struggling against the pain as the demon mocked him.
“Ulren, help me fight this abomination,” he prayed. As he focused on his prayer, the pain began to subside. His hands began to tingle and the black veil that seemed to cover him fell away and new strength shot through him. The wound in his side sealed itself as the pain mercifully faded away.
The Banthra felt his magic being countered and hissed angrily, swinging his blade down in an overhead chop. Airos flung up his sword and knife in a cross block catching the flaming weapon. He used his sword to slide the Banthra’s blade to the side while ramming his knife deep into the Banthra’s thigh. The Banthra screamed, lurching backwards, the magical knife ripping from its leg and falling from Airos’s hand.
Airos gripped his sword with both hands, and summoning the High One’s energy he released it toward the Banthra. “Ulren!” Airos screamed, pointing his sword at the Banthra. Airos’s body glowed bright blue for a second, then all the energy burst from the tip of the sword in a powerful bolt of God Fire that hit the Banthra square in the stomach, forcing it to stumble backwards. The Banthra snarled and looked down at a charred burning hole in its bowels, its legs wobbly underneath him.
Braal ripped his axe from the dying beast’s chest and looked up for his next victim. He had long ago exhausted all the energy of his physical body and was now fighting with his heart. His anger fueled him; the anger of his brother’s death many years ago, the anger of seeing the death and destruction of the town he loved. He knew this new energy would not last forever so he found his next victim quickly.
The Banthra was standing with its back to him not more than twenty paces away. As he looked at the devil warrior he saw Airos launch a dazzling bolt of flame into the demon’s stomach. Braal shielded his eyes from the brightness, gripping his axe tighter. He looked back at the staggering demon and his eyes burned with hatred. Braal lifted his axe, charging at the personification of his fury, at the very thing that had destroyed everything he held dear.
Airos saw the charge and screamed inwardly, knowing that Braal’s weapon could do nothing. Airos moved in like a striking snake just as the Banthra turned to meet the charge that he sensed behind him. The Banthra held up his sword to intercept the powerful chop of the axe. When the two weapons met the axe exploded in a shower of metal and wood and the Banthra reversed the parry and struck the enraged human in the side, the magical flames of the sword cutting through the man’s body as if it were made of air.
Airos saw Braal’s body fall away in two pieces just as he leaped forward and rammed his own sword through the body of the distracted Banthra. The blade pierced the black knight through the heart, erupting out the other side in a shower of black blood.
The Banthra lifted his head and screamed into the night. Airos twisted the blade, and called on the power of Ulren again.
“Burn you Forsworn spawn!” Airos yelled through gritted teeth, his power surging through the sword into the body of the Banthra. The Banthra, screaming louder, dropped his sword and grabbed Airos’s head with both hands.
“I will take you with me, cavalier,” hissed the Banthra. The Banthra’s hands began to glow red as he sent his magic into the cavalier. Airos clenched his teeth and continued to pray and channel his magic into the body of the Banthra.
The demon knight lit up like the moon as the blue flame began to flow through it, burning him with fiery pain. As Airos screamed, the demon’s dark magic continued to attack Airos’s body. They were locked together, fused in a searing struggle for survival. Airos arched his back and screamed louder as the magic burned his core…but he could not let go. If he let go of the sword then the link that was channeling his magic into the demon would be severed and he would be incinerated.
All the men and boargs that were still alive stopped fighting, slowly stepping further away from the glowing combatants. Airos’s body became translucent and the red fire filled him and burned from the inside out. They both continued to scream, sending one last burst of energy into each other.