Sisters of the Mists Ch. 06

Tearing into an elven male's shoulder, Y'kryl wrenched his powerful arm, attempting to tear the Fey's limb from his body. Although rewarded by the sound of snapping bone, the first jerk did not succeed in removing the elf's arm.

Y'kryl had no opportunity to try again.

The elf in the Banreez's grasp simply vanished. Having tasted the Fey's blood, Y'kryl turned toward the elf's new location, and saw the source of the sudden disappearance.

Andrea glanced up from the bleeding elf at Celes' feet, anger and determination in her eyes. Stretching her hand out before her toward the demon that had caused the elf's injury, she released her power.

Fueled by rage over the elf's terrible wounds, Andrea's power slammed into the Banreez with sizzling power. Despite the demon's resistance to the elemental attack, the lightning hurtled the creature backward to slam into a weathered stone spire reaching up from the sand.

Consumed by mindless bloodlust, the Prizart demon had not even noticed the arrival of Danica and her friends. Hurtling toward a nearly defenseless elf already bleeding from numerous wounds, Las'byam discovered the women's arrival the hard way.

Lashing out instinctively with her power, Celes teleported the demon. Already in full flight, Las'byam had no chance to react. The Prizart demon's claws dug into the body of the downed Banreez before its momentum crushed the other demon and its own body into the stone spire. Both creatures slowed down for the space of a heartbeat, but resumed normal movement almost immediately.

Ashley let out a frustrated hiss. Her power proved as useless against the demons this time as it had the last. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out two potion vials. The orange potion would vanquish the Prizart, while the midnight blue one would obliterate the Banreez. She planned to use her power to speed up time around her, reaching the two greater demons before they could react.

Seeing two of the demons down, the elves took heart and found strength deep within them to again send deadly shafts toward the attacking hellspawn.

Kazz'akel realized the danger of the potions Ashley held the moment he saw them. If she had potions for two demons, she might very well have a third. Sensing Ashley's intent to unleash her power and vanquish his allies, the Korplenz attacked first. Lashing out with his mind, he forced her to her knees with a bolt of pure psionic force.

The sound of the Korplenz demon's attack rang in Danica's head like a thunderclap. She instantly tracked down the source, and knew the creature was surrounded by a bubble of telekinetic force. Summoning up her will, Danica utilized her powers to strike back at the demon.

Kazz'akel fell onto his back when Danica's invisible mental attack not only shredded his shield, but also slammed into him with tremendous force. Only the instinctive use of his power prevented the blow from blasting a hole in his corpulent hide.

Ignoring the elves in favor of more dangerous female prey, the Prizart and Banreez leapt toward the gathered women. While the Banreez made quick progress, the Prizart ran into a wall of gale-force wind summoned by Andrea. Its wings catching the wind, the demon tumbled head over heels in the opposite direction of its intended travel.

"Spit!" Celes cursed when the wind spoiled her throw, sending the potion hurtling past the Banreez to break harmlessly against the sun-baked ground beyond.

The sight of more badly hurt elves caused fear for them to surge within Andrea. Raising her other hand, she added the power of cold to the wind shear already directed at the demon. Even in the desert, there is moisture in the air. That water froze instantly under the assault of Andrea's power, driving the microscopic crystals into the Prizart's scaly flesh as it fought to escape, discharging its burning beams and globes of darkness indiscriminately in confusion.

Danica felt the Korplenz demon's fear of Andrea's power. She also sense that it wanted to reach a small shelter nearby – desperately. So, cold can hurt you? Summoning to memory the strongest ice magic she knew, Danica quickly intoned the words of the ice storm spell.

Recovering from the painful fog in her head, Ashley saw the Banreez advancing against Ashley's power. Celes waved her hand, and Ashley assumed her sister witch had attempted to stop the demon with her powers. The demon shimmered, but remained in place. Prepared for her attack this time, it was able to counter her power with its own.

Fighting through the lingering effects of the psionic blast, Ashley dropped one potion back into her pouch, keeping the midnight blue one in her hand. After a deep breath, she summoned up her power and sped up time around her.

Marlena finished casting her spell, summoning up a phantasmal iron golem between the approaching demon and herself. The Banreez swiped a powerful arm at the iron monster, and a look of surprise crossed its face when the golem accepted the blow without flinching. Powered by her artifact and the mists of the vale, Marlena's phantasmal creation had substance that no other such magic could possibly create. For the first time in many years, Marlena felt useful as she ordered her golem to strike back at the confused demon.

Even as Danica had heard his thoughts, so did Kazz'akel hear Danica's. Recognizing the danger of the powerful magic she summoned, the Korplenz called upon his innate ability to teleport away.

Moving across the sand in less than a heartbeat, Ashley hurled the vial as soon as she reached the edge of Andrea's continuing hurricane assault on the two demons. It sailed perfectly into the swirling wind, the current easily visible to Ashley in her magically accelerated state. Tumbling end over end, the vial flashed between the golem and the demon toward its target.

Danica spoke the final word of the spell a moment too late, unleashing the fury of her magic on bare sand instead of her demonic target. Her head darting back and forth, Danica searched for the demon to redirect the storm to attack it.

Working on a similar assumption to Ashley's, Celes used her power not on the demons, but on herself. She appeared directly in front of the floundering Prizart at the same moment the Korplenz escaped Danica's spell. The power of Andrea's magic refused to touch Celes, flowing around her instead. "So long, ugly," she blurted out, and hurled her potion.

The Banreez roared in fury as the vial struck it. The roar transformed into an ear-piercing scream for just an instant, and then the magic of the vanquishing potion turned the demon's power against it.

Simultaneously, the Prizart felt the touch of witch's brew on its flesh as well. Celes vanished from view, teleporting back to her previous position next to Marlena, and only then seeing the massive iron golem. Around the hulking metal beast, she could see the Banreez writhing.

Twin explosions startled Danica, causing her to lose her focus. Her spell fizzled out, and demonic ichor splattered her from behind. Spinning on her heel, she saw an iron golem pound its fist into ground covered in demon slime. A second expanding spray of vanquished demon caught Danica's eye and let her know that the Prizart wouldn't be troubling them any longer either.

Appearing in front of the shelter containing Meckataur's prize, the Korplenz summoned up its strength and tried to break the will of the attacking witches and wizards. Edna's prediction proved well founded, and Kazz'akel could find no purchase in any of the women's minds. Spitting a vile curse as he observed the other two demons exploding, Kazz'akel ordered the elven women to stand up and approach. He had no desire to fail his Devil Master.

"There!" Danica shouted, seeing the Korplenz in front of the hut. Andrea had dropped her hands to cover her ears when the shriek of the Banreez nearly deafened her, causing her assault to cease. She didn't hear Danica, but Celes, Ashley, and Marlena did.

Marlena sent the golem toward the remaining demon, and Celes summoned up her power to teleport again. Despite the speed of their reactions, they couldn't compare to Ashley in her magically accelerated state. She reached into her pouch for the yellow potion within, running toward the demon.

As fast as she moved, nothing moves faster than thought. The Korplenz heard Ashley's thoughts, and knew the danger. In a panic for his very existence, Kazz'akel shimmered and vanished.

Danica noticed the absence of the demon's mental power the moment the creature vanished from view. With her psychic senses, she knew the demon was gone from the area entirely.

Ashley stepped forward and pulled back the hide door of the hut as soon as her potion shattered against a pole of the small structure. She found three confused looking elf maidens, but no demon. The strain of using this power always taxed Ashley, and she had to let it fade.

"The last one is gone," Danica called out. Seeing Ashley in the doorway of the hut, she asked, "What's in there, Ashley?"

"Three elven women. They look like they've been under the power of the Korplenz," Ashley answered.

Dropping her hands from her ears, Andrea quickly drank in the scene around her, and then turned her attention to the barely moving elf nearby. Dropping to her knees in the sand next to him, she curled her fingers around her amulet. "Earth Mother, give me the strength to heal him," she begged.

Shining green light and a sense of peace surrounded Andrea. Reaching out to the wounded elf, the light flowed from her to his wounds. Before her eyes, the wounds closed, and the pained expression on the elf's face softened.

As the rest of the women converged on Andrea, a pair of elves approached as well. Seeing their companion under Andrea's care sit up with a look of surprise, one quickly said, "There are others who are hurt. Will you heal them as well?"

Nodding her head and smiling beatifically, Andrea said, "Yes, just show me where they are."

"Celes – healing potions," Danica suggested, staring with pride and wonder at the recovered elf. "We can help ease their wounds and pain until Andrea can heal them all."

The dark-haired witch reached into her bag of holding, and then moved toward an injured elf. A few feet away, Danica did the same. There were many injured – some gravely – and it took some time to see to them all.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Meckataur's roar of anger brought down a shower of dust and debris from the rafters above, and forced both of his human servants to cover their ears. The Devil's wings flexed, preparing to lift him into the air to swoop down on the cowering Korplenz.

Mastering his anger, Meckataur spun instead, his powerful wings cutting through the remnants of the stone throne behind him as though it was made of paper. He already possessed the power of a Korplenz, and found it difficult to control. Destroying the demon would gain him nothing, and cost him a useful tool.

"Begone!" Meckataur roared upon turning back toward the Korplenz. The demon wisely vanished immediately. "Weaklings," the Devil snarled. "I'll take the Fey myself."

"May I offer an alternative, Master?"

Turning toward the voice, Meckataur hissed in surprised pleasure. C'seka stood in one corner of the crumbling hall over three bound women – elven women.

"Will these suffice, my Master?" C'seka asked, bowing humbly. He knew the answer to that question – he had known it since discovering the women with his sensing power. Utilizing his new slave's Hellgate to reach them, he'd taken the Fey before they even knew to mount a defense.

"They are untouched?" Meckataur growled in anticipation, leaping down from the dais to approach his newest servant.

"They are, my Master," C'seka replied with a toothy grin, knowing this gift would advance his position in Meckataur's favor. Combined with his own growing powers and knowledge, the Devil's approval would offer more opportunities to gain power.

"Bring them, and follow me. You will participate in the ceremony – exalted above all others."

C'seka gathered the ropes binding his prisoners, lifting all three women easily with his growing physical strength. Following his hulking Master, C'seka could almost taste the blood Meckataur's favor would bring him.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Andrea sat down hard on her bottom. The action revealed the elf's shoulder before her, the burn there now completely healed. Andrea smiled, but barely had the strength to do so. The healing had drained her, leaving her feeling as weak as a kitten.

"Easy, Andrea. The healing power may come from the gods, but it's going through you. You can only handle so much," Danica admonished with concern.

"I couldn't leave them hurting," Andrea weakly protested.

Helping Ashley work on protective charms, Celes interjected, "We could have healed some of them with potions and spells. You've got to save your strength for when it's needed. What if the other demon had returned? Could you have summoned up your powers to fight?"

"You're right, I'm sorry," Andrea sighed.

"I'm sorry for being so snippy, but you scared me there," Celes admitted.

Andrea smiled at her sister witch and said, "It's okay. I'll be more careful."

The elder of the elven village approached Ashley and Celes, asking, "These charms will protect us from the demons?"

"They're no guarantee, but they should give you time to mount a defense," Ashley answered, putting the final touch on the final charm. "How is it that you have so little magic?"

"Much of the past has been forgotten. Our people were driven here unprepared, and many perished before we adapted to our new home," the elder explained.

"This isn't exactly a pristine woodland, it may just be too alien for elven magic," Danica suggested.

Ashley shook her head. "This isn't a woodland, but it's pristine wilderness. There's magic here, for sure. Look around at everything in the moonlight – the flow of the dunes, the rocks formations rising from the sand..."

Danica followed Ashley's directions, and she saw it. In the daylight, the vast emptiness of the desert inspired only feelings of death, not the life she would associate with elven magic. In the chill air and pale blue glow of the moon, the desert came to life. Danica could see the beauty here, and she could feel the magic.

Around her, her friends felt the same things as Ashley spoke, pointing out the beauty they'd all ignored until this moment. The elves of the village approached, looking out into the night shrouded sands as well.

When Ashley finished speaking Danica turned back to see the elves all looking out into the distance with expressions of rapture. As much as the scene affected Danica and her friends, it impacted the elves one hundred fold. In that moment, they connected with their home in ways far beyond simple appreciation.

A collective gasp arose from everyone still looking out into the desert. Danica turned, following their gaze, and saw the silhouette of a beautiful woman rising from the sands. The elves all moved forward as one, walking toward the willowy female form.

"A Sahareid – a desert nymph," Ashley said softly. Danica turned to see a tear running down Ashley's cheek. After wiping away the tear, Ashley smiled at Danica and said, "They're extremely rare. They are signs of life's enduring strength and perseverance, able to take root anywhere and thrive, even in the harshest environments. I don't think these people will be without the magic of their heritage any longer. The Sahareid will reawaken the magic within them."

Andrea stood up from where she sat. "I feel so much better. One moment I thought I was going to collapse, and now I feel..." She paused took a deep breath, drinking in the cool nighttime air, "Wonderful."

Seeing the elves all absorbed in communing with the nymph, Danica turned away. She felt as though watching them was wrong somehow. "I think we should probably go home."

The rest of her friends all nodded, feeling as though they were intruding as well. Without another word, they gathered together around Celes. With a moment of concentration, Celes summoned up the mists and created a portal home.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Meckataur drank in the power, chanting in the guttural language of the underworld. No pale moonlight illuminated the subterranean maze beneath Nightmare Castle, but the magic of this night permeated the stones, streaming into the Devil perched on the edge of the abyss.

Behind the demon lord, holding the ropes around the sobbing elven women's necks, C'seka felt the evil energy flowing through him as well. Meckataur's chant ended, and C'seka moved forward without prompting. Though knowing nothing of the dark rite, C'seka felt the pull of the magic and knew exactly what to do.

Thrusting the women over the edge of the chasm at Meckataur's feet, C'seka drooled in anticipation. The virgin Fey contorted horribly, hanging in the air above the hellish portal below. The screams of pain and horror from the women filled the caverns, echoing from the cold stone walls for miles into the earth.

Once again, Meckataur chanted in the tongue of the hells. Flames roared from the depths of the chasm, streaming upward to turn the clothing of the entrapped women to ashes. Though the magic protected them, it allowed the women to feel the pain of the flames. Their screams turned shrill and ear-piercing, far beyond the limits of their mortal voices.

As the Devil chanted, two more arms pushed out from his torso with dreadful popping and tearing sounds. The volume of the demon lord's vile chant increased, his clawed fingers flexing in anticipation. With a final roared word of power, Meckataur thrust his talons through pale skin. All three women collapsed as though boneless, crumpling around the Devil's powerful arms.

Elven blood fed the dark magic, ripping asunder the thin veil between the world of mortals and the pit of darkness. Though the size of the physical chasm did not change, the pinhole in the barrier protecting the world from the hell beyond yawned. Flames roared upward, carrying with it the sounds of snarls, growls, and hisses of the demons beyond. Though their bodies hung lifeless from Meckataur's grasp, the souls of the elves continued to scream, tied to their bodies by the dark rite.

Scores of winged demons streamed from the breach in the dimensional shield, quickly followed by other demons clawing their way upward. The hellish denizens smelled mortal blood, and streaked with ravenous hunger into the world above.

Tearing his claws free of the elven women, Meckataur held his hands before him and hissed in black ecstasy. "Rise!" He commanded as the demons filled the caverns, all cowering in deference to the power of the Devil.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

"Such exquisite agony," Zoraster sighed, looking into the multitude of mirrors before him. "All moves in accordance with my plan, and yet I cannot spark the fire that will consume this world, forging it anew. So close to righting the wrongs perpetrated upon this world by the vain gods, and yet I must wait."

Closing his eyes, Zoraster's mind turned toward the genesis of his enlightenment. So close to wresting you from your prison, Colette. When all I have planned comes to fruition, the gods will not be able to prevent me from returning you to my side.

The Archmage suppressed his memories, knowing they distracted him. The clear image of Colette's smile in his mind softened his steely heart, causing him to question the methods necessary to redeem the world. Concentrating on the evil that took her from him, the fire of his rage hardened Zoraster's will once more.

Clenching his hands into claws, Zoraster stood and turned his face to the heavens, his voice steadily rising in volume and vitriol. "What will you do when your pawns die in multitudes – oh arrogant pretenders to godhood? What will you do when the very foundation of the world you have ruined cracks and crumbles? What will you do when the faith of your pawns waver, sapping your stolen power? What will you do then, oh omnipotent ones?"