The air of the East side was filled with the dark fog of smoke rising from the blaze. As well as choking with the smell of blood and burned corpses that you were thankful not to see through the thick fires and ash. The battles were much more brutal on this side, you were thankful that other assaults were being made by other groups. You and they assisted each other well. The demons were much fiercer and in greater numbers, you and the other mages were also their targets. They knew to attack the magic users within the formation as you were the generators of the most power.
You held your ground with your best spells at your disposal, crippling the horde when able to cast. It was thrilling and hard. Mixed emotions were filling your head as you all pressed onward to the guard tower, now coming into sight. If the group had survived, it must have been of some miracle. The tower was overrun by the time you got there, demons were almost pouring through its windows and crevices.
"Alright, we're splitting into two groups. First squad will clear a path and battle here on the outside so as the draw attention away from the second squad. The second squad will enter the tower and find our men who are holding up in the lower floors."
Roan spoke out, "wait, sir. Isn't this the tower?"
"…yes, this is where the seal is…"
You were perplexed, "seal?"
"One of the great demons, Glasya-Labolas, a count of the demon world who was part of the insurrection 20 years ago is sealed within the tower. We could not kill him; any human who came near him comes under his power. They are still able to speak and think on their own, but their bodies are driven to slaughter each other. Only mages seemed to be unaffected by his power."
"If he was released, it would not be long before this entire town slaughtered itself. Even without the demon's help," the captain said while planning who would go in.
"We'll create the distraction!" Tilgasse yelled.
"What?!"
"Me, dad, and you along with a few others can stay out here and deal with the horde. Captain, you should be the one to deal with the inside. You assign the men here so you know the place best, right? It wouldn't be right for people who didn't know the inside to go."
"…Hmph, smart kid. Roan, your son could grow up to be a descent warrior when he grows up. Good head on his shoulders." He began divided the original 27 into a group of 15 and 12. You, Tilgasse, and Roan stayed out in the group of 15 as the 12 went in along with the captain.
The assignment was brutal, to say the least. The toughest demons were assigned to attack the guard tower. It took all the might you could muster. Eventually leading you and 4 of the other 6 mages assigned to you to gather your powers for a great spell to destroy as large a portion as you all could. You all gathered in place as the other two mages created a barrier to sever the might of the demons that tried to oppose the spell. If it were not for the other 9 warriors as well you would not have been able to gather the power. Eventually the energy encircled among the chanting and the spell was summoned. A great storm of ice. Shards of glistening ice whipping into a freezing eddy. It devoured all fire in the area and freezing all non-human life within the circle around the guard tower.
Exhausted and released of what strength you could give you barely had time to catch yourself as you fell to your hands and knees. The other mages were not as well as you were but better off. You may have had prowess but they had endurance added to their years. Thankfully the spell seemed to work wonders for the outside, what was left of the demons was easily taken care of by the others. So you were given time to rest. "Roan…why was the demon count sealed here..? Couldn't they have sent him to a more secure place?" you asked as you and the others got what rest you could, awaiting the Captain and his crew.
"A good question, but think on this. If we had sent him to a heavily guarded area then two things would have come into place. Wave after wave of demon insurrections till he was found due to how quickly they would have found him. As well as the number of people inflicted by his power. A small town was the best place…I'm sorry to say it was ours…"
It was a bit cold to believe, but it was also true. If it were a larger and more protected town they would have brought a sea of demons to release him; as well as politics coming into play if other higher demons were involved and not known to be traitors. "Why would they even try now though? Sathomia's soul still lives…she'd obliterate the traitors once they had grown to be too much of a threat…"
"Some demons never give up their hatred, just like people," Tilgasse held your shoulder.
He had just returned from cleaning up a small batch of those not caught in the spell. His arm had a gash through it.
"True. Oh you're hurt, here," you held out your hand as a green light emanated from it, closing the wound.
"You didn't have to do that; I could have just wrapped it up."
"It's fine, besides I need to do something besides take up-" as you spoke Frey began barking heedlessly towards the tower. "What's wro-" a massive quake tore through the area as you spoke. The tower's stone wall seemed to squeeze into itself before bursting outward in an array of violet and umbral light mixed into the brick and stone. It took quick thinking of three of the mages to protect the group with a wall of power. And from it came a pillar of dark light rising from the depths of the tower remains.
From the light a shadow came from within, a winged creature. It rose then calmly float downward to the ground at the end of the street. "…damn…we were too late…Hurry, raise a protection spell around us! His power can't reach through another's magic!" 4 mages quickly rose from their rest and formed a barrier around the group. A chartreuse light spiraled around you all, creating a crystal like dome.
The figure's body was like that of a thin wolf in the shape of a man's body. With black wings and gilded embroidery covering it's almost nude but tattooed body it carefully walked down the cobblestone road. Soon its upper body became clear; you saw the full horror of the creature. The arms were chained and shackled over the chest while the hands overlapped and its mouth was bandaged shut with the toothy mouth still showing. Worst of all were the piercing copper eyes staring from the black abyss of its sockets.
Your group had walked before the creature ready to battle. "Glasya-Labolas…Return to hell demon! Your presence is not wanted on this world, by order of Sathomia the Nephilim!" Roan out spoke.
The creature stopped its slow advance as its eyes rose from the ground. The demon's body twitched as its eyes shot at Roan. Its mouth the slowly curled upward into a grin as a hoarse gasp came from it. But within all your minds a loud and dark voice laughed heretically. Then, it spoke, without moving opening its maw. "Are you not…yes, I can smell it…the one called Roan… Gahahahaha!! My it's been a while since I could stretch my wings and still instill terror after two decades of imprisonment in that small box your worthless mages put me in! Did you think a count of Hell Glaysya-Labolas, lord of bloodshed could be trapped forever in a human machination!?" his voice was practically blaring through your skull. "Even 1200 years after devouring the fruit of knowledge. You humans are still worms without us and the angels…truly laughable…but I have no time for your games. Come now, remove that barrier…I don't bite…I may be able to use some of you for slaves…Hahah!"
He inched closer and terror like you never knew filled your mind. "Don't listen to him, the moment we let down this barrier we'll slaughter each other! Focus on him, he cannot act on his own accord!"
"Roan, do not begrudge my sanctity. My charity. I offer much for little in return…If even one of you may come to my side I promise the safety of all this town…what is left…" he was against the side of the barrier now. Tapping and clawing at it with one free finger. One of the mages in the group even went as far as casting a spell towards him out of sheer terror. The fire caused by it was instantly absorbed into the demon.
"Don't bother, higher demons can absorb magic if it is of less power than their rank…" Roan said as the demon licked his lips and replied as to how 'scrumptious' the spell was.
You're fear welled inside of you. It was even allowing thoughts of what may yet come if any of you denied his request. That much power, absorbing magic, was the most frightening thing of all you had seen. But nowhere near what you had imagined from what you heard. What is your reply?
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