The Heroes of The Elemental Academies Book 3 The Tides of War

Chapter 31: A Dance with Demons

  Seth
   Seth cast his eyes about as they hurried down the corridor toward the throne room. Elvalyn told him that Orion held her father there on full display. It was the fiends way of mocking her father. At the end of the hall they were in a single iron door stood. He went to the door and put his ear up against it. The last thing he wanted was to believe they were safe only to rush headlong into a room full of demons. Seth had managed to retrieve Sonfang from a storage room that served to store confiscated weapons. It felt good to feel the familiar weight banging against his thigh as he shuffled along as fast as his injured legs would allow. He didn't feel complete without the swords.
"We need to find a way out of here, so that we can warn the academies," he said aloud.
Aisha flashed him a puzzled look.
"Warn them about what?" Seth paused to listen for any noise before continuing.
"I'm only saying this in case you escape and I don't but this demon Orion plans to attack the Normal World with the forces he holds here."
"What!?" The exclamation came from Elvalyn. "Don't you have a treaty stating that attacks of the forbidden world by an army are forbidden neither the Academies nor the demons can appear in force in that world." She was right of course, but then again Orion hadn't seemed like he was totally sane. He shrugged
"It didn't sound like he cared much. Anyway the Academies have to know they need to stop this demon, this way we maximize our chances of one of us being able to tell them." He waited until they both nodded the he motioned forward.
"Let's continue."
As they made their way up the spiraling staircase he heard a single horn sound in the distance. He froze, and motioned for the others to crouch behind him. There was nothing special about this staircase but it was narrow and would only allow the demons to come at him two at a time if they were attacked. He didn't know if he could even fight that many at a time with his legs and arms still injured. The bandages were doing their job he could tell. His legs didn't ache as much as before but they were by no means fixed.
After waiting for what seemed like an hour he stood back up. The only sounds they heard were the heavy footfalls of demons running, luckily they were running away from their direction.
"Do you think they know you're free?" Elvalyn asked a tone of severe apprehension in her voice. Seth glanced back at her and forced himself to smile.
"I don't see how they could, we just left the dungeon and there were no other guards." The words had their attended effect, he watched her sigh in relief he thought he saw her muscles relax if only a little.
He followed Elvalyn up the stair and through a door into a long hallway with a vaulted roof . Lining the corridor set about five feet apart on either side were sets of plate armor on stands close- face helmets with a huge red death sticking out of the tops of each one. Pictures and other artistry lined the walls in between. Seth hurried by them all without casting them a second glance. Neither Elvalyn nor Aisha stopped as they hurried through the hall. Seth wanted to get as close to the throne room as he could before they were found out. He wasn't so naive that he thought he could make it all the way there without being spotted.
  They moved faster as another horn blast echoed
In the distance. This time he could tell that It came from the south. They turned another corner and Elvalyn broke out in a run.
   "Wait we need to stay together!" Seth exclaimed but Elvalyn didn't seem to hear him. He ran and caught up with her as she burst through a doorway in a huge receptions area. White marble tile polished and reflective made up a room that could've easily fit two hundred people in it. A large statue of a huge snarling world was place in the center of the room. Two curved staircases ran upward to a second floor that was dominated by two massive oak doors the staircases were adorned with gold railing and blue velvet carpet. The walls were marble as well. Four pillars held up the vaulted roof above, a crystal chandelier rolled the room with soft silvery light. It was an amazing sight. But most of that he only had a few second to take in. This was because in the center of the room was a contingent on nearly twenty plate armored demons armed with jagged curved blades. Elvalyn made a squeaking sound and hurriedly put herself behind Seth. Without much though he drew Sonfang and raised it. There was no running. He knew they'd never be able to out run the demons not with Karla still unconscious.
"Seth, what are you doing!?" Aisha exclaimed. Seth wasn't able to back because his eyes were fixed on the jagged swords that were being drawn from the sheaths of over twenty heavily armored demons. He didn't have time to look back.
"I will protect you this time," he said and he meant it. He had failed them, led them into a trap and I'm doing so forced them to experience something they never should have. He would atone. No matter what that meant. There was silence behind him as his normal chainmail and plate armor formed over him like a second skin. The familiar heaviness of the armor managed to set him at ease, if only a little bit. After a thought he imagined wings of light, like the type you would see on pictures of angels appearing on his back. There was a slight gasp behind him but he paid it no mind. He'd never shown his full power to his squad-mates only because there had never been a need. he glanced quickly at the circular hand guard on Sonfang and confirmed that the deep blue gem was still inlaid just above the blade.
"Lead them out another way Elvalyn," he commanded hoping his voice didn't betray any of the worry he was holding back.
"But!" He cut off her protest with a wave of his hand.
"I promise you I'll bring your father and mother too you. Now Go!!"
He raised Sonfang as he summoned a round shield about as wide a car tire. It covered most of his body and sense it was made of lift it was much lighter than it would've been. With a wild roar the demon brandished their weapons and charged. There was no more time to talk. Seth reached out to the power of lightning and suffused it into his body as Strat had taught him.
   He felt the electric tingle as lightning coursed through his body, and time seemed to slow. The hair on his arms and legs as well as the hair on his head stood straight on end. The pain in his legs even seemed to lessen. The demons charging at him seemed to be moving as if they were swimming in a deep syrup.
It had been months since he had last tried to internalize his elements as Stratos had shown him in the Elven Capitol. The familiar rush came in a instant, but this time he was aware of the
Massive drain of his Fey.
   Unleashing his own savage war cry he charged the demons weaving an s shape in the air in front of him with Sonfang. Just before he crashed into their front lines he elongated one of his strides and stamped down on the grey marble floor. The ground shook and the floor cracked as six six foot rectangular pillars of earth rose out of the ground and struck the first like of demons, launching them into the air. The scene reminded Seth of the time he'd seen a popcorn machine. The demon were tossed in every direction. They hit the ground and began to disintegrate.
He jumped into their ranks slashing wildly as he tried to enhance their confusion. It worked. Another four died before they could even register his presence among them. But that was it afterward things got harder. A spear came from behind him and almost took him in the back. As it was he was able to knock it aside. On its way passed it struck him in the ribs bruising them. He ducked under a axe made of darkness and ran the demon through the middle of its chest. Another spear hit him in the side but it didn't pierce his armor. It did however drive the air out of his lungs. He dropped to a knee and spun slashing in a wide are with his sword. In one fell swoop he cut three demons in half at the waste. Sonfang cut through the dark armor as if it was warm cheese.
Standing up Seth brought Sonfang up in an arc and took another demon in the throat. He sidestepped a jagged sword and extending his left hand he fired a bolt of light directly
Into the demons face shearing it half off. The demon gurgled once and then fell, but he didn't start disintegrating immediately. Seth noticed this but didn't have the time to put any thought to it. He jumped back creating some distance between him and the final six demons who stood
Facing him swords held out toward him. He looked into their dull black eyes and could tell that there was no intelligence there, no will. This is what they were ordered to do. So this is what they would do.
  Seth felt no pity for them though, he had seen first hand what would happen if he let them run rampant. Seth reach his shield hand to the ceiling and willed lightning to answer his call. Blue- white sparks danced around him as the blue gold electricity flowing thorough his body and the bolt of jagged energy collided and fed off each other.
He pointed the tip of Sonfang at the demons even as they rushed him. With a yell he released six identical tendrils of power. He winced as his Fey energy dropped noticeably. Luckily with a thunderclap that shook the entire room the demons fell smoke rising from their dark chest plates. Seth let the internal lightning drain away and closed his eyes as the world returned to normal speed. Then he doubled over resting his hands his knees trying his best not to fall over. He had a idea of what he would find behind the two massive doors and he needed every bit of his strength. However the fight had taken more
Out of him than he had originally thought. The pain in his knees returned. The throbbing caused his legs to began to shake only slightly but it was enough to unsteady him. He cursed then and almost fell when he took a step forward but a hand caught him from behind.
  Alarmed he jumped away whipping Sonfang around to block the attack he was sure was coming. Instead he saw Elvalyn behind him. The expression on her face was in part one of surprise perhaps even alarm, but Seth thought he even saw a tinge of awe in her expression.
  "That was," she began then stopped as she saw his expression. " I know you said to go but I can't I have a responsibility to my people to help take back our land!" Seth wanted to argue but he also realized he didn't have the time.
   "Okay you can come but you stay in the corner of the throne room away from the fighting," he paused.
  "That is the throne room passed those doors right?" She smiled at him and nodded her brown hair flipping into her face as she did. With and angry flick of her head she got rid of the obstruction.
   "Good let's go," he told her bad turned to march up the stairs.