Sacrifice

Glass and Roses, Chapter 10

“Mom?” Berit said.

Rebekka smiled. “Hello, Berry. Nice to see you again.”

Dror drew his weapon, but hesitated. “I thought we were chasing a mad demon summoner. She seems...sane.”

“Perhaps her calmness in the face of the danger she has caused is proof of her insanity,” Valdimer said. He drew his rod as well, and pointed it at Rebekka. “I wish I could say it's nice to see you, mother, but you have caused too much death for me to forgive you. We are here to stop you.”

The girl with Rebekka looked at her worriedly, but Rebekka stood her ground. “I have never intentionally caused death. I grieve for those who died because of my actions, but I did not summon the demons that now stalk me. I am cursed, Val. You have to believe me.”

Valdimer did not lower his rod. “I can't take that risk.” He charged a spell.

“Killing me will only make this problem worse!” Rebekka said. “If I die, Mephutozim claims my soul and gains a foothold in this world.” Zhihao gasped and moved forward at the name of the demon lord she was chosen to oppose.

“Aren't you already his foothold?” Valdimer said. Berit stepped up next to him and pushed down his arm. He looked at her angrily, but Rebekka made no move to take advantage of the situation.

Berit and Valdimer stared at each other. “She is our mother,” Berit said. “And I can tell she's telling the truth.”

“That doesn't make sense,” Valdimer said. “Why would she have come out all this way if she is being pursued by demons? How could she have escaped them so long if they are faster than she is? Her intentionally summoning them is the only conclusion.”

“You and your conclusions!” Berit shouted. “It doesn't matter what logic dictates, I know she is telling the truth by the sound of her voice and the look on her face. If you can't come to that conclusion, then there must be something you don't know, that you're not factoring in.”

“It was supposed to be just once,” Rebekka said. The twins turned to look at her. She wrung her hands, scratching at a scar on her right hand. “I called upon Mephutozim, without bringing him to this realm, and I made a foolish deal. I thought I could fulfill my end of the bargain and that would be that, but it got out of hand.”

“Why on earth would you resort to demons to cure your illness? We would have found the right medicine...eventually,” Valdimer said, although he didn't sound too convinced.

“It wasn't about my health,” Rebekka said. “It was for a much more important reason. I was never sick. The medicine didn't work because I spat it out when you weren't looking. That was one of the many lies I had to use to hide my activities, and I truly am sorry for it.”

“Then why?” Berit said. “Tell us!”

Rebekka laughed dryly. “If I tell you now, you might go back to wanting to kill me.”

“Would you deserve it?” Valdimer said. Rebekka simply shrugged, but her face was heavy with guilt. Then she looked up again, her eyes glistening with ardor.

“I have found a way to break the curse, though,” she said. She indicated the girl standing next to her. She looked to be only thirteen years old. “Hannah has the ability to help me. There's a loophole in my contract, and that is why I have evaded the demons. They cannot harm me, only chase me and wait until I make a mistake. And along the way, they will cause havoc to everyone around me. But I want to make it stop!”

Valdimer looked at Hannah. “What sort of ability is this?”

Hannah looked worried again. “I don't quite know,” she said. “But I saw the demons. Rebekka protected me from them. She wrapped herself around me, so that they would have to touch her in order to harm me, and they couldn't do that. She stayed with me until they left, and then we fled. She saved my life. If she says I can break her curse, I believe her.”

Berit nodded. “What are you waiting for then, Mom?” she said. “What needs to be done?”

“There is a sacred spot where Mephutozim was last banished by the demon hunter Folami,” Rebekka said. “That is where we need to go.” She smiled. “I don't think it is a coincidence that you found me as I was about to reach the end of my journey. I am glad you could be with me for it, children. Will you join me, or do you still not trust that I am telling the truth?”

Berit took a step towards her, then broke into a run and hugged her. Valdimer smiled, but his brow was still furrowed. He believed she was telling the truth, but thought there was still something missing. He looked over his shoulder to Dror, Zhihao, and Catarina. “I'm sure you must feel a little awkward at our family reunion, but please join us, in case there are any surprises.” They nodded and the group followed Rebekka as she led them up a tall hill.

“It is not much further,” Rebekka said as the path became steep.

“Do you care to share the details of your contract while we climb?” Valdimer said.

Rebekka shook her head. “I needed a spell that only a demon could provide on such short notice. Of course, not anyone can summon a demon at will, but my background in arcane rituals had already taught me what I needed to know to get started. Another secret I regret keeping from both of you.” She sighed. “I drew the circle, I wrote the runes, I chanted the incantation. Mephutozim appeared before me, but he could affect nothing. I asked for the spell without demanding it, as you are supposed to do, and all he asked in return was that if I were to die before casting the spell, he would be allowed access to our world, through my soul.”

“Then how did all these demons get here?” Berit asked. “Why have they been spreading chaos in your wake?”

Rebekka clenched her jaw. “I got greedy. I should have left it at that, but he offered more than I asked for, and I took his offer. In return, he requested a simple task of me that I thought would be harmless. Of course, it began a chain reaction that led to the breaking of a seal on a demonic prison, unleashing the first attack on Thaeril.”

“I thought you died in that attack,” Berit said.

“I thought I would too,” Rebekka said. “But Mephutozim had given the demons clear instructions not to harm me. I didn't know it at the time. I thought I had gotten lucky. And to try and fix my mistake, I made it worse by summoning him again. I asked to be protected from the touch of any demon. He agreed, at the cost that demons would always be able to find me wherever I was. I thought it was the perfect deal. They can find me as much as they want, I thought, since they can never touch me! I didn't realize the sheer number of demons that would seek me out and follow me, hurting everyone I got near.”

“You summoned him again, didn't you,” Valdimer said.

“Yes. Once more, months later, trying to break the curse. I made him promise that he would revoke every deal we once made and call the demons that run free back to his realm, if I would ensure he could not be banished again if he were to gain entrance to ours.”

“Wait,” Valdimer said. “You said he would only enter our world if you died before casting the spell he gave you. You haven't cast it yet?” She nodded. “Why?” he asked.

“It is too late,” she said, staring at the ground as she walked. “It is a story I will tell you one day. But if I cast that spell now, I am terrified of what will happen.” Valdimer and Berit both wondered what she could possibly fear more than the hordes of demons that stalked her and the demon lord that held her soul in the palm of his hand.

The group reached the top of the hill, where there was a large white stone. The sky was gray, the clouds heavy with the threat of rain. Warm wind tugged at the grass and caught Rebekka's hair as she brought Hannah to the stone. As they got close, they could see the symbol of Folami etched into the stone's surface. Rebekka stared at it, scowling in silence for a moment before she spoke. “This is the seal that guards Mephutozim's prison. This is where you come in, Hannah. I don't know if you are aware, but I found out that you are the last living descendant of Folami, the demon hunter who banished Mephutozim.” Hannah gasped.

“That explains why you were in Nangarth,” Valdimer said.

Rebekka nodded. “That is where Folami was buried, and where I could find information about his family tree. They wouldn't allow me to enter the mausoleum, but when the demons attacked, nobody noticed an old woman sneaking in to read some old scrolls.”

Zhihao spoke up. “You utilized the demons for your own gain? People died in that attack. If you had avoided the town, the demons would have followed you and they would still be alive.”

“I know that!” Rebekka snapped. “I did what I could to get to this point! And now we're here. Hannah, Folami made sure that if Mephutozim were to escape after his death, he could still be banished without the need for another demon hunter as powerful as himself. He branded Mephutozim with a powerful rune, that if activated, would send it back to Hell. Did your father teach you a chant before he passed?”

“Yes,” Hannah said in amazement. “He always sang this strange nursery rhyme to me. Even after I outgrew them, he insisted that I memorize this chant, and that he would one day tell me what it meant. I always thought it was just in another language, not a spell!”

“On their own, the words are meaningless,” Rebekka said. “But when spoken by a descendant of Folami in the presence of Mephutozim, they would activate his rune. If anyone else were to learn those words, however, it would have no effect. You, Hannah, are the last person that can banish it if he returns.” The wind howled a forlorn song, and the sun began to set somewhere behind the clouds. Hannah blinked, confused as to why Rebekka was looking at her with such sad eyes.

“Your contract,” Berit whispered.

Rebekka's hand that had been gently holding Hannah's arm clenched. Hannah tried to pull away, but Rebekka held fast. “It's you, or the world, Hannah. I have to make it so that Mephutozim cannot be banished.” She drew a dagger from the folds of her tunic. Suddenly, there was growling from behind them. Demons were circling the hill, and some had climbed up the path and were approaching. Dror, Catarina, and Zhihao started trying to fight them off. Valdimer and Berit rushed to their mother.

“What are you saying?” Hannah cried.

“I'm sorry, child,” Rebekka said. “You must die here for this to end.”

Valdimer grabbed her hand. “I can't let you do this. No way.” He glared at her, but was suddenly distracted by a demon that swooped down from the sky. It grabbed at him with its claws, neatly missing Rebekka, and he was forced to throw himself backwards onto the ground in order to keep his head.

Rebekka looked at the chaos that was starting as the battle raged. “This is the only way to stop this!” she shouted over the sounds of demonic roars. “I can't live this life anymore! I don't want to be the source of this horror! More will keep dying, everywhere I go!” She turned back to Hannah. “One innocent life in exchange for hundreds.”

“No!” Valdimer shouted, but more demons surrounded him, preventing him from reaching her. Berit was already firing at them with a crossbow in one hand, and cutting down any that approached her with a short sword in the other. Valdimer unclasped a vial from his jacket and threw it at the demons, sending a shock of electricity arcing between them and giving him time to reach Berit. “We have to stop her!”

“It could be our chance to get her back!” Berit said.

“Not at this cost!” Valdimer shouted back. “It makes us no better than the demons!”

“I...” Berit said, watching the demons surge up from every angle. They stood back to back, Valdimer slinging spells and Berit unleashing iron at any that dared approach. After so many months of fighting these monsters, they had grown into formidable demon hunters. Berit saw that the others were starting to become overwhelmed. She looked back at her mother, pinning Hannah down against the white stone. She saw Hannah's face, streaked with tears. Her mouth was screaming with terror, her eyes wide with fear.

“You're right,” Berit said. The demons were swarming every inch of the hilltop now, except for a tight circle around where Rebekka stood. They were crowded in between her and them.

Valdimer shot off another series of lightning bolts from his rod. “We can't reason with her! We've got to do what we came here to do!” Berit gritted her teeth, but it didn't hold back the tears.

Rebekka finally wrestled Hannah into a position she could hold her in with one hand. The other raised the dagger. “Let this be my repentance for my faults!” she cried. “Let this put an end to the madness! LET THIS BE THE END!”

She gasped as she was struck in the back by two bolts. One of lightning, one from a crossbow. She dropped the dagger and collapsed to the ground. It was another few seconds before she died. Berit and Valdimer could tell, because it was then that the white stone cracked in two, splitting the seal on its surface. The demon horde roiled into a frenzy. Hannah was nearly consumed, but the twins had already slain a path to her and kept the demons at bay.

The horde suddenly backed away. Valdimer and Berit looked at the stone to see a green claw burst from the ground. On the other side of the hill, Zhihao rose from the ground, light spilling from her eyes and hands. A deep voice thrummed through their bones. It said, I AM MEPHUTOZIM. LET MY REIGN ON CALEMOR BEGIN.

Berit and Valdimer looked at each other and nodded.

<< Chapter 9, Past
Chapter 11, Road >>

Past

Glass and Roses, Chapter 9

Catarina stood up after examining the ground. “This is their trail, and it's fresh,” she said. “We don't have much longer before we have caught up to the bulk of the horde.”

Valdimer stood next to her on the hill, overlooking the rolling knolls and patches of woods. He pulled his hood up, unconsciously making sure the others couldn't see the longing on his face. “Are you sure this isn't another straggling group?” he asked.

Catarina gave a sharp nod. “The tracks all move in the same direction, and are spread over a large area. There have to be hundreds of them.”

“Where are they going?” Zhihao wondered out loud. Valdimer took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with a sigh.

“We think someone is summoning them,” Berit said, understanding what Valdimer was thinking. “But we don't know what her purpose is.”

Dror stiffened and looked at her, remembering what he heard at the scrying pool. “It's your mother, isn't it?” he said. Berit nodded.

Valdimer started walking down the hill, and the others followed. He began to speak. “Almost six years ago, our mother seemed to be growing ill. She started acting strange, sneaking out and getting lost at night, forgetting simple things, and no amount of medicine seemed to help. I worked a trading post and Berit took assassination contracts to help pay for the debts we were acquiring. Then...” He trailed off, lost in memory.

Berit continued for him. “One day, I visited Val and our mother to see how she was doing. Val and I were not getting along, and our disagreements piled up into an argument. A loud one. We didn't noticed that Mom had left. When we did, we blamed each other, and stormed out looking for her. We never found her, but we saw what she did.”

“While we were searching,” Valdimer said, “the alarm was suddenly raised. Demons were killing people in the streets, out of nowhere. Berit and I split up...”

“That was the last time we had seen each other before we set out on this quest seven months ago.”

They passed through the shade of a small grove between two hills. Demons had definitely passed through the area, as told from the claw marks on the trees and dying plants. Life was starting to return, despite the corruption. A mourning dove called for its mate, and from far off it was answered. Small patches of green were sprouting up amongst the brown.

Valdimer let Catarina start to lead again. “We both figured out later that it must have been our mother who summoned them,” he said. “We found ritual supplies that she had hid in her room, and found out that she had been doing research on demons. She must have been seeking a cure for her illness.”

“I assumed she had been killed by whatever demon she had summoned,” Berit said.

“I didn't,” Valdimer said. “I knew she was still out there. Otherwise they would have found her body. Demons don't do much cleaning up after themselves.”

Berit smirked. “Neither of us went searching for her, anyway. But Valdimer made sure to pay attention to news coming from almost every town and village in the countryside.”

“And after five years,” he said, “it paid off. I heard of a demon attack believed to be caused by a summoner. It had to be her.”

Dror nodded. “I had never heard of demons breaking into this realm in such huge numbers. Another occurrence like that can't have been a coincidence.”

“I was skeptical at first,” Berit said. “Or maybe I just didn't want to believe it. But in the end, we're helping to stop the outbreaks, even if it's not her.”

“It's her,” Valdimer said, and stopped walking. Berit was about to walk past when she saw that Valdimer wasn't just being confident in his logic. In the grove ahead of them stood two women, one young and one old. They both turned to look at the five approaching adventurers.

“My,” said the old woman, “if it isn't my Val and Berry. Looks like I have some explaining to do.”

<< Chapter 8, Purchase
Chapter 10, Sacrifice >>

Purchase

Glass and Roses, Chapter 8

Berit leaned on the door frame and tried to conceal her concern. “How is he holding up?” she asked.

Valdimer took off his glasses and wiped his brow. He shook his head. “He's not getting worse, but the wound has some sort of magical effect from the demon that inflicted it, and I can't identify it. I'm going to stay with him and make sure nothing changes.”

Berit looked at Dror, lying unconscious on the low bed. He hadn't woken up since he was knocked out by the demon twelve hours ago. Berit tried to say something encouraging, but faltered and simply left. She walked out of the ward where the guards who let them in the city had told them to tend to Dror, and found Zhihao and Catarina waiting for her. The birdfolk ruffled her feathers and stood to attention, while Zhihao only stared at her with wide, worried eyes.

Before they could ask, Berit relayed what Valdimer had told her. “Which means we will be in town for a while,” she continued. “Cat, do you have any way of knowing where the demons went? We were using our last clues to even find that forest.”

Catarina shook her head. “I do not. Our only option is to move east and hope we pick up the trail.” Berit nodded, noticing that she had included herself in the group. Berit had thought the warden would only care whether the demons were in her forest or not, but it seemed she had the ability to think beyond her home.

Berit clapped her hands together. “Then we've got to prepare for that. We can't lose another battle that badly. If Dror doesn't recover, we might be able to find more help, but we'll be losing his experience with us and against demons. We need better equipment.” She smiled. “It's time to go shopping.”

It didn't get the reaction she had hoped. Zhihao blinked and tilted her head. Catarina folded her wings and shuffled her feet. Berit put her arms around their shoulders and began walking them down the street. “Come on, don't give me that! We've got some extra gold, right? There are shops in this city which'll have enchanted armor, warding pendants, and maybe even some magical weapons for sale. Just ask around and we'll find something for each of us!”

“When you say enchanted armor,” Zhihao said, “does that mean I have to wear armor?”

“No,” Berit said. “You can keep your robes. Maybe you can find enchanted robes.”

“But that is not armor.”

“I...I know, I was just...You know, never mind.” She stopped them in front of a trinket store. The sign boldly proclaimed Raganthium's Rarities, the Most Unique Items for the Most Unique Individuals. “This looks like exactly the place we need!” She started walking inside, but Catarina stopped.

“They want us to...enter the building?” Catarina asked. “Is that the custom?”

“Yes,” Berit said airily. “You need to enter the building to see the wares.”

“Not unless they've invited us in, surely?”

“They don't need to invite us.”

“Then how do you stop someone from entering your home, if there are no social norms for these sorts of situations? I would not walk into a bear's cave without permission. I would get eaten.”

“The fact that it is a store is, itself, an invitation to enter,” Berit said. “There are no bears, only a man who wants to take our money in exchange for his stuff.” With that, she opened the door and walked inside. Catarina and Zhihao tentatively followed.

“Welcome!” said the man who must have been Raganthium. He was a blue-scaled dragonborn wearing tacky wizard robes. “Tell me if there's anything Raggy can do for you!”

Berit walked up to his counter and put on her best bargaining voice. “There certainly is! You see, we've run into some trouble lately and plan on getting in a few more fights with some monsters. We need something that can protect us in a fight, both from claw and magic. We wouldn't mind seeing if you had anything that packed a punch either. If you have anything in cloth, leather, or-Zhihao!” she shouted.

Zhihao had picked up a helmet from a shelf underneath a sign that said Do Not Touch. Raganthium let out a yelp that sounded like a puppy who had just been kicked and scurried over to the helmet. He snatched it from Zhihao's hands, put it back on the shelf, and pointed to the sign. “Can't you read?” he snapped.

“No,” Zhihao said.

It wasn't long before they were walking down the street again, empty handed. Berit's hands were balled into fists, and Zhihao and Catarina had to jog to keep up with her stride. “Let's try this one, then,” she said, entering another shop. “And stay by my side this time. Both of you.”

The shopkeeper was an elderly woman with strange tattoos on her neck that slunk down under her collar. She happily started showing them different robes and jewelry that had been enchanted to make the wearer heartier or harder to hit. She handed a pelt chest piece to Catarina, who turned it around in her hands and clicked her beak.

“This is despicable,” she said. The shopkeeper paused in the middle of her sentence to Berit about the runes on a particular amulet.

“I'm sorry?” the old lady said.

Catarina pointed to the fur. “This armor is made from a thunder bear.”

“Yes,” the shopkeeper said. “It is very tough and contains natural magic that will-”

“They are majestic beasts who should not be killed for such selfish purposes!” Catarina yelled, throwing the armor to the ground.

Berit put her head in her hands as they sat on the side of the road. “At least I got this before you had us kicked out again,” she said, fiddling with the amulet around her neck.

“We are sorry,” Zhihao said, and Catarina nodded. “We are just not used to...people.”

Berit sighed and tried to think where they should go next. Her thoughts were interrupted by a rattling sound approaching from down the street. She realized that the foot traffic seemed to have disappeared. She looked up and saw a man pulling a cart heading towards them. The cart was filled with swords, bows, arrows, hammers, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and more. Everything seemed about to fall off, but somehow stayed on the cart even when it went over a bump in the road. The man pulled up next to where the three women sat and turned to smile at them.

“Good afternoon, ladies!” he said. “It looks to me like you could use a bit of magical assistance. What do you need?”

Berit stood up and examined the wares. “Well, I'm looking for a set of leather, my friends wear robes and-”

“No, no, perhaps you misunderstood me,” the vendor said with a chuckle. “Tell me how much you are willing to spend, and I will provide you with as much as I can afford to give for it.”

“Will you let me finish?” Berit snapped. “I'm trying to tell you what we can use.”

The vendor smiled. “No need. Only tell me how much you are offering.”

Berit wrinkled her eyebrows. “Three gold pieces, twenty silver,” she said, starting low and expecting the bargaining process to start.

The vendor, however, simply nodded and started taking things off his cart. “For that I can give you this fine suit of leather, enchanted to make feats of acrobatics more achievable. For your friend, perhaps she would like these gloves that increase the impact of any punches delivered.” Berit looked over at Zhihao, surprised that he had guessed her fighting style. She almost interrupted to ask him how he knew that, but he had already continued to the next item. “And your avian friend might like this belt. It tunes the wearer to the spirit of the land around them, making them both harder to knock around and tougher to kill.” He handed it over with a smile, then held out his hand politely for his payment.

Berit looked at the items, checking to make sure they were real. There was no mistaking the aura of enchantment they each exuded. She looked back up at the smiling vendor. “What if I added in another gold piece?” she asked.

He grabbed a small item from his cart and dropped into Berit's hand. “Then I could add this magic ring. It will help keep the demons at bay,” he said with a wink.

Berit, Zhihao, and Catarina walked back to the ward with their newly acquired goods. Berit was still deep in thought, wondering how the vendor could have known exactly what they needed. She also wondered how he had disappeared so quickly. The crowd had suddenly returned when she had turned around to give the other two their items, and he had been gone the next instant. She pushed the thought from her mind and knocked on the door to the ward.

She opened it to see Dror sitting up, the scar from the demon's claw standing out from the red skin of his bare chest. He smiled at Berit as she walked in, and she returned it. She tossed him the ring and sat down to talk.

<< Chapter 7, Horde
Chapter 9, Past >>

Horde

Glass and Roses, Chapter 7

The moon was waning, only a thin strip of light in the night sky. The stars dodged in and out of the clouds. The crickets and owls that usually filled the forest with noise at night were silent. Dror slashed his dagger to clear a path out of the branches and vines in the underbrush. They moved slowly through the darkness, wary of using light lest they be spotted by something.

Dror heard movement in the bushes to his right, or it might have just been the wind picking up a few leaves. Do demons stalk their prey? he wondered. Then he remembered what Valdimer had told him. Demons are entities of chaos. Each one is different. It bothered him that he couldn't learn something about the creatures they were fighting to use in the next fight.

He stopped suddenly when he saw a figure standing on a boulder in front of him. He dropped into a fighting stance, but realized it was a birdfolk woman wearing furs and pieces of wood for camouflage. Her gray feathers blended in with the murky sky.

“Who goes here?” she commanded.

Dror scanned her up and down. She looked like she hadn't been in a city in several years, and hadn't had a bath in as many months. She was probably some self-proclaimed protector of the forest. He had heard about people who take it upon themselves to patrol natural areas and prevent settlers from moving in. As if the wild monsters couldn't do that themselves.

“We're hunting demons,” Dror answered before Berit or Valdimer could speak. “We mean you no harm, so just let us pass.”

The birdfolk regarded him with a sideways stare. She then stepped down from the rock. “You are heading in the wrong direction, then,” she said. “The demons are heading east.”

“Demons? Traveling in a pack?” Valdimer said. “You mean they've formed a horde?”

“I only know that they corrupt this forest,” the birdfolk said, “and they must be stopped. If you are here to destroy them, I shall join you, as it is not something I can achieve on my own.” She extended a hand, which looked more like a talon, and her feathers on that arm fanned out from her side. “I am Catarina, Warden of the Seltsamwald.” Dror held out his own hand and shook it. At least she knew civilized customs. “Tell me,” Catarina continued, “how did you know to find demons here? They only recently arrived.”

“This was the site of a battle between demons and the legendary hunter, Folami,” Valdimer said. “We thought to come here to see if we could find the spot where the battle took place and learn something from it. We did not expect to actually find demons congregating here.”

“Less of a congregation, more of a swarm,” Catarina said. “And they are on the move, corrupting the forest wherever they go. Come, I will lead the way.”

Valdimer and Berit exchanged a glance. Berit shrugged and started to follow. Zhihao quietly proceeded. Valdimer and Dror took the back and kept an eye out for any stragglers.

Catarina pointed out what they had missed on their way into the forest. Animals were killed from some mysterious illness, or else had fled. Trees had died in full bloom, their leaves already starting to wither and fall. The ground beneath their feet was coarse and dry. All from the demons simply passing through, according to the warden.

It wasn't long before they heard the growls and snarls of a demon that had split off from the horde. It was wrestling with a bear that it had found hiding in its cave. The bear didn't stand a chance as the demon tore into it with vicious claws. Zhihao stepped forward, holding the medallion of Folami out towards the demon.

“Obey!” she commanded, and the demon stopped its rampage, staring up at her. She told it to walk away from them, and it did. She told it to move a little closer, and it did. She told it to run around in a circle and do a little dance, and Valdimer shoved her shoulder and told her to quit playing around. But the demon did obey.

Catarina shook her head, the edges of her mouth tilted into a frown. “I don't know where you got that artifact, but it isn't stopping the beast's corrupting nature. Look.” She pointed at the carcass of the bear, which was already starting to rot and fall apart. “It must be destroyed,” she said.

“Go ahead,” Dror said. “I think it might be nice to have a demon we can control in case we run into any others, but kill it if you must.”

“And what would happen if your robed friend here were attacked?” Catarina said. “Would she be able to keep her concentration to control the demon? More likely it would add one more number to the horde's strength. We must stop that from happening now while we have the chance. Keep it still.” She walked calmly towards the bear's cave where the demon was crouched. It bared its teeth at her, but remained still as long as Zhihao held the medallion. Catarina raised her axe, which looked like it was mostly used for chopping wood, and in a moment the demon was as dead as the bear.

They followed the trail of death that the demons had left in their wake. Berit was able to climb a tree and spot movement of a large group to the east, not far from their current position. It seemed as if the demons were heading somewhere, which according to Valdimer's research, did not normally happen. Demons usually would scatter in random directions to cause chaos everywhere. Everyone was thinking the same thing, and it worried them all equally. Something must be summoning the demons.

Suddenly, there was an inhuman scream. A small shape leapt out of the trees and onto Dror's back. Zhihao held out the medallion and commanded it to stop long enough for Dror to shake it off and slice it in half on the ground. It had barely died when a dozen more demons, large and small, were upon them. Zhihao raised the medallion and shouted, “STOP!” She discovered to her dismay that she could only command one demon at a time. Berit swung her daggers to fend off attacks, and Valdimer cast shields around her and Zhihao. Catarina blocked attacks with her hide shield, retaliating with her axe. Another demon jumped on Dror, and the world went black.

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