“Jason, are you okay?” Arther screams.

“The smells are worse now.” Lisa summons a staff in her right hand.

Demonic laughter erupts from within me. Thousands of moans and cackles fill my mind. “Help me.” My back arches as a dark mass of manna erupts from my navel. The dark mass gathers in a circle a few feet away from me. Something’s coming.

“That was quick.” A voice echoes from the portal that just newly formed. ”The necromancer requires a blood price.” The most beautiful woman I have ever seen emerges from the portal. She had long black horns protruding from either side of her head, and detail that swayed behind her. “Who’s gonna pay it?” She pulls the knife from her hip and licks the edge seductively.

Arther stands up drawing the sword from his scabbard. “Don’t let yourself be seduced by this demon.” Arther yells. “What do you want with us, succubus?” His sword flashes a golden light as he swings it at the neck of the beast.

“Oh how cute, and faithful.” In a flash she sidesteps the attack. “If the necromancer wasn’t so needy I’d have a little fun first.” Her dagger hand blurs only to be met by a faster parry from Arther’s sword.

He swivels his feet and throws his weight into the succubus, knocking her down a little bit. “Take this!” Arther’s sword glows a golden light again, even brighter than before. He yells and brings the sword down in a violent attack.

The succubus vanishes in a cloud of black smoke. “He’s good.”

The voice came from behind me now. “—But you’re just pitiful.” Pain screams from my right eye, or rather, where my right I used to be.

I can feel the warm blood dripping down my cheek. I try my hardest to break through the initial shock and I try to concentrate so I can cast a spell. An image of a giant rock spike protruding from the ground behind me appears in my mind. Stifling screams I choke on my pain and send mana into the soles of my feet.

<-8 MANA>

<92/100 MANA>

The succubus yelps. “Mindcaster?” Her voice shook with disbelief.

I turn around to face the demon and see that my attack landed. Dark purple blood trickles from the wound that I inflicted upon her.

“You aren’t on the side of the necromancer then, it seems” Lisa’s voice seems less harsh now. I feel a small hand rest on my shoulder. Warmth spread from her fingertips, into my shoulder, through my neck, and into the eye wound.

Using the distraction to his advantage Arther lunges, with all his might, at the succubus. ”Jason, back me up.” He yelled while running past me.

I crouch in place both hands on the ground, summoning a big chunk of mana. It’s time to limit-test. I think back to when I was crafting those 20 soldiers with Earth. I was able to make the earth much more malleable than it should have been. Mud trap.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

<-15 MANA>

<75/100 MANA>

The succubus’ feet began to sink into the ground beneath her. “You’re more crafty than I would’ve given you credit for.”

Arthur closes in for the final and lethal attack. “Good job Jason.” He shouts as he drives the sword into her stomach.

The succubus screeches and throws her dagger at me. “Die!”

As fast as my reaction can allow, I poor man into the ground erecting a wall of rock to block the attack.

<-10 MANA>

<65/100 MANA>

The dagger plunges into the rock narrowly being stopped by my defense, inches away from my face. I take a deep breath and will the rock barrier to shatter.

<-5 MANA>

<60/100 MANA>

The situation before me after the barrier dropped, is horrifying. Dark black tendrils escape her wound, wrapping around Arther’s sword and limbs. “I will not die here.” It was useless, Arther cannot break the bonds that grip him. The tendrils drag Arther into an embrace with the monster. Their lips lock in a sultry kiss of death.

“Stop her!” Lisa yells.

The succubus’ wounds start to close, while Arther seems to be rapidly aging.

She’s draining him. I ready another image of a spell in my head. A rock erupts from the ground, separating the two and breaking the bindings she summoned. Arthur fell to the ground unconscious. Hopefully I wasn’t too late.

<-8 MANA>

<52/100 MANA>

“I guess I will have to take your eye, and his life force as payment.” Her voice is full of contempt. She strikes the ground, breaking herself free. A dark portal forms behind her, then she leaves just as quickly as she arrived.

“Arther!” Lisa screams as she runs over to his unconscious body.

As leases handle left my shoulder, fatigue and pain struck my body at once. My knees buckled as I knelt to the ground. I hope he’s alive.

///

“He’s a lot wittier than I gave him credit for.” My succubus servant, Layla, burst through the door of my chamber.

“You didn’t tell me he was a Mindcaster.” Her pride is obviously wounded.

“Oh, it must’ve slipped my mind.” I smiled to myself. “You achieved your goal in getting the blood price. The necromancer would be proud.” I glance over at the coffin where our shared master rests.

“Bullshit, you enjoyed that didn’t you.” She became even more furious. “You can’t hide your true feelings from me.” She approaches me. “Of course, even someone without my magic could tell you’re playing games.”

“I only want what’s best for the necromancer’s interests.” I placed my hand on the succubus’ shoulder. “Of course, you wouldn’t know. He never shared things like that with you.” I start to laugh.

The succubus brushes my hand away and walks back to the door. “What would you know about our relationship. You just hide in your study all day.”

“How dare you!” Her words struck a nerve.

“You’re not as invincible as you’d like to imagine, even the shadow of the great necromancer cannot save you from your hubris.” She leaves the room slamming the door on the way out.

I take a deep breath and regain my composure. “— Shadow of the great necromancer, we’ll see about that.” I mutter.