Crepuscule Rondo
Seth's heart thundered loudly enough that he feared it might be heard over the roar of laughter and cheers. An inconspicuous glance towards the brightly colored bodies gathered about a great wooden tub only reaffirmed how foolish the thought was, but it never hurt to be cautious. It was certainly possible that someone might become suspicious of him and for more of a reason than the imagined drumming within his chest.
He was a stranger among friends and family.
Of course, they mostly didn't notice. Seth hadn't even had to cast the glamour himself-it was already in place. He merely slipped into synch with it, like snuggling beside another and sharing the blanket. Only without them knowing. Sighing, he busied himself by plucking an apple from the overflowing banquet table and stuffed it into one of the pockets of his long dark coat. Another glance across the table and he swept a sticky sweetbun and a handful of soft cheese cubes onto a cloth napkin, bundling it up and also stuffing it unceremoniously into a pocket. Hopefully he remembered to eat them later; he couldn't recall when it was last that he sat down and ate something.
Left without further options with which to stall, he decided that now was as good a time as ever. He turned and strode by dancing pairs and the circle of those bobbing for apples. A beautiful feline female, fur a silky white, leaned against a pearl hued wall of the hall tonight's party was being held in. She spoke softly to a reptilian gentlemen whose infatuation with her was painfully obvious, though Seth could relate quite easily. The female flirted without trying, tongue playing with her small muzzle, flesh barely contained by low and high cut clothing. A gentle seductiveness touched all of her little expressions.
She glanced up as he approached, her eyes meeting his before traveling down to appraise him appreciatively. A confident grin flashed from his muzzle and it wasn't all playacting-more than one female had commented on his attractive appearance, in not so simple words. He was of lupine birth, fur as dark as night, well toned and muscled. The addition of golden eyes and long hair that fell down across his neck in a tight, single braid gave him a fierce look. Wild yet gentlemanly, they said, a perplexing and intoxicating combination only enhanced by his personalty and accent.
It always made him laugh-in his mind he was merely himself-but tonight he was thankful for the knowledge. "Evening Cousin, milady."
Irritated at the interruption, the reptilian male turned with parting lips but hesitated when he saw Seth. "Er, evening to you as well, Cousin."
"Evening," the female said in a soft voice, her eyes once again touching his.
"Pardon my interruption," he began smoothly. "But I noticed that you have been standing here speaking for some time, kindling my fear that perhaps you intended to walk onto the dance floor together. As that does not seem to be the case, may I rudely ask for a dance?"
The female smiled cutely, handing him her hand while turning to the reptile. "If you would excuse me.."
"Of course. Do enjoy yourselves." The reptile was obviously disappointed, but only smiled at them before moving off in search of another partner.
Pleased, he led the feline towards the banquet table lining the corner nearest the entrance, which was opposite the direction of the dance floor proper. When he turned to face her the feline had her head tilted and one eyebrow raised curiously. One of her ears was also half bent, tail swishing slowly. The entire image was terribly alluring and he wondered briefly if she even noticed the effect she had on males.
"I lied when I said that I wished to dance," he told her with a smile. "It may me a bit bold of me to ask, but would you care for some..intimate company?"
The female giggled, a dainty little hand rising to cover her mouth. "Oh my. And who is it that would ask for my kisses before my name?"
"Cavil," he lied. "And yours?"
"Seline."
He lifted her hand and brushed his lips against her knuckles. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, then."
"Not as pleased as you will be," was her seductive reply, tail tip moving to stroke down along his leg.
They left the noise and warmth of the massive hall to walk in the cool night of the courtyard. Then, once they were secluded in the shadow of a pillar, obscured by several meticulously trimmed trees and hedges, he pressed her back against stone. Her tongue brushed across her lips as he neared, her eyes closing expectantly. He let out a quiet sigh, familiar and cold calm easing into his muscles. In one smooth motion he clamped a hand over her muzzle while the other drew a kukri forged from enchanted silver.
Seline's eyes flew open, but immediately fluttered half closed as his knife pierced flesh and slid between her ribs. A heartbeat longer and her body went still, slumping lifelessly alongside the fading glamour she had been maintaining. Blood oozed from the wound as he withdrew the knife, wiping it on her pretty dress and returning it to its hidden harness. Mechanically he set her down and pulled up her dress. On the outside of her left thigh was a sable mark that pulsated when his hand drew near, lines twisting and turning to form an emblem he knew all too well.
"You were right again, Master.."
A moment passed before he sighed and nodded, standing up to face Nauv, another black wolf who regarded him with calm dark eyes. "The third we've found today."
"Something powerful is driving them to risk detection." It was an observation, his companion's voice steady. "A daemon hoping to cross?"
"Looks like it," he told her, clenching his jaw. "Haven't hunted a daemon in a while, especially on All Hallows Eve."
Nauv crouched, glancing from the corpse to him. A faint smile crept across her lips. "Sounds like fun, Master."
Seth grinned and shook his head, silently motioning for her to follow him. He left the body were it was despite knowing it would eventually be discovered and cause panic, but he had larger worries at the moment. They moved through the courtyard side by side, greeting several masked and elaborately dressed nobles with polite smiles. The city loomed around them as they left the gates behind, the pale light of moon and stars mixing together with that which spilled from lampposts. Beggars hoping to exchange prayers for food filled the wider cobblestone roads.
They weaved into a quiet and darkened street free of the beggars. With a sigh he sat down on a filthy set of stairs leading up to one of the homes without lit windows. Nauv watched him patiently, her nose twitching for a moment before she raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. Her hand reached into his pocket, curiously withdrawing the bundle of food and apple.
She gave him a reproachful look after examining the items. "Master..."
"I was planning on eating..." he replied sheepishly. "Eventually. Right now we have more urgent problems, and-."
He stopped as her frown deepened, and sighed. Wordlessly she opened the bundle, tore the sweetbun in half, and offered him a portion expectantly. He took it and shoved it all into his mouth, tasting honey and soft pastry bread, then fit in the cheese cubes she handed him whenever he could. Nauv nibbled on her own share, her dark eyes watching him.
Seth chewed nosily, his mind on the hunt now before them. A daemon wouldn't normally risk breaching the Veil unless it had assistance. After entering their world it would be weakened for some time, and so would its witches and warlocks. If there was ever a perfect time to attempt it however, tonight was it. During All Hallows Eve the Veil thinned, making a breach far easier. Daemons and those who drew magic from them also became far more powerful, enough to negate nearly all of a crossover's effect. But those who served the Night, like he and Nauv, also grew stronger during All Hallows Eve. Ultimately, it still wasn't enough enticement for a daemon to risk making the crossover on its own..so someone was likely aiding the daemon.
Well, they would have their answers eventually. If a daemon had recently crossed over it was only a matter of time before they would find it. Seth stood, accepted the half eaten apple his apprentice offered, then grasped his kukri while biting down. He worked a minor scrying spell through his body, using the bloodstains on the blade as a foci.
Tendrils of his power snaked outwards in a flash, seeking even the faintest scent of taint matching that in the blood of the witch. A few moments passed, the silence broken only by the distant voices of beggars, then he suddenly felt a powerful backlash. He staggered in pain, but was quickly steadied by Nauv. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and focused his mind inward, towards the spell he was channeling.
Wards he had been expecting, but this was something else. The entire city was shielded, the magic cold and clean of personal signs, which alone told him volumes. It didn't simply turn aside his scrying however, but also struck back at the source. He dismissed the spell with a mere thought, then straightened himself.
"By the Night, what was that?" Nauv asked him, concern bright in her eyes.
"Something is shrouding the entire city. That's probably also the spell the witches we hunted were helping to maintain.."
Nauv snorted. "That still doesn't tell us how-"
"I don't know how it still managed to stop me," he said, shrugging. "But I did manage to catch the scent of taint in several places anyway."
"You broke through?" she asked curiously.
Seth looked thoughtful. "More like they intentionally weren't covering those portions of the city."
"Traps?"
"Or something they believed spells wouldn't hide even if effort was wasted on them. Come."
Seth briefly considered retrieving their horses, but decided against it. They could always commandeer mounts if needed. Instead, they moved at a brisk pace through the winding and turning streets, reaching the Esran District after crossing over the river bridge. Here the taint was strong enough that even Nauv's ears and fur perked up, but the streets were quiet.
Tuned on the foul sour taste of daemon magic, they made their way forward until they stood before a large blocky building towering over two lightless cafés. Gold and white flags draped from its sides, the emblem of the ducal guard proudly displayed. Armed guardsmen in similarly colored livery patrolled nervously, their eyes flicking to every shadow that danced. Near the large gate of the garrison a silver ursine sat upon horseback, body massive and scarred. Armor rested on him like a second layer of fur and an eyepatch only served to enhance his frightening visage. He spoke with a line of soldiers, making wide gestures.
Seth observed the scene with mild amusement, but was really focused on the source of the taint. Beside him Nauv's tail brushed against his own while it swept thoughtfully, her eyes joining his in the search. But just before he came to the conclusion that they wouldn't be able to find anything from a distance, the ursine turned his deep blue eyes towards them. They widened, and of all things relief spread across his features.
Bewildered, he didn't react as the ursine's horse suddenly began galloping towards them.
"You two! Please, stay where you are!" the brute bellowed, drawing near. Nauv tensed, but he calmed her with a gentle brush of his tail and waited cross-armed as the guardsman drew near. "You two..you're dread knights, yes? Drawn by the taint?"
"We're simply passing through," he replied evenly.
"Don't give me that bullock." The ursine growled and slid off his mount. "I've had the displeasure of working with a pair of your ilk before. I'm Captain Parm, of the ducal guard. We could sincerely use your help, which shouldn't be a problem since I believe we're hunting the same daemon."
Seth raised an eyebrow. "Continue."
"That's more like it." Parm grinned, then his face twisted into something resembling regret and despair. "I know what's happening in the city. All a bloody mess, some of which is my fault. You see.."
He listened as Parm told him a somewhat amusing story. Apparently, the duke of Lucvat was twice an ill-tempered narcissist and thrice a fool. He was openly despised by the cityfolk and his peers, but was so arrogant that he merely punished them unlawfully at whim. His personal followers were kept loyal through fear and favor, but many, like Parm, desired more than females, coin, and power. They wanted justice and peace. So they schemed to overthrow Duke Lucvat and found themselves short of manpower. The answer, as Seth had guessed, had been daemonurgy on All Hallows Eve. Less power would be required to draw forth a bit of support for their forces and the witches and warlocks would be all the more powerful this night.
The deal was simple. In exchange for its assistance, the daemon would be protected during its weakened state and allowed to leave the city unharmed after its service was complete.
"So the daemon and its servants help with your little rebellion in exchange for you helping it cross over?"
"Aye," Parm replied quietly.
"An idiot's idea if I ever heard one," Nauv replied, laughing shortly. "Did you ever consider to think that maybe the daemon was deceiving you? Or that you wouldn't be able to stop it from doing what it wanted once it recovered?"
Parm shrugged. "This is something I realize now, young lady. My men and I were originally part of the forces joining the coupd'état, but we have since had a change of heart. I argued against the plan and was turned aside, so I warned as many of the loyalist captains as I could and hoped the dark magic would draw those more skilled in dealing with these nightmares."
"And the duke..?"
"Knows, but threatened to cut off my tongue if I bothered him with such 'childish nonsense' again."
"Seems like your duke is getting what he deserves," Seth replied, grinning. "A we don't do political. We-"
"I'm aware." Parm's expression showed he was not a man used to pleading. "You will only have to deal with the daemon and neither I nor my men expect any more assistance afterward."
Seth turned to Nauv. "What do you think?"
She shrugged and curled her tail. "We're here for the daemon. This doesn't change anything."
"You have your answer, then." He looked back at Parm. "I'm Seth and this is my apprentice Nauv. Now that we're working together perhaps you can tell me why the taint here isn't hidden."
The ursine frowned, confusion slowly spreading. "What do you mean..?"
The captain's confusion puzzled Seth for a moment, then it dawned on him. The areas without warding would no doubt be the locations of the loyalist forces. Which meant.. He sprinted towards the garrison, Nauv just behind him. Parm called out to him in surprise, but led his horse and followed when it became obvious that Seth wasn't stopping.
"What's wrong, dread knight?"
"Your friends might have already conjured up an insurance."
With a thought Seth draped the Night around him, relishing its intoxicating power. His eyes pierced the shadows, seeing what wished to remain unseen. Guardsmen eyed him nervously, but seeing Parm beside him seemed to calm them. Immediately he spotted the spidery webwork of dark sorcery patterned throughout the walls and stone, a delicate network of magic and glyphs set to be remotely invoked.
Nauv looked thoughtful, tail swishing slowly. "A spell of calling, Master."
He couldn't tell, but trusted her analysis. Females were far more sensitive to magic anyway. As soon as she murmured those words however the sound of running feet reached his ears. They all turned to watch one of the guardsmen take off running into the night, his hand desperately thumbing a small obsidian object in his hand. Seth frowned.
Parm growled in irritation. "Why is-"
"He was working for your previous companions, it seems. That object in his hand probably sent a warning to the daemon's servants." Seth drew his kukri and watched Nauv do the same, her body easing into the relaxed state it always did before battle. "Prepare yourselves, gentlemen, as they'll likely choose to activate the spell ahead of time than give you the opportunity to warn the others."
Almost as if in response a sensation of breaking washed over them, prickly and warm. Then the sourness of daemonic sorcery poured like suffocating smoke. Large orange objects began to quickly rise from the earth around them, stone and soil rippling like liquid. Seth realized that they were pumpkins as they emerged, with four perfect circles carved on each side. Within the hallow interiors he could see beating hearts and knew they had once belonged to innocents, harvested to make these horrifying abominations.
"By the kings long dead, what are they?!" Parm exclaimed, a heavy axe firmly held in two hands.
"Blood lanterns," Seth answered flatly. These daemonic constructions were beyond the average users of daemonurgy.
The blood lanterns continued rising, twig-like hands and feet protruding from a misshapen body formed of twisting vines. Each hand that surfaced grasped an oversized butcher's knife while the other held an oval mask. When each blood lantern had fully emerged the nightmarish creatures donned the masks over the hole facing them, each a contorted expression painted white, and brandished the cleavers before them.
The watching guardsmen all now held blades in hand, but most of them also bore expressions of pure terror. Some of them even openly trembled, their steps slowly retreating. Parm barked at his men to defend the garrison just before the first of the blood lanterns surged forward with inhuman speed and agility. Forced awake by the sound of their captain's voice, most of the guardsmen avoided being gutted in the first weave.
Most of them.
Seth ignored the tide of crimson sweeping across stone and raised his kukri. Another hot flash and the Night draped over his shoulders, bolstering his senses, enhancing mind and body. Then the blood lantern nearest him, wading through the innards of an unfortunate guardsman, burst apart with an exaggerated spray of blood. His tail swept out to retain his balance as he spun and caught a butcher-knife approaching from behind, then his kukri flashed forward and pierced both mask and heart. The blood lantern exploded in a wave of warm fluid and pumpkin husk.
Nauv moved like the wind beside him, spinning and sprinting and kicking. Her kukri was a blur in the moonlight as it pierced hearts all around her, causing a chain of bloody explosions. Seth had always thought that she never quite looked as beautiful as when she was in battle. Parm fared a little less as well, fresh wounds weeping against his silver fur, but his sweeping axe cleaved without hesitation. Unfortunately, most of the guardsmen hesitated in surprise at seeing the amount of blood the creatures released upon their death or were already mostly frozen in fear at the sight of them. Their hesitation cost them their lives, but there wasn't much Seth could do as the causalities began to pile.
Toned muscles contracted as he outmaneuvered a blood lantern, just barely out of reach of its too-quick stabs, then his kukri rushed forward and the arm detached. Smoothly he caught the freed butcher knife, threw it at a leaping blood lantern behind him, then spun and finished the one he had been fighting. Another blood lantern approached from his side and he was too slow in avoiding it, but managed to get away with only a shallow line across his arm while Nauv plunged her blade into it. He let her graceful momentum carry her pass him and stepped into two just behind her, their attention on her dancing tail. He lopped one cleanly in half and slammed his boot into the second. The heart fell onto the street, still sickly beating. He crushed it beneath a boot, then turned to find another target.
What greeted him was sudden stillness and a deep silence broken only by ragged breaths and pained whimpering. Blood pooled in thick puddles all around them, coursing down the walls surrounding the garrison. Considerably fewer guardsmen were left standing, but not all that littered the floor were dead. Many were wounded, some as badly injured as to be missing entire limbs. Seth saw familiar emotions in their eyes: terror, hysterical disbelief, and simple tired nonchalance.
"We have to retreat to the castle and protect the duke," Parm quietly said as he glanced around, his fur nearly stained pure red and sticky. Not that he or Nauv were any better off.
Seth decided not to point out that the few remaining guardsmen in shape to fight wouldn't be nearly enough to stop even a single witch or warlock, nor did he mention that he doubted the other garrisons around the city had fared any better.
Instead, he simply said, "Let's go."
Obtaining horses for the few still able to fight turned out to be simple. Parm usually kept enough for half the garrison stabled at any one time. He and Nauv followed just behind Parm as he pushed his mount towards the castle looming in the distance, eleven guardsmen behind them. None of them spoke as they rode, their expressions grim, but as they neared the towers and battlements Seth called a halt. Parm glanced at him with forced patience, obviously eager to die to for his fool of a duke.
"Listen," he said to the captain.
"Master is right," Nauv said, nodding as her ears flicked. "We should have heard the sounds of battle by now."
"Maybe they haven't advanced yet. They did set their pets on us a little early," Parm suggested.
"True. Or the battle's already over."
"No," Parm replied, his face hardening. "It's barely been more than an hour. Even if the guardsmen from the other garrisons hadn't yet made it the ducal guard stationed at the castle should have held at least a little longer."
Seth shrugged, then eased his mount into the lead, Nauv just behind. The gates were devoid of life, not a single soul standing watch. The portcullis were lifted, so they urged their horses into the courtyard. Again not a single body or splash of blood was among the benches and potted trees, but the horses were hesitant to go any further. He knew why; the taint was heavy in the air, a heavy taste in his mouth that reminded him of ash and soured pomegranate.
"Something daemonic is here."
Parm gave him a sidelong glance, but dismounted anyway and moved towards the large archway, axe in hand. His guardsmen rushed to follow.
Sighing, he gestured for Nauv to join him beside the horses. "They're not our concern. Focus on the taint and ready yourself for any surprises."
"Yes, Master."
Kukri in hand, they entered the archway leading into the bowels of the castle. A rancid scent immediately overpowered that of the taint, a mixture of rotting flesh and charred meat. He and his apprentice glanced at each other, then moved forward side by side through the lavish halls. Eventually they reached the double stairs curving up towards the second floor, a massive oak door spread open between where they ended. They moved up one of the carpeted stairways and beyond the crystalline chandeliers before cautiously stepping through the oaken doorway.
Parm was kneeling, his axe discarded, his face twisted with utter belief. Most of his men had dropped their weapons as well, spread behind him in a half circle. Seth saw why. All around blood stained the tall audience chamber and poured across nearly every surface. Corpses bathed the floor like a nightmarish carpet while countless other bodies were impaled to the walls by massive shards of obsidian. In the center of it all, sitting casually even as blood dribbled down from the ceiling in thick streams, was a green scaled dragon that Seth recognized from Parm's description as Duke Lucvat.
The duke's eyes rose to them as they entered, his expression one of mere annoyance. "Dread knights? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."
"What...happened?" Seth finally asked. "Are these the corpses of the rebels, Parm?"
"Yes, dread knight." Parm's voice was heavy. "My companion, the one who led them, is among these broken corpses."
Nauv's eyes moved calmly through the slaughter. "Though no witches or warlocks rest among them, nor the remains of a daemon."
Seth realized that she was right, odd as it was. The duke smiled at her, tail coiling fluidly beside him.
"The traitors sought to overthrow me through the use of daemonurgy, trading a greater evil for a lessor in their minds." The duke laughed. "They did not expect the daemon which heeded their call to have been an associate of mine. Imagine that! Of course, I figured that this would be a good opportunity to draw out all my enemies at once and destroy the survivors' support with the people. A delightful outcome for me, not to mention I've also found myself with a new ally as well... Speaking of which, here it is now."
A faint ripple radiated through the room. One of the large arched doors to either side of his throne swung open, revealing a massive arm. The rest of the daemon slowly entered, tall as three males, leathery skin a grayish-purple. Eight ebon horns curving from its head down along its back, centered between six bat-like wings. Hooves ended its feet, though they were far less menacing than the claws that tipped its bulging arms.
Seth took a step back in surprise at seeing a daemon lord.
"You have too many enemies, my dear duke," the daemon lord said in mock annoyance, forked tongue brushing across its misshapen lips. "Ah, and dread knights as well?"
Two lapine figures draped in black followed behind the daemon, the veiny markings on their face telling him they were longtime warlocks. Green-black flame danced along their arms, crackling with magic and taint.
The daemon lord laughed at his obvious discomfort. "I have been named Zalfrigg, walker of the Night. Remember it in the afterlife."
With that Zalfrigg's warlocks brought their hands together and chanted for mere moments before sending bolts of soulfire searing towards the gathered guardsmen. Parm had enough sense to try scrambling out of the way and the attempt saved his life. A bolt seared by him and left a deep scorch across his back, biting through even the armor. He bellowed in pain, but his cry was drowned out by the wailing of the unfortunate soul who had been directly hit by the soulfire. It erupted in a splash of green flame, catching two others and quickly reducing them to ash. The other bolt crashed into the floor and spread green flame to one of the guardsmen, wounding but not killing him. The unnatural fires died out after a few seconds.
Seth took a deep breath. "Leave the daemon to me, Nauv. Focus on the warlocks."
Though he could tell merely by the hesitant tensing of her body that she wanted to join him against the daemon, she only nodded and spread out towards the right. He moved straight forward, pushing aside the stumbling soldiers of the ducal guard. One of the warlocks focused on him and took aim. The Night bathed him in power. His kukri shun midnight blue as he thrust it forward into the rushing bolt of soulfire, watching it vanish with a fizzle in satisfaction. Zalfrigg growled and stormed forward, his wings propelling him at an alarming speed. A claw missed him just barely, but then something else swept right after it and he barely had time to conjure defenses around himself before a blunt force sent him flying into one of the chamber pillars.
Blinking, he saw that he had been hit by a long, snake-like tail. It was absurdly long, the end tipped with the blade end of a wicked scythe. The daemon lifted it for the kill, but before it sliced downwards Seth managed to roll out of the way and barely avoid it. The blade cut cleanly through the pillar, but he was already focusing on another torrent of soulfire.
Ears flat against his skull, he spun between them and winced at the searing pain from a near miss. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw one of the warlocks spin and conjure an emerald blade just in time to catch Nauv's kukri, but his exaggerated and heavy reaction prevented him from striking back. Snapping back to the daemon, he watched Zalfrigg struck again and again with his tail, but this time Seth was ready. Enhanced by the Night, he out stepped each blow, his kukri flashing in each time to carve sizzling marks in the daemon's flesh, each met by a deafening roar.
Zalfrigg swept his tail wildly through the room, smashing pillars, catching a few remaining guardsmen, and nearly slicing an indignant Duke Lucvat wide open. Seth neatly flipped over it and took the opportunity to carefully sprint across the sea of corpses and trip the warlock Nauv was fighting, turning to deflect the blade of the other as she went in for the kill. A blur of black told him Nauv was moving forward, so he left the warlock and refocused on the approaching daemon.
A slow breath escaped his lips, then he drew again on the Night. It tore into him, fed on strength and vitality as its price, but he ignored the white pain. A moment of darkness and disorientation passed and then he was above the charging daemon lord, falling downwards. He landed neatly and plunged his kukri into the leathery flesh. Midnight blue erupted brilliantly and the daemon stumbled. Seth slid down its back while dragging the knife and then vanished again when the scythe-tail came seeking him.
He reappeared into a roll beside Parm, the ursine warrior watching the daemon with a subdued expression, axe in hand.
"Cut off the tail when I signal." he tiredly whispered to the warrior. Parm glanced at him and simply nodded.
Seth rushed back in, but the daemon abruptly turned away from him and backhanded across where Nauv was battling the remaining warlock. They were both sent flying, the warlock's head making a sickening noise as it slammed into a slanted pillar. Nauv landed heavily and slammed into the wall further away.
Seth winced, then shouted, "Move, Nauv!"
She tried to do just that, but ended up half crawling away, one leg twisted at an odd angle. He sprinted across the corpses and rubble towards her as the daemon chuckled in dark glee. The scythe-tail rose when Zalfrigg drew near, but its quick death-strike soared towards him instead of Nauv. Expecting the surprise attack, Seth neatly rolled underneath and sent his kukri soaring through the air. It plunged into the daemon's eye and rewarded him with an enraged bellow. Seth used the opportunity to move to Nauv, slipping and stumbling.
A quick glance told him that she wouldn't be able to move, much less help him fight. Her body was covered in seeping cuts and burnt fur and he could tell that she was mentally running through the pain control exercises he had taught her while still further dulling the pain with summoned cold.
"Leave me, I'll be fine," Nauv mumbled as she looked up at him.
He took her kukri, then, ignoring both her pain and her condition, grasped the cuff of her coat, willed the Night into his muscles, and threw her towards Parm as Zalfrigg neared. As soon as she left his grasp the daemon's tail crashed down on him. Jagged pain rushed through his body as he blinked through the haze, spotting the daemon's grinning maw above.
A battle shout sounded behind Zalfrigg, followed by Parm's muscled form. His massive axe came down on the daemon's tail, splattering nosily into leathery flesh. It sunk halfway through, but not enough to sever it. Zalfrigg angrily sent the ursine flying, then again focused on Seth. Well, so much for that.
"Enough!" it bellowed.
I agree, he thought grimly.
Channeling as much of the Night as his body could endure, Seth flipped onto his feet and strode forward. Zalfrigg clawed at him, but he managed to evade it with an agile roll. Another swipe from the opposing arm and he leapt far above it, but now his trajectory was set. Zalfrigg's scythe-tail rushed from beside him and soared towards Seth. He twisted his body and felt a sharp flicker of pain, then nothing. Ignoring the sensation, he pooled his power into a concentrated spell and plunged the kukri into Zalfrigg, then used his weight drag the blade down across its other hearts.
Midnight blue bathed the room as he was flung away by the sheer force of the spell. Streaks of hungry magic surged through the daemon, ravaging him. Seth could sense the daemon lord struggling to muster defenses, but his wounds and weakness from recently crossing over impeded the calling forth of its power. Soon the daemon lord was on its knees, gasping and snarling, and a moment later the massive nightmare fell face first and quickly dissipated into inky swirls of vapor.
The daemon lord wasn't exactly dead, but it wouldn't have the strength to cross from its plane again for several generations. That would have to be enough, because right now he felt a little dizzy. With the way Nauv was staring at him, he figured something was wrong with him. Glancing down it suddenly dawned that his left arm was missing. Another rush of dizziness washed over him as the realization hit him, then he fell back.
Parm rushed to his side while arguing with someone, the duke Seth assumed, and lifted his head up. Weakly Seth clutched his arm and croaked, "Bring...Nauv...here."
The ursine looked confused for a moment, but vanished and then reappeared with Nauv easily cradled in his arms. He set her down, then shouted some orders and ran off. Surprisingly, several other shadowed figures ran by him as well, the clink of chainmail and sheathes strangely loud.
"Here, Master." Nauv drew a small utility knife from her coat and carefully cut her hand, then offered it to him. Dark violet blood oozed from the wound, matching his own blood. He lapped at it slowly, his mind divided between the pain and using his power to still the loss of blood.
Soon the haze, and then the pain dulled. Her hand withdrew and offered him the knife. Licking the sticky blood from his chops, he cut his own hand and offered her his own blood. Parm returned not long after, frowning as he watched them.
"I don't know what the hell you're doing, but I hope it's some dread knight trick because otherwise I doubt you'll survive a wound like that," Parm said.
"I'll be fine," Seth replied. "Dread knight's blood other than our own will enhance our ability to regenerate. I'll even get my arm back..." He smiled gently. "Eventually."
"I see." Parm let out a long sigh. "Well, then. We have plenty to thank you both for even if settling down the cityfolk will take months of work." He made a face. "It's pretty bad out in the other garrisons. Worse, in several districts the monsters ended up spilling into the city proper."
Seth shook his head and immediately regretted it. "And the duke?"
"Bloody fool called up the guardsmen stationed here at the castle when you toppled his daemon friend, but even they didn't want anything to do with daemonurgy. I promised them light sentences if they helped apprehend the duke and then all of a sudden they were eager enough to be useful." Parm laughed without much humor. "He'll get what's due."
"Well, happy to hear that worked out," he said dryly. With some effort he shifted to lean back against the bloodied wall of the audience chamber.
"What about you and the lass? Think you're overdue a vacation?"
"No," he said after a moment. "We have several hunts lined up already."
"You'll kill yourself hunting with those wounds. Why don't-"
"We'll be fine."
Parm shrugged, then said, "If you need anything at all, supplies, food, a hot bath, let me know. I'll make sure you get it, and quick."
He strode off through the field of corpses and sea of blood, barking orders at the retching soldiers now filling the chamber. Seth watched them idly for a while, his mind shifting one by one through the other hunts he had mentioned. A vacation sounded good, but it was unnecessary. They would heal in a day or two, or at least enough to continue their duties, and then the Night would urge them onward. That was a dread knight's life; Usually thankless, always dangerous, and ultimately pointless. There was no glorious righteousness, no noble protection of those guarded beneath wing, no grand war to which a victory was in sight or epic tale to which there was an end. Simply the endless slaughtering of nightmares most didn't even know existed.
Nauv dragged herself beside him and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. He closed his as well, breathing deep and slow, ears and tail limp. Well, whatever tomorrow may bring, it wasn't important right now.
At the very least they had earned a moment's rest.