Aiden crouched low; his breath shallow as he hid around the side of the old stone building and watched the group of three as they got closer. They were an unusual group, the three looked like they might be around his age, but they were an unlikely group. One girl was wearing a long purple dress that she held up to run but what he noticed most was the jewelry that she wore. She had silver bracelets that contrasted against her dark skin and even a few unusual belts wrapped around the dress. The other girl was dressed in a completely different style, but her garments were just as formal. She had a loose blouse, and dark form fitting pants and dark tall boots. Her hair was secured tightly in a ponytail and she clutched something that looked like a small hammer in her hand as she ran. On the other hand, the boy looked like he had been working outside all day. His clothes were loose fitting and seemed to be a dark green with some brown thrown in, but from this distance Aiden wondered if maybe some of that was actually dirt.
"Run!” the girl in the dark purple dress shouted again.
“I don’t think it’s following us,” the girl with the hammer said as she looked back the way they came.
Beside her, the boy, gripping a bag firmly against his side, matched her stride, his expression set with determination. “Then can we stop running?” he asked, and taking his own advice stopped and took a few deep breaths.
Aiden scanned the barren road behind them wondering just what they were running from. The road was the same as the others he had passed, lined up and down with buildings that bore the signs of neglect—windows boarded up, facades crumbled, and doors hanging off their hinges. There seemed to be something in the road that looked small, no bigger than a large rabbit sitting on its hind legs. Squinting, Aiden tried to make it out. It was small and dark, it looked like it might be on two legs instead of four. He tried to watch it, but it skittered off and he quickly lost it in one of the overgrown yards.
“Where did they all come from?” the girl in the dress asked.
“I have no idea, but they are all over now,” the blonde-haired girl said.
“Well, we just have to keep avoiding them until we get to the runeportal,” the boy answered.
Aiden frowned and looked around the empty streets and abandoned buildings. And then, across the way, movement flickered at the edge of his vision. He looked over, at the barren frame of a once vibrant market building, something was definitely moving.
In front of him was the most unusual sight he had seen yet. Behind one of the charred buildings was a group of creatures unlike anything Aiden had ever seen. They were maybe two feet tall, and moved like a pack of small animals, but they rarely were on all fours. Most of the time, they walked on two legs and had dark leathery skin over their body.
The small creatures roamed between the stone buildings a strange, frenetic exploration of the abandoned street. Their tiny, quick feet pattered against the old cobblestones, the sharp clicks and clacks echoing off the crumbling walls as they moved about.
Their exploratory chaos was almost methodical as they picked apart whatever they could find. One of them, slightly larger than the others, darted towards a half-toppled cart. It prodded the weathered wood with its fiery red fingers. Instantly, the dry, old timber smoked under the brief contact, a thin wisp of smoke curling into the air. The smell of burning wood—a sharp, acrid scent—drifted towards Aiden, mingling with the musty stench of decay that already hung heavy around the ruins.
Another creature rummaged through a pile of debris that at one time, Aiden thought could have been a bakery. It thrust its hands into a shattered wooden crate, leaving behind small, charred indentations where its fingers had been. With a frustrated squeal—a high-pitched, grating sound—it turned and snapped at a companion that had come too close. The two creatures tussled momentarily, emitting a series of guttural chirps and snarls, their small bodies a blur of motion before they separated, each returning to its own search.
Further down the street, a third creature approached an overturned cart. It tapped the metal framework tentatively, then more insistently, as if testing its strength. Each touch left a small, singed mark, and soon, a faint haze of smoke rose from the spots.
Under his breath, Aiden whispered, "QCore, what are those things?"
The system obliged; next to one of the little fiends a message appeared:
Creature Name: Fire Imp – Level 2 Description: This pint-sized pyromaniac, known as the Fire Imp, packs a fiery punch that belies its cute, demonic facade. Watch your eyebrows and keep a bucket of water handy; these little troublemakers love turning would-be heroes into crispy critters with a touch of their fiery fingers. Interest: Suspicious
Staring, Aiden watching intently as the creatures carved a fiery path through the cluttered remains of the street.
“CAW!”
Pearl’s loud call broke the silence of the street and Aiden spun around to see what startled her and found himself face to face with a small, startled imp, that had been sneaking up behind him.
Surprised by how close the fiery fey was, Aiden jumped and took a few quick steps backwards. The imp was even more ominous up close. Its body was dark and leathery, and its nearly black eyes had pupils that looked red, almost like there was a fire deep within the creature and it was closing in on him.
“CAW!” The call came again, as Pearl swooped down, flying directly between Aiden and the imp.
The imp swatted at the bird, but she flew past and out of the way. The imp turned back toward Aiden, but Pearl came back, distracting it once again.
Each time the imp came toward him, Aiden stepped back away, but it was Pearl that kept the imp from reaching him each time.
Another swing of a fiery claw toward Aiden and he barely moved out of the way in time. Pearl went after the imp again and the creature turned it’s attention to her, swinging and jumping to get her as she dove toward him and flew away again.
“Pearl, get away from it!” he shouted as he backed nearly into the middle of the street trying to avoid the creature. But Pearl ignored him and just kept at the imp.
“Enchantling!” the woman in purple shouted loudly and Aiden turned to look at her and realized he wasn’t the only one having problems with imps.
"What in the cloud!" the young man yelped, attempting to back away from one of the fiery creatures. His move was too late; the imp was on him in a flash. It screeched with gleeful malice, its small hands wreathed in flames reaching out and clawing at the fabric of his shirt. Caught off guard, he tried to dodge the creature, but it was too close. Screeching with a gleeful malice that echoed through the empty street, the small hands were now wreathed in flames and grabbed for him.
Aiden heard the distinct sizzle of burning material.
“It got my shirt!” the young man shouted indignantly, and then in a more irritated tone shouted, “Dewdrop Deluge!”
Above the menacing imp, a small cloud materialized, rapidly swelling like a storm coaxed forth by magic. Aiden watched with surprise as, a torrent of water cascaded down, drenching the creature in a deluge that sent steam hissing into the air as the imp's fiery aura was abruptly quenched.
Nearby, the young woman with the light hair carefully pulled into a braid acted quickly.
“Back off!" she yelled, her voice a mix of defiance and determination. With her small hammer poised high, she swung forcefully, knocking the soaked imp back several feet. As it struggled to regain its footing, she chanted sharply, and a rope of shimmering water appeared, binding the imp's hands. The dark leather of its skin faded to a dull gray, steam billowing around it.
The dark-haired woman also jumped in to help. Yanking a charm from one of her silver bracelets, he heard her say, “Ring Sizing Mandral!” In an instant, the charm morphed into a thin tool that almost looked like a metal wand. Swinging it deftly, she struck at another imp that approached, sending it stumbling back. A second took its place and with a swift kick, she sent it backwards to the fringes of the fray.
Aiden watched, awe-struck. In an instant, the deserted street transformed into a battleground.
The two women worked together, striking when they had room and casting magic whenever they could but each time, they knocked one back another took its place. man had dropped the bundle and was fighting his back up against a wall, with three of the creatures around him.
Aiden looked for Pearl and she was still distracting the imp that had gone after him. Each time she flew away, it looked back over at Aiden and she would dive in front of it again, but from the way she was flying, she wasn’t as quick as she had been and could Aiden felt the heat even from a distance.
Desperate for some way to fend off the creature and help Pearl he noticed a thick tree branch about the length of a baseball bat. He considered it for a minute. It wasn’t a spell or a weapon, like the others seem to have but it was solid, tangible— and maybe it could at least hold off the imp.
Bending down, he picked up the heavy branch and hefted it in his hand. It seemed sturdy enough.
The system seemed to recognize it and another message popped:
Weapon Name: Tree Branch – Level 1 Description: This primitive bludgeoning tool is as rough and unrefined as it comes. But don't let its lack of sophistication fool you; it's unexpectedly handy for those tight moments when you need to give something a swift bash.
Aiden shrugged his shoulders, well if the system agreed it could be a weapon, maybe it would work.
As the imp turned to him, he took a step forward. Up close, it was even more disturbing than it had been from a distance. Its face was scrunched, and its eyes narrowed. The little black eyes that looked at him had red fiery pupils which gave it and eerie glow.
He swung the stick with all his might at the nearest fire imp, attempting to drive it away. The stick cut through the air, and nearly threw Aiden off balance in the process.
It's a swing and a miss!
The imp started toward Aiden and as Aiden took a step backwards his foot caught on a loose stone and he stumbled back. His heart was pounding fiercely against his ribcage as he scrambled to find his footing but the imp was already reaching for him.
Suddenly, Pearl, a blur of motion, darted between them. She swooped at the imp’s face, her small white form a contrast to its dark nearly black skin. The imp, caught off guard, looked away from Aiden and swiped at her, hissing with its irritation.
“Pearl!” Aiden shouted as he saw a wisp of smoke rising from her wing.
Pearl, thrown off balance landed on the dirt road in front of Aiden. Her usually sleek wing now bore a singed, gray tinge, and Aiden's stomach twisted at the sight.
“Get away from here,” Aiden said to Pearl She took a few small hops and then spread her wings slowly and then close them again. Aiden winced as he watched she had definitely gotten hurt. He hoped she could still fly.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Gathering his resolve, Aiden quickly shook off the shock. His mistake had cost her and he wasn’t going to let it happen again. This time Aiden held the makeshift weapon with both hands, and planted his feet firmly.
The imp gathered itself and stared again Aiden and then over at Pearl as it trying to decide which one of them it wanted to charge.
“Now, Pearl!” he shouted urgently as he saw the imp look over at her. “Get out of here!” he shouted as he waved the tree branch toward the imp to taunt him.
“Caw,” the small bird said and took another tentative hop.
“Go!” Aiden shouted.
Pearl cawed back at him once more than then she opened her wings and was in the air.
Aiden let out a sigh of relief as he watched her fly up in the air and land onto a nearby rooftop far out of the imps reach.
He looked back over at the imp which hissed with frustration at Pearly. Turning back to him, it seemed to finally make up its mind and came at him again, its fiery little hands reaching for Aiden.
Aiden took a quick step backwards and then swung the Tree Branch again as hard as it could. This time, it connected with a satisfying thud against the imp's fiery form.
Great Shot!
New Skill Discovered! Club Attack!
Attack Skill: Club Attack Level: 1 - Practice Swing Description: When you don’t want to swing too hard and are really just warming up!
He had just gotten a good hit on the creature, and that was all the QCore had to say about it, a ‘practice swing’? If that was all the angry imp considered it, then Aiden was going to be in trouble.
It stood there, unmoving, and scrunched its face, hissing at him with disdain; it too was seemingly unimpressed.
Aiden however, was satisfied. He had hit it and not nearly fallen. That might not have been amazing progress, but it was progress. He looked intently at the fiery fay trying to see if there was any impact at all from the hit.
The system displayed a new message box just above the creature:
Creature Name: Fire Imp - Level 2 Power Track: 80% Interest: Provoked
“That’s a start,” Aiden said after reading the stats. Its health did go down, so it seemed he was doing something right at least.
Growling, it stared at him intently, and raised its hot hands threateningly. And then charged at him.
This time Aiden was ready. Pulling his makeshift weapon back as if he were waiting on a pitch, as soon as it came close, he swung hard, clubbing it against the side.
Swatting Success!
Club Attack: +2 XP!
Despite the system’s positive encouragement, the creature took the hit but didn’t budge. Instead, it reached out and tried to grab the bat.
Quickly, Aiden pulled the Tree Branch out of the imp’s reach, and the imp nearly lost its balance as it spun around.
Nice move!
New Skill Discovered! Dodge!
Deffensive Skill: Dodge Level: 1 - Subtle Sidestep Description: A smooth step to the side, great for avoiding responsibility, sidewalk cracks and superstitions.
Aiden ignored the snarky message and just watched the little menace.
The imp stumbled again and fell into a nearby fence. Where the imp’s hands touched the post, the wood instantly began to crack and smolder. When it pulled away from the fence there were burn marks along the wood, reminding Aiden just how dangerous even a touch from this creature would be.
Menacingly, it turned and reached toward Aiden again as it approached, slower and more deliberately this time.
Pulling the makeshift club back, he aimed it at the creature’s middle and hit it in the stomach, pushing it away as hard as he could.
Clubbing It!
Club Attack: +1 XP!
The system promptly showed the imp’s updated stats…
Creature Name Fire Imp – Level 2 Power Track: 59% Interest: Vengeful
Aiden waited expecting the creature to leave defeated but it didn’t back off, but the tiny black eyes continued to stare intently at Aiden, and as it growled at him, it revealed sharp, needle-like teeth. The hits Aiden was giving it were definitely causing damage, but the imp didn’t seem interested in backing away from the fight. It seemed determined to keep up the attack.
Lifting its burning hands out toward Aiden, it growled and a small tongue of fire from each of the imp’s fingertips. The creature then growled and charged again.
Quickly Aiden moved out of the way of the little fiery fingers:
Slick Sidestep!
Dodge: +1 XP!
It ran past him, then seemed to notice and charged him again. Aiden faced the creature, his knees bent, like a football player on the field, waiting to see which way the creature would run.
When it got close, he moved away to the right, narrowly avoiding the imp:
Smooth Move!
Dodge: +2 XP!
It turned and faced him again and Aiden realized that this would keep happening until either the imp caught him or he did something. This time, he braced himself, and held the Tree Branch ready in his hands.
The Tree Branch was awkward, but this time as it ran back, Aiden took aim and hit it with the branch hard knocking it a few feet off. When it turned and growled at him again, he hit it a second time for good measure:
Double strike, critical hit!
Club Attack: +4 XP!
Finally, it crumpled down and landed face first in the street. Aiden watched as it stayed on the ground unmoving. The imp’s hands which had been fiery red, soon dulled to brown like the rest of its leathery skin.
Congratulations!
You have clubbed down a Level 2 Fire Imp!
The message was still glowing when Aiden noticed something odd happening on the ground in front of him. The fiery imp, which had been an unmoving mound, started to deflate, like a balloon with a small leak. Bit by bit, the creature because smaller and thinner, as if there was nothing inside it. It was as if it had never been a real creature but was just some sort of a shell of an imp, and now, all that was left was the outside appearance of the creature, pressed flat against the dirt road.
He stared curiously at the flattened imp, as it continued to transform. The dark colored skin, started to melt together and the dark feet, nearly a black swirl that blended into the leathery brown color of its legs and mid-section. It was as if the colors were blending together, as the creature dissolved into nothing but a mass of colors. The browns and reds pulled together, making a round circular swirl of color on the ground that seemed to be painted onto the ground.
Aiden stared at what had become of the creatures. It no longer looked anything that could have ever been alive. It was almost as if they had been nothing more than shells, and it was just hollow.
Catching his breath, he just stared at what was left of the imp: a swirl of color that sparkled on the ground.
The confirmation message about beating the imp faded and was followed by another.
Level Up!
Attack Skill: Club Attack Level: 2 - Light Thump Description Ideal for popping soap bubbles without splashing or testing the ripeness of fruit.
Aiden read the message and wasn’t sure it sounded like much of a new skill. However, it did flash and sparkle as if it was some sort of significant achievement, so he hoped that maybe it would be an improvement.
He looked around for Pearl and found her still on the edge of he farmhouse. She stretched her wing, out and hopped a bit and he could tell from the way she moved, she was hurt but at least she was out of harms way.
“Stay away,” he called to her, “these things are dangerous. You have to get away from here,” He looked around and realized there were more all around him and as much as he appreciated her, she was too small to try to help. “It’s okay,” he said with confidence he wasn’t sure he felt, “I can do this.”
Pearl looked down at him from her perch and then looked down the road again as if taking in the imps and back at him. She cocked her head and something about the way she looked at him made him wonder if she was doubting him.
“Seriously, Pearl, I got this,” he said.
Then she seemed to make up her mind and gave him a small weak “Caw” and then launched herself into the sky.
Aiden watched as she flew further and further away. Although he didn’t like the idea of being alone here, it was what he wanted. He also hoped that maybe she and the skunk would find somewhere safer to be than wherever this was. After all, he had dragged them into this mess, but he didn’t want them to get hurt because of him.
Then he heard a nearby voice filled with urgent, stark alarm shout, "Behind you!"
Aiden spun around, just in time to see another imp rushing toward him.