few Shadowfiends,” Dimwater countered after Be’alt
landed on his back.
Be’alt shook his
massive head and roared defiantly. He charged again, this time unleashing a
series of magical blasts from his hands. Lady Dimwater held out her left hand,
palm facing out, and created a shield of golden light. Be’alt’s magical assault
slammed into the shield like thunder claps, but the shield held firm. Even
Be’alt was stopped by the shield. He clawed and punched the golden barrier but nothing
worked. Lady Dimwater calmly raised her staff and spoke the words of an ancient
spell.
As Dimwater
continued the spell, Be’alt tried to go around the shield, but the shield moved
with him. No matter how fast he ran or switched directions, the shield was
always in place between him and Dimwater. Be’alt, driven to madness, slammed
his body into the shield time after time. He clawed at it, threw spells at it,
and even bit it, but the shield continued to hold. Finally he let out a roar
that shook the ground. His talons began to glow like hot coals, and then he
punched the shield with such force that a blast of wind picked up dust around
them. The shield began to crack. Be’alt struck again and it cracked some more,
but Dimwater held her concentration and continued to complete the words of the
spell.
The shield
broke. The golden light shattered and then dissipated like vapor in the wind.
Be’alt, eyes crazed with bloodlust, lunged for Dimwater’s throat. At that
moment, the sorceress completed the spell. She swung her staff as hard as she
could. The brass lion’s head connected first with Be’alt’s snout, then his
ribs, his throat, and finally his spine. Dimwater was so fast, and her magic so
strong that the beast spun in midair with each strike.
When Be’alt landed,
Dimwater struck him once more on the skull. Golden sparks shot out as the staff
connected with Be’alt’s head. Then the beast was still. Lady Dimwater knelt
down and placed her right hand on Be’alt’s forehead.
“Demon, be
gone,” she commanded. A small spark flew from her hand and onto the demon’s
head. She backed away several paces and then Be’alt’s body was consumed by
fire. After she watched the fire she turned and beckoned Erik to her side.
He hesitated at
first, but only for a moment. “What can I do?” Erik asked as he approached.
“When the fire
is done you will collect ashes in this vial. I must take them back with me as
proof of the demon’s death.”
“Alright,” Erik
said as he took the vial and watched the fire die down.
“I will speak
with the townsfolk. They deserve an explanation,” Dimwater said.
Erik nodded and
dutifully began collecting ash in the vial. The stench was unbelievable. He
tried to shield his nose from it, but it was too strong. He had to fight back
the urge to vomit as he scooped ash into the glass vial. He turned away from
the stink and saw a group of men talking with Dimwater.
Erik couldn’t
hear the conversation, but it seemed to be going as well as one could hope. The
men looked like they were in shock, but they behaved politely and were nodding
periodically. Erik couldn’t even imagine what the people might be feeling. He
tried to imagine what it might be like if this had happened in his town, or
Kuldiga Academy, but the notion was so far beyond him that he couldn’t adequately
evoke the emotions that the villagers likely felt.
He finished
collecting the ash, put a stopper in the vial and started to go back to
Dimwater. As he walked he looked to his left and saw the man he had fought just
minutes before. A young lady was bandaging his wounds as he sat with his back
against a wooden fence. The expression on his face was distant and glazed. Erik
wasn’t sure why, but he felt the need to talk with the man.
“Are you
alright?” Erik asked. The man looked up at him, and then looked back to the
pile of ashes.
“He will mend,”
the young woman said. Erik could hear the anger in her words. “You
landed on his back.
Be’alt shook his
massive head and roared defiantly. He charged again, this time unleashing a
series of magical blasts from his hands. Lady Dimwater held out her left hand,
palm facing out, and created a shield of golden light. Be’alt’s magical assault
slammed into the shield like thunder claps, but the shield held firm. Even
Be’alt was stopped by the shield. He clawed and punched the golden barrier but nothing
worked. Lady Dimwater calmly raised her staff and spoke the words of an ancient
spell.
As Dimwater
continued the spell, Be’alt tried to go around the shield, but the shield moved
with him. No matter how fast he ran or switched directions, the shield was
always in place between him and Dimwater. Be’alt, driven to madness, slammed
his body into the shield time after time. He clawed at it, threw spells at it,
and even bit it, but the shield continued to hold. Finally he let out a roar
that shook the ground. His talons began to glow like hot coals, and then he
punched the shield with such force that a blast of wind picked up dust around
them. The shield began to crack. Be’alt struck again and it cracked some more,
but Dimwater held her concentration and continued to complete the words of the
spell.
The shield
broke. The golden light shattered and then dissipated like vapor in the wind.
Be’alt, eyes crazed with bloodlust, lunged for Dimwater’s throat. At that
moment, the sorceress completed the spell. She swung her staff as hard as she
could. The brass lion’s head connected first with Be’alt’s snout, then his
ribs, his throat, and finally his spine. Dimwater was so fast, and her magic so
strong that the beast spun in midair with each strike.
When Be’alt landed,
Dimwater struck him once more on the skull. Golden sparks shot out as the staff
connected with Be’alt’s head. Then the beast was still. Lady Dimwater knelt
down and placed her right hand on Be’alt’s forehead.
“Demon, be
gone,” she commanded. A small spark flew from her hand and onto the demon’s
head. She backed away several paces and then Be’alt’s body was consumed by
fire. After she watched the fire she turned and beckoned Erik to her side.
He hesitated at
first, but only for a moment. “What can I do?” Erik asked as he approached.
“When the fire
is done you will collect ashes in this vial. I must take them back with me as
proof of the demon’s death.”
“Alright,” Erik
said as he took the vial and watched the fire die down.
“I will speak
with the townsfolk. They deserve an explanation,” Dimwater said.
Erik nodded and
dutifully began collecting ash in the vial. The stench was unbelievable. He
tried to shield his nose from it, but it was too strong. He had to fight back
the urge to vomit as he scooped ash into the glass vial. He turned away from
the stink and saw a group of men talking with Dimwater.
Erik couldn’t
hear the conversation, but it seemed to be going as well as one could hope. The
men looked like they were in shock, but they behaved politely and were nodding
periodically. Erik couldn’t even imagine what the people might be feeling. He
tried to imagine what it might be like if this had happened in his town, or
Kuldiga Academy, but the notion was so far beyond him that he couldn’t adequately
evoke the emotions that the villagers likely felt.
He finished
collecting the ash, put a stopper in the vial and started to go back to
Dimwater. As he walked he looked to his left and saw the man he had fought just
minutes before. A young lady was bandaging his wounds as he sat with his back
against a wooden fence. The expression on his face was distant and glazed. Erik
wasn’t sure why, but he felt the need to talk with the man.
“Are you
alright?” Erik asked. The man looked up at him, and then looked back to the
pile of ashes.
“He will mend,”
the young woman said. Erik could hear the anger in her words. “You
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