Then the monstrous demon recovered from their attack. With a bovine grin, it advanced on their position, a band of scampering and hopping smaller demons in its wake.
Brandos shouted to Jommy and Kaspar, ‘Don’t try to attack it directly. Kaspar, break to the left! Jommy, break right with me, when I give the word! Keep those smaller devils in front of you! Don’t let any of them get behind you!
‘Amirantha, you have to protect Creegan and Miranda as best you can!’
‘Understood,’ shouted the Warlock. He shouted to the Father-Bishop and Miranda, ‘Don’t act until I give the word!’ He reached into his belt pouch and withdrew a large gem. Crushing it in his hand, he shouted a single word, and suddenly they were engulfed in red smoke.
‘Now!’ shouted Brandos and he and Jommy ran right, while Kaspar took off in the other direction.
The large demon bellowed again and swung a massive claw through the space occupied a moment before by the three fighters, and then backhanded the cloud of red smoke. He shouted in pain and anger when his hand came away with red smouldering sores, as if he had touched acid. The unexpected wound distracted the creature for a moment, while the smaller demons rushed the fighters.
Inside the gas, Amirantha said, ‘Back up slowly!’
His two companions did as they were told and moved back until they could see the befuddled demon captain standing over the roiling cloud of caustic gas. ‘Whatever you have, Miranda,’ said the Warlock. ‘Now’s the time.’
Her eyes were wide with anger and frustration and she reached into the depths of her power, using her will to focus the most destructive spell she could muster. A line of light extended from her outstretched palm to strike the creature, and down it flowed a brilliant white pulse. The demon captain stood stunned for a moment, then bellowed in pain and began to writhe.
‘I see it!’ shouted Jommy to Brandos. He pointed to a strange object, a black post with alien runes carved on its surface. It sat amidst the flames, untouched.
He stepped towards it, but Brandos grabbed him from behind and yanked him back just as a demon lunged at the spot he had just vacated. The old fighter swung hard with his sword, severing the creature’s head from its shoulders. The body lay flopping on the ground while its features contorted and tried to scream. ‘Unless you’re fireproof, that’s not going to work.
‘Look out!’
Another pair of demons leaped at them, each about the size of a large monkey. Jommy extended the point of his sword and allowed the creature to impale itself. The shock that ran up Jommy’s arm almost cost him his weapon. He lifted his boot and kicked hard as he pulled back, sending the demon tumbling back. Brandos beheaded the other one efficiently. ‘Point’s useful, but not that way,’ he said as he struggled to breathe in all the choking smoke.
Jommy was forced to agree and began slashing at anything that tried to approach them. ‘What do we do about that anchor?’
‘Wait,’ said Brandos, looking around, as if seeking inspiration. The large demon seemed to be coming out of the shock induced by the three spells, and stood slightly shaking its head, as if clearing it.
‘Miranda!’ shouted Brandos. ‘If you can destroy that totem over there, Amirantha and Creegan can banish—’
He stopped as he saw a figure in white and silver dash through the flames towards the carved pole. ‘Oh, girl, no!’ he shouted.
Sandreena had worked her way to the other side of the fire and now was making a mad dash for the totem. She obviously understood the significance of the device as much as Brandos and Amirantha did. Her tabard was stained with soot, and was smoking along one side of the back. Mindless of the scorching heat, she raised her mace above her head, then brought it down in an underhanded sweep. She threw her complete weight into the blow and when her mace struck the wood, the shock reverberated throughout her body, but the wooden icon shattered, bursting into fragments that instandy went up in flames. She kept running, her tabard now alight.
‘To me, girl!’ shouted Brandos. ‘To me!’
She turned towards the sound of a familiar voice, and saw Jommy slash at a demon that had turned to see what was coming up behind him. The blow cut the demon’s throat and black blood gushed from the wound. Sandreena was blind from the smoke it gave off and started to run past Brandos, who reached out and grabbed her arm, shouting, ‘Fall down!’
She did as told, and he lay on top of her, putting out the flames with his own body. Jommy kept his blade slashing in all directions as demons sought to swarm over the fallen Knight-Adamant and the old fighter.