We had a short amount of time before our mounted enemies reached us. Taking a moment, I scanned to the sides of the charging dwarves, attempting to see if any other foes would be joining. Beyond the charred workers, who were presently running to something shining well behind where the field commanders had been standing watch, no other dwarves were present. Though the approaching group looked fierce, I was confident we would be victorious. At least, until I remembered my magic was still locked away.
Cursing under my breath, I turned to my friends. “Get ready. Those three don’t look as powerful as the battlelord’s group, but that demon worries me,” I judged. “Without access to my spells, this could be a tough fight.”
The dwarves’ mounts moved with an unusual gait, a waddling back-and-forth motion one would suspect of reptiles. It was the long, muscular legs that rubbed my sensibilities the wrong way. No longer upright like a standing horse, their swollen legs welled out from their bodies. Thankfully, the beasts of burden did not carry the same galloping speed associated with actual horses, giving us precious moments to consider how to respond.
Images of being run down and trampled under muscular legs flashed through my mind as I considered what to do. The demon master slowed slightly, allowing the two heavy plate warriors to take the lead. The bulging demon stuck to the caster’s side, its abnormally thin legs curiously fast enough to keep pace.
Tallos was not one to wait when it came to dispatching foes, so was already firing a stream of arrows, intent on disrupting what could be a disastrous charge for us. Some arrows plinked off of silvern armor, yet more still thunked into taut reptile hide. The beasts bucked at the sudden pain but, unfortunately, his shots did little to slow the charging group's awkward strides.
The leading dwarves proved to be skilled in mounted combat, both pulling heavy crossbows from satchels attached to their saddles. One bolt crashed into my magical aegis, the hardened mushroom splintering into a hundred pieces on contact. While I only grunted slightly from the physical impact of the shot, it was nothing I couldn’t manage. Tallos was not as fortunate, nor was he similarly protected as I was. With a sickening whack, the ranger was impaled, a bolt landing painfully in his shoulder.
With a cry of pain, Tallos dropped to a knee as he clutched the affronting shaft. Moving to aid my injured friend, the grimacing elf waved me off. My eyes shot back and forth between him and our dashing foes, indecisiveness wracking my sensibilities. When Tallos slipped a large healing potion from his belt and chugged it with one go, I turned a dangerous glare at the offending dwarves.
Hoping the pair of wands still had charges remaining, I aimed the enchanted lengths of mushroom wood at our enemies, one in each of my steady hands. With a thought, I willed both to discharge their deadly magics. Two beads of energy, one a blazing ball of plasma, the other an excited glob of emerald, hurtled forth. My vindictive grin vanished as the armored dwarves once more proved their skill in the saddle. With surprising agility, the leading lizards sprang to either side, the two balls of energy passing harmlessly between them.
The spell caster in the back was either not as talented with his mount or hadn’t seen the approaching threat, so panicked as the powerful spells sliced towards him. He jerked back hard on his reins, instead of turning to the side as he should have done to avoid the missiles. His gangly ride dug long back legs into the soft dirt, halting its charge but doing little in evading the incoming projectiles. With both spells on target, a grim satisfaction welled in my chest. At least their spellcaster will be taken out, I thought confidently.
I shouldn’t have been as surprised when the rotund demon hurtled forward, intercepting the two hostile spells. The ball of fire rupture on contact, detonating into a raging torrent around the beast’s swollen chest. My sight of the creature was lost, along with the twisting globe of grasping roots, as fire blasted around the tall demon before winking out of existence a moment later. When it reappeared, the demon was struggling as green vines surged around his torso.
Sadly, the hooked creepers could not withstand the impressive strength contained within the oversized terror as the creature tore at the roots with almost voracious glee. The spell's enchantment was not so easily defied, however. With each strong pull, clumps of snaking vines were torn away in the demon’s clawed hands. Yet, as I watched, more of the energetic plant surged from the central mass bubbling across the creature’s chest to restrain the mighty beast.
The armored dwarves gave no regard to the plight of their comrade or his pet, the magical interplay ignored the desire to draw blood from their enemies. With only a dozen feet separating us, I called forth another gout of flame from my wand of fire stream. Though at first similar to the deadly burst which halted the charge of the squad of dwarven warriors, this time the wand sputtered as the last drop of roaring crescendo burst forth. Without needing to inspect the wand to confirm my suspicion, the wand was spent and couldn’t be again for some time.
Unlike the earlier contingent of armored dwarves, these commanders were not swayed as they pressed their salamander mounts on, heedless of the biting flames. Skin burned both dwarf and reptile alike as the intense heat ravaged unprotected skin and hide. Known only to the dwarves, their salamander beasts had a modicum of protection against the burning torrid so were only minimally hurt by the spell. The commanding dwarves atop were not similarly warded, their unguarded skin blistered and bubbling by the firestorm.
Still, like the demon behind them, their charge was not so easily faltered. Rushing through the barrage both sighted their blades on my shocked face. Charging to either side, a longsword and an axe slammed into me. The impact went me spiraling backward in an uncoordinated mess. Luck was with me, albeit slightly, and I avoided the stomping hooves of the bulky salamanders as they careered past. A large chunk of mana was stolen away from the two devastating blows, my empowered aegis weathering the attacks.
While I had assumed the spell would halt the dwarves’ charge as it had against similar foes earlier, Ripley did not. Living up to her class, she moved close to one of the charging beasts, swinging her curved blade in a low arc. As a lizard shot past, her weapon cleanly severed the creature's leading leg. The beast’s rider was thrown forward as the mount crashed head-first into the dirt.
Lowki, crouched low and waiting for such an opportunity, hurtled through the air, landing atop the momentarily stunned warrior with feline ferocity. Muffled cries of agony were lost among the rolling pair as Lowki tore into the vulnerable fighter's sides with vicious claws and hammered tentacles.
Ripley finished off the downed reptile with one quick stroke before righting on the sole remaining warrior a dozen feet away. The dwarf savagely punched his heels into his lizard’s flanks, urging his mount into another charge. His target this time was the towering skeleton standing confidently over his brethren’s deceased mount. Holding firm, Ripley held out her silver shield, its embossed dwarven face leering towards the charging warrior.
My thoughts finally settled as my tumble came to an abrupt stop when I landed in a slight depression on hard-packed earth. Though I suffered not an inkling of direct damage, my bell had been rung. With only enough time to stare back from where I had been blown backward, my eyes widened as an obsidian form dominated above me. Undulating vines attempted to restrain the demon, but most of the power had been torn away as a massive fist hurtled down toward me. A small number of barbed vines clung ineffectually across the creature’s broad chest but did next to nothing to hinder the fierce blows as clenched fists slammed repeatedly onto my chest.
Though not stunned, I was nonetheless staggered by the brutal beating. Summoning Frostrend into a hand, my attempts to slow the pounding did little at first. Between another pair of blows, I focused my awareness into an intercepting swipe. Finding my target, my weapon’s crackling edge cut deeply into obsidian skin. A flare of frost singled Frostrend’s special effect triggering, freezing the demon’s hand and most of his forearm into a solid block of frozen meat.
Not wasting the opportunity, I lashed out once more, aiming for the beast’s immobile wrist. Like the shattering of glass, the wrist joint exploded. An unearthly howl escaped the demon’s maw as it reared back. Horror spiked in my chest as I, for the first time, spotted the demon’s row upon row of viciously jagged fangs. It reminded me of the maw of a great white shark. There was no way I wanted to be on the receiving end of a bite from those things. Wailing in outrage, the demon’s blazing amber eyes turned back down at me with utter hatred, even as congealed droplets of black ichor spilled from the creature’s missing appendage.
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My gray eyes stared back with similar wrath the same moment I raised the barrel of my gun. Having intended to use it solely against the undoubtedly powerful demonologist, I needed to eliminate the threat his minion posed otherwise I would never get the chance. The weapon jumped in my hand as an enchanted bullet cut upwards, through those glinting serrated incisors. Once more, a part of the demon shattered as my attack landed. The bullet tore a ragged hole through the demon’s obsidian teeth. The beast’s howl was cut off abruptly as its head was thrown backward. The momentum of the gunshot, combined with its painful recoil, was enough to topple the giant creature backward. Dust and debris rocketed from the towering demon as it crashed heavily on its back.
Then the first harmful spell landed on my warded body. My focus had been solely on the demonic minion, so I was caught unawares as a necrotic swell of energy rushed over my body. A sphere of revolting sludge was attempting to pass through my protective barrier. I could feel its avaricious hunger as it clawed around, seeking any weakness in my magical protection. Though none of the gunk managed to harm me directly, I nonetheless was keenly aware chunks of my mana were being eaten away.
“He has DoTs!” I exclaimed, coming to my feet in a rush. The demon was not finished, it struggled to right itself with its only unmarred hand, its maw cracked and spewing black bone chips with each puffing exhale. Though the dwarf’s minion was a concern, I knew from long experience it was the master who was the most dangerous target.
In one swift motion, Frostrend was sent careening end over end toward the gloating warlock as another curse tore across the space between us. Roiling living darkness veered with me as I attempted to dodge, slamming into me as if a homing missile. Another debuff appeared next to my name on the party window at the top corner of my vision. This bastard was trying to kill me exactly how I fought. “Bastard!” I exclaimed in irritation.
A crash behind me, followed by a guttural squeal, threatened to steal my attention, but it was further back than the demon was. It had to be Ripley combating the final mounted warrior. Hopefully, the sound was a good sign for our side.
“Stella, let me know when the demon gets close!” I roared as my feet carried me closer to my target. The demonologist was astride his lizard mount still, which would make it difficult for me to fight him. If I could get him on the ground, I was certain I would make short work of the spell caster. In melee range, magic users were far more exposed and vulnerable.
“It’s nearly back up,” Stella barked at my side a moment later, her gaze shooting behind us. “You have at most ten seconds before it's back on you.”
It would have to be enough. Recalling my axe to my waiting grasp, it was immediately sent tumbling through the air once more. My target this time was the bouncing salamander as it danced from side to side in either agitation or enmity at my approach. The warlock astride the best was deep into another spell casting, his hands moving in winding motions so was unable to use the reins to assist his dim-witted companion. I hadn’t seen what effect my earlier thrown had accomplished against the warlock, but this time we witnessed first-hand the power of my enchanted weapon as it slammed into the lizard’s thick skull.
The dwarf’s spellcasting was spoiled as his mount collapsed lifelessly beneath him. He shouted what sounded like a curse as he was forcibly dismounted, his robed body crashing hard to the side of his unmoving salamander. Tucking forward in a roll, hoping the move would help me evade the dwarf’s follow-up spell, I vaulted to my feet. Placing a boot on the creature's head, I tugged at Frostrend with all my strength. The ring that allowed me to instantly recall the weapon to my hand was on a cool down, so the need to manually retrieve it was a necessity.
Nearly ripping the reptilian head from its body, my battle axe tore free, throwing chunks of skull and brain matter in a wide arc overhead. Without my spells, I had to rely on my weapon to defeat the enemy caster so needed my unique-tiered weapon to even the odds. Though I had incredible strength compared to a normal man, punching the fool to death seemed unlikely as he probably had multiple lines of defense.
Another spell slammed into my side, this one cracking and sizzling as if it were comprised of burning acid. With a glance at my mana pool, I was relieved to see it was still more than three-quarters full. With two DoTs tearing away at my protection, and likely more on the way, I needed to end the fight before the dwarf could layer me with deadly afflictions. Though Stella could tell me how much damage the spells were inflicting, we had no way of knowing how long each would last. Most likely, the hostile dwarf had either lesser or average-tiered spells. Meaning my aegis had to withstand a minute, perhaps a minute and a half, per spell. Considering the total damage my DoTs could dole out, I started worrying.
“The last warrior is down, but he hurt Ripley gravely. She’s barely mobile,” Stella boomed beside me. “Tallos and Lowki are trying to garner the attention of the demon, but it’s ignoring them. It will be on you in a few seconds!”
Stella had been right, none of the whizzing arrows, racking claws, or barbed quills could grab the enmity from the swollen demon-minion as it moved to protect its master. I was the greatest threat, making me the priority target. That was until Ripley used her rarely used taunt ability. Normally the taunt wasn’t needed, but this foe had singular resolve. Nothing would normally sway the commands binding its existence to its evil master. Stella and I witnessed as the powerful ability took hold of the demon like a tangible wave of energy slamming into the beast. With a broken, savage roar, the demon changed direction, tearing across the dirt towards the unwavering Ripley.
My attention had been spoiled, sadly. With Stella shouting, “You’re clear,” another wave of harmful magic layered a third damaging over time spell upon me. Charging with every ounce of strength available, I activated my ring of blind rage. My strength and constitution attributes instantly doubled as power coursed through my muscles me. Instantly, my health bar shot to over eight thousand and my strength attribute to two hundred. Hoping the extra health would be enough to keep me alive should my aegis fail; I chewed up the remaining distance between myself and my foe.
Not reacting in the slightest as Frostrend crashed towards him, the dwarf spoke words of power as if unbothered by the incoming assault. A dome of protective energy appeared an instant before my attack landed, absorbing the heavy blow. Unlike my empowered aegis, none of the kinetic force passed through the warlock’s defensive barrier. As a second swipe landed, once more ineffectually, a fourth DoT took hold.
Thousands of tiny beetles sprung into existence as they roamed over my body. Thankfully, their thousands of tiny pincers failed to touch my skin or clothing, but the power of the combined spells ravaging my aegis continued to ramp, tearing larger chunks of my mana with each tick. My mana was below fifty percent now. My chances of surviving this encounter decreased further with each new spell. When the dwarf started another casting, my worry deepened.
“You need to interrupt that spell!” Stella demanded, dire implications dripping thick in her voice.
As limited as I was, there was only a single way to accomplish the deed. Words tumbled through the dwarf’s beard as a tormented gleam reached his inflamed eyes. His spell had a lengthy casting time, definitely bad news for me if he completed it. With my inability to directly harm the caster, my opponent was taking the chance to cast what was likely his most powerful spell. Usually, anything upwards of ten seconds would unquestionably be powerful.
With only one option available, I swapped out Frostrend for my crescent flintlock pistol, aiming the barrel between the maniacal dwarf’s eyes. He smiled silver-stained teeth as I pulled the trigger.
Click!
Nothing happened! The weapon didn’t spit death towards my foe. The enchanted bullet capable of bypassing most defenses was nowhere to be seen. I had forgotten in the heat of the moment the pistol took thirty seconds to recharge between shots. Not enough time had passed between the last time I fired it, hurling the demon-beast away from my prone position. My eyes darted, panic marking my features as I fumbled to think of anything else I could do. Nothing came to mind!
“No!” Stella’s terrified scream touched something inside me. Her desperate shout came out like a long howl. It sounded like she believed my death was about to become a certainty.
Unshakeable determination refused to succumb to despair as my axe slashed through the air. It whistled as blue lightning crackled in its wake. Frostrend slammed against the grinning dwarf’s head… and was stopped cold. Whatever magical protection the warlock carried; my final attempt was not enough to overwhelm it.
The dwarf’s arcane words were reaching a crescendo, marking the final syllables of his devious spell. This was it, nothing I had would stop his spell. Stella’s cry carried shrilly across the field of battle, momentarily pausing several nearby struggles as human and dwarven faces turned to her anguish.
It wasn’t the final triumphant peal of unescapable doom from my opponent to follow Stella’s cry. Instead, like a deafening cannon fired from the deck of the Moon Siren, an explosion sent a concussive wave across the trampled field. It was surely loud enough to reach the distant ears of the wealthy inhabitants of the bridge city a long day’s travel to the west.
Suddenly feeling as if I was standing too close to a speeding bullet train, a rush of compressed air pulled at my clothes threatening to throw me off balance. My mind was momentarily incapable of comprehending what caused such a spectacular display of might.