the fire not moving of its own volition.
The first squads peeled away and headed down the right-hand avenue, while the remaining three squads advanced slowly. The Chalebrat had moved out of sight, but the fresh flames leaping from a rooftop pinpointed its position pretty well. Hain, leading one squad himself, paused and waited for the other company to come around and catch them up. His men were hugging one side of the street they were on, the other side was aflame and the heat growing increasingly oppressive.
As soon as he saw a group of men appear from behind a house up ahead, Hain gestured to the warehouse and told them to circle around it before leading his own men around the corner. There they saw the Chalebrat hammering its fists against the closed door of a warehouse. The wood blackened under its touch, gobbets of flame remaining like fire-arrows wherever it touched. With a yell, one of the squads he’d sent around charged forward, shields raised and spears levelled. The Chalebrat retreated a step in surprise, then screeched its defiance as the squad barrelled towards it.
‘Move!’ Hain shouted as he watched the attack.
The first few spears just passed through the elemental’s body, but at last one caught its arm and it looked like it ripped a piece of flame away. The Chalebrat roared and grabbed at the spear, jerking the man from the end of the rank and dragging him towards it. Another man threw his own spear over-arm at the creature; it missed, but distracted the Chalebrat for long enough for the captured soldier to scramble away.
‘So becoming solid enough to grab a spear must take more effort,’ Hain muttered, ‘and when it is we can hurt it more.’
Seeing Hain’s unit advancing, the Chalebrat hopped forward to meet them. Hain led the squad at a run, his men behind him, spears levelled. As the Chalebrat slapped a burning palm down onto one shield, three soldiers managed to score hits. The spears passed through its body with ease, but now they just had to keep on doing the same thing.
A third squad came forward hard on Hain’s heels, but the creature was ready for them this time.
As Hain turned his men around he heard screams; the Chalebrat had leaped right into the centre of the squad and engulfed them all in licking flames. The fourth and fifth fared better, passing and striking almost as one before peeling off on either side of it.
Now the Chalebrat saw soldiers all around it and hesitated, confused by the choice. At last it picked a direction, but as soon as it began to move the squad retreated and another closed in from another angle.
Hain bellowed above the din of cracking flames from the warehouse and two more squads advanced from between buildings, moving at a fast trot with their shields and spears held high.
As the remnants of the decimated squad screamed in agony nearby, their skin blackened, their weapons abandoned, the creature appeared confused.
It barely moved as the two new squads approached - until they were close, when the elemental jumped forward and tried to smash through the interlocked shields with its fists. As soon as it had chosen a target, the free squad lurched towards it, their spears lowered, and passed it at a trot.
Three or four spear-heads passed through the Chalebrat’s body without apparent effect, but as it struck down at the squad, the company lieutenant slashed up with his scimitar and as elemental arm met sword there was an explosion of fire.
Hain heard his lieutenant cry out as he fell to the floor, but the clash drove the elemental back too.
‘Come on,’ Hain roared, axe held high, and the circling squads obeyed, charging forward as one. Hain was the first to reach it and once again he led them past, strafing to get its attention off the beleaguered squad that had faltered. The elemental turned to follow them before it saw the remaining units.
Slashing wildly at the air, the Chalebrat tried to back away, then realised there was nowhere to go and turned towards Hain’s squad. He yelled at them to stop, and his élite troops obeyed, hunkered down behind their shields and set their spears forward.
The elemental thrashed at them with a long whip of fire, but it burst harmlessly on their shields and within seconds the remaining squads were behind it, impaling it on their spears. The Chalebrat reeled and turned, snapping spear-shafts with savage slaps.
Now’s our chance, Hain