Magnus tried to chuckle at the quip, but knew his father was nearly frantic with worry. ‘It will be fine, father,’ he said trying to reassure him.
Both magicians unleashed as much destructive energy as possible, creating a curtain of death between the demons and the retreating humans. ‘Now it gets dangerous,’ said Pug, as the last of the human soldiers turned and ran.
Only the magic wall of flame and crackling energy confined the demons, and Pug said to Magnus, ‘Tell Amirantha to do whatever it is he’s going to do.’
Magnus sent word to the Warlock.
Amirantha’s eyes widened as he heard Magnus’s voice in his mind.Father says the area will be clear in two minutes.
Amirantha said to the others, ‘Two minutes.’
Belasco’s voice said, ‘Good. I am getting very tired holding this beast in check.’ There was a dark chuckle, a humour rooted in pain and anger. ‘I guess we can both say I overreached myself this time, brother.’
Amirantha looked around the room and saw Jim ready to cut Belasco’s throat, Sandreena ready to bash his head in with her mace, and the two elves ready to do whatever they needed to subdue him should the need arise. ‘Given that there are five people here longing to see you dead, and you’re stuck in a mental struggle with a demon king, putting thousands of lives at risk…Yes I can agree you overreached.’
‘Well, I’d tell you I was sorry, but we both know that it would be a lie,’ he said with what seemed to be an echo of evil glee. ‘You may be right, you know.’
‘About what?’ asked the Warlock.
‘About me being insane; I’m not sure, because I’ve always felt this way. I know Sidi was mad, but that was easy to see. But I realize now that a lot of what I’ve done…Don’t get me wrong on this, dear brother, I still don’t care, but I do realize that one must be a little crazy to try what I’ve tried.
‘I saw myself as just too clever—’ There came a hollow laugh. Then suddenly Belasco’s tone changed, ‘It’s starting! You must do it now!’
Amirantha nodded, and Gulamendis said, ‘I will delay the demon within for a few minutes.’
Sandreena said, ‘I can pacify your brother, Amirantha.’
‘Begin,’ said Amirantha.
‘Fare well, brother,’ came Belasco’s voice. Amirantha’s eyes widened slightly, for in his lifetime, his brother had never offered him the slightest good fortune. As if understanding this, Belasco added, ‘For if you do not fare well, I most certainly perish.’
They began their spells.
Demons withered under the blistering attack of the magicians surrounding them. Pug could sense more than see that some of the magicians on the walls were failing, exhausted from using so much of their magic in so short a time. Only Magnus seemed unaffected by the demands placed on him.
A massive wave of energy swept up the four towers and suddenly a slightly translucent figure began to appear suspended in the air.
Twenty feet tall, Dahun’s massive torso was heavily muscled, and descended into huge legs and a scaled lizard’s tail below his spine. His black legs and tail blended to red at his stomach and turned crimson at his chest. His face was contorted in pain, as if the transition from the demon realm caused him great agony. He bellowed: a distant, hollow sound. His eyes were solid black orbs, opened wide and seeking; and as his head moved from side to side, his hair, braided with human skulls, swung around his shoulders. The demon king’s brow was adorned with a massive golden circlet set with a dark stone, which pulsed with purple light. The fingers of his left hand ended in black talons and flexed slowly, as if in anticipation of tearing apart his enemies. In his right hand, he held a flaming sword. His hips were girded with a metal-studded kilt, and two large leather bands crossed his chest with a massive golden emblem at their centre.
Pug said, ‘Now!’ to Magnus, and they unleashed every destructive magic they possessed.
Two waves of sizzling light shot from their hands to strike the figure full in the chest. Dahun trembled and started to fall backwards, his hands outstretched, as if in supplication. A single word escaped his lips. ‘No!’
As he fell from the confines of the four towers, purple lightning erupted from his body, striking the pillars above him. The demon king screamed in outrage and pain, his arms flailing as he tried to reach for the nearest pillar to keep from falling out of the pit boundaries.
‘Destroy the towers!’ Pug said to Magnus.