RE: Monarch

Bell weighed heavy on my back. Her arms tightened to compensate for the jarring and jostling, restricting my airflow. I guess, I could count it as a blessing that this particular engagement had begun in the evening. The mild dark and fog likely worked as strongly against our enemies as it did against us.

A burgeoning night wind swept by my face. Sand occluded my sight. Vogrin forged ahead, a dark shadow in the night, moving forwards then back, acting as a sentry and a scout all in one.

I risked a glance behind me to ensure the others were keeping up. Maya had spread out and was keeping pace easily. Jorra—likely due to the weight of his bag—was falling behind, head cocked to one side to try to keep everything balanced.

I was about to raise a hand to slow our pace when a black shape flitted towards me. Vogrin’s pale-white, desiccated face appeared from the void, directly in my eyeline.

“Down,” Vogrin snapped.

We dropped. Bell tumbled off my back and fell prone to the sand. Vogrin laid beside me, supine, his hands moving in a complex motion and glowing white. The knee-high fog began to thicken the white shroud around us. Several moments passed, the silence marred by the hammering of my heart in my ears.

Then, a foot stepped through the fog. And another. And another. There were ten people in all.

“Holy shit. Look at that light show,” One of them said. A low voice, deep and muffled.

“He’s got started without us.”

“He better not be planning to take the credit.” The third voice sounded familiar, somehow. The boots it belonged to were smaller than the rest. A younger infernal? “I’ve invested far too much into this.”

“Then let’s pick up the pace.” The first, low voice said. There was a general mutter of acquiescence and the group began to run. The sudden burst of movement parted the fog around us and left us exposed and in clear view.

I held my breath. They continued to run. I craned my head, so I could watch them go. There were, indeed, around twelve. They seemed to be in a typical protection formation, shielding a small one in the middle. All blue and violet. The large infernals maintaining the perimeter of the formation looked older, likely on their last year of the sanctum. They were followed by a few smaller, weaker looking stragglers. One of the stragglers in the back looked behind him. His gaze scanned over us, and then stopped on me.

My heart sank. There was no way he hadn’t seen me.

Which was why I was equally surprised when he turned back to the others and continued to run as if nothing had happened.

We stood, silently, and continued our journey across the desert.

----

It took several hours to reach the next chamber, despite knowing the path. There was simply too much ground to cover. The tunnel between the two chambers was short with no branches, leaving little question as to where we had gone.

I walked through the entrance of the new chamber, and my ears popped. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust. In the desert, it had been twilight. Here, it was midday: The cloud cover was thinner, light radiating down through the crimson leaves of trees that looked vaguely tropical in nature. Wildlife called and crooned all around, invisible but ever-present, sounds all shrill and alien in nature.

I stepped inward and nearly jumped back as the surface beneath my foot shifted. A thick spongey moss covered the ground. Layers of it. There was some give under pressure, but it seemed sturdy enough.

A hand tapped me on the shoulder and I let Bell slide off my back, shifting her weight from side to side on the moss experimentally.

I settled onto my knees, then collapsed onto my back, breathing hard. Maya sat beside me, her legs pulled to her chest, light eyes staring into the landscape beyond.

Jorra had barely recovered before he threw his pack off, rounding on Vogrin. I could hear most of their conversation.

“How? How did they know?” Jorra gesticulated wildly.

“Outside interference. The magician who engaged with Saladius is communicating with them somehow.” Vogrin sounded irritated.

“Somehow? I thought you just knew these things,” Jorra shot back.

“I can identify almost any magic if I see it used, but I am not omniscient.”

Jorra almost said something more, but held himself back. “How much time do we have?”

Vogrin hesitated. “Less than an hour.”

Jorra swore and stalked back towards us. Maya held out a water-skin for him and he took it, drinking deeply. I didn’t blame him. We were all on edge. I needed to think. We couldn’t keep on like this, evading and running, only to run again. The fog had been a lucky break. There was little chance of another.

“Bell?” I asked. “How are you feeling? If you had to give it a number.”

Bell, still testing the moss, paused in the middle of bending down to jump. “Between one and a hundred?”

“That’s fine. Zero being dead. A hundred being typical you.”

She took a moment to consider it. “Seventy-five and a half.”

“Specific.” Maya leaned forward.

“Feels a lot better right now,” Bell said, “Maybe it’s this place, or the adrenaline, but I’m feeling better than I have in a while.”

I watched her carefully, trying to ascertain if the estimation was true, or if she was just trying to tough it out. She was standing straighter, eyes alert. The shaking in her hands—though they still trembled—had stilled.

After giving it a moment, I stood. “I think we need to make a stand.”

They all looked at me. It was, in some ways, a retread of our conversation at the beginning of the runic desert, but things had changed since then.

Jorra was about to speak, but I held up a hand to stop him. “Hear me out. They’ve been on us since the heart. They haven’t slowed down. Furthermore, they’re more experienced and better equipped than us.”

“Not really boosting morale,” Jorra muttered.

I pointed to him. “Exactly. They’re wearing us down. They will catch up to us eventually. Imagine if they ambushed us while we were dealing with the kobolds.”

“It would have been bad.” Maya shivered. “I am not sure we would have made it through, let alone been able to hold back.”

I nodded. “And, if we keep pressing forward, there’s a much higher chance that we’ll run into something out there that complicates things. Forces the fight. It could be trivial, or it could be lethal.”

“And you’re not getting anything from your future-sight? Your danger sense, or whatever it is?” Bell asked.

Out of the peripheral of my vision, I saw Vogrin turn back towards us.

I frowned. I’d been prepared to end things during the most recent encounter with Thoth, a knee-jerk reversion to old habits, but now I wasn’t sure how wise that was after it had nearly failed during the enclave loop. “No. It’s…” I trailed off. How to explain it? “I’m not sure how reliable it is. Consider it damaged.”

Maya tensed, but said nothing.

“There is an opportunity here that we’re unlikely to get again.” Vogrin commented, his voice detached. The group’s attention shifted to him and he continued. “I cannot speak to Elder Saladius’s true strength, but that he was hiding it alone has certain implications. Combat between experienced magicians takes time. Becomes a fight of attrition. It would not surprise me if there is not yet a victor.”

I saw what he was getting at. “Meaning this might be our one shot the larger group while he’s otherwise engaged.”

Something pricked at the back of my mind. Old paranoia surged up. Wouldn’t it make more sense to hold them in reserve? But I knew what happened if I continued down that line of thought. I had followed it in the enclave, seen where it led.

As I so often did when I was lost, I looked towards Maya. Her fingers dug into the moss and she looked lost in thought. Green magic infused from her fingers into the moss, lending it a light green glow. It reminded me of the magic I’d infused into the rocks.

“I have an idea,” I said, and looked around the group. They were all listening. “It may not work, but I think it gives us the best chance to do this without killing anyone.”

There were nods all around, except from Jorra. He shook his head. “I hear what you’re saying. And while it’s true we can’t keep going like this, I just wish there was a better option.”

I nodded. “So do I. And if you think of one, any of you, let me know. But for now, we need to move on this while there’s still time. Any other objections?”

No one spoke. I took the silence as assent, and went over the plan.

----

I fed another branch into the violet flame. The demon-fire ate through the yellow-green wood of the surrounding wood slower than regular wood, but still far faster than normal fire. Using the fire was an obvious ploy, the sort of thing an enemy like the cowled man would see through in seconds. I had to hope a lack of experience on the infernal’s part would help me here. The average infernal with experience in the sanctum was used to fighting monsters; most of their time spent dealing with creatures that were sometimes clever, but rarely intelligent or cunning.

On the spit, I roasted a small creature that resembled a furless white rabbit. I rotated it slowly, trying to look completely immersed in my task, repeating the narrative over and over again in my head. We didn’t know they turned around. We stopped after a day’s travel to rest and eat, and plan to return to it shortly, traveling through the evening and the next day.

There was the crack of a twig behind me. Somehow, I managed not to flinch. Slow, plodding footsteps approached, no longer hiding. He walked across the fire from me. I recognized his face from the group at the lift. He was one of the young ones from the lift, the wealthy violet with the expensive gear and lackeys. I recognized his boots from the fog. He was the one in the center of the formation, who had walked right by me and never realized it.

He held his hand on his sword, only casually prepared to draw it, eye fixed to the meat on the fire. “You ran out of roe,” he said.

“Something like that,” I cocked my head and looked up at him. It took effort to force a friendly smile. I disliked everything about him at first glance. He reminded me of so many so-called friends in Whitefall. A spoiled noble in everything but name. His gaze flicked over to the stuffed bedrolls across from me.

“Your friends are all asleep. Looking a little plumper than usual.”

“Too many of these things.” I jabbed the impaled rabbit at him, and took petty pleasure when he shied away, his facade slipping for just a second. “They just run up to you. We found crabs just like them in another chamber. Funny how that happens.” I looked at the rabbit, and my eyes slid to him. “Isolated away from the real world. No natural predators. They think they can just nibble at your heels and face no reprisal.”

The boy’s smile slipped. “Enough with the repartee. We saw through this petty ruse. My men—“

“Your whores for hire, you mean?”

“My men,” he emphasized the last word, glaring, “Are scouring the surrounding area. Call your companions out, and we won’t hurt them. You’re the only one who has to die. And we can make it easy.”

Two infernals emerged from the brush to flank him at either side.

“Ah. I see.” I chuckled. “The ol’ ‘tell me where your friends are and we’ll make it quick.’ Unoriginal, but I have to give you points for delivery.”

The boy ruffled at my tone. “It seems like you misunderstand your situation. I am giving you a chance to end this bloodlessly.”

“That you are.” I stood to my feet, and the infernals flanking him began to move forward, stopping only when he held out a hand. “Before I make a choice, I’d at least like to know why?”

The boy shrugged. “The rules have changed. We’re trapped down here. The infernal who kills you will be lauded as a hero. Someone’s going to do it. Figured it might as well be me.”

“And what is your name?” I retreated three steps, away from the fire and towards the forest.

“Nox—“ he cut off in the middle of the word and advanced, pulling his xescalt sword free and pressing it to my chest. It bit in slightly and I had no doubt, sharp as it looked, it could cut through my armor like paper. “Now that’s just bad form. Using an introduction as a distraction. Last chance. Tell me where your friends are, or they die alongside you.”

I smiled at him. “They never left.”

Before he could register the words, Maya’s hand snaked out from the bedroll and grabbed a piece of stringy moss. The entire net we’d weaved glowed green from the connection. Nox and the infernal on his right were slow to react, but the infernal to his left was faster, sprinting to get out of the radius. Bellarex descended like a bird of prey, leg lashing out, foot planting firmly against the man’s head and shoving him back into the trap. The first man tried to dive away from the glowing net and only succeeded in landing on it hands first, the magic rendering him paralyzed.

Finally, Jorra called a wave of water, forcing Nox and his companion down into the waiting magic.

Nox’s face screwed up into a perpetual stare of outrage—though whether it was directed at us, or the way his men had allowed this to happen, it was impossible to say.

There was a rustling of leaves and the sound of someone running. I whistled for Vogrin, pointing at the retreating shadow. Vogrin darted after him, heading into the brush.

I swore. It was either bad luck or the older infernals were far better than I’d given them credit for.

“There was supposed to be more of them.” Maya said, looking down at the three bodies. Her face was still flushed from hiding in the bedroll in the afternoon heat.

“Doesn’t matter. Just changes things. Kastramoth in position?” Maya pulsed magic into the amulet at her neck, then nodded.

“Then let’s move to the staging ground. Bell, Jorra, you good to keep going?” I included Jorra in the statement, but the one I was anxious about was Bell.

“Yep. I’ll scout ahead,” Jorra said.

“I’m coming too,” Bell said. I watched her go. Her gait seemed slightly offset, like she’d bruised her heel in the fall. I hoped it wouldn’t slow her down too much.

“Ready?” Maya asked.

I paused above Nox. “Give me a minute.”

Maya gave me a knowing look. It was an expression that said much. She’d been there, at Kholis. Seen me in a situation not dissimilar to this. “I won’t tell you what to do, Cairn. But Jorra does not trust easily. If you violate his trust, you will not get it back so easily.” With that, she turned and followed the others.

I stared down at Nox, idiot that he was. Only a fool led mercenaries from the front. It would be so easy to end his life, as he had intended to end mine. Some of the older infernals might still want me dead, but they would be less motivated, less organized.

Maya had said the paralysis could last up to twenty minutes, but might be far less. I sighed and put my faith in her. We’d just have to end this and sunder their party before it happened.

Still. No one had forbidden me from slowing him down. I pulled my broken dagger and pressed it against Nox’s right kneecap. His face remained frozen, but thought I saw his eyes widen, ever so slightly. I plunged the knife home, ignoring the fluids that bubbled up around it. Then I left him there.

He could, inevitably, catch up. But someone would have to carry him.

----

We’d predicted, correctly, that when things started to go badly for the infernals they would attempt to retreat towards the exit. They wouldn’t want to escalate things with their employer captured, potentially in the line of fire, and would defer to rescuing him when given a better opportunity. It was partly why I decided against ambushing them at the entrance initially. The tunnel was short enough that the act of using it as a chokepoint in our favor could easily be reversed, and if they retreated to wait for the cowled mage time would not be on our side.

I watched, with a tempered amusement, as the infernals backed away from Kastramoth, who guarded the entrance. He roared, and his awful howl vibrated the earth, shaking crimson leaves free from branches, where they floated to the mossy-ground below. One of them, a violet that looked much older than twenty, stepped forward. He didn’t wear any visible weapon. A cloud of detritus and dirt floated up from the ground, covering his hands with oversized spiked gloves, rocks forming his knuckles.

“Captain?” I whispered to Vogrin.

“They defer to him, yes,” Vogrin confirmed.

I had preparations to finish. I’d selected the trees beforehand, flash burning the surrounding moss, making sure they were spaced out properly and the fire couldn’t jump and get out of control the way it had in the Everwood. I was better at controlling my mana, preventing it from directly affecting my soul, but I didn’t want to push it trying to extinguish a forest fire.

The captain and half of the infernals turned away from the greater demon to face me.

“I have your boss.” I said. “And I have a feeling he won’t be paying you if he’s dead.

The captain had long brown hair that was tied up in a tail that flowed out of his helmet. His face was littered with old scars.

He grinned. “That’s too bad. The little snot-nosed shit was paying a premium. But you know what? The human’s paying more.”

The cowled mage. Of course.

“I’ll double it.” I said.

“Nah.” He answered.

“You know who I am. I’m not gold poor.”

“Not really my style. Changing alliance. I took the human’s gold because I’m not a fool. Who would turn down higher pay and free supplies for the same thing.” He steeled his expression, and I could tell there would be no changing his mind. His confidence unnerved me. We had them surrounded, and he didn’t look the least bit bothered.

Without further comment or preamble, I dropped to the ground and set the moss on fire. It spread in seconds along a cross-pattern of lines I’d poured oil, racing past the captain to where the group of his men were clustered up.

“Scatter!” He turned and shouted, and the men sprinted away from the entrance seconds before it became emblazoned in flame. I saw one of them drop, screaming as fire ate at his legs, and I breathed in the flame around him, leaving him whimpering on the floor.

The captain dove towards me, fist covered in rock jabbing directly towards my face. I moved my head out of the way and had to drop to the floor after the fist shifted horizontally, expanding to hit me. I breathed out the flame at his side and the earth was spread out into an aegis.

It surprised me. He was mixing elemental and weaving magic in a way I’d never seen before, shifting from one smoothly into another.

There was a flash of pain as something stabbed into my foot and I leapt back, using air to keep myself light, the pain redoubled when I landed. There was a patch of small, cruel looking spikes where I’d been standing.

I had a moment to take in the battle. Kastramoth was bowling into the mercenaries, trying to overwhelm them with momentum combined with his sheer mass. Maya rode on his back, staff held so the range was maximized, swinging down at the targets that had only just managed to get out of the way. Bell was entangled with a fire magician, using void to pick fireballs out of the air as he backpedaled away from her sword, each fireball. I used my fire to create small flare-ups, interrupting the mercenaries where I could, keeping them off-balance and unable to properly organize.

Jorra bumped into my back, pushed there by several water magicians that were overpowering him with sheer numbers. “Little help?!” He shouted.

“Cover!” I yelled back. Without taking my eyes from the captain, I called the air and reached in my satchel, sending a burst of flash-powder in a curving trajectory, timing it so it exploded at eye-level.

There was a collective of shrieks and groans that told me I’d hit the target.

But the captain had capitalized on my distraction, and I felt the ground under me, moss severing as the ground split. I managed to avoid falling in the crevice, pushing myself to run faster as the gap widened. There was a blur of movement, and in an act of pure muscle memory I called an aegis, holding it up to my face just in time to watch a wicked looking stone spike crumple against it, inches away from my eye.

The captain had fine-tuned control, along with being strong. But he looked concerned. The battle wasn’t going in their favor. It was close.

Then, it happened. In the background, I saw the infernal that had fallen first—the one with the burns on his legs—begin to writhe, as if he was still on fire. The flesh of his legs and arms began to bubble, bulging.

He roared, and more than a few heads turned to face his way. His right arm split in two, bisected from the third and fourth finger downward, the remnants forming a strange asymmetrical claw.

His face changed, melted, until it was barely recognizable, eyes forming lines, mouth gaping open, teeth rearranged so they pointed outward.

What the fuck?

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