Whispers of Nowhere

Chapter Four: Part Two

"Forneus, behind you!"

Forneus ducked, his skin prickling from the heat as Phenex sent a jet of flame streaking past, setting the man-sized serpent behind him ablaze before it could sink its fangs into his shoulder. He had been too preoccupied with the mixed group of demons in front of him to notice, fighting them with the few means he currently had at his disposal; his intellect, his lightning, and when defense was necessary—which it was quite often—his force field.

This last he'd had to use a number of times since Gwen's departure, each and every time for a stray human that had wandered into the street, oblivious to the dangers surrounding them.

Getting even one of my other powers back will be a blessing, he thought, watching as the basilisk writhed on the ground, its shrill wail near-deafening. Yellow eyes widened, the vertical pupils contracting as the serpent's scales turned from bronze to black, the flames consuming it until nothing remained but a scorch mark on the cobblestones. Meeting Phenex's gaze, he gave him an appreciative nod, and the two returned to the task of keeping the remaining monsters confined to one area, preventing even a single imp from slipping down the alley Gwen had disappeared into.

Despite the number of enemies they'd already taken down—the Palace Square littered with the remains of those who had refused to surrender, while the rest were immobilized by Forneus's binding magic—many more still converged on them. And while Phenex seemed to have no shortage of energy, Forneus himself was more than a little fatigued. Still he pressed on, grabbing hold of a hybrid hellhound by the upper jaw with one hand and the lower with the other when it lunged at him, the beast snarling as it struggled to get free.

Gritting his teeth, Forneus widened his stance, and with a concerted effort, slammed the beast full force into the ground, finishing with an electrical surge into its brain. Even with his full attention on the task at hand, he never lost track of Phenex. He could hear and feel the roar of the other's fire as he wiped out a dozen enemies or more in one, fell swoop, silencing their anguished cries for good.

Satisfied that the hellhound wouldn't be getting up anytime soon, Forneus rose into a defensive stance, arms up and knees slightly bent. He swept his gaze back and forth, taking in the sight of the remaining enemies in front of him. He felt Phenex's body heat before the other's back met his own, Forneus glancing over his shoulder to see that they were surrounded on all sides. Somehow, in the course of their attempt to corral the horde, they had wound up cornered themselves.

"Well, I don't know about you," Phenex cocked his head slightly in Forneus's direction, flames licking his fingertips, "but I'm running out of ideas."

"That makes two of us," replied Forneus, manifesting a concentrated dose of violet-coloured sparks in the palm of his hand. Where is Gwen? She's been gone for far too long, now. If anything's happened to her...

That's when she appeared, almost as though heeding his silent call; half running, half stumbling as she made her way out of the alley at the end of the block. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead, sweat trickling down her temples in thick rivulets. A twinge of concern went through Forneus upon seeing her pallid complexion, afraid she had gotten hurt since leaving his protection.

As she drew nearer, more and more of the creatures turned to look her way. Their shrieks filled the Palace Square as they lumbered forward, no doubt preparing to attack the seemingly powerless human girl. If this indeed had been their impression of her, they were gravely mistaken. Gwen came to a stop about fifteen paces from where they stood, her expression settling into a mask of determination, eyes aglow with a fierce inner light.