Chapter 49 - Big Trouble In Little Swayzee

With a swipe of its long-clawed fingers, the summoned creature rendered the flesh of one demon to ribbons. A thick flow of blood poured out the three long and deep gashes, the demon screeched in pain before using its large wings to launch itself into the sky. Two more demons filled the gap left behind by their comrade, another swipe by the creature with its opposite arm was what greeted them, but they were prepared. For creatures of such size, they were surprisingly nimble. Both demons backstepped just out of reach before rushing forward and using all of their many arms to latch onto their foe.

High up in the safety of their perch, Professor Treffle watched in awe as all of this was happening. "Just what kind of creature is that?"

The summoned monster had hefted the demons that were latched onto both its arms up and off the ground. They were biting into it with their shark like teeth, no blood oozed from its wounds, only a black tar like substance. More demons were lumbering towards it with one of the tentacled demons staying back, wriggling its arms in anticipation.

Not taking his eyes off of the battle unfolding before them, Professor Kal replied. "It's a wendigo." Seeing the confused faces staring back at him, he explained further. "It's a very old monster, some say it was among the first. A few wandering tribes would even worship it as some sort of eldritch god, one that would roam the land and devour anything alive, or dead. Being such a threat, all of the races, even the undead, banded together and exterminated any and all that they could find. I actually found that statue in some ruins some time back, I always wondered what it did."

A look of shock came across Professor Treffle's face. "What do you mean you didn't know what it did?! I thought it was supposed to protect us?"

Scratching the side of his cheek, Professor Kal looked anywhere but at her. "Well, I mean, I knew it did something because of the amount of mana radiating off of it, its just I could never get it to activate."

"So how, please tell me, would that have protected us?!" She said in a low voice, glaring at him.

"It made you feel better, didn't it?" He said, shrugging his shoulders.

Meanwhile, the wendigo, with both of the demons off of the ground, unhinged its lower jaw much like a snake's. With a swift motion, it snapped down onto the head of one of the demons. An explosion of pink brain matter squirted out from between the wendigo's teeth, the demon's headless corpse slumped to the ground. Now, with a free arm, the wendigo sunk its three fingers deep into the demon still attached to it. Using its immense strength, it ripped it off its arm, but not without injury.

The demon's strength could not be underestimated, as it was pulled away, it took with it great swaths of the wendigo's rotted flesh and muscle. Tossing away the injured demon, the wendigo let loose another roar, not of pain but of rage. It was now injured, with only one usable arm, the demons took advantage and swarmed it once again.

This time, the tentacled demon moved. Using its twelve arms, the demon scuttled forward wrapping the wendigo in a barbed embrace. Yanking its arm free, the wendigo tore and wrenched on the demon, struggling to break free. Its body was mostly covered by the tentacled demon, only its impressive rack, head, and free arm could be seen biting and clawing.

It was taking large chunks out of the demon with each bite even as the other demons were attacking it from all angles. It was impossible for the demons attacking the wendigo not to also injure the one wrapped around its body, but they never stopped. Terrifying shrieks and grunts filled the air as they tore the wendigo apart.

With no other choice, the wendigo ceased its struggle and started to speak in an unknown language that sounded more like low snarls than words. The crimson flames in its hollow eye sockets burned brighter, even those watching from above could see them through the mass of bodies, its mouth remained open, and the words continued to spill forth. The demons ripped and tore at its already decaying flesh, only intensifying their attacks as the wendigo was nearing death.

Professor Kal took a step back, turning towards the others. "Uh, we should probably move."

Before they could ask why, they felt it. The air around them, even through the barrier that had been erected, felt…... heavy. It felt as if there was a predator stalking them, about to pounce and eat them alive. An overwhelming sense of dread filled their minds, made their hearts race and their breaths quicken. Rushing towards the back of the inn, they left the room and ran.

Outside, the wendigo finished its ancient spell. The demons could sense the atmosphere as well, they desperately tried to kill it before it could finish, but they were too late. Arcs of jet-black energy danced between the tines of the wendigo's antlers, its sockets burned the brightest they had all night, easily outshining the nearby torches. Being consumed alive, the wendigo felt no pain, it threw back its bleach white skull and laughed a jackal's laugh.

A pillar of darkness so black that it even consumed the darkness of night slammed into the ground with a woosh, the wendigo as it's epicenter. The entire courtyard, along with half the inn, was lost in the darkness. Not a sound could be heard, just moments before, the screams of the demons and the uncanny laughter of the wendigo filled the air, now, nothingness, everything was devoured.

After several seconds the pillar of darkness disappeared as quickly as it was created. As the air around it rushed in to fill the void, it became superheated and expanded out in a blast so large that it not only flattened the inn but an area of a quarter of a mile around it. The demons flying around the large village all plummeted towards the ground, their ear drums had burst and were suffering from temporary vertigo. People from up to fifty miles away could hear the blast and all turned their eyes towards it.

Where the rear of the inn once was, nothing but wreckage remained. Twisted pillars of oak, splintered boards and crumbled bricks were in piles scattered about. One such pile began to move, the rubble sliding off in every direction revealing five people, four of them crouched down and shielding their heads with their arms. The one standing was surveying their surroundings with appreciation.

"That was…... fantastic!" Professor Kal shouted out, clearly pleased. "Such power, I've never seen magic used in such a way. I can see why they were feared!"

Turning to his companions, Professor Kal couldn't wait to go and investigate the aftermath. "C'mon, let's see what's left!"

Before they could refute him, he bounded off towards where the courtyard once was. In place of the cut grass and stubby bushes was a hole. A hole so deep that the bottom could not be seen, not even after Professor Kal had cast continuous light and thrown it down the shaft. The edges were perfectly round, like a giant had used a cookie cutter to gouge out the ground.

Ryan walked along with Laura; Ben and Professor Treffle a little bit ahead of them. They were both frazzled from what had happened so far tonight and were very eager to leave this town behind. Surviving something together usually brought people closer together, it was the same in this case as well, without thinking too much about it, they both reached out and held each other's hand.

Hearing shifting rubble behind him, Professor Kal turned to see Professor Treffle and the rest coming up to him. "Isn't it wonderful!? Just look, it devoured everything, the demons, the dirt, even the air, absolutely everything!"

Professor Treffle shook her head, she had had enough of everything tonight, she was done. "Can we just get out of here already?!" She urged him. "There's more of them out there, I can hear them. Let's just go. Open up a warp gate already."

"Fine." Looking like he visibly deflated, Professor Kal turned towards where the stables once stood. "I guess I don't have to worry about bringing the horses huh?"

Grasping his black gnarled staff, he slammed the end of it into the ground. Instead of a Warp Gate opening, a spear of earth shot up out of the ground, impaling a demon that was sneaking towards Ryan and Laura from behind and spattering the pair with its blood. The earthen spear ran from its groin and jutted out its neck. It had gotten as close as ten feet from Ryan and Laura, who were bringing up the rear.

"Pay more attention!" Professor Kal scolded them. "Let's move, we're not safe here."

Out in the open, due the buildings immediately around them being reduced to rubble, they rushed down the street towards the buildings that remained standing. They were huddled together, sticking to Professor Kal like glue. Making it safely to the first group of still standing buildings, they stopped to collect themselves and plan out what to do next.

"Perform the spell now, I don't think there's any near us at the moment." Professor Treffle suggested as she poked her head around the corner of a house.

Professor Kal had pulled out a white cloth and was polishing the head of his black staff as he leaned against the exterior wall of the house. "Oh, they're close by. Those big ones with all the tentacles can use dimensional magic as well so they'll probably just follow us."

They couldn't believe how indifferent he sounded. They knew he was a powerful mage, but they were surrounded by demons, not just monsters. They could still hear the sounds of battle, screams of both demon and man mixing together and echoing off the walls of the burning buildings. Ryan, Laura, and Ben were all as white as a sheet as they caught their breath.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Professor Treffle snapped. "Look at the children, are you going to let them die?"

The Professor's words worked only to drive more anxiety and fear into their hearts as somehow their faces grew even paler. Rolling his eyes and letting out a huff, Professor Kal put the white cloth away before stepping out into the alley way. Thick smoke congested the narrow space in between the burning buildings, heat prickled his skin as an updraft began to whip the wind into motion, fanning the flames even further.

"C'mon, follow me and stay close."

Due to the pressure wave sent out by the massive explosion, the demons were all temporarily grounded. This let them breathe a little easier since they didn't have to look towards the sky as they moved, but they still had to be careful. They moved as quickly as they could, the three students hiding behind the two Professors. Professor Treffle kept her head on a swivel, eyes wide and looking in every direction, her posture telegraphing how tense she really was. Professor Kal on the other hand walked a steady pace, head held high and his back as straight as an arrow.

A demon eight feet high burst through the wall of a burning tavern as they passed, the flames and embers doing nothing to its skin. Benjamin let out a terrified shriek and jumped back, Ryan shielded Laura as Professor Treffle fired off a fireball that she had prepared earlier. The ball of roiling flames was the size of a coconut and hurled towards the demon. The demon didn't even bother trying to protect itself as the super-heated ball broke over its body like waves on a seawall.

The plane that demons originated from was filled with fire and brimstone, the ambient heat alone would be unbearable to a human, so it only stood to reason those simple flames were far from enough to actually harm them. The demon's mouth curled up into a hideous smile, revealing its rows of sharp teeth. Letting out a grunt, the demon unfurled its wings and leapt towards them.

A lance of blue ice met the demon in midair, impaling its left shoulder and causing it to fall to the ground. Before it could stand, another lance pierced its right thigh, pinning it to the ground. No blood fell to the ground, the wounds around both spears of ice had instantly frosted over, congealing any fluids. The demon growled in pain, gnashing its teeth at the mage slowly approaching it.

Professor Kal was much smaller compared to the demon nailed to the ground. Anyone witnessing such a sight would think that the demon would be able to break free from a single ice sickle only as big around as a man's arm, then pounce on the mage, tearing him apart; but that did not happen. The demon struggled but failed to even scratch the ice, let alone break it. It grew weaker with each passing moment, the mana infused ice sapping its strength through a method unknown to it.

Professor Kal now stood eye to eye with the demon as it was forced to kneel due to the spear of ice, its wings limply draped behind it. "Tell me what's going on." He said in a language not originating from this world. Each syllable was a mixture of guttural grunts and nasally screeches.

The demon's yellow eyes widened briefly, the shock of hearing its mother tongue plastered on its unsightly face. Its simple mind spun, working overtime, trying to sus out how a human could speak the infernal language. Finding no answers to its question, it decided to ask the human. "How do you speak our tongue?"

Swinging his staff overhead, Professor Kal answered by crushing the demon's knee. "I'll ask you again, what are demons doing on this plane?"

Screams now mixed with the grunts of the demon as he answered. "You…... you will all die! We bring pestilence…... we bring death…... we bring your end!"

Figuring he wouldn't get the answer he wanted and noticing the strange stares the others were giving him behind his back, he swung his staff once again, crushing the demon's skull.

"Were you... talking to it?" Professor Treffle asked as she trotted up to him with the students following behind her like baby ducks.

Shrugging his shoulders, Professor Kal flicked his staff, trying to get the gore to come off without him having to touch it. "Trying to. He didn't have much to say really. Let's get out of here."

He turned and started walking towards the nearest gate, not giving her the time to ask anymore questions. She hurried after him, not wanting to be left behind, many questions still burning in the back of her mind. Holding his staff tightly, Professor Kal cleared the way of any demons that barred their path. Each time the staff touched the ground, another pulse of magic shot forth, performing miracles.

They were not the only ones still battling. Pockets of fighters still stood, fighting for their lives. They witnessed demons tearing doors from their hinges and dragging poor souls from their homes and up into the blackness of night. A few of the luckier survivors had managed to hide thus far, when they poked their heads up after hearing the death sounds of the demons, they seen Professor Kal sauntering down the street exterminating demons with each of his steady steps. A kindle of hope was ignited within them as they ran from their burning homes and flocked towards their savior.

…..

Several miles away, rain was drizzling on the capital city of Amine. The gates were sealed tight, a few torches fought against the night and cold rain. Guards shuffled back and forth on top of the walls, yawning from time to time, fighting to keep their eyes open. A disheveled man stumbled out of the darkness and up to the closed gate. He was wearing inexpensive clothes that stuck to his skin due to the rain.

He took just a few seconds to catch his breath as he had been running for the last several hours and was beyond exhausted. "Open up!" He shouted, banging on the gates with his fists. "It's an emergency!! Let me in!"

He was the messenger that the village had sent out for help. He had been riding hard, cutting what was a five-day journey down to a day and a half. The strongest horse the village had to offer was now dead on the side of the road ten miles behind him, its heart had given out from over a day of constant exertion. He was forced to run the rest of the way to the capital with no light, using the muddy road as his only guide.

A guard patrolling the wall peeked down at the man, drawn by the sudden noise. "What ya want?"

"Let me in! It's an emergency! I need to talk to your captain!" The man demanded, looking up at the guard.

Taking a moment to think, the guard paused. "Alright, hold yer horses."

Pacing back and forth, the man impatiently waited as the rain continued to fall. Soon, he could hear the latches on the side door sliding on their rails. A door just to the left of the main gate opened up, the guard that had been on the wall stepping out and looking around. The man rushed to the guard, only to be stopped before he could get too close. "Hold it there, state yer name and business. I can't just let you in like this."

Letting out an irritated breath, the man swallowed the ill words that he wanted to say. "M'name's Marcus. I'm a messenger sent by the head of Swayzee, we need help." He pulled a golden medallion out of his breast pocket and handed it over to the guard.

Every village had a few of these medallions to identify those that were identified as representatives. They were usually used when the village traded with the larger cities or when negotiating terms every few years. It was as big around as a silver dollar with copper backdrop and a golden crest of the royal family raised off the surface.

The guard inspected it closely before nodding his head and handing the medallion back to him. "Alright, follow me."

Marcus followed the guard through the side door and down a narrow hall that led to the other side of the fifteen feet thick wall. A small guard shack was nuzzled up against the wall. It was twenty feet by twenty feet square building with only two windows and one door. Marcus was taken inside where he sat down at a wooden table, two other guards were inside as well, playing cards.

"Now." Started the guard, taking a seat across from him. "Tell me what's going on."

Marcus took a deep breath, a slight shiver running through his body. "People are disappearing from our village. We've tried to catch whatever's been doing this, but so far, nothing."

A bored look was on the guard's face, he seemed like he was only paying half attention. "Couldn't they just be moving a different village, or out someplace else."

"No! You don't understand!" Marcus shouted out in frustration. "Something's taking them from their home, we can hear the screams!"

His outburst drew the attention of the other two guards, they stopped their game of cards and looked over. The guard across from him rose an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Their screams, huh? Well, maybe you should get some rest. It looks like you've been through a lot."

"Are you kidding me? My fam… the village needs help!" Marcus screamed at the guard, rising to his feet, the chair falling with a clatter behind him.

The guard held up both his hands, the two behind Marcus stood up as well, placing their hands on the hilts of their swords. The tension in the air was palpable, Marcus's hands were balled into fists, and he was gritting his teeth, trying to contain his rage.

"Look." Marcus started, his tone of voice relaxing. "We don't have much time. It's only been getting worse. Every night people are being taken, every night something comes."

"Ok, ok. I get it. It's late, alright. Get some sleep and we'll get the captain first thing in the morning."

"But…" Marcus began before being cut off by the guard.

"I'm certain they'll be fine.. There's nothing we can do right now anyway is there? I'm sure the village will still be there tomorrow."