Bud’s armour weighed heavily on him as he met the demons, sword clasped in both hands and raised straight, the cold steel reflecting the icy light around him. His breath misted in the air as he muttered a prayer to Kelisia, offering himself in her service as he purged the demons before him, if only he could live long enough to spare Emilia and Dylan.

His armour clinked with each step, an eerie rhythm that mirrored the steady beat of his heart. His gaze was level, his focus unwavering as the next wave of demons approached. They hesitated, as they should. Demons were cowardly creatures, and they had witnessed the carnage he’d already unleashed. The corpses of their brethren lay scattered around him, faces twisted in frozen agony and wounds preserved in ice.

“Talk to me, Dylan,” Bud said, never taking his eyes from the demons. “How is she?”

“Alive,” Dylan said, voice tight with effort. “I can’t help you though.”

Bud could feel the faint touch of Krioc’s blessing as Dylan worked to stabilise Emilia. She’d taken a blade through the stomach. Even now, her blood spilled over the ground.

“Focus on her.” Frostfire wreathed Bud, blue flames licking his armour, the air itself shimmering with the unnatural cold. “I shall keep them from you until my last breath.”

Grinding his teeth, Bud adjusted his sword into a halfsword grip—hilt clasped in his right hand while his left held the blade halfway up. Even after all this time fighting, the Sheath of Sharpness Count Daston had given him kept its edge perfect. The demons were pouring in around him, bodies piling up in a circle, but none dared to cross into his reach. Each jostled for another to go first—the cowards. They wanted blood, but they weren’t willing to die for it.

Bud wouldn’t give them the chance to decide.

He moved first, launching into battle. A demon on the left lunged. Bud stabbed at him but didn’t put his weight behind it, feinting the blow to force the creature to dodge before he turned sharply and plunged his sword into a demon to his right. The blade punched through the skull, piercing up to where his left hand gripped his sword. He yanked it free, ice blossoming from the wound as the demon collapsed, dead before it hit the ground.

Bud was already moving to his next target. His entire body swung in a wide arc; a one-handed sweep aimed at the demons trying to flank him. They scrambled back, but one was too slow, the blade catching it across the belly. Its guts spilled out in a steaming, foul-smelling heap, black blood mingling with cold air.

Bud roared, throwing himself into the flurry of blades and magic, cutting down anything that came within reach. Steel clanged off his armour as enemy weapons struck him, each impact jarring his bones and sending flares of pain through his body. His ears rang, his helmet rattling like a deformed bell struck by too many hammers. He pressed on, refusing to slow down. The wounds were shallow. His armour held strong, that was all that mattered.

The demons shouted in their guttural language, calling for reinforcements or simply yelling in fury. More poured in just as Bud felled the last of those immediately around him. He caught a glimpse through the melee—a gap in the demonic horde that revealed Marcela, fighting desperately to defend Wizard Aldric’s position. The man had placed Hump’s safety above everything—a sentiment Bud could get behind but didn’t understand. Now was hardly the time to argue.

The demons surged again, and Bud braced himself, slipping into the Ice Storm blade stance. His sword was gripped tightly in both hands, curved around his hips, ready to strike in broad, sweeping arcs suited for many foes.

As the blood thickened in the air, a frenzy overcame the demons. They charged with reckless abandon. Bud met them with calculated fury. His sword pierced the first demon’s groin, sending it to the ground. He followed with a brutal kick to the next, its ribs cracking beneath his armoured boot. A crossbow bolt slammed against his helmet, and he stumbled, vision swimming as an axe came swinging at him. Instinct took over—he caught the haft of the weapon in his gauntleted hand and drove his sword through the throat of the demon wielding it. Blood sprayed, warm and thick over Bud’s arm. He wrenched the axe free of the dying demon and hurled it, the blade embedding itself into the crossbow-wielding demon nearby.

Bodies bombarded him—five at once with the force of a horse. They clawed at his armour, trying to drag him down, to crush him beneath their weight. Bud roared, muscles burning as he pushed back, forcing them off through sheer strength. Frostfire flared brighter around him, and even the hardiest of the bloodhorrors recoiled at its cold, retreating with crystal skin forming over their bodies.

Pain exploded in his side as a greatsword appeared through the gap, piercing the weak point beneath his right arm, searing agony through him. He screamed—pure, animal rage taking over as he dropped his sword and yanked the blade free, grabbing the demon’s head with the other. Frostfire surged from his grip, freezing the creature’s skull solid in seconds. It died screaming, its face encased in ice, frozen in the moment of its death.

With a snarl, Bud tore the demon’s sword from its lifeless hand and threw himself back into the fray. He was a whirlwind of ice and steel, hacking and slashing at anything that dared come close. The blows kept coming. His body started to go numb from the pain. His mind went blank, all distractions fading from the world until all that remained was intense focus. There was no pain. No fear. No world beyond the beat of combat.

There was only the battle.

The blood.

The blade.

#

Hump stood a little straighter at the arrival of Wizard Aldric. The wizard stood in front of the abyss of darkness behind him, the window to the Infernal Halls still open beyond. They had a way out. Now they just had to get past the very angry demon that wanted to keep them here.

Karlac’s remaining eye narrowed as he assessed Wizard Aldric. “How did you come here?”

“Wasn’t too hard,” Aldric said. “Your domain was on fire. I merely followed the flame.”

The corner of Karlac’s mouth twitched, blood pooling in the corner from the wound to his cheek. “It seems I truly have become lax, though I fear my mistake is miniscule compared to yours. You should not have stepped into my domain.”

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It must have been Aldric’s magic Hump had sensed through the abyss. The Hellfire he’d reaped had found its way through after all.

“I’d have really preferred not to,” Aldric said. He looked around the room, his eyes roaming the many artifacts, destroyed displays, and general damage. “I do like what you’ve done with the place.”

Hump struggled to process the sudden shift in the situation. Aldric seemed so confident, as if facing down a demon of Karlac’s strength was just another day’s work. He supposed it was. The Iron Hand had earned his reputation as a terrifying combatant. Yet Hump couldn’t shake the fear gnawing at him, the knowledge that the cities of Alveron were burning and that Emilia was badly injured—they were running out of time.

“The warlocks laid a trap, Aldric,” Hump rasped, his voice raw. “Alveron is under attack.”

Aldric’s eyes flicked to the windows around Karlac, taking in the scenes of destruction with a grim expression. Karlac snapped his fingers, the windows vanishing back into puffs of shadows.

“The entertainment is only for guests with an invitation,” Karlac said. “This is a dangerous place to be without one, Wizard.”

Aldric’s eyes returned to the demon. “I have heard of you, Karlac Gormoth. Your filth has stained far too much of Alveron.”

“You humans are always so quick to lay blame upon others. Alveron was tainted long before I came along. I do not force anyone to take my offers—it is their own hunger, their greed, that drives them. I am sure we could come to an arrangement now too.”

“You wish to bargain with me?” Aldric said, a hint of amusement to his voice.

“You may take the girl and the dragon and leave together.”

“What of Wizard Humphrey?”

“Wizard Humphrey has missed his opportunity.”

“There will be no bargains with me, devil,” Aldric said, his tone as icy as his gaze. “You are wounded. I’m sure you have experienced enough embarrassment already. Why don’t we end this for today? I did not come here for you.”

“Embarrassment? This?” Karlac gestured at his face. Essence flared, and the blood on his cheek was siphoned back inside like ooze. The skin healed over, until no mark remained. “This is a minor inconvenience, nothing more. A simple miscalculation. No, none of you shall leave here now.”

For a moment, Hump’s heart sank thinking their efforts had been for nothing, only then realising that Karlac’s eye did not return. Blood no longer filled the socket, but it was empty. His eye gone.

They’d hurt him. Hump had hurt him.

Hump sensed a spark of connection in the air—a thread of essence that felt unmistakeably Aldric. He allowed the connection in and the wizard’s voice echoed in his mind.

“I will hold the demon back. Get your girl and your dragon out of here. The book must not fall into Karlac’s hands.”

Hump’s eyes snapped back to the demon, trying to mask his shock. Aldric’s words made one thing clear: the wizard knew about the Book of Infinite Pages.

Hump thought in reply, “Will—” But the connection was severed before he could finish.

Karlac wagged his finger. The action seemed almost playful, contrast to the intensity of his aura. “Enough.” Sharp, dangerous intent filled his voice like a spell, demanding all to obey him.

Hump’s soul shook at the impact of it. He mustered his will, guarding against Karlac’s essence. He still had more than enough fight left in him to keep the demon’s manipulation at bay. The magic that filled the air around Karlac, however, was another matter entirely. He loomed, cloaked in shadow and fire, a burning inferno wrapped in night, orange fire flaring within like the molten charges of the earth.

“You were right, Wizard,” Karlac said. “It is time for me to end this for today.”

“Better to fight than speak with one of your kind,” Aldric said, his voice steady as he raised his cane, pointing it directly at Karlac. A pulse of energy rippled through the room and Aldric uttered, “Trident.”

Three prongs of water erupted from the cane in an explosion of essence, so sudden and powerful they left Hump stunned. Karlac swung at the attack with his sword, roaring as it shattered against his blade and showered him in needles of water. They pierced the exposed skin of his face and neck, drawing blood. A moment later, a lance of water descended from the roof, spearing straight for Karlac’s head.

There was a flash of fire and shadow, like the explosion of a whip. Red light flared brightly over the demon’s head, destroying Aldric’s spell before lashing out at Hump. Shimmering mirrors conjured by Aldric met the attack, reflecting the demonic flames back at their master.

“With me, Celaine. Nisha, come!” Hump shouted. His voice barely cut through the din of combat as he scrambled for the doorway Aldric had made for them.

“Are we leaving?” Celaine asked.

“Unless you’d rather stay.”

“No!” Karlac snarled, the entire room—the entire domain—shook with his fury. Fiery tendrils lashed out at them. Aldric’s water missiles homed in on them, explosions of steam hissing around the room as the war of spells began in earnest. Those that made it through were not strong enough to pierce Hump and Celaine’s own defences. He swung his staff, imbued with Parry Shield, sending the tendrils back in blasts of dissipating essence while Celaine dodged and loosed arrows at the distracted demon.

Karlac swung his sword in an overhead slash at the two of them. Fire erupted from the ground as the floor split open, a chasm opening between Hump and the exit. Celaine swept them up in her shadows until Hump felt as if he were held inside a thick stew. She vaulted, taking him and Nisha with her and crossing the gap. Hump screamed, as much from the fiery pit beneath them as the magic that came from Karlac, but it did not make it past Aldric this time.

Hump and the others landed safely. They were at the base to Karlac’s throne now, a mere few steps from escape. Aldric strode down to meet them, placing himself between them and the demon.

“Who are you?” Karlac asked. “You have some skill.”

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” Aldric said. “What matters is that you will not get what you want.”

Essence swirled around Aldric, silver and blue combining. Hump could barely believe his eyes at the power that surged around Aldric. The world trembled as his Soul Manifestation filled the air. A white mist surrounded him, though the wizard was clearly visible within. The mist crackled with energy, flashing intermittently with bolts of blue lightning that shimmered and danced around him. Aldric’s robes whipped about him in the ethereal storm, the sheer force of his magic spreading from him like a wind.

Opposite him, Karlac’s own shadow moulded to his form, taking on the shape of sweeping curtains, flowing gently back and forth. The two stared at each other for a long time, neither giving ground as they fought for control of the essence in the room. The strength here was far beyond Hump. Far beyond Vivienne. Hump couldn’t take his eyes from Wizard Aldric’s relaxed face. He was a First Order wizard, but Hump had not foreseen this disparity.

With a primal shout, Karlac unleashed a torrent of blazing shadow that slammed into Aldric. Broken cabinets shattered further and crumbled, rocks clattered across the room, swept up by the power. Hump tried to prepare a Shield but he was too slow. For a brief moment, it seemed that Aldric’s mist might be overwhelmed. Then the wizard smiled and swept out with his cane.

With that motion, the world changed.

Silver rain fell from above. Each droplet shone with a brilliant lustre, its touch warm against Hump’s skin and exploding into dissipating essence as it touched him. He felt himself grow stronger. His wounds became less painful and started to heal. Yet even though it didn’t make him wet, it pooled on the floor, covering it in a rippling, silver sheen. The shadowy fire died beneath the rain, ripples running over its surface as it was dissipated into nothing. All around Aldric, spells manifested in the air, water taking on the form of his will. Twisting serpents swept up and around Karlac, spears of silver water readied themselves.

“Impossible,” Karlac hissed, his voice tinged with disbelief. “The art of Soul Domain was lost.”

“It was never lost,” Aldric said. “Simply hidden from those that sought to destroy it.”

“You are one of the Three Eyes,” Hump whispered, stunned at what he was seeing.

“Go,” Aldric commanded, his voice cutting through the haze of disbelief. “Help your friends. We will speak later.”