.

“You will if it comes to it. It is my sworn duty and my great honor to protect you, little sister. If I am to be killed, then I would die gladly knowing you are safe. You will flee without guilt and know that it was my deepest honor to protect you,” he said with warmth in his voice even as more pitchfork-wielding demons came out from behind columns on either side of their group. Separated only by empty pews.

“You speak as though you have already lost. What fun is that, Cleric?” the demon said with vicious laughter bubbling from his throat, “why deny them false hope? Tell them more of how you will protect them. Tell them how you will save them. Just as you ‘saved’ those hidden beneath this church.”

Edwin’s face darkened as the hope that the demons had failed to find those he’d helped hide here was snuffed out.

Mognath laughed. “So, you can feel anger. Come then little man thing. Attack me. Rush me and unleash your righteous wrath! Avenge those I devoured while they screamed and begged your voyeur goddess for salvation!” the demon goaded.

Edwin remained still, his eyes never leaving the demon, even as he kept track of the lesser demons out of the corners of his vision. The people behind him gave fearful whispers and Edwin realized he ought to say something. Not for himself and certainly not for the demons. But to steady those who stood behind him. To bolster their faith and give them the strength to resist fear and make it through this day. No matter what happened.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“Steady,” Edwin said with a soft voice just the same as he’d used the whole way here, “We have faced many demons and you are still here. I will never abandon you and neither will Imidean.”

“Lies!” Mognath roared, “you stand within her desecrated temple. Your kindred lie dead in the safety he promised you and soon, you will join them.”

The demon licked his exposed teeth and inhaled deeply, as though savoring their fear.

“What do you know? You’re just a smelly demon. Edwin has killed lots of smelly demons. He’ll kill you too. Then, he’ll take us someplace safe. And if nowhere is safe, we’ll follow him until he’s killed every demon in the city!” Kira shouted.

“Do you hear that, Cleric? They have such faith in you. That’ll make your failure even more delicious!” Mognath bellowed as he extended his clawed hands and unleashed a stream of baleful hellfire.

Edwin slammed the butt of his glaive down onto the stone floor as he called upon his goddess’s light and a shimmering golden barrier appeared before him. The unnatural, evil orange and black flames slammed into it like a tidal wave.

Edwin grunted and gritted his teeth as he strained to maintain the shield and protect not only himself but those behind him from the demon’s hellfire. Flames roared to either side of them, swallowing the pews in their sinful hunger and creating a smoldering inferno on both sides that radiated heat even as it chilled the soul by its mere presence

Edwin feared that Mognath’s lesser minions would use the opportunity to attack those behind him while he held back the demon’s hellfire. But they stayed away. Either unwilling or unable to brave the hellfire that roared around them.

The force of the attack diminished until the demon cut off the stream of hellfire entirely. Edwin’s barrier held firm, continuing to glow with holy light. A testament to Imidean’s power. Though Edwin himself felt as though he’d had the life drained out of him. He allowed the barrier to fade as maintaining it was no simple feat. But he tried not to give any indication of that. Let Mognath think his attacks were useless against him so he wouldn’t think to whittle him down until he had nothing left to protect these people.

“You are stronger than the others that protected this place. Where were you when they needed you?” Mognath said as he snatched up the priest’s torso from Imidean’s holy altar and tore out a chunk of the man’s flesh with his teeth. He chewed loudly as blood dripped from his jaws and his disgusting slurping echoed throughout the church.

“Talk all that you wish, demon. Your words shall not stray the faithful from the path. And, when you grow bored of your pointless game, you may come within reach of my blade. I shall protect your soul from further acts of evil, so you will have fewer burdens to bear should the day ever come when you abandon your dark path. You will find no fear here. Only pity that one could fall so far from the light,” Edwin said, with sincere compassion in his voice.

That somehow seemed to infuriate the demon in a way Edwin hadn’t even thought possible.

Mognath’s bulky muscles quivered with rage as he gnashed his teeth. His tail whipped the air and he threw the old priest’s savaged body aside as a deep growl rumbled from his enormous chest.

“Kill them all! Let him hear their tortured screams all the way to the grave! Then we’ll see if you still revere your pitiful goddess!” Mognath roared as he charged at Edwin. Each powerful stride carried the monster impossibly far and closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

Edwin stepped forward calmly, and extended his glaive with a precise thrust, forcing the demon to change his course and disrupting Mognath’s charge while very nearly stabbing the demon in the heart with the very first thrust.

Not seeming to learn from the mistake of embracing his rage, Mognath growled even louder and swung a massive clawed hand at Edwin.

Edwin sidestepped lightly and deftly swept his glaive at Mognath, catching the demon with a shallow cut across his bicep then continuing the motion. Edwin’s glaive whirled and he smashed the butt of it into the demon’s face, sending the foul creature staggering back even as he brought the blade to bear once again.

Mognath leaped away just in time, evading Edwin’s strike and landing on the side of one of the columns on the other side of the burning pews, his talons digging into the stone as he held himself up there.

Edwin was aware of the lesser demons circling around the flames to get at those he protected, but he couldn’t do much about that until he dealt with the greater threat of Mognath himself. The demon’s muscles tensed as though about to leap, and Edwin readied his glaive. Let this demon leap upon him. The foul thing would meet only the blade of his glaive if he tried.

The demon’s eyes flicked from Edwin to the little girl that’d dared to speak up and the vicious creature’s mouth stretched in a grotesque parody of a smile.

“No!” Edwin cried as Mognath leapt at Kira. Edwin rushed to her and pushed her out of the way even as he tried to ready the blade of his glaive to meet the demon’s leap. But he’d been too far out of position and the demon too quick.

The massive brute smashed into him from above before he could bring the point of his glaive to bear, knocking him to the ground and pinning him there with the shaft of his glaive pressed against his throat from above. The demon’s powerful muscles pressed down with incredible force, strangling him with his own weapon.

Edwin tried to gather a holy spell, but the demon grabbed his chest with one massive hand even as the foul creature continued to choke him. Powerful talons scraped over his breastplate as Mognath lifted him up and smashed him against the floor so forcefully that it broke his concentration.

Mognath leered down at Edwin as the demon brought him up and smashed him down again.

“Fool. You gave your life to protect an insolent whelp. And now you shall share her grave. Where is your goddess’s promised protection when you need it most, Pitiful Cleric? Where is your precious light as the darkness closes in around you? She has abandoned you. You will live just long enough to hear those you gave everything to defend curse your name. Then, you will die as you have lived: alone!” the demon roared.

There was a brief scuffle outside the church and the sound of screaming demons cut off abruptly. Then came the steady rhythm of heavy boots walking calmly into the church, accompanied by the rattle of armor.

A strange dwarf with a long silver beard strode into the burning church with an axe resting over one shoulder. It looked as though the dwarf were out for a casual stroll, if one overlooked the dark blood dripping from his weapon.

Silence fell upon the church, broken only by the crackle of hellfire, as the demons stared at the newcomer. Edwin tried to tell the dwarf and the others to run, but Mognath pressed the shaft of his glaive tighter against his throat, preventing anything but a strangled wheeze from escaping his lips.

“Bah! You demons are always such dramatic sorts. Prattling on and on with all your nonsense. Why it’s a wonder I’ve lived this long facing your kind. I half-expected I’d have died of sheer boredom by now,” the dwarf said with a laugh.

The demon looked down at Edwin. “So this is what your goddess sends you in your hour of need, Cleric? A single. Fat. Dwarf,” Mognath said.

A horned demon leapt at the dwarf; its wicked pitchfork aimed straight for the dwarf’s face.

The dwarf moved faster than Edwin would’ve thought possible, throwing his axe with a blur of motion. The axe blade cleaved through the demon’s stomach and continued going, spinning around the room and cutting down each of the lesser demons as though homing in on each individual one and then finally returning to the dwarf’s hand with a meaty smack before the demons’ bodies had even finished dropping in lifeless pieces to the ground.

Mognath gaped and Edwin took advantage of the demon’s distraction to channel a holy spell. Divine light blazed from his body, blinding the demon and burning wherever it touched the creature. Mognath staggered back from him, covering his eyes as he roared. The demon’s surprise wouldn’t last forever, however, and Edwin wasted no time shooting to his feet. He raised his glaive as the demon began to recover.

“Imidean, Goddess of Protection, grant my blade strength!” Edwin cried, his voice hoarse but radiating power as divine light blazed from the glaive’s steel blade. Mognath charged blindly forward, and Edwin stabbed his glaive up through the underside of the demon’s jaw. The steel, infused with divine magic, slid through flesh, pushing up through Mognath’s jaw, through the underside of the roof of his mouth, and up into his brain. The glow of the blade shone out through the monster’s eyes as the insides of his skull cooked in righteous light.

Mognath spasmed then slumped and Edwin turned his Glaive to one side, letting the demon slide off the end and collapse in a heap upon the stone. Mognath’s eyes still smoldered with divine light as smoke poured from his mouth and his black blood oozed over the stone.

“Aha! A fine blow, Manling!” The dwarf said with uproarious laughter as though all of this were simply a game to him.

But Edwin felt no anger at the dwarf’s impropriety. This dwarf had come in his hour of need. Perhaps sent by Imidean herself. Relief and joy surged through his heart now that those under his care were safe. Even as he grieved those that had not been so fortunate. Edwin had long ago learned to count his blessings in this dark world.

In a moment, he would check for survivors and make sure the demons hadn’t been lying. But first, he focused on channeling a spell that brought forth dark clouds within the church. They rumbled beneath the vaulted ceiling, and blessed water rained down upon them all, putting out the hellfire that blazed around them.

“Bah! Water? What’d you do that for, Manling?! Now my beard’s getting wet!” the dwarf protested.

“Thank you for your timely aid, Master Dwarf. You’ve done a good deed this day and saved not only my life but the lives of all those under my protection. You have my thanks,” Edwin said as he dipped his head in a slight bow to the dwarf.

“Your damnable rainclouds are drowning me! What thanks is this, I say!” the dwarf said.

“May I have your name, Master Dwarf? So I know how to address you when I give thanks in my prayers?” Edwin said, “and would you please guard these good people while I investigate the rooms below. They should not have to see any more of the demons’ work than they already have, but I must ensure that none remain who need my protection and give prayers for those who have been lost.”

“Are you listening to a word I’m saying, Manling?” the dwarf said as he wrung out his beard, only for fresh rain to soak it almost immediately.

But, Edwin was already heading for the rooms below. “Thank you, Master Dwarf. I appreciate your help,” he called out as he walked away.

“Manling? Manling! I’ve not said I’ll watch over anyone! Manling! Hey! Come back here!” the dwarf cried as Edwin walked down the stairs into the darkness and the stink of death and horror without looking back, “at least dispel this damnable rain! Do you hear me, Manling!? My beard is dripping! MANLING!”