Under the cover of darkness

Chapter 2

The echoes of the cultists sang far away in the cave. Stefan with his detachment cautiously advanced until they reached the vast galleries from where chants reached. Roselle look at the cultists with a burning and hateful view and looked reproachfully at Stefan, who did not give her immediately tear them to pieces.

"They gave me not a balanced fanatic, but they forgot gave me the chain." Stefan sighed heavily and carefully looked out for the gallery, ignoring Roselle, which to rub a silver chain in the form of a waxwing on her neck.

-What did you see, Myrmon? - turned in a whisper to the magician Stefan.

-At the center of the altar with a dagger and a bronze cup you see a man? I feel the streams of magic flowing in him, he should be beaten first.

Stefan nodded and touched Rosell on the shoulder.

-With two archers, go up high and report as to when you will be ready, hit the man with the goblet, use the silver tip,- Stefan said and to handed Rosell a small round ball of green color.

The girl's eyes lit up with excitement, she waved to two archers and climbed up, clinging to the recesses on the cliff

Looked at her a few seconds, Stefen turned to the rest of the squad.

When the archers are in position, attack the first - said Stefan to Myrmon. The mage nodded.

-You two with crossbows stay with the mage, the rest follow me.- -Stefan bared the twin swords from the scabbard on his back and headed towards the center of the gallery.

"We are ready," Roselle sounded in Stefan head as they were about to enter the open gallery.

"Your turn magician," thought Stefan. A fiery flash illuminated all the dark corners of the cave, the cultists interrupted the chant and shouted, clutching at the weapon. Three arrows hit the leader of the cultists. Two crumbled to dust in flight, and a third hit him in the stomach. He gasped and fell into the pond behind the altar. Swordsmen with a battle cry ran to the attack. Stefan beat off the mace with his left sword, and the second hacked the cultist in the throat. The swordsman next to Stefan chopped off the cultist's right hand with an ax and hit him in the chest. Another cultist attacked Stefan with a spear, but fell to the ground with an arrow in his back. Stefan looked around and realized that the battle had already ended. The rest were killed by arrows. Not more than a dozen cultists lay in ragged rags, struck either with steel, or arrows and bolts.

Stefan went to the altar and staggered back. on the stone lay the corpse of a woman open from throat to groin. Stefan was dizzy from the red symbols in the corners on the stone and the blood and he stepped back a couple of steps. Myrmon appeared behind. In the face, the magician changed and the usual cheerful blue eyes, look cold.

-This place is defiled, it should be burned,- said approached Roselle .

-I agree, Myrmon, would you kindly?

-Of course, but before I want to check the leader.

- Didn't it seem strange to you? - Asked Roselle watching the magician. Lifting the corpse out of the water with magic, Myrmon carefully look him.

Stefan shrugged - Myrmon has served the Order of the Astral Knights for 45 years. He has extensive experience in occult affairs.

-We finished here, let's get out of here - Сommanded Stefan and headed for the exit from the cave. With a side vision, Stefan noticed something flashing and came closer. A small stone gleamed dull blue among the stones. Stefan picked it up.

-Are you go Sergeant? - asked the outgoing crossbowman.

Stefan turned and put a stone in his pocket. - Yes, I come.

Coming out of the cave, frosty freshness hit Stefan 's nose. Snow continues fell and soon will before knees

Near the entrance stood a dozen horses with a sleigh.

Stefan looked at the sky - I hope we have time to get to the darkness in the village.

From the side of the cave there was a whistle that turned into a roar. The flame lit the cave for a few seconds and instantly died out with a whistle. Myrmon calmly left the cave. His gray-white cloak did not hurt at all, not to mention his face.

-Everything is cleansed, the mage said as he passed Stefan.

Stefan nodded and turned to the squad.

- Hurry up, guys! I don't want to freeze my ass here until dark!

Dark and snowing. Stefan walks through the forest and enters a flat meadow. Violet flowers grow in the clearing among the snow and a girl of ten, a fair-haired, in a long white shirt wanders around them. A barefoot girl walks around and under her legs the snow has melted to the very grass. Stefan approached to her and asked.

-Girl, what are you doing here?

- I collect flowers.

-In Winter time ?!

-Yeah,- the girl said, and smiled, showing her big mouth and three rows of sharp teeth.

Stefan screamed and fell out of bed with a dagger in his hand.

-Are you alright? - Asked Marlas, getting up from the opposite bed. There was total darkness and Stefan could not make out the swarthy islander.

Stefan heavy breather, took a jug of water standing near the bed and eagerly drunk.

Having caught his breath, he sat on the bed - I am fine Marlas. Just a dream.

Stefan lay back on the bed, but the dream left him and he long time try to sleep again. Stefan is tired of it. He dressed on, lit an oil lamp and left the room under the uniform snoring of Marlas. It's already a deep night and not a soul in the tavern. Leaning against the railing, Stefan watched the dances of light from the lamp from the second floor and was thoughtful. The feeling of anxiety grew. The palms sweated and itched, "This is not good." The front door shuddered from a powerful blow, the lantern fell down and crashed. There was total darkness. The door crashed to the floor. Stefan men in underwear appeared from the rooms, but with arms and lanterns worried about the noise. Snow evenly settled into the broken passage. There was a blow and a crunch, the wooden floor tilted underfoot. Stefan frantically grabbed onto the railing, but the two men flew screaming down. Another blow and Stefan with a railing in his hands fell down.

Screaming from pain, Stefan clutched his right leg, seeing a piece of wood stuck in his thigh. But he quickly forgot about it when he saw a huge three-meter creature made of stone and ice five meters from him. Monster with his paw to crushing screaming people on floor. Marlas hit the demon with a crooked saber on his paw, but this did no harm to him. The creature threw Marlas like a fly into the far corner and turned towards Stefan. Frantically searching for the dagger, Stefan crawling away from the demon, but the scabbard was empty. "Shit, He will flatten me like a cockroach." A creature resembling an animated rock with arms and legs approached Stefan, but suddenly stopped. After a moment of indecision, it turned toward the rooms on the second floor. A club of smoke erupted from the demon, which flew towards Myrmon room. Lightning rumbled hit to club and a scream was heard from which Stefan back was covered with a cold flood. After a moment, the body of the magician was already floating in the air, pulled towards the monster, shuddering in convulsions. The gilded brooch from the mage's pocket passed into the hands of the demon, he squeezed it tightly, turned towards the exit and heavily flooded out, ignoring everything around. On the edge of the surviving second floor, a battered Roselle appeared with a bow. Grabbing a silver-tipped arrow from a quiver, she lose a demon in the back. The demon screeched and threw his hand forward in a half-turn. A stream of cold air struck Rosell aside, freezing everything around with frost, but the girl had already disappeared from sight. When Stefan looked again toward the broken door, the demon was gone.