The Hunters' Quest

Chapter Three: Echos of the Dead

In the dead of night, the blows of trumpets sound an alarm of attack. I check the door to see if someone is breaking through. My sword is still hovering over the doorframe. Ulrika wakes up in a defensive panic, thrusting me down on the bed with her hand on my chest, takes her sword out from under the bed, then points it around us. Air in the room blows from her power, surging for a moment. I also notice light blue sparks in the air. Once she sees no threat in the room, she leans back on my chest, so I hold her in my arms to make her feel safe. The sparks in the air dissipate without a visible trace.

"Gods. My heart is pounding," Ulrika says, surrendering herself within my embrace. "What the fuck is going on?"

"I'm not sure. Get dressed quickly."

"Right!" We dawn our clothing and armor as quickly as possible, then rush outside to see what's happening. Out in the streets from our building, Kromagian and succubus soldiers enter large portals big enough for the cavalry to run in. Ulrika stops a succubus from running through one to ask her what's going on.

"Nite is counter-attacking. General Oraya is requesting backup to stop their advances," the succubus says. She vanishes into the portal with five other people following behind her. Ulrika holds me from my right side, giving me a soft smile while adjusting my protective collar.

"You're good to go, but are you ready, my love?"

"I'm ready," I say.

"Stay close to me, and do not hesitate."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I told you not to say that." I shrug my shoulders to show I don't care as I enter the portal. I immediately get thrown into the battlefield. Several yards ahead, I see Nite soldiers wearing black and purple garments rush toward me in a wave.

"Ulrika, get your lightning ready!"

"Okay!" I shove my fingers into the dirt, casting a lava trap on the rushing wave. It shoots out gushing lava, hitting some of them, but it is not enough to stop their advance. "Kaio, give me your sword. I got an idea." My sword moves into her hand with a mental command. Her lightning power enfolds around my sword in a spectacular light show. The wind around us picks up as if we are in a tornado. The dirt and rocks circle us, but they fall down once she throws my sword at the Nite forces. It impales one cultist, then shocks and kills some around that guy. "Try to get the other ones before my power dissipates!" I command the sword to impale as much as possible before her power leaves it. It slays ten cultists before losing its magical enhancement.

"It's done!" I return it to my hand. Some of the blood on the blade splash on my forearm.

"We've stopped their line. Our armies are pushing them back."

"That's good," I say, checking our surroundings. Far in the distance to Ulrika's right, where the city is, there's an approaching cavalry of succubi with long spears. They ram the cultist head-on like a hot knife going through soft butter. Ulrika and I can't witness their carnage because we have to engage in heavy combat with cultists near us. Every so often, I feel her wind grazing across my damp skin when she activates her ability. "I can feel your power!"

"My what?"

"Your pow—" A cultist flies by me unexpectedly from one of her lighting blasts. It distracts my opponent enough for me to send out a powerful blast to his chest. He flies back, but I use a tether to bring him back to die with a blow of my sword. She runs past me to strike down another cultist coming at me. One arrives at her blindside from her back right, but I protect her by throwing my sword at him.

"I saw him coming. Thanks, by the way." Someone on the cultists' side blows a horn. They start retreating to their line. Once they reach a certain distance away from us, they teleport in a purple flash. Anyone left behind gets killed by our armies.