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Kernstalion 81: Last stand
🕑 Added 2021-04-30 18:29:47 +0000 UTCEst, they are coming through!
Rathica's voice jogged me from my frenzied scraping and cutting, and I looked up. The finished Manticores stood in front of the portal. The second one hadn't turned out like the first but remained a simple and jagged wooden construct.
A steady stream of small white and fiery balls streaked out of the portal, shooting towards the tree with pods and disappearing into them. As soon as one touched a pod, the pod began shivering and glowing. Some had started growing.
"Here they come!" I shouted.
Laurel and Haltir stood behind the two Manticores, Haltir with his own ax and Laurel with mine.
"We heard her!" Laurel shouted, her voice rising in pitch. Haltir didn't respond, but he lowered his stance, holding his ax horizontally in front of his body. He just gazed into the portal with a clenched jaw, his knuckles white.
The light from the portal dimmed as a black shape filled it, then shot out, and a high-pitched scream filled the air as a black scaled skinny demon landed on the ground. It was vaguely humanoid but had two heads, a big one on a sinewy neck and a smaller one on its chest. Three long fingers sat on each of its hands, which began wagging around, casting something immediately. There was no mouth on its top head, just heavily lidded eyes, but a teeth-filled gap sat in the head embedded in its chest, and it was screaming insanely.
"Don't let it cast!" Haltir roared, just as the largest of the Manticores surged forward and snapped at the demon's main head. It flew off with a single rip, but the demon just slowed its casting. Before the Manticore could attack again, a purple lasso erupted from each hand, shooting towards the Manticore's head.
Haltir reached the fight and struck at the demon just as a second identical demon shot out of the portal.
I slowly rose, feeling the incredible desire to rush forward and help.
Est, no! Finish the Manticores!
"But I can help!"
There are only a few, and we need to get more of those Manticores before they get a foothold! You will get your time soon enough!
"Do as she says!" Haltir roared while slicing at a demon's neck.
I growled and forced myself to begin working on the third Manticore. It was half-finished, and as I cut and chopped, the screams and roars coming from in front of the portal made it hard to focus.
Ten minutes later, I rushed through the last of the cuts, forcefully removing just enough wood to give an outline to the head. I had found more ways to speed up the process, and without waiting, I pressed two hands on the silent wooden statue as I felt Rathica groan under the strain of igniting the wood. Waiting seconds, then minutes long, I stretched and stretched for something until a vengeful spirit finally answered and shot into the burning statue. As soon as the vengeful spirit entered, I knew it was a simple one again. It shuddered once before creaking and groaning as it unfurled and stared at me. I pointed at the battle raging in front of the portal.
"Kill all the demons that come through!"
The roughly crafted Manticore shot forward, its scorpion tail aimed across its angular back, and pointed at a demon that was casting a stream of small purple drops of acid at the larger Manticore.
I scanned the battle, noting the four demons that lay unmoving on the ground. Trickles of steam rose from their slowly liquifying bodies, reminding me of melting ice. A few puddles showed they weren't the first, but there were far more demons still moving around.
Most were entangled with the large Manticore, shooting acid and trying to pin it down with purple energy lassos. Its scales and hide were puckered but holding as it roar-blasted a cone of fire that engulfed the closest demon before it could dodge. Closeby, the smaller Manticore was locked down by three Demons, two holding it with lassos from opposite sides, while the third was pelting it with balls of bluish liquid. Laurel and Haltir were circling around, slashing at the demons to free the Manticore. They jumped back as something moved from behind them, jumping forward.
The new Manticore body slammed one of the demons holding down the other small one, piercing it with its tail. The demon grabbed the tail, opened its mouth, and shot a steaming stream of purple liquid into its wide-open maw. The wood immediately began cracking and tearing, but the Manticore chomped down onto the demon's head, jerking it left and right until it ripped it free.
The light darkened for a second as another demon popped out of the portal, and I realized there were more coming out than were being killed. We were losing ground!
"We need more of the big ones…" I muttered, turning to the last log, slightly disheartened. I looked at the tree, where Eliandra was still lying below.
Feeling helpless, I began rushing the fourth Manticore. Every scream, every cry from Laurel and Haltir hammered me like a physical blow as I worked in a frenzy. Although it took me less time than the previous ones, every moment felt like an eternity.
As soon as I finished it, I put my hands on it, ready to draw in another Vengeful Spirit when something dawned on me.
"Wait!" I shouted at Rathica, and I looked at the battle seeing how much time I had left.
The three Manticores were standing in the center of at least two dozen demons. Both of the smaller ones were barely moving, balls of energy striking them, while the big one was down to shooting the occasional blaze of fire. Laurel and Haltir were standing between Rathica and a smaller group of demons, back to back, slicing at any demon that dared come too close while blocking and deflecting the energy lassos thrown at them. Their axes were stained black, and part of Haltir's ax had snapped clean off, leaving him with just half an ax-blade.
"Dammit! I need time!" I cried as I looked at the rough and unmoving Manticore. The only difference between the first and the second had been the amount of detail. I'd rushed the second and third far more than the first! What if that was why the first had turned out so much more powerful?
You are right! Do it! Rathica said, and I growled a reply as I pictured the Manticore in all its glory. Picking the parts I knew I could do fast, I began removing rough lines, adding details like a few scales here and there. I kept looking up every few lines, and when a lasso slung around Laurel's neck, I knew my time was up.
"Now!" I roared, but Rathica had already started, and I reached for a spirit, stretching and stretching. My eyes were locked on the battle, and I shuddered when a ball of white energy splashed across Laurel's chest. Haltir was trying to get to her, but the Demons harassed him constantly. Laurel's struggles weakened, but still no spirit answered my call.
There! I exclaimed as I finally felt something touch my mind. A massive force of fiery rage hurtled towards us. Seconds later, something the size of an elephant shot through the barrier and down into the now burning vessel. As soon as it entered, I knew my guess was right, and as the body began morphing, I turned and ran to the battle. There was no more wood nor any time to make more things.
It's ready! Command it! Rathica's voice was weak and soft.
"Attack the demons!" I roared, halfway to where Laurel's shape was being dragged towards the horde of waiting demons. Loud screeches came from them as they spotted me. My ax lay discarded ahead of me, and I grabbed it mid-run as a shadow passed above me. The new Manticore, at least the size as the first one, if not bigger, sailed through the air and slammed on top of the group of demons harassing Haltir.
I saw it decapitate one of the demons when I reached my own targets. Then my world changed into a whirlwind of energy lassos, balls of white and blue, steaming acid, and swirling demon limbs as I tried to dodge what I could, block the rest while slashing at anything nearby. One moment of struggle blurred into the next as my body began accumulating more and more cuts and bruises.
At some point I was weary and out of breath as I fought side by side with Haltir. Each move felt strained and painful and long gashes in my long dulled ax showed it was in as poor a state as I was. Only the two larger Manticores were still moving, the others having been reduced to frozen heaps of wood, splintered and chopped to bits. I had no idea if it was because their life expectancy wasn't any longer or because of the damage they had sustained.
My eyes flickered across the demons that stood sneering across from me as I drew in deep gulps of frigid air. As the battle lasted longer, the cozy temperature had plummeted, and my air came out in large plumes.
A precarious equilibrium had formed between us and the Demons. A half-circle of them stood in front of the portal, seeming unwilling to charge us, just screaming in crazed unison. Each time another few of them came through the portals, they got in each other's way, and the two Manticores would jump in, distract them, and Haltir and I managed to cut some down. The repetitiveness had given me time to think and analyze the situation, as I tried to come up with a solution while praying the demons wouldn't find the courage and charge us.
I had determined that there were three types of demons. Most used purple energy cords or tossed blue and white balls of corrosive and freezing liquid. Those with the cords were faster and more agile, while the others were faster with their attacks. I could best each of those types one on one without much trouble. Not so the third kind. Those had only appeared a few times and were taller and more agile and able to use all of the attacks the smaller ones could while also breathing corrosive gases. One of my arms was covered in itching burn marks from the last one I had fought. Their simplistic attacks were the only reason we were still alive against their larger numbers.
"One more, and we go again," Haltir said, his voice ragged and strained.
"Ready," I muttered right when another demon popped out of the portal.
The two Manticores jumped forward, and a dozen or more energy lassos sailed towards them. Most got knocked away by their wings or massive tail, but a few wrapped around their tail or head. A hissing sound came from balls of white and blue icy acid before they splashed across their skin. Fire burst up to combat the sudden chill right when we rushed forward.
Haltir and I ran forward in unison, aiming for a demon that was pushed slightly out of the circle.
A good thing they're stupid, I thought as I saw the others only focus on the Manticores.
Something blinked from the side, and I dropped forward as a white ball shot across the space I had just vacated. Following it to its origin was a demon that readied another ball.
"Est!" Haltir's shout made me scamper forward, keeping an eye on the next ball to fly my way.
Ahead of me, Haltir was dodging sideways, slashing at a purple energy lasso thrown towards his head. A hissing came from the wood of his ax, and a black stripe appeared that remained hissing even after the lasso disappeared. Before the demon could attack again, I leaped across the last distance as another ball hissing passed behind me. As I slashed my ax down, the demon created another lasso, holding it between his hands to block my ax. Four-handed I slammed the ax down through the energy cord that carved a four-centimeter chunk out of my ax and into the demon's head.
"Backup," Haltir shouted, and I turned without even doubting him as I rushed away. Haltir was already moving back, and from the corner of my eye, I saw the two Manticores pound a single demon into mush before leaping backward.
A few seconds later, we stood side by side, breathing heavily.
"Only one this time. We can't hold this much longer," Haltir hissed, using his ax as a crutch to stay standing. I was in a slightly better state than him, but I agreed. A soft tremor ran through the world, something that had been happening more and more. Taking a quick look above, I saw four massive fists pound on the barrier.
"How long till the last souls come through?" I asked, taking a quick look at Rathica. She was down on one knee with one arm raised that was constantly shaking.
At least ten more minutes, Rathica whispered.
"We won't make it," Haltir said, looking at me, sympathy showing on his tired face. "Either we leave some of the souls, or we all die."
A set of Rift Demons came through one after the other. They were coming faster now, and before I could even respond, the two Manticores leaped forward again while roaring fire. Dozens of purple energy lassos shot out, while as many balls of white liquid shattered on them.
"Not again," Haltir groaned as he rushed forward.
I followed him as we aimed for another one of the demons that stood to the side with its attention on the Manticore. It heard me come, turned, and belched a cloud of noxious fumes my way. I barely managed to skid to the side and around. From the flank, I saw Haltir dodge one whip when a second struck him across the shoulder. I knew he should have easily been able to dodge that, but he was too tired.
He is right… I thought, scrambling up, then rolling below three whips. As I rolled to my feet, a purple glow shot at my face, and I raised an arm instinctively. A burning pain shot from around my lower arm as an energy whip wrapped around. Feeling myself dragged forward, I howled in anger and pain. ENOUGH! Digging my heels in the ground, I gripped the cord, ignoring the pain to my hands, and pulled the demon towards me, causing it to stumble. I jumped forward, crossed the remaining six meters and decapitated it in one swing, spun on my feet, and slammed the ax into the second head in its chest. The demon shot backward against another that stumbled, and I saw it. An opening!
"Fight!" I shouted at the Manticores to make sure they wouldn't flee after their first kill. I ran forward, dodged two attacks, and sliced at the stumbling demon. It dropped to the ground, shooting two balls of acid that missed me, and I dispatched it with two chops. There were ten demons left, seven pinned down by the Manticores, and two fighting Haltir. The last had just exited the rift and targeted me.
I instinctively grasped for a throwing ax but found nothing. Cursing, I ran forward, trying to bridge the gap. Two steps away, the demon looked at me, and the lower head opened, blueish lightning crackling inside. Seeing the lightning pulse, I shoved the ax in front of me right when a lightning bolt slammed into it. Had it been a metal ax, I might have been dead, but now the wood just splintered, half of the ax disintegrating in a billow of wood dust. My forward motion was stopped dead, and I hurled the remains of my ax at the demon, whose mouth was opening again, more lightning crackling inside. It guarded itself with its arms, expecting another ax, but when I reached it, I just kicked it in its chest, shoving it back into the rift.
Planning to stay in front and kill anything that came through while hoping the others could take care of the demons behind me, I looked inside and froze as my hair stood on end.
Innumerable small dots were moving up across the walls as if someone had flushed an ant's nest down the portal, and now the ants were swimming back up the sides. Those ahead of the pack were no more than a fraction of the total amount.
O crap. Had we just been fighting the initial wave? The scouts?
Deeper inside were bigger demons, some with wings and six pairs of burning blue eyes. They gazed at me across the distance, and I could see the intelligence, anger, and hunger in them.
If those get here…
Scanning inside, I saw that there still was no end to the stream of white souls.
"We will never make it…" I muttered. My mind raced as I tried to come up with a plan that would allow us to stop the demons. Could I block the portal? Send in the two Manticores as a distraction? Jump in myself? Ten meters away the next demons were screeching at me, ready to jump towards us and through the portal. Behind them, the others were close behind, and there wouldn't be much of a delay between them.
That's why they waited, I realized. These demons weren't stupid. They had just been waiting for the rest.
I stepped back and turned to Rathica, my heart shuddering.
"Close it…"
I could barely hear my own words, but Rathica must have because she nodded with a sad look on her weary face. A soft thump came from behind me, and immediately the world darkened a fraction as the portal whisked out of existence behind me. The constant churning sound was gone, leaving only my ragged breathing. I turned and gazed at the metal ring, its edges damaged from where it was splattered with corrosive liquid.
I drew a deep breath, staring at it with a heavy heart, when the ground beneath me shook, heaved, and bucked. I was launched in the air before slamming onto the ground, barely getting my arms below me to break my fall. Looking up, I saw Rathica on both knees, her hands in the air, her eyes closed, and her mouth wide open in a silent scream of agony. High above her, a bright spot of light was hovering in front of the barrier, quickly growing into another vortex of light, similar to the one that had just been closed. As soon as it opened, dark spots and white souls began pouring out.
The massive Primordial Demons began grasping at the souls that hung around, seemingly confused on what to do.
Little human, you didn't think you could get away that easily, did you? A familiar, cold voice echoed through my mind.
"Desero?" I muttered, looking around in shock.
You won't find me! I am just here to witness the destruction of the deities and this infernal dimension!
As the Guidar continued to speak, I finally realized I could feel him, nestled deep inside my mind. Had he always been there? No, that was impossible, Rathica would have known. I shuddered as a scream for help came through my connection with Rathica. I stumbled, clutching my head, then staggered towards her. I had no idea what was going on, but something was attacking her mind, and she needed help.
You won't be able to help her. Your mind isn't capable of battling on a mindscape, Desero whispered in my mind.
Mindscape, I thought, a pained grin on my face as I remembered the battle with Ulderion against the Guidar. Without hesitation, I grabbed Rathica's outstretched arms.
My whole being seemed to be torn into thousands of little pieces, dragged through a blender, then reassembled somewhere else, slightly different.
I was hovering in a massive blackness, the world around me gone. Below me was a massive ax blade, rotating slowly. Its edges were torn, jagged, and rusted. In the middle stood a single familiar figure, glowing with dim golden light. A metallic Guidar with a single massive horn in the middle of its head stood before it while a horde of tiny demons hovered around her. She was moving in slow motion as she stepped towards the Guidar. Before her foot could even touch the dark metal floor, the horde of demons rushed at her. Rathica groaned, and her eyes flickered across the demons. A few exploded into powder, then she howled in pain and turned back to the Guidar, who was grinning at her.
Rathica, I thought in panic, trying to move my body closer. I could feel something resisting my efforts to will things to be. Rathica, I'm here! Let me help! I screamed.
With a shock, I felt something like a vice release around me. My body dropped like a meteor, and I willed it to become bigger. This time it worked, and my body grew until it was almost as big as Rathica. Then it slowed to a halt as I felt something limit me.
Below me, the demon had begun moving towards Rathica, and every time Rathica focused on it, the smaller demons swarmed her.
Changing my direction to a cluster of the small gnats about to reach her left side, I tried to imagine my feet turning into massive anvils. I'll take the small ones off your back!
The only response I got was a small stream of gratefulness and a desire to fight, then I was on top of the small demonic shapes. They were the size of rats now, and I squished a group below my massive feet as I slammed into the ground. I felt something snap below my feet, and then two chimes came from my status window as I felt something flow into me, strengthening and sharpening my mind. I barely had time to wonder about it as a continuous stream of images slammed into my mind, powered by pockets of ravenous will.
Images of things gnawing at me, my blood being drained, and a vacuum around my head as my lungs screamed for air were mixed with mental balls of chaotic will thrown at me. The will behind each image was weak individually, but together they began overwhelming me almost immediately. Struggling and gasping for air, I imagined my skin turning to metal while a space mask covered my head to offset the worst of the mental images.
So many, I thought as a wave of images of demons striking at me with energy whips washed across my mind, slowly shrinking it down. I dropped to my knees, incapable of retaliating to each individual image. My mind began slowly giving in, and I started lashing out with incoherent images of axes cutting at the minds around me, imagining slicing them into bits.
The attack on my mind weakened slightly, just enough for me to push harder.
Area attack, I thought as I realized what I was doing. Then the torrent of images came again. Most were the chaotic balls of will, and I managed to shrug them off with an image of a massive steel umbrella. As soon as I had some breathing room, I imagined an explosion of spikes centered around me that pierced through everything around me without discrimination. The attacks weakened even more, and I realized most of the demons were only capable of attacking with the unorganized balls of will.
Those that did use images seemed restricted to those depicting physical abuse or were images of demons growing and trying to eat me.
Picking one of the demons close by, I focused fully on it with an image of gripping it in a metallic fist, crushing and crushing until it exploded in a cloud of dust.
To my surprise, the demon exploded, similar to what Rathica had done, and my status window chimed. I felt another trickle of something strengthen my mind. A wave of chaotic will slammed into my mental barrier while images washed over me. I turtled up and continued lashing out, trying to weaken the offense to grant me another window.
I didn't have to wait long. The images were the demon's weak point, and each time they used easily counterable images, I began snuffing out the small demon minds. After the fourth demon exploded, those further away began backing away. Then suddenly, the demons routed, flying up and away.
I managed to explode a few before they were gone and then turned my attention to Rathica.
She had crossed the distance to the Guidar and was standing in the middle of the ax blade, snarling as her hands moved in slow motion towards the Guidar's neck.
She will never let you be free! You will end up her slave for all eternity, even in death!
Desero's voice was strained as it pushed itself against my mind. As it did, the outlining of a small space in my mind became crystal clear, and at the same time, I felt his mind try and worm its way inside. Weak at first, within an instant, a mind far more powerful than even the previous Guidar tried forcing itself inside what I could only imagine was my own mind-scape. I tried imaging shiny metal walls and mirrors, but the space shrunk into a tight, gleaming ball within moments.
Let me in! Desero roared, and the metal around my mind rusted and cracked under the power of his will. Trying to reinforce the image, a torrent of images of humans being tortured by Guidar began drowning me.
Vaguely I could feel a sliver of Desero's will force its way inside when his mind froze, and with a jarring suddenness, Desero's mind was gone.
My mind still reeling, I looked up to see Rathica's hands wrapped around the Guidar's neck. His metal arms kept moving towards her, stopping, then shivering and falling back down like a broken toy.
"Yes, I like that!" Rathica's voice echoed through the void around us, and I felt Rathica's mind wrapping an image around Desero. That of a broken wind-up toy.
No! A weak scream came, then the large gleaming metal demon cracked and rippled, shrinking into a small broken toy that dangled in Rathica's hand.
Rathica gazed at the Guidar in her hand before clenching her fist and shattering the toy into millions of small specs that began dissipating as they floated away.
"We need to get back!" Rathica said, and immediately my mind-scape shuddered as it was picked up and dragged away. The blackness dissipated, and then we stood in Rathica's small realm. It was dark and cold, and the barrier above was cracked and barely holding. The portal was gone, and I didn't see the massive Primordial Demons anywhere, nor any of the small glowing souls.
Looking around, I searched for the others and found three unmoving shapes lying below the tree.
"Eli!" I shouted as I rushed forward.
My breathing caused white plumes, and small ice crystals covered the grass and bodies.
"Don't worry, they are alive," Rathica said behind me.
I barely heard her as I fell on my knees, inspecting Eliandra. She was still breathing, her face pale, but for the rest, she seemed fine. Touching her cheek and feeling the soft warm flesh, I sighed in relief. Kissing her on her forehead quickly, I moved to Laurel and Haltir, who lay close by, but both were in a similar unconscious state as Eliandra.
"I couldn't provide them with enough power to stay awake," Rathica said.
She was looking up at the barrier, her face stern, and her eyes gleamed as she raised both hands. Bands of energy erupted from her fingers, flashing up. As soon as they touched the barrier, the cracks began mending, and it began glowing again.
I searched through the chaotic energy clouds around the barrier for the souls, but there was nothing.
"The Demons are chasing them," Rathica said, lowering her arms. The energy bands whisked out. The barrier above returned to its pristine form as Rathica streaked up and through the barrier before disappearing in a lightning bolt.
I'm going to try and find as many of the souls as I can. Rest and keep an eye on the pods.
Rathica's presence weakened, and then it was gone, and I was left alone, standing on the slowly warming planet. The clouds above were forming again, and I stared into the distance, my mind reeling from what had happened.
