Shadow Bands

XXXVI. Orbit

The interior was a dark emerald sheen that absorbed the torchlights. Only dots, like wisps, floated along the icy stone as they made their way upward to the higher levels of the tower.

Each story told the same tale—innocent lives ripped with violence—sickening Lyra to her core. Another knight chucked their stomach before she could, spewing their contents amidst the blood-soaked floors.

Thunder boomed, rattling the tall windows.

"This is too easy," said Kaelen. His instincts were screaming at him, clawing at the tail of every thought. "If they were heavily protecting the tower, how come there weren't any waiting inside?"

Lyra couldn't help but feel the same way. She felt herself regaining her composure. The strength that was lost to cast such a spell was something she didn't put into her calculation. But perhaps numbers don't give an accurate depiction of magic use.

"We will stay on our guard." She said with resolve.

Another thread of lighting coursed through the sky in the distance. The thunder rolled soon after. Wind banged debris into the windows, threatening to break into the tower.

"Halt!" Shouted Kaelen from the front.

Lyra watched as he stood. His head bowed, waiting. . . listening. After a moment, his head shot up. His stare was now downcast towards the spiraling stairs.

"What is it, Kaelen?" Lyra asked, not seeing—or rather hearing—what he had picked up.

"They intended to surround us, top and bottom." His eyes narrowed into the darkness.

Where could they have been hiding? Either way, a battle was amongst them yet again. The knights mumbled, staring into the void to find nothing.

"We need to get as high as we can before that happens," Helen suggested.

It was a sound idea. Lyra knew the tower had five floors. Each floor had a maze of hallways adorned with tapestries and white carpets. Demon General Barron was at the top, orchestrating the resurrection of Holtres. That was their destination and mission—to kill Barron and end this nightmare.

They hurried. Their armor clanked and their boots thudded. The adrenaline coursing through Lyra's veins was the same as any other who was with her.

"Kill them!" a familiar crude voice bellowed down to them.

Hissing and snarls came rushing down from the fourth floor. Lyra readied her blade as a demon lept towards her. A clang met her ears as metal hit metal. She tried kicking the demon, but her movements felt slow. The demon stepped back, snickering at her. It charged at her again, raising its sword over its head. Lyra led with a faint, tricking the demon to lower its blade. She seized the chance for a deep chest strike. The demon shrieked. A redeeming kick to the demon had it falling down into the void.

Lyra looked to Helen, who was managing just fine, then to Kaelen. Again, his bloodlust consumed him. She could have sworn that his blade had gotten longer. Shaking her head, she rushed to him and aided with his push forward.

Taking out her crossbow, she quickly loaded another bolt. When she found her target, she aimed, then pulled the trigger, placing the bolt deep in a demon's chest. Quickly loading her crossbow, she fired at another target, impaling them just above their abdomen, but they didn't fall. She took her blade and drove it deep into its chest. The demon's blood rushed up its throat and gargled, but it smiled at her. Her teeth gritted as she pulled her sword out.

"Lyra, Kaelen!" shouted Helen, swiftly whacking demons with her spear. "We will hold them back. Push forward!"

Lyra nodded at her. When she looked at Kaelen, he was gone. Where he stood was the demon in fine armor. Its war hammer raised to the ceiling. Kaelen soon crashed into the wall, bouncing off like a ball.