Massacre

A short while after our traps were set at the entrance and everyone of our troups was informed, we were back at casually working in the mining floors. Obviously leprechauns were digging the deepest, then followed by humans and then elves. Elves hate cramped spaces, so they can't stay inside for too long, which makes any lower floor inefficient. The sound of thousand pickaxes were echoing in the tunnels we dug, leaving many of our people unable to communicate at all.

I had contact to Cecilia through Arcana and I was somehow able to tell what Laurin was doing, due to the really heavy hammer he used to expand the tunnels. It was about three days that carried on like that, then - shortly after everyone started working - Laurins swings stopped and the echoes slowly faded from there aswell. Wondering about what might have happened I exchange thoughts with Cecilia.

Ce:" Do you think they found a large deposit?"

Cia:" Probably, but it might also be a part of the tunnel that gave in."

Ce:" Wouldn't we have heard that?"

Cia:" Depends on the tunnels size. I don't think Laurin digs it for our height"

Ce:" Yeah, right. Just to be sure, can you check what is going on down there?"

Cia:" Sure, wait a second"

While she was searching I already walked up to her. I had a bad feeling, so I stopped workers in the nearby tunnels aswell. My face might have went entirely blank when I saw Cecilias shocked expression.

Cia:" Oh no.... We have to hurry down there!!"

Ce:" Why?! What happened?!"

Cia:" Demons. Laurin and Tohrin are injured, the rest is probably dead already. I doubt they will hold on much longer."

Ce:" You get Gus, I will head down there and stop them."

Cia:" Cecil. Don't be a hero."

Ce:" I've never been"

With that, I jump down the ladder in the middle, skipping entire storeys on my way down. A few seconds later I reached the lowest one, where I saw something intriguing. Hundreds of dead leprechauns, parts of the tunnel were inaccessible due to the corpses being stacked to high. The tunnel I finally find the survivors in held around ten demons and seven leprechauns. I recognized most of them. All of them were the leader of a certain field, all of them highly proficient at fighting.

Damn. If those seven AND all those dead ones only managed to bring down three demons, I feel like this will be a bad time. Well. There WERE twenty demons left. All of them armed.

Cia:" I got Gus, we are coming down as fast as we can."

Ce:" TOHRIN! LAURIN!" I shouted at them, whilst barging in front of them to block the attacks the demons threw.

In a hunch, I command them to raise their shields and prepare for a rough landing. Before they could say anything, I kicked them away. Now I just have to survive until Gus arrives. I'm sure we can win then.

Whoops. The demons don't seem to like my strategy. Due to the tunnels size, they were only able to pass through one at a time, but the room they were in was much bigger. Much more decorated and lighted. And they were still using magic in my direction. What do I do... Do I fight here? Or do I fight in there?

Suddenly my leg moves forward. In there, apparently. After I dodged countless spells, I managed to slide into the room. Like I thought. It was a really big room. Unlike I thought, it was basically empty. The only thing that I saw in this room were decorations around a big blue stone in the middle. But I can't really examine it, considering these annoying demons here.

The first one to die was rather easy. He simply charged in, thinking that his body is stronger than mine and that he could easily kill me because of it. Wrong and wrong. I dodge his punch with a small duck, then pierce his heart with my open hand. One down, nineteen left to go.

Eighteen to ten were even worse in terms of intelligence. They simply ignored the swords that appeared behind me, unbelieving that swords were able to hurt them. Most of them even laughed, until their lungs were too filled with blood to keep on. They didn't get the room dirty though, they kept their entire blood in, without coughing any of it out. Respect! The last ten were familiar. All of them were mages. All of them used strictly human magic, at least the form was the same. Normally demons don't bother with chants or mana gathering.

I know who they are! They are the demons I killed aside from my father! How did they get here? And why did they lose the ability to think themselves? All of them had weirdly rythmic movements and spell rotations. Fireball, Earthshard, Fireball. Iceblossom, Fireball, Earthshard, Iceblossom. Everyone of them had a maximum of three different spells, and none of them differed their order in any way. Even the speed of casting was exactly the same. If my predictions are right, everyone of them is casting for two seconds after the next spell rotation. This will be easy kills.

Just like I thought, there was a big opening after they finished their third spell. I manage to take down both non-linear casters. Those iceblossoms were exhausting to keep track of. Fireballs and Shards are easy to dodge, so I get three more kills shortly after. Jumping over the first spell, slicing the second one open and ducking under the third one. Repeat. They didn't adapt to my strategies at all, so I kept on until the last three were standing. Behind me I heard Gus and Cecilia coming.

In another hunch I send a message to Cecilia.

Ce:" Leave please. I think Gus might get controlled like these others do. And if I'm right, he might try to take you hostage. Don't worry, I am fine here. Just leave!"

After a short moment of surprise she leaves, only barely missing Gus grab.

Ce:" Didn't think you'd turn again. Damn."

Unluckily, the short moment of being careless got me hit. A fireball struck my back. I didn't hit the ground, but it sure was enough to reactivate a thing that I had almost forgotten. Crucible of Pain, welcome back!

After miliseconds of consideration, I made out Gus to be stronger and concentrated my instincts on him. The rock wasn't the problem. It was jealousy, towards me and Cecilia that turned him, it hits my mind.

Ce:" Gus? Do you want to die? Be honest."

A high pitched mumbling and a tear answered. Guess there is no way around this time. A few seconds of destroying his circles with manaflood daggers - daggers filled with my mana to disrupt enemy magic - I managed to get a hit in. Gus fell down to his knees, this time in front of a more prepared, more scarred Cecil.

Ce:" Goodbye, friend"

I crush his head with my leg, then place a dagger into his heart to counter his regeneration. Gus last contribution to my life was a positive result in an experiment. Shortly after I wiped my unnoticed tears of my cheeks and eyes, I notice a fireball passing right by my head. Has it been a whole cycle already? Well, I'm done with your shit demons. With utter hatred I disconnect my leg in the middle of a kick, ending the demons miserable life with a more or less painless death. I mean... His head was buried a meter deep into the wall, while the rest of the body was still out here. If that guy isn't dead, he deserves to live.

After I retrieved and reconnected my leg, with a short and sharp pain pulsing through me I walk back out. There was still a rather big burn to be healed.

My way up would've been really hard, if not for the elves that Cecilia begged to come down here and help. A shaking Servve was a rare sight, but a welcome one right now.

Ce:" Hey... There is a few dead demons in there and a blue stone. I think that blue stone is demonic, you might destroy or watch it for a bit. The room is pretty big aswell-"

Cia:" Would you shut up now?! Your back is burned to the flesh and your concern is a blue stone?!"

Ce:" Sorry."

I smile at her a bit, get onto Servves shoulders and close my eyes. I deserved my rest!