Greenfire: (Sky Realms Online Book 4): A LitRPG Series, page 36
There was a lull in the demons attacking him. He realized he had miscounted the Skiterks. There were more than a dozen. Maybe closer to two, the small creatures had been crowded in close. Marito, with nothing to fight, ran to join the others where the larger crowd of Skiterks were. She started bashing with the sword, screaming as a Skiterk claw pierced her leg.
Stumbling, she would have fallen forward if Seo hadn’t caught her, waves of green energy flowing down his arms and into the Jaden woman.
Shifting to join them, Hall saw the two Mosics had moved to join the fight, only to be interrupted by Roxhard and Pike. The dragonhawk flew circles around one, avoiding the long shaggy arms. Roxhard’s axe slammed into the other. A wave of fire slammed into Pike’s Mosic. Sharra joined the fight. Hall couldn’t see her, the Shaman on the other side of the large mass of people and demons in the middle.
Activating Leap, Hall jumped over the large mass, his legs tucked underneath, barely clearing Jackoby’s raised hammer. He stabbed down, using his Leaping Stab ability, catching a Bargha that had leapt up. The spear caught in the creature’s armored shoulders, pulling it back with Hall’s momentum. Its softer underbelly was exposed, Caryn’s twin swords stabbing into it. Hall landed in front of the Mosics, spear free of the Bargha. He stabbed out, tip sliding into the exposed pits as the creature tried to grab at Pike. It roared in pain.
Pulling the spear back, Hall lunged forward. Holding the long weapon halfway up, giving him more force, he drove the tip into the Mosic’s chest. Pike’s claws slashed across its back. More flames flashed out, smoke rising from burning hair. The Mosic fell back, arms flailing, trying to bat at the flames that spread around its body. Lightning slammed into the back of its head, bolts crackling across its body.
Sliding to the other side, Hall stabbed with the spear, catching it in the side. The tip bit in deep. Hall twisted, driving it forward like a drill. With a last shudder, the creature fell to the side, crashing into the one Roxhard was facing. That one stumbled, giving Roxhard the opening he needed.
Both Mosic lay dead.
Breathing heavily, Hall turned toward the mass in the middle, ready to keep fighting. He had lost a point of Vitality, the exertion of the fight exhausting him. Covered in many small scratches, the wounds on his leg unhealed.
But it looked like the fighting was over.
Everyone was wounded, small injuries. Nothing serious from what Hall could see. Seo was next to Jackoby, stepping over twitching Skiterk corpses, arms already glowing green.
Hall heard the laughter, cursing himself.
He had forgotten Borsark and the Tuan.
A screaming filled the air. High pitched, full of pain. Waves of purple energy spread out.
Hall felt the impact. Immense pressure slammed against him. The bodies of Skiterks were pushed up by the waves of force. Hall landed hard on the ground, sent rolling, spear clattering. Pike screeched, knocked from the sky.
Slammed up against the wall, hearing the groans of pain, Hall pushed himself up, looking toward the far wall.
Borsark held his staff up, cage dangling, whatever was inside glowing bright purple. Next to him, the Tuan held a hand out. A red glow flared up, extending and lengthening, turning into a flaming sword.
Chapter 37
The two walked forward, spreading out, putting space between them.
“You may have killed my warriors,” Borsark said, his voice deep and harsh, “but you will not stop our plans. The Desmarik Republic is here, and it is too late for your people.”
Hall forced himself to stand up. Every bone and muscle in his body hurt. Whatever force had come from the caged object had been strong. He felt like he’d been run over multiple times. Around him, he could hear the grunts and the groaning as the others forced themselves to stand. Or tried to.
“You slaves,” Borsark growled, swinging the staff so it and the dangling cage were pointing at Sharra and the other three. “You will be punished for this. Slowly and painfully. I will not let you die. You will serve as examples for the rest of the cattle.”
His dark gaze turned to Hall; behind him the Tuan stood, still laughing. The flaming sword crackled in the air, the lines of fire forming the edge constantly moving and flickering.
“You and yours shall die, but first I will find where you are from, and I will personally go there and destroy every living thing.”
The cage shook as Borsark talked, swinging. The thing trapped inside grabbed the bars to hold itself steady. It looked out at Hall, pleading.
Hall blinked, making sure he was really seeing what the cage held.
A fairy, only a couple of inches tall. Wide gossamer wings, silvery skin, long green hair and glowing with a faint purple shine. A living fairy.
There was no doubt that the staff with the cage was the artifact Sharra had mentioned. Hall understood why she hadn’t told him what it was. He wouldn’t have believed her. But it made sense. The Desmari were slavers, summoners of demons. Of course they would entrap and enslave a fairy.
Hall remembered the high-pitched screaming that had accompanied each use of the staff. The power had been ripped from the fairy, painfully, forced into form by Borsark and whatever spell the staff and cage held over her.
It was sickening. Holding people prisoner, forcing them to work as slaves, and now this. Hall felt his anger rising. He had never felt such rage.
With a primal yell, he activated Leap, drawing his sword as his legs pushed him into the air. He had no idea if any of the others followed. He didn’t think. He just acted.
Both Borsark and the Tuan were surprised, the demon less so.
Hall landed in front of Borsark, sword swinging. The Runespeaker barely reacted, eyes wide with surprise but quickly turning to contempt. The sword sliced through the thick brown robe, catching in the folds, with barely a ripping sound. Hall cursed. Borsark was wearing a Robe of Evasion.
Of course he was.
Quickly reversing his swing, Hall lunged forward at the Tuan.
She moved fast, incredibly fast. Each movement was graceful, beautiful. Her flaming sword caught Hall’s magical Exceptional Sword of Cold’s Edge. Where metal met flame, steam rose, the flames sizzling against the sword’s magical cold. Hall went to kick out, but the Tuan was faster. Her booted foot slammed into Hall’s chest, sending him backwards. He landed hard, barely able to breathe. He hadn’t even seen her move.
The sounds of fighting filled the air. The others had followed Hall’s attack, swarming the two enemies. He saw Seo and Sharra moving to flank, coming up from behind so they could use spells. Jackoby rushed the Tuan, her flaming sword slamming against his shield. Even with the speed from Battle Rush, the Tuan had still been faster. Roxhard tried to crash into Borsark, but the fairy screamed again, a purple barrier surrounding the Desmari. Roxhard hit it, bouncing back in a roll.
Multiple Desmari swords hit the barrier, the three former prisoners attacking. They bounced off, pieces of the thick swords chipping away. Caryn dashed in at the Tuan, both her swords flashing.
Hall always thought of the Duelist’s style of fighting as a dance. They were quick, dodging and weaving, always moving. Caryn looked slow next to the Tuan. Somehow, with just one weapon, the Tuan was able to keep Jackoby at bay while also fending off Caryn’s multiple attacks. The flaming sword left streaks in the air, flames trailing behind.
Standing up, he looked around for his spear. The length of the weapon seemed the best for this fight. He saw it lying behind the Tuan. Activating Leap, Hall jumped over everyone. He saw Pike off to the side, the dragonhawk shaking himself off, stretching his wings. He looked bruised and battered.
Landing on the ground, Hall sheathed his sword, grabbed the spear and turned, trying to find an opening.
Borsark or the Tuan?
Blows rained down on Borsark’s shield. Swords, axe and splinters from Seo’s spell. Each impact hit the shield, sending purplish pink ripples across the surface, causing the fairy to scream in pain. The small creature clutched the bars, yelling.
The Runespeaker was caught in a way. He couldn’t take any damage from the attacks, but neither could he also attack, trapped behind his shield for as long as it lasted.
Decision made, Hall lunged at the back of the Tuan.
He could feel the heat from Sharra’s Fire Volley spell, a streak of flame slamming into the Tuan. Like a wave crashing against rocks, the spell erupted. The Tuan hadn’t even turned, undamaged by the flames. Sharra cursed.
Hall knew his aim was true. Occupied by Jackoby and Caryn, the Tuan couldn’t see the attack coming. He watched the tip of the spear heading right for the Tuan’s back, right where her heart would be. If the demon even had one.
It was a perfect thrust.
That missed.
The Tuan somehow stepped to the side at the last second, the spear flowing past her body. Hall overbalanced, not getting the expected resistance. He fell forward, barely catching himself. Somehow he pulled the spear back fast before the flaming sword could cut through it. The blade just missed the tip.
Hall had no idea if the ironwood could stand up to the flaming blade, but he had no desire to find out.
Neither the Tuan nor Borsark had been hurt, but all of Hall’s friends and allies had minor cuts and bruises. They hadn’t healed from the fight with the demon swarm and now this. It was not going well.
The shield around Borsark seemed weaker, thinner. Lighter purple in spots.
Hall could see the fairy behind the wall of purple. She looked sad, in pain, her small eyes pleading with Hall. He wanted to free her but couldn’t think of how.
He remembered something his old raid leader had once said. During the first couple of battles against a new enemy, in a raid or a dungeon, the leader would back off and assess the battle. Try to sense patterns to the enemy movements, see what abilities from the rest of the guild were working the best.
It was good advice and Hall followed it.
He stepped back, moving to right behind the two enemies. Not the best view, but he could see enough. He remembered the fight against Cronet and his allies, how Hall and his friends had to switch enemies in order to win the fight. A plan started to form.
Skill Gain!
Strategy Rank Two +.5
“Sharra, Frozen Steps, minimal area,” Hall ordered, stepping close to the Shaman, keeping his voice low.
She nodded, her hands immediately stopping the gestures for her next flame attack. They moved in a different, but no less complicated, pattern. Frost formed around the tips. Beneath the feet of the Tuan, spreading out, a sheet of ice formed.
Surprised, the Tuan slipped, allowing Jackoby to score a solid hit. One of the only hits the Firbolg had managed to land. Caryn had been faring better, her speed and agility allowing her to land a couple of attacks. Just barely though.
Smoke rose from the ice where the Tuan’s booted feet stepped. The demon’s natural heat was melting the sheet of ice.
It had distracted her, which was what Hall had wanted.
“Switch with Seo,” Hall said to Sharra, pointing at the feet of Borsark.
He saw her smile, understanding.
“Seo,” Hall yelled, pointing at the back of the Tuan, “Splinters.”
He sent a mental command to Pike, the dragonhawk screeching as he pushed himself off the ground.
The Druid had been in the process of casting the spell; he simply switched targets. Just as Sharra released her Frozen Steps spell, ice forming under Borsark’s feet, over a dozen small splinters streaked across the space, striking the Tuan in the back.
She screamed, many missing, but not all. Distracted by the still-melting ice, working to keep her footing and still defending against Jackoby and Caryn, the Tuan hadn’t known the Splinter Storm was coming. She missed Pike’s lightning attack, the bolt slamming into her shoulder. She growled, more anger than pain, as smoke curled up from the impact, small bolts crackling around her body.
Borsark’s feet slid on the ice. His arms flailed out to try to steady himself. The cage shook, the fairy bouncing around. The purple shield wavered, shifting with the Desmari. Taking the opening, Roxhard pushed forward. He slammed into the shield, pushing it and Borsark back.
Feet losing their grip on the ice, Borsark fell to the ground, the magical shield cracking and splintering. Shards of solid light fell to the ground, becoming smoke on impact. Dozens of small puffs of smoke surrounded the Desmari.
He had lost his grip on the staff, the wood clattering across the floor, the fairy in the cage yelling as she rolled around inside her prison. Hall grimaced, sorry to be causing the fairy more pain.
As Borsark tried to stand, he saw multiple weapons coming down towards him. Raising his hands, he growled in anger. The Robe of Evasion worked for only a couple of seconds until the repeated blows proved too much.
Roxhard’s axe was the first to land on Borsark. It cut a deep gash into the Desmari Runespeaker’s side. Borsark yelled in pain. More blows fell. More screams of pain from Borsark.
“Enough,” the Tuan yelled.
There was force behind her words. A physical presence. Not a shock wave like what had come from the cage, but a spike driven into their minds. They all yelled, clutching their heads. It only lasted a second, stopping as quickly as it had come. Hall glanced at his Health, seeing that just a sliver had disappeared from the strange attack.
A distraction, a kind of stunning effect, that let the Tuan move to the side, away from all the attacks, into a clear area between them all. She growled, eyes moving from one to the next. The arrogance and laughter were gone, replaced by intense anger.
The flaming sword flared brighter, growing wider and longer. She slashed it back and forth, pushing them further back. Tobias lunged back in, not realizing how fast the Tuan was. The flaming sword lashed back.
Tobias screamed, falling back, part of his left arm missing. Akun caught him, pulling the screaming man away from the fight, batting at what remained of Tobias’s sleeve, putting out small fires. All that was left of the arm was a cauterized stump just above where the elbow had been.
“You think you have won,” the Tuan said, her voice growing louder.
She screamed, arms raised, back arched.
Hall watched, horrified, as large black wings grew from her back, pushing through the leather-like material of her vest, splitting it. They spread wide as horns pushed out of her forehead, turning to point up and behind. Pants ripped, boots tore, as feet turned into hooves, knees bent backwards. Fingernails grew, becoming long claws.
The Tuan was terrifying yet beautiful at the same time.
“You should flee, mortals,” she said, flexing her wings, slamming a hoof into the ground. “I am Sashinde of the Tuan and I am your doom!”
She turned, dark eyes boring into each of them. They fell on Borsark, hoofed feet kicking at the dying Desmari. He whimpered, bleeding from many wounds. She searched the ground around Borsark.
“Where is the artifact?” she asked, her voice soft, persuasive. “Give it to me.”
It took Hall a second to understand what she meant. He turned, glancing at the cage where it had come to rest. Still attached to the staff, it lay against the back wall on its side before the dais. The fairy was at the bars, grasping them in her small hands, eyes wide with fright, surrounded by a weak purple glow.
“Don’t let her get me,” Hall heard. The voice was high pitched but soft, seeming to come from within his mind and not his ears. “You are all dead if you do.”
Sashinde took a step toward the cage. Hall ran, skidding across the stone floor, getting between it and her. He regained his balance, holding the spear out in both hands. Caryn appeared at his side, both swords out. They stood defiant. The Tuan hadn’t changed in overall size, but Hall could feel the increase in her strength. She had radiated dark power, but now she almost glowed with it.
The demon growled, pointing the flaming sword at them.
“Out of my way, mortals,” she barked.
Hearing movement behind her, Sashinde turned in a slow circle. Rage filled her dark eyes, burning red with hate. The wings behind her flapped, snapping. Her hooved feet clacked against the stone. The others, including Akun but not Tobias, were arrayed in a circle around the demon. The former prisoners looked terrified but resolved. Nervous hands clutched the heavy Desmari weapons, but neither Akun nor Marito backed down from the demon’s stare.
Hall smiled to himself, proud of his friends. Jackoby and Roxhard had taken positions on opposite sides, which would force the demon to turn around completely to face them. Sharra and Seo stood next to one of the Wardens, the former prisoners directly opposite Hall and Caryn.
Defense and magic would force the demon to face one group or the other, while the melee DPS would attack the demon’s side. Hall knew that with her speed, the positioning would help them but not fully hinder Sashinde.
But every bit would help.
The demon growled.
She extended her free hand, closing her fingers into a fist. A glowing ball of light leaked out from between her fingers, turning red. They watched as her flaming sword started to shrink, another growing from the other hand. In seconds she held two equal-sized flaming swords.
Hall cursed.
“Watch the cage,” Hall said, drawing a nod from Caryn, who slid over to be more in front of the trapped fairy.
The Wardens had the right idea. There was no way the two Jadens would be able to stand up to a single attack from the demon, and there needed to be damage from that side equal to what Caryn could put out.
Activating Leap, Hall jumped over Sashinde. Her head snapped up at the movement, a flaming sword smacking away Hall’s half-hearted attack. He landed just past the Jadens, turning quickly to step next to them, facing the demon. He had gotten a quick glance, seeing Tobias lying unconscious in the corridor.
