Boots of Booty | ONC 2023

Part 12

27. Dark Night of the Soul

Sarophax's scream of rage echoed in the vast, empty hall. A flurry of slashes with her claws rent Tash's body. Chunks of leather and flecks of Tash's blood flew outward in a flurry. The demon ended her eruption with a brutal kick. Stronger than a human by far, the blow sent Tash flying yards away. Her body rolled, then piled to an insensate, motionless heap.

The sight contracted Séa's belly into a dense, dead knot of infinite gravity. Hot tears flooded her eyes and she wailed, "Tash, my love. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I was supposed to die first."

The succubus snatched the longsword from the floor and whirled on Séa. "Grab her, boys."

The demonic minions obeyed. In a moment, they gripped her arms. It didn't seem necessary. The circlet's geas still held Séa's limbs imprisoned.

Between spasms of grief the paladin prayed, "Lend me hope from your endless fountain, Endurer, for my light has died and I have none left of my own."

Sarophax dug the point of the sword into Séa's leather-covered chest. Pain radiated from the spot, and yet Séa barely felt it.

"And you," the succubus screamed at Séa, "can fucking ... stop ... praying."

Stop praying.

The geas settled over Séa like a lead blanket of chainmail. A blankness blotted the world away into a blizzard of arctic white. The bleak whiteout wiped away her voice, her lifelong training, her very self. Blades and bolts of unseen lightning laced the unquiet void in which Séa writhed, bringing agony beyond anything she had ever imagined.

In the distant realm of the here and now, the succubus exhaled in a huff. "Finally. Well, this isn't fun anymore. Goodbye."

Séa's eyes closed.

Sarophax swung the sword, angled to behead the paladin.

The blade bit— into the head of the incubus that held her arm. With a shrug of her shoulder, Séa had sent the fellow into the path of the slicing blade.

The paladin's eyes opened, and they shone a silvery white. "Don't tell me," she murmured, "not to pray."

Sarophax backpedaled. The sword remained embedded in the skull of the incubus minion, who screamed and spasmed, ripping the hilt from the succubus's grasp. The other minion drew his own sword and aimed its tip at Séa's midsection.

"You are banished," Séa told the swordsman.

He exploded into a cloud of black smoke.

"Stop!" Stop! "Stay still!" Stay still.

"No, demon," Séa said. "I love my god. I love him."

The demon with the sword through his head lost its human shape. Its skin blackened, and horns extruded. Its eyes burned orange-red. Wildly, it clutched at Séa.

"You're banished, too," she said. Her body began to glow a divine blue as the demon's presence on the material ended and the swords clattered to the floor.

Sarophax's eyes squeezed to slits to block the divine radiance. She had become the sole operational demon in the room. She backpedaled and her mouth dropped open. "Unbelievable." Her voice rasped.

Séa scooped up the longsword and advanced upon her.

For a split second, the succubus held still. But the tiny flash of courage ended swiftly. With a whimper, she swiveled and pelted for the door. Her demonic tail lashed under her dress.

From the floor, Tash spoke, little louder than a whisper. "Stop her, Séa. She's going to get the king, who will command the guards."

Séa's stomach leapt. Heat flamed in her cheeks. As if enchanted, her feet veered toward the crumpled pile of leather and rat's nest of black hair. The paladin slid to the marble floor and scooped the battered half-elf into her arms.