Katrina fell to her knees in exhaustion as the body of the thirty-foot demon she had been battling, slumped dead over the rubble of the newest opening in their defensive wall. There’s just not any end to them… She thought, straining to stand as a dozen warriors fought a multitude more familiars all around her. The battle had now been raging for hours. And though the warriors had been fighting well, the constant combat, and fatigue that came with it, was taking its toll. Despite all this, they had managed to keep the demons at bay.
Another earsplitting explosion rumbled in the distance. Alektor, she thought. How much energy does that guy have? To her astonishment, Alektor’s abilities seemed to do actual harm to the demons. Despite the fact that every other Dae’s abilities essentially bounced off of them.
“Hego, Katrina!” A Dae officer called, slicing the head of a familiar from its body as he dashed toward her. “We received a runner from the North side of the wall. A mass of demons is converging on the High King’s position! You must get there as soon as possible. We can hold them here as long as no more of the larger demons arrive.”
Katrina panted, looking at the expansive wall that towered above her. “Where is the North side again? I’m turned around here, Lieutenant.”
The officer pointed to her left, and she stood with a grunt. “Hold this position at all costs.” She declared, before leaping into the air and landing on a small platform that she created out of the side of the wall. As she landed, she slid across the surface of the side at incredible speed. Within a minute or so, the wind that roared passed her ears ceased as her speed slowed. With a final leap, she was atop the North side of the wall. From there, all she had to do was follow the explosive use of Alektor’s fire.
There was a concussive boom that rippled through the air, causing Katrina to wince. “Alektor!” She shouted, but the sound of the constant barrage of Dunamis from the warriors was too great. She began pushing past them until she found an officer, who brought her hand across her chest in a salute as Katrina approached. “Hego, Katrina!” the woman barked.
“Where is the High King?” Katrina simply asked, taking a moment to scan the sea of demons still scrambling to breach their defenses. There was no sign of the larger demons anymore, at least for now. She and Alektor had killed them all.
“He should be on the far side.” The officer replied, I can escort you to him, my Lady. If you’d like.”
“Lead the way!” Katrina nodded, and the two made their way to an open section of the wall. Where no one other than Alektor stood.
“He told us to keep away from him.” The officer said, bowing as she stepped aside, clearing Katrina’s path to him. “Lest we get caught in some of his abilities.”
Katrina gave a quick thanks to the officer, before running to stand beside the High King. “Hey!” She shouted, causing him to turn toward her.
“Hego.” He nodded in greeting. “It would seem that our enemy is finally starting to realize that they can’t just bash this wall down with a mass of bodies.” He pointed out towards the charred field beneath them.
Katrina whistled in amazement at the aftermath of Alektor’s power. There was nothing but a blackened wasteland of charred bodies and desolate ground for miles and miles. She turned then to study the High King, who seemed no worse for wear. Other than a bit of his hair being out of place, and a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. “You look like you’re holding up fine. Why did you send a runner for me?”
“Focus your senses over here.” He pointed to their right, and Katrina did so. Almost immediately she sensed a mass of foul demonic energy, quickly approaching them. “Shit.” She cursed, flinching slightly at its potency. “That is heading directly toward us. It’s got to be a bunch of them.”
“It is one, actually.” Alektor sighed, “And it seems to be leagues more powerful than the demons that we have been slaying up to this point.”
“They’re getting desperate.” Katrina said, closing her eyes again while she extended her senses. “The flow of demons is slowing down.” She tilted her head to the side to try and focus. “Not from the gate itself, but because it looks like Dan, Robert, and Avria are putting in work over there. Killing a bunch of the larger demons to ease the pressure.” She smiled at the thought. “Kick their asses, guys.”
“Well, that is wonderful news.” Alektor sighed, “But our defenses here must be prepared for whatever monstrosity comes dashing towards us from over those hills. Save your strength, Hego. You seem to be nearly at your limit.”
“Hey.” Katrina chuckled. “Not all of us have bottomless pits of Dunamis, Alektor. But you’re right; I’m gassed.”
“Considering the number of demons you managed to hold off on your own, I am actually impressed.”
Katrina rolled her eyes, but sat against the battlements, resting her head on the hard stone.
“I am curious though.” Alektor began, as he approached her. “Why have you not used the golem constructs that Daniel mentioned? A bolstering of our ranks would be quite helpful in this current situation.
Katrina let out a tired laugh, and slapped her hand on the surface of the wall. “It took so much of my power and concentration to create this thing here. Even now, part of my focus is maintaining the spiritual energy’s integrity within it. Otherwise, these little familiars would be tearing it into pieces. And the constant imbue of my power in the ground itself… it’s a lot to do at once.”
“Reku’s ability in the air seems to be holding well.” Alektor gestured upward, and again Katrina rolled her eyes.
“He’s got better control than I do, ok?” She shook her head. “All the stuff they say he’s able to do… I can’t even imagine being able to manage all that in my head.”
“If the time comes.” Alektor pressed, kneeling to meet her eyes. “You might need to convert your energy in this wall into those golems. A broken wall is useless. But more warriors, imbued with your powers will be a good last resort.”
Katrina blinked under the intense gaze he gave her. His eyes shone a brilliant yellow, conveying his earnestness, and she nodded in acceptance. “Fine, as a last resort.”
“You must preserve your energy as well.” He continued, standing again. “I should be able to hold them off without you if the need arises.”
Katrina chuckled, “Have you ever been tired? Because you fight like a machine.”
“Of course I get tired, Katrina. I sleep, don’t I?”
“I don’t know.” Katrina joked, “I’ve never actually SEEN you sleep. So, the jury is still out on that.”
Alektor’s stoic expression cracked slightly as a smile teased at the edge of his lips. “I suppose you’re right then.”
Katrina was about to quip further, but faltered as a terrifying roar echoed over the clamor of the battle. “What the hell?” She muttered as she stood, facing the direction of the sound. “Well, that’s gotta be—”
“Yes.” Alektor cut her off, “And the closer it gets, the stronger it seems.”
The wall began to rumble as the clear thuds of a bipedal creature of massive proportions seemed to be sprinting at full speed toward them.
Within moments, the looming form of a monstrous demon, burst over the crest of a hill in the distance. It let out a howl of pain as it entered the effects of Robert’s airborne ability, but seemed to redouble its efforts, pushing harder. Much like the others, it was otherworldly and horrifying to look upon. With charred skin and what looked like half of a head, cut off just below where the nose would have been. It had a dozen arms that flailed through its exertion, sprouting from its back. And two muscular ones that pumped back and forth as it ran. It also had two powerful legs, with two sets of knees, and hooves like a satyr.
The moment it entered the range of her earthbound ability, its speed slowed, and its howls intensified.
“Brace yourselves!” Alektor’s voice boomed in a Dunamis enhanced shout.
The demon trampled over dozens of its own kind, as its massive hooves crushed and battered the teaming familiars that swarmed over the ground below it. Blood, limbs, and entrails were sprayed in every direction with each heavy stride. When it was only several hundred meters from the wall, it let out a sudden burst of speed, and slammed into it with incredible force. The wall bucked underneath Katrina, and the portion where the demon had impacted, shattered with a cascade of stone. Sending half a dozen warriors who were too slow to move, flying through the air.
“We must hurry!” Alektor warned, dashing over the top of the wall at blinding speed toward the break.
Katrina cursed, but leapt over the side onto another platform she grew out of the inner wall. The moment her boots landed on it, she zoomed toward the demon, following Alektor, sliding against the wall itself. A wave of black energy poured from the demon, melting several warriors who attempted to flee from it. They screamed in agony as their skin bubbled and slid from their bones, leaving steaming husks behind.
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A powerful blast of fire struck the side of the demon, causing it to dash to the side, avoiding the majority of the attack. That’s new, she thought. Noting the sluggish movements of the demons she had previously fought. This one’s definitely smarter, and more powerful than the others.
It poised its arms for a strike, aimed at Alektor, who was standing atop the wall. “Oh no you don’t!” Katrina shouted, pushing her hands forward causing massive spikes to shoot from the broken wall itself toward the demon. In an instant, its arms swung around its body, intercepting each spike, and shattering them into dust. Katrina blinked at the quick and violent display of power. It’s so fast…
But the attack left it open to another blast of fire from Alektor. The demon howled in pain as it spun away, breaking another large portion of the wall, causing it to fall. Now, with such a large opening, hundreds of familiars streamed into the inner wall, clashing with the reserve warriors within.
Katrina hopped off her platform and landed next to Alektor, who held his hands up for another attack. “This one is far more powerful than the others, Katrina.” He growled. “We must keep it from killing any more of our warriors!”
“How do we stop it?” Katrina asked, watching as the demon turned back toward their direction.
“I’ll distract it with my flame. You try to kill it as best you can.”
Before she could answer in the affirmative, the demon dashed toward them, its arms billowing black energy. Katrina leapt from the wall to avoid it, but saw Alektor only lift his hands, summoning an intense shield that fully absorbed the demon’s strike. A shockwave hit her, knocking her a bit off her mark, and she tumbled end over end all the way down to land painfully into the bloodied grass below.
Katrina gasped in pain, rolling to the side as a familiar’s claws raked where she had just been. It was soundly cleaved in two by a crimson clad Dae who followed up with a powerful burst of electricity, charring dozens more who were clustered together.
“Get up, Kat!” Delmos yelled, grasping her by her cloak and pulling her to her feet. “We’re being overrun, damn it! Kill this blasted thing, or we’re all dead!”
“I’m trying!” Katrina shot back, taking precious seconds to assess the battle. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of familiars now pouring through the wall’s breaches, and the Dae defenders were being completely overwhelmed. Shit! She thought, looking again at the massive demon, who was reeling back from a sound strike from Alektor.
“Where’s Turak!?” She asked, as she plunged her sword into the chest of a familiar, unleashing a wave of spikes through its body, impaling a group behind it.
“He’s on the other side!” Delmos pointed toward another breach across the battlefield. “Last I saw, he was defending that break with Nasha. The bastard can fight, I’ll give him that.”
Katrina’s attention was brought back to the towering demon, as it roared in rage. “Hold out here as best you can!” She yelled, summoning a pillar beneath her feet that shot her into the air, toward the monster.
As she soared, she stretched her hands out, again causing a dozen spikes to shoot out toward the creature. Again, it spun, breaking them into pieces, but one shot from beneath it, glowing white as it plunged through the demon’s leg.
It squealed in agony, grasping the spike with one of its massive hands, the skin sizzling as it made contact. And Alektor blasted it again directly into its chest. The force of his attack knocked it over, breaking the stone pillar she had impaled it with; and it tumbled to the ground in a heap.
“Hell yeah!” Katrina shouted, landing against the inner wall. “Nice one, Alektor!”
The demon stirred, before he blasted it again; sending a shockwave across the battlefield. A strange hum started to come from the creature, and in the blink of an eye, a lance of black energy shot toward her. She dodged as best she could, but was pelted with shards of the wall. “Shit!” She cursed, leaping back to the ground, wincing in pain as she pulled a pencil sized shard from her shoulder. She looked at the top of the wall, then back to the demon’s smoldering body, only to see Alektor slam into it with the force of a meteor. Flames poured from him as the demon’s body bucked.
The dozen hands on its back grasped at him, but were batted away with a wave of flames. Katrina narrowed her eyes at it as she extended her hands again. This time, the spikes that shot from the ground beneath it, tore through its body with a squelch, spraying black blood like massive fountains, out from the wounds. Alektor cursed, dashing away from the body to stand next to her. He was covered in black blood, his once pristine cloak and armor now a mess of gore.
Katrina bent over, heaving at the exertion. She was nearly tapped out from everything, and prayed that Daniel and the rest could do something to close the gate quickly. She looked up at Alektor, who scanned the battle around them. At least we’ve still got this guy, she thought. He’s so powerful, we might have a chance even if I use everything I got.
Another hum rippled in the air, and Alektor spun around toward the demon’s body. A powerful lance of black energy tore through the air. Alektor brought his hands up, blocking the immense attack with a shield of flame. Katrina winced at the shockwave, but blinked in confusion as she was sprayed with blue blood. She looked toward Alektor, who had unleashed a final stream of flames into the demons body, and gasped at the hole through him.
“Alektor!” She shouted, as he slumped to the ground. “No!” She turned him over to face her, and he coughed up a surge of blue blood. “Oh God, hang in there, Alektor.” His yellow eyes fixed on her, acceptance in them. And understanding.
“Save… our world… Kat…rina.” He gurgled, “Your kind are… our only… hope.”
“No, no no no!” She looked down at the baseball sized hole in his chest. She had seconds to act. She closed her eyes, remembering how she healed the Volsung warrior from her wounds all those months ago. She pressed her hands into him and tried to go into his Dunam Dae Espa. But cursed as she realized she couldn’t. His power was too great for her to penetrate. “Let me in!” She shouted, cradling her head on her lap. “Let me heal you!”
Alektor’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he slumped back, the last vestiges of life draining from him. “No!” She raged, closing her eyes again and forcing her will upon him. She would not let this happen; she refused to let this man die. Too much was at stake. She pressed her power against the immovable wall that was his core, and pushed with all her might to pierce it. Again, it refused, stubbornly. Then she remembered the ball of dirt she had used to practice her abilities when she first awakened her Dunamis. How she tried to force her will upon the element, and how it refused her, time and time again. I need to coax it, she thought. Letting her power gently flow over Alektor’s core. “Please…” she whispered, “let me in… let me save you…”
As though an answer to her request, the impenetrable wall eased slightly, and in a flash of light, she found herself in a strange world. She was on a large rock, in the middle of an ocean, vast and endless. She smelled the salty spray of the sea as waves crashed upon the rock where she stood, and she scanned her surroundings, looking for him.
“Alektor!” She yelled, attempting to walk, but nearly slipped on the rocks.
“Who are you?” A voice asked from behind her.
She spun, and saw him lying against a stone, blue blood seeping from his mouth and his eyes half closed.
“It’s me, Alektor.” She said, rushing to his side. “It’s Katrina.”
“Katrina?” he asked, confusion in his face. “Are you a spirit?”
“I’m… a human.” She said, pressing her hands against his chest. “I’m your friend… you don’t remember me?”
He looked at her, then his eyes widened. “I don’t believe I could ever forget such a beautiful creature. You must be a spirit.” His blue stained lips curled into a smile.
Katrina blinked, slightly caught off guard by this completely unfamiliar behavior. “You must really be on the brink of death, if you’re hitting on me.” She chuckled.
“Well, my dear spirit. I would be a fool to deny what is clearly before me.” He started to laugh but began to cough up blood.
“You’re hurt.” Katrina pressed, ignoring his comment. “I’m here to heal you.”
“Who am I to deny the will of the spirits?” He laughed, looking past her shoulder towards the endless sea. “I am not sure how I got here… or who I am, to be honest with you. But I know I am dying.” His eyes met hers again. “But if you are here to heal me, then do your best.”
She nodded, and again focused her power into him. There was an ease that came to her care now. Where once she struggled, she now moved with skilled efficiency, melding his body with her own power. It was then that she glimpsed his core in its entirety. It was an endless ocean of flame. Bottomless and unfathomably strong. “What are you?” She asked, feeling his wounds begin to close.
“I was hoping you could tell me.” Alektor smiled, but he turned to look over her shoulder, and she felt a presence behind her.
She spun around, only to see another Alektor standing before her, his familiar stern and stoic expression displayed.
“What?” She asked, glancing back and realizing that the Alektor she had been tending to, was no longer there. “What’s going on?”
“Katrina…” Alektor said, his face twisted in confusion. “You made it here… to my Dunam Dae Espa?”
“Yeah.” She answered, looking around awkwardly. “I didn’t expect to see multiple personalities in here. But, I’ve healed you I think, so…”
Alektor sighed, “It isn’t what you think, Katrina. My mind is my own… but there are parts of me that must be set aside.”
“Set aside?” She raised an eyebrow. “You mean you cut off parts of your personality to become more, what, efficient?”
“Not to be put so simply.” He replied, “I don’t detach anything from my person, just subdue it slightly. In times of strife, or stress. A level head is needed to prevail.”
Katrina chuckled, pointing back with her thumb. “So, that other you, that was sweet talking me just now is… suppressed?”
Alektor shifted uncomfortably, then took a deep breath. “Have you completed your task?”
“I have.” She replied, suddenly being struck by a wave of sadness as she looked upon him.
“Then let us be on our way.”
She closed her eyes, and after another flash of light, found herself back in the thick of the battle. The roars of familiars and shouts and booms of the Dae warrior’s Dunamis rattled in her head. She opened her eyes and looked down at Alektor’s face, whose eyes slowly opened and locked with hers. She held his gaze for a moment, smiling at him. “Welcome back.” She said, seeing the flicker of the other Alektor she met in his Dunam Dae Espa behind his yellow eyes.
“Alektor!” A voice called, before Turak skid to a halt at his side. “How is he!?”
“I’m fine, Turak.” Alektor groaned, lifting his head from her lap. “Katrina has… saved my life.”
“Thank the spirits.” Turak let out a shuttering breath. “There is another wave of larger demons coming; more than before. Without your power, we wouldn’t be able to survive.”
“They’re breaking through!” A familiar female voice called as Nasha grasped Turak’s shoulder. “We’ve lost too many warriors, and this wall is all but useless now.”
Alektor nodded, as he stood, cracking his neck. “Katrina… now would be a good time to pivot, like we discussed.”
“Yeah.” She replied, straining to stand. “I don’t know if I have the strength, but I’ll make it happen.”
She closed her eyes, raising her hands toward the sides focusing on the broken and battered wall that surrounded them. With a surge of power, she yelled, feeling the last of her strength deplete. She crumpled to the ground. But watched as the massive wall around them separated into thousands of pieces, and slowly began to flood the battlefield with golems that glowed with a pale light. The hundred or so warriors who were left upon the wall were gently carried down by numerous golems, and the immediate panic of the warriors turned to cheers of triumph as they began laying into the familiars with violent efficiency.
“We must hold them back!” Alektor shouted, turning to Turak and Nasha. “Protect Hego Katrina until she is recovered.” He commanded, before dashing into the fray of battle once more.