Magica Index: The Dark Rising (Completed)

Chapter 3: Afalim

Afalim was nearly deserted, houses plundered and razed to the ground by the enemies in red. Upon arriving, Mathias looked around, searching for his lost friends whom he used to go on quests with back in his glory days. Wearing a reinforced chest plate with a white rugged cape on the back, a black skill with a sword pierced through the top was stitched into it. Arms braced, adventuring boots were his style, wasn't one for all that armor since he was the heaviest one of the group. In his hands was a custom-made poleaxe he designed himself back when he was law-binding. He carried this weapon with pride and used it only for good. And this was one of those times when he searched around for his four friends. Mathias hid behind a corner, seeing several of the guards in red patrolling the street, looking around for any few survivors that may still be lurking in cover. He held onto his poleaxe tightly and waited for them to be out of sight. Once they were, he bolted out and took a right down a small alleyway, searching frantically for a hidden door inside the walls.

    "C'mon c'mon." he stressed, running his hands along the dark corridor. He soon found an entrance, pressing his hand into the empty space that used to have a wooden door in it. He feared the words before looking inside, nothing but darkness.

Mathias moved himself inside the vacant spot, feeling the wall for a certain switch. His hand grazed against a piece of stone that felt smoother. Pushing against it, several torches lit up one after another and at the very end of the hallway, several unfriendly-looking men in red stood with three other people, all of them Mathias remembered.

    "Well well, Arthur said that someone would come for these three, but I never imagined such a strong man like this would come to me." Velrissa stepped up, extending her wings. "Hello, handsome."
    "A succubus, here? Things are worse than I thought." Mathias glared at the powerful demon before him. "Those are my old adventuring buddies. I'd like'em back, nice and easy."
    "Oh, you can have them back, but this will be anything but nice or easy. You see, they told me much about you, Mathias Van Hyden. The only son to the spectacular Olson Van Hyden, feared monster hunter. Has your father ever hunted one of my kind before?" she placed her hand on her hip, licking her lips as if in front of a scrumptious meal.
    "My father has defeated three succubi in his time before his death. I still have memorabilia to prove it. Now let my friends go or it will be number four for my family." he ordered, slamming down his weapon into the ground.
    "Oh my, so feisty. Maybe if you can impress me, I'll be happy to let them go." she looked at her nails with little interest, Mathias getting more and more impatience. "Get'em, boys."

Two men ran straight at Mathias with their weapons. One had a sword while the other had a staff with a blue glowing crystal centered in a metallic hoop. Mathias got into a fighting stance, getting ready to anticipate anything the melee fighter would do. Before he even took a swing, the spell caster shot a rapid barrage of dark magic at Mathias, catching him off. His eyes quickly adverted to the ranged attack before the man running up took a downward slash at him. Mathias snapped back into focus, barely blocking the attack with the shaft of his poleaxe. He pushed the man back easily, breaking his nose with blood shooting out of it. The man fell on his back, allowing Mathias to dodge the incoming magic spell that slammed several holes into the wall across from him.

    "Heh, good, but not good enough. Try dodging this." the caster grinned, slowly releasing the staff and chanting in tongue. Mathias grimaced and ran forward, trying to intercept him before he could complete it.

Velrissa flew forward at inhumane speed, shoving her knee into his chest. The wind was pushed out of his chest and he was knocked onto the ground with the succubus stepping on his chest, keeping him pinned=beaneth her foot.

    "Uh uh, you stay put while my spell caster tears your flesh off." she grinned down at him as Mathias tried desperately to remove her foot off him.
    "You will not succeed with your invasion." Mathias continued struggling as the caster finished his spell.