Pug said, ‘I will do the only thing I can think of: destroy the rift to Midkemia and hope that is enough.’
‘With Macros attempting the same feat from the other side, will you be able to?’
‘Undoubtedly one of us will succeed.’
‘Then let us go among them and do what we can.’
The demon figure launched himself outward, with a snap of gigantic wings, gliding down the mountain slope rather than flying. He let his downward speed build up, and then, with a flex of his wings, he was soaring high in the air. Pug used his magic to fly after him.
They dove and flew close to the ground, in the hope of avoiding detection. Pug glanced to the west and saw the sun set. The lack of light would help a little, though demons saw at night almost as well as cats.
Above a world devastated by forces alien to anything Pug had witnessed in his life they flew; from trees to grass, from humans to the smallest insect, the lands around the once great city of Cibul were devoid of life. Pug could sense it was more than the destruction of war or forest fire, where the land was burned, for there a sign of life would be seen here or there, even if only a blade of grass.
Here there was nothing.
They were within a mile of the dty when Hanam said, ‘Cloak our passage, magidan.’
Pug forced his mind into the difficult task of rendering the two of them invisible while flying. He felt terrible pain from the unusual exertion but accomplished the requirements for both without faltering. For a few minutes the pain lingered, then it began to lessen as Pug mastered this combination of magics.
As they flew over the dty, several demons below turned to look up, as if sensing something, but none gave alarm. Pug hoped they would reach their destination soon.
Hanam landed in what had once been a lush garden, and now was a burned-out mass of dead plants on rock.
No moss or lichen, algae or mold clung to the tiniest corner of this formerly flourishing place.
Once they were safely inside a vast hall. Pug dropped the spell of invisibility. ‘Are you all right?’ asked the Saaur Loremaster.
‘It will take a minute for me to regain my strength. I need to catch my breath.’ Pug managed a smile. ‘It’s getting easier to do this, but I’d rather not have to practice in the future under these conditions.’
‘Understood. Abide here a while. I will be back.’
So saying, the Saaur Loremaster in demon body left the room. Pug sat on the wreckage of a once-grand bed, on a piece large enough to provide him a comfortable resting place. The faint evening light could not hide the opulence of the residence. A Saaur noble of rank had slept here, perhaps the leader or his primary consort.
Pug heard a faint scuffle outside and was on his feet as Hanam entered, carrying a struggling demon by the head. As Pug watched, the Saaur cracked the skull and drank the creature’s life energies.
‘Is that wise?’ asked Pug.
‘Necessary. If I am to face Tugor or Maarg, and hold them at bay even for a few minutes, I must gather as much strength as possible. If I prayed for a chance of victory, I would lie in wait for months, killing as many demons as possible, until they became aware of my hunt and sought me out. After I battled the hunters and survived, I would then come and announce myself to the one whom I challenged. At that point I would be granted single combat.
‘But I have no desire to win. I wish release from this prison.’ He tapped the crystal vial hanging from a chain around his neck. ‘This is a favor I must ask of you, magician.’ He removed the vial and handed it to Pug. ‘When the battle is high, release my soul by smashing the vial.’
‘What will happen?’
‘I will be free, and the demon whose body I control will be destroyed. But if that vial isn’t broken, any demon who found it would be able to continue my captivity.’
Pug nodded and took the vial, placing it inside his robe.
‘Time is short,’ said the Loremaster. ‘Come.’
They hurried through several halls to a large chamber, where several other demons gathered. Two rifts hung in the air, only a few meters apart, while strange cloaked figures, hunched over and shambling, moved between them. The demons didn’t notice them.
‘What are they?’ asked Hanam.
‘I recognize them,’ said Pug. ‘They are Shangri, also called Panath-Tiandn, creatures I have faced once before. They live on a world called Timiri, where magic is a solid matter, manipulated by machine and will. They may be related to the Pantathians. I still don’t know their part in all this.’
‘What are they doing?’
‘They’ve moved both rifts!’ Pug exclaimed. ‘They mean to create a direct path from the demon realm to Midkemia!’
Then Maarg is soon to come through.’
A demon turned and saw them, and screeched an alarm. Hanam didn’t hesitate, but launched himself at the creature. Rather than engage the first creature, who crouched, claws extended in anticipation of the attack, he leaped past, slashing its throat with a talon.