Chapter 38

“Demons!” I barked, as the shrill, unearthly cries echoed around us. It was a guess, rather than an observation, but I was certain of it.

We already knew that the Pure had been working with demons, and almost no other creature would react as strongly to such a minor use of sorcery as Myta had just displayed. Even many types of demons wouldn’t care, but those with aspects of hunger or desire would pursue even the barest scraps of mana, and those with aspects like hatred or rage would lash out at any available target.

“Try to keep the fight near this doorway,” I instructed my vas, nodding toward the hallway that led deeper into the ruin. “If we keep the battle confined, I should be able to prevent us from drawing more.” I couldn’t tell how many voices were headed toward us, but no matter the number, it was already too many.

Myta situated herself and Hati directly in front of the doorway, and chose those fighters with the coolest heads to flank them to either side. The group formed a tight semicircle around the opening, the best coverage we were likely to get. The tunnel was broad enough for three people abreast, assuming two were willing to stand on the upward curving edges of the floor.

I was directly behind Myta and Hati, I needed to be if I intended to suppress the mana of the fight. At that range I could also bring my lancet to bear, and we needed every advantage.

Our hasty preparations were barely completed when a cloud of oppressive gluttony rolled down the corridor like thick fog. The presence of the demons reeked of carrion and the sour breath of famine victims.

More than one of my companions clutched at their stomachs with some mixture of hunger and revulsion. As soon as I saw the hunched and vulture-like shapes of our foes I pushed my own presence outward as far as I could, while still keeping it tightly leashed. My mana would sweep up and contain the excess, violent mana of our conflict, keeping it contained.

This was what I had been doing diluting our purification rituals, which in turn was an extension of veiling my own spirit, something I’d been practicing for years. It was similar in effect to a ward, a ward created through a spell, rather than an enchantment. As a spell, it required concentration, and excellent mana control.

I wouldn’t be able to use any spells for combat, but then I wasn't proficient in a great number of combat spells in any case. The lancet would serve me well enough.

Three hulking bodies charged toward our defending line. They had been human once, and were wrapped in the tattered remains of dark hooded robes. They all showed physical changes that gave them the traits of vultures, but in haphazard ways, as though a manic taxidermist had simply found a box of random leftovers and decided to get as creative as possible.

The lead demon had a bird’s talons in place of one hand, and an outsized wing for its opposite arm. An extra pair of beady eyes sat above cataract-clouded human ones, and the upper part of a hooked beak replaced its upper lip, allowing spittle to pour from a human lower jaw. Perhaps seven or eight feet tall, the monstrosity was remarkably light on whatever lower extremities were hidden under the tattered sable fabric that clothed it. And it closed the distance to Myta’s blade in moments.

The two other demons were caught up in some squabble, presumably fighting over which would get to take the first bite out of us. Their delay was fortunate, as the leader of this ungainly flock bound up my vas’ blade. Not through any sort of foresight or skill, but simply by dint of surviving the large blade of the glaive stabbing into his chest.

Its ribs caught on the blade, and it struggled to drag itself farther down the polearm. Grasping at her with its filth-covered talons. Riversteel blades could pierce the flesh of demons, but did nothing to negate their incredible vitality.

I was about to attack the demon’s spirit with my lancet, but Myta simply pushed her fiery mana through her blade. That bypassed the protection of its own anima, and the creature ignited from the inside. It took far more of her mana than she’d expected, and I could feel her surprise over the effort. Hati, and another warrior I didn’t know, helped push the smoldering corpse off her weapon, just in time to meet the remaining two.

I knew that my flame could handle one more demon, especially now that she was prepared. Hati and the other soldier on her left however, were far less able. The sergeant had her spirit as enhanced as it could be, without becoming a sorcerer herself. So she was far more physically capable, her natural affinity for the earth aspect also granted her increased strength and durability.

Broad, and powerfully built, she set her center of balance low and attempted to block the monster. She successfully set it off balance, but slid backward into our rear ranks. The other soldier spun, planting his glaive in its back with a series of rapid strikes, clearly mindful of what had happened to Myta’s blade.

My arm was slashed by some flailing appendage as the demon slid parallel to me, and I lashed out with my fist and my lancet together, allowing what presence I still had around my body assist the blow. Demonic spirits were always badly warped, often to the point where they were sickening to examine. So I just struck at anything that looked like it might be ****.

Behind me, more soldiers shouted defiance, and I heard the meaty sound of blades cleaving flesh. Rancid blood showered me, and I wondered vaguely if Myta’s silver flames might be needed to strip the oily substance off of me later. A snick and crunch made me shudder, imagining someone had just lost a hand to the beast, but there was no accompanying scream. Our would-be vulture went still instead, sagging heavily to the ground.

On the other side, Myta was just turning to aid us, her foe having been defeated before ours. The combat had taken no time at all, and I had every combatant clean themselves as quickly as possible, checking for even the tiniest of scrapes. These creatures would no doubt kill with the slightest wound, they were toxic to their marrow.

Disposing of their spirit remains was an incredible challenge, and confirmed beyond any doubt that the aspect of these demons was the same as the viridian contagion. I couldn’t let their anima decay down here, nor could I hold it all in my own spirit for purification. And, as Kubek had already told me of the dire consequences of releasing this mana into a forest, that also wasn’t an option.

I had to offload some of the filth onto Myta, which I was desperately loath to do. I had her empty more of her reserves incinerating the tainted corpses before doing so.

Minutes into the ruin, one battle, and we already had to retreat. My vas and I had to meditate to cleanse our spirits for the rest of the day. At the closing tally, we wasted a full twenty four hours to clear a single room.

Ket was furious to have missed the fight, having gotten caught up in chasing the trail of the Pure monks. Unsurprisingly, they had traveled much farther into the tunnels, away from their demonic guard dogs. The ruins were just as convoluted as I had hoped, but that had caused her to pass the demons by. I made a note to myself that the spirit could be dangerously single minded.

On the upside, she had located the main encampment of the Pure. She was certain that they had at least one mote demon with them, and three sorcerers. Of course, there were hundreds of mortal men. She wasn’t big on counting, but I estimated from her description that we were outnumbered roughly ten to one. Better than I’d feared, but I had been desperately hoping their main **** was still offshore.

I suppose that was what I got for hoping.

Realistically, their numbers didn’t change our plans. The news was both better, and worse, than I’d feared. Had there been more sorcerers and demons, and fewer troops, we’d have been far worse off. Myta managed to get back in fighting form by the next morning, while I had about half my reserve of mana. I’d needed to expend a fair amount in healing the men who took sick.

Everyone who was exposed to the demons’ blood was affected, and that was almost the entire company. Hopefully I’d have more time to rest in the ruins. But again, I’d seen here hoping got me.

We returned to the ruin, following and erasing the markers the Pure army had left for themselves. It took us two more days to reach the area of the runnels where they were encamped, and wonder of wonders, nothing else had yet gone wrong.

Denu and Ket were our primary pathfinders, with Hati being surprisingly effective at finding and remembering the paths through the tunnels as well. I kept a map, which was fortunately not too onerous. The ruin was a single layer. Even though it had many confusing branches, they didn’t deviate far up or down.

“We are likely very close to Bani by now,” I noted to Myta and Hati. The latter looked at me sceptically.

“We’ve been traveling the right direction, but that trip would take weeks at the rate we’re going.” She snorted, though her amusement was good natured. “I think all the twists and turns have addled your head.”

“These ruins aren’t like some others,” I replied. “They don’t contain powerful and mysterious artifacts of unknown function. The tunnels are the artifacts. They do strange things to space.”

She looked at me blankly, and I sighed. “A day’s travel here covers about a week’s travel overland. If they found an exit close to it, they could be at Bani’s gates tomorrow.”

She blinked, and then nodded grimly. It was just one more indication that we had no time to spare.