Converging Destinies: Part 1

Chapter 72

       Ella charged towards the abomination that stood near Zerai. Her blade cut into the creature, but she felt that same annoying resistance again. Ella reaffirmed her grip on her greatsword and continued hacking into the demon that stood before her.

       Zerai's eyes barely opened, he was lying on his side on the ice. He was bleeding, he gripped the ice, and stood up. He looked at Ara' Sei and Cedric, and saw that they were helpless. He muttered an incantation and his body began to glow. He stepped towards the demon attacking Cedric and Ara' Sei.

       Cedric was looking down at the ice. The whole world was spinning in every direction at once, he couldn't get up, he couldn't move. The sound the demon had made continued ringing in his head. Then, pain exploded through his entire body, a bite. Three pillars of pain tore into his stomach. More blood began to spill onto the ice. The feeling faded, and the world came back to Cedric in terrifying clarity.

       The demon near Ella began its assault onto her, now focused onto its greatest current threat. The mouth scraped off her armor with a horrible scraping sound that seemed to stretch on for ages. The talons raked into her side.

       Everything came back to Ara' Sei, she could see everything around her. She could see Cedric on his knees, bleeding in front of her. Then, she saw a gravely injured Zerai limping towards them with his sword drawn. Carelessly, she ran past the demon, not caring for the talons tearing through her back. She embraced Zerai, and her eyes were set aglow as she channeled her divine magic to heal him.

       "Don't worry Ara' Sei." He whispered. Even among the chaos around them, she heard his whisper, and she clutched his words in mind. She didn't dare let go of them.

       With a blur of speed, Eris was behind the vulture like demon that was facing Ella.

       "Need a hand?" They asked as they plunged their dagger into the back of the demon's head, instantly killing it.

       "Ha, good one!" Ella said. Then, she charged at the final remaining demon. Her first strike skimmed the creature, not finding any success. The second, while hitting it head on, was stopped again by that same resistance.

       Zerai clutched his blade, and stepping away from Ara' Sei bore down onto the final remaining demon. The first cut into the creature's side, and the second cut off one of its wings, which disintegrated into black sludge on the ice.

       Cedric looked at the demon that stood right in front of him, its face was mere inches from his, and despite its other two attackers it was still locked onto Cedric. As Cedric raised his hands a long vine extended from his arm that was covered in thorns. The vine whipped the creature in its face, sending black ichor flying in a spray.

       The demon snarled and continued to attack Cedric. The creature's face was pulled away from the impact of the vine, but its talons flew towards Cedric. Talons clutched Cedric's neck and his eyes rolled back as blood poured from the wound.

       "Cedric!" Eris screamed. Ara' Sei sprinted towards Cedric, her hands already glowing with her power. She shoved the demon's talons away and placed her hands on Cedric's neck.

      "C'mon c'mon Ara' Sei." She frantically whispered. The wound that had opened in Cedric's neck was immediately sealed and he coughed blood onto the ice. Everyone was at their wit's end. There was only one demon left, and it had almost killed their friend. The attacks that befell the creature were merciless and constant. In mere moments, it turned into a giant puddle of black sludge just as the other two demons had.

       Ara' Sei and Cedric got to work mending the other members of the group.

       "Umm, we have a problem." Cedric said. The other members followed Cedric's pointed finger to a horde of smaller demons that were sprinting towards them.

      "There's more! Get ready friends!" Ella shouted.