What Now?

"How long can you hold this?" Harim asked.

"Hopefully long enough." She felt the waves start to falter, she pushed against them reinforcing the magic.

"We can't let them leave with those artifacts, we have to go after them." Harim looked directly at Erigos. "Are you going to be okay to fight?"

Erigos had a determined look on his face. "Let's go get these bastards."

"Everyone ready?" They all looked down the docks ready to break for it. "Once I drop this we will be exposed." Alissa closed her eyes and forced the water away from them, sending ten-foot waves out in every direction. The men on the dock yelled in panic as the water shoved them. "Run!" She yelled. They all sprinted through the now open dock back towards land, while the captains and the dockmaster splashed into the water having been knocked off into the harbor. A few of the sailors fired some more shots from their ships, they missed, a little shaken by the magical wave of water. They were too far away to give chase, the Sect had bought themselves some time.

They heard a captain yell, "Let them go, the other two can handle them." If the Sect caught Vorthas and Kadrin it would be just them, no help, this would be their best chance.

Kadrin reached his horse, hidden in an alley near the docks, above where they had watched the Sect arrive. He was about to mount it when he saw four figures running towards them and one flying above.

"Vorthas…" Kadrin got on his horse.

"I know." The demon faced their foes, standing in the middle of the street.

"Meet me when you have finished." He spurred his horse onwards, forcing the bound Rothox to run behind.

Julius saw them escaping and summoned a row of fire along the road, blocking their path. Kadrin looked up at him. And Julius smiled back thinking he had cut off his escape.

"Vorthas," Kadrin called back to the demon who was waiting for the fight. Vorthas looked over his shoulder, his eyes flashed red for a second and the fire parted in the middle long enough for Kadrin to ride his horse through along with his prisoner.

Harim slowed as he neared the demon and his shadowy greatsword.

"I've been waiting months for this, should be fun." Vorthas roared and rushed them. Erigos stepped in front of Harim and blocked the first blow with his shield. However, the strike was so powerful that the shield was knocked out of his grip. Something broke inside his arm. The second strike could have killed him if it wasn't for Alissa who summoned a light in the demon's face, blinding him for a moment so Ergios could dodge out of the way as the ebony blade slammed into the dirt road. If there were any people on the street they had all fled into their homes now.

"Julius go after Kadrin!" Harim said as he skipped around Vorthas' large swing and punched the demon in the side. Vorthas didn't even flinch. He laughed and with his open hand swatted at Harim. The monk flipped backwards out of the way. Erigos backed away, without his shield he could only parry the black blade, Vorthas not letting him get close enough to attack.

Alissa threw a weaker spell at Vorthas but it barely made a scratch on his black armor. Her more powerful attacks would also hit her friends. She could only wait for an opening.

Julius flew over his firewall, he was gaining, as fast as Rothox was he wasn't able to beat a birdman especially while tied up and stumbling behind a horse. The staff Julius carried began to glow and out of it, purple missiles sailed towards Kadrin. Each spike impacted Kadrin's back, his body spasmed in shock, but he kept riding, looking over his shoulder. Kadrin slowed his horse, reached into the bag, and pulled out the blue sword. He pointed it at Julius expecting something to happen. Suddenly the blue streak of lightning shot out. Julius flipped away avoiding the crackling energy. Kadrin stopped, he jumped off his horse and removed his own sword.

"Come down and fight me!" He taunted Julius swinging both blades. Julius ignored him and instead flew towards Rothox. He passed over the rope and summoned a magical knife of ice cutting the rope then he spun and hurled it at Kadrin. Kadrin blocked the knife with his sword, it exploded into thin slivers. A few of them pierced his skin. His eyes flared and he sent another bolt of lightning from the sword towards Julius who was passing over a home. The bolt exploded off the roof sending shrapnel into the air. Julius' wings were slashed by the wood splinters. He lost momentum and height, crashing into the roof of the home, bouncing off it, and falling to the ground behind the house.

Kadrin turned to Rothox, who with his rope cut, and by using the magical bracers, cut through the remaining ropes that had bound his hands. Rothox flicked two daggers to his hands.

"Kadrin…Ottothal he's---" He said.

"Oh, I know what he is but he's the first being that understands what truly needs to be done for us."

"He's lying to you, he only cares about himself."

"That may be so but at least we'll be free. No more oppression from the rich and entitled."

"We'll be dead, Kadrin. Ottothal means to bring demons into this world, he failed once he does not want to fail at it again."

"It's too late now, I've made my choice." Kadrin rushed Rothox. Two daggers sailed towards him, he batted them out of the air. Rothox slipped aside as he dodged and avoided Kadrin's two swings. Both swords sliced through the air, the lighting blade crackling. He dashed forward, getting between the longer swords and slashing to deep cuts on Kadrin's right leg. Swung his tail around in an attempt to trip Kadrin, however, he saw it coming and slashed down hitting Rothox's tail, carving a deep gash. They faced each other circling, both bleeding from the first bout of attacks. They went again, both scoring nonlethal blows on the other. They were evenly matched.

Rothox backed away, he had cuts on his arms and tail with a deep line of blood snaking its way along his thigh. He whipped his face as a few droplets of crimson leaked out of a gash above his left eye where Kadrin had hit him with a pummel. He looked at his old friend who was fairing the same. He had slashes and holes on his right shoulder, his inner thighs, and across his back. They both eyed each other breathing heavily, it had only been a few minutes of combat but they were stubborn and neither was going down. Throughout the fight, both of them had subconsciously held back from killing the other. Each time they had both had opportunities to deliver a mortal blow their bodies fought against them. A vicious scream from where the others fought Vorhtas, spurred Rothox into a sprint, as best he could with his injures, towards his friends. Kadrin strayed behind, mounted his horse. He looked over his shoulder as Rothox dashed over the charred ground where the firewall had been. He dug his heels into the beast and fled.

Rothox rounded the corner of the street to see Vorthas towering over a fallen Erigos. Alissa was screaming and crying and she raised her hands up and in a swirl of darkness, the demon vanished from sight, leaving nothing but a bloodied Harim pulling himself to his feet, a devastated girl, and an unmoving Erigos.

"Fuck," Rothox moved closer. "What happened…is he?"

Harim looked at him, his eyes watery, "Vorthas…he was too strong, Erigos jumped in front his blade for me…"

Alissa pushed past him and grabbed Erigos. A giant wound in his chest among many other injuries. Through her tears, she whispered, "Eri…" She held him. "Harim, can you help him?"

He shook his head, "I'm sorry Lis…he's gone."

"Where is Trixia?" Rothox looked around for her.

"In the alley over there." Harim nodded in a direction. Rothox gingerly stood up, he couldn't help. He found the body of Trixia, a large slash across her back. She had bled out in the alley. He could see smashed boxes and broken crates. Vorthas would have thrown her. Rothox fell to his knees, weeping, they had failed.

The flapping of wings drew him out of the alley. He carried Trixia in his arms. Julius landed beside the other two, he had fixed his wings with magic but the rest of him was burnt and scratched up.

"It's over, they've won…" Harim stood.

"It's not over," Julius said.

"Look around, we lost. Kadrin escaped with the artifacts." Harim snapped.

"He didn't. They were so engaged in their fight, neither of them saw me fly around and steal the bag off the horse," Julius held the bag with the artifacts up. "We still have a chance."