Chapter 29: The Council Hall (Patreon)

The old council hall was only a short distance from the Raccoon base. Everyone called it the ‘old council hall,’ though no one knew if it had ever been used for such a purpose. The ruins were certainly old, but no government had ever graced the poor quarter—and the thought of the likes of us ever having anything so grand as a council was laughable.

Still, it was a name, and an easy one too, so it stuck.

In recent decades, the council hall’s last remaining walls had collapsed in on themselves. These days only the most desperate ever sought shelter in the ruins, and more often than not quiet ruled the desolate space.

Which was perhaps why Eoman had chosen it as the spot for the Raccoon’s last stand.

As I drew closer to the ruins, the indistinct hum of noise I’d been aware of for a while now grew louder. Straining my ears, I identified individual sounds. The shout of an angry woman. The screech of steel. The wet thunk of an axe burying itself in flesh. The wail of a dying man.

My hope quickened. It was not too late, and some of the Raccoons still fought on. Soren and Alon would be amongst them. They had to be.

Turning my focus inwards, I addressed my companion. “Ada, I’m not sure what we’re heading into—a battle most likely—but I have no idea how many or what odds we will face. Nonetheless, I won’t retreat, not until I find Soren and Alon.” I paused. “Can I count on you?”

“Of course, El,” she replied, streaming out of me in plumes of thick white smoke. “We are in this together. No matter what.”

“Thank you,” I breathed, cheered to no end by her ungrudging support. While the fire lizard took form, I saw to my own preparations, casting my one and only defensive spell.

Chanting the words of the witch armor spell that had indelibly burned themselves in my mind, I drew mana and manipulated it into a tight-knit weave large enough to cover me twice over.

A second later, the air shimmered as the spell settled on me.

You have cast witch armor, increasing your damage resistance by 10% for 2 hits.

Raising my arms, I studied them anew. The witch armor sat on me like a second skin, one made of magic. The spell was largely translucent but still retained a luminescent cast that would betray its presence to a keen-eyed observer.

Adalinda has cast manifest, taking the form of a level 16 fire lizard.

Adalinda has cast claws of fury, increasing the damage she deals with physical attack by 10% for 1 minute.

Drawing my stiletto, I broke into a flat-out run. “Come on. Let’s go kill some Devils.”

✵ ✵ ✵

Turning a corner, I dashed out of the alleyway and into the council hall, only to be confronted by a surging mass of men and women. Almost immediately, I could tell most were Devils.

But not all.

Not too far to my left was a close-knit group of Raccoons, their gang affiliations proudly displayed by the armbands fastened around their arms. With Adalinda in tow, I set off in their direction anxiously scanning the battlefield for a pair of familiar faces.

But there was no sign of Soren or Alon.

Or Eoman, for that matter.

My heart sank. No damn it. They had to be alive. They had to. I shoved my stiletto back into its sheath. One of the Raccoons would know where Alon and Soren were. I only had to make sure enough survived for me to question. And the best way to do that was to thin the Devils numbers from afar with magic.

Drawing mana, I wove a spell quickly.

You have cast ethereal bow.

The ghostly construct materialized in my left hand. I didn’t hesitate. Drawing back its string of light taut, I willed a fire arrow into existence and sighted on the closest Devil.

Then released.

You have critically injured a level 10 human!

The burning projectile thudded into my target’s back. With a cry, he fell forward and onto the waiting blade of the Raccoon he fought.

“Ada, watch my back,” I murmured. Dropping to one knee, I searched for my next target. To my right, two Devils beat down on Raccoon. Knocking my bow again, I took aim and fired.

You have grazed a level 8 human!

The shot went wide, only clipping my intended mark. Cursing myself for a fool, I narrowed my eyes and fired again.

You have killed a level 9 human with a fatal blow!

My next arrow fared better, burying itself in the unlucky Devil’s throat. “Better, Elana,” I murmured and knocked my bow again.

“Incoming!”

At Adalinda’s warning cry, my head whipped to the left. Two Devils were charging down on me. My presence had been noticed.

“It’s her!” one screamed. “The girl’s here. Get the bitch!”

“That one is mine,” Adalinda snarled. “The other is all yours.”

“My pleasure,” I growled. Swinging around, I brought my bow to bear on the second Devil. Inhaling, I sighted.

Exhaling, I released.

You have critically injured a level 7 human!

The flaming arrow dropped quicker than I intended and instead of striking my foe through the heart, it tore through his stomach. Still, it served to stop the Devil in his tracks. Gasping, he folded over on himself.

The other thug came on, undaunted. Perhaps, seeing nothing between himself and me except a lone lizard, he thought I was easy prey. His eyes fixed on me, he attempted to swerve around Adalinda.

A mistake he didn’t live to regret.

As the Devil rushed by, the fire lizard swung her tail around—almost lazily. The strong muscular appendage wrapped around the thug’s leg and Adalinda yanked.

Your companion has tripped a level 10 human.

The Devil hit the ground hard, landing on his back with an audible “oof!” Adalinda was on him in a flash. Snaking across the thug’s prone body, she clamped her jaws around his throat.

Skin tore and blood sputtered.

And before he realized his fate, the Devil was already dead.

Your companion has killed a level 10 human with a fatal blow.

Unfortunately, we had little time to celebrate. Six more Devils were heading our way—too many for me to shoot down before they closed.

“Adalinda, I need you!” I cried. Drawing my bow, I fired three times in quick succession, barely pausing to aim between shots.

You have missed your target!

You have injured your target!

You have critically injured your target. A level 9 human is blinded!

The first shot went wide. The second thudded into a Devil’s thigh. And the third plunged into another’s eye.

That left four to deal with.

But there was no more time for fancy shooting. Dropping my left hand, I let the ethereal bow dematerialize and rose smoothly to my feet. It would be close-quarter fighting from here on out. Drawing my stiletto, I set my stance and waited.

Adalinda has cast fire-breath.

Flames roared out from my left, enveloping three of the four thugs before they could close around me.

3 of 3 targets have failed a magical resistance check!

Your companion has set alight 3 humans.

The trio shrieked. Forgetting me altogether, they rolled on the floor, desperately trying to put out the flames engulfing them.

The fourth thug’s eyes widened as he narrowly missed sharing in fellows’ fate. Slowing his steps slowing, the Devil glanced uncertainly from Adalinda to me. He would be easy to scare off.

But I was not about to let him get away.

“I’ll deal with him!” I hissed. “You finish off the others.”

Calling on light’s fury, I dashed forward. Reflexively, my foe brought up his sword. Dodging around the blade, I plunged the burning stiletto into the Devil’s side.

The thug screamed and hacked down with his sword.  But I had anticipated the move and evaded the blow easily and, before he could recover, drove the stiletto farther in and upward until I found his heart.

You have killed a level 13 human.

Pushing away the corpse, I wrenched the blade free and glanced to my left. Adalinda was also done with her foes. “What now?” she panted from amidst the trio of burned and blood corpses.

My gaze flickered forward. The fight between the Raccoons and Devils still raged on, but for the moment at least, no one was trying to kill me and my companion, and I was far enough away from the battle’s epicenter to go unnoticed. Putting the time to good use, I surveyed the combatants anew.

A familiar face flashed into view.

Not Alon’s or Soren’s sadly. Vigil’s. The Raccoon’s door guard. He knew me, though, which was something at least.

I pointed out the Raccoon to Adalinda. “Let’s go save him.”

✵ ✵ ✵

Vigil was fighting a group of Devils by himself.

The door guard looked to be a skilled fighter. Flourishing his studded staff around in wide arcs, he was keeping his foes at bay. But the Devils were equally skilled and deftly avoided the whirling stick. It was only a matter of time, I thought, before one of them snuck through the Raccoon’s defenses.

“Hold on, Vigil,” I yelled, hoping to distract the Devils besetting him. “I’m coming!”

Foolishly, one of the thugs glanced over his shoulder in my direction. Not missing the opportunity, Vigil brought his weapon crashing down on the man’s head.

A level 14 human has been knocked unconscious.

The move left the Raccoon overextended, though, and the other two Devils were quick to take advantage.

A level 15 human has injured Vigil.

A level 13 human has critically injured Vigil.

“Damn,” I cursed as the Raccoon collapsed. My attempted distraction had the opposite effect from what I intended, but I had no time to bemoan my misfortune. Leaving Vigil to bleed out behind them, the other two Devils rushed me.

But before they could close the distance, Adalinda took action.

Adalinda has cast fire-breath.

Flames gushed out of the lizard’s mouth, engulfing the closer Devil, but missing the second who flung himself out of the way in the nick of time. Leaving the still-burning thug to Adalinda, I charged at the second.

My foe was off-balance, and hoping to score a quick kill, I threw caution to the wind and lunged.

The Devil surprised me.

Adroitly righting himself, he parried away my stiletto, then, almost in the same motion, counterattacked.

A level 15 human has critically injured you.

Your witch armor has reduced the damage incurred by 10%.

White hot agony exploded across my left shoulder as the Devil’s sword bit deep, severing sinew and tendons, but thankfully stopping short of cutting through bone.

Your right arm has been crippled!

My foe was not yet done. Preparing to deliver the final blow, he raised his sword aloft—

—I sagged listlessly—

—and the blade sang overhead.

You have evaded a level 15 human’s attack.

Pain fogged my mind, threatening to knock me senseless. But that way lay death. Holding grimly to consciousness, I picked a direction at random and rolled blindly across the ground.

Somewhere to my left, steel shattered rock.

You have evaded a level 15 human’s attack.

If my straits weren’t so dire, I would have laughed. Twice now, Lady Luck had saved me. But it would be foolish to count on her for a third time. Blinking furiously to clear my eyes, I spotted a blurred shape stomping closer.

My foe.

I had no weapon to hand, though; I’d dropped my blade when I’d fallen.

“Ada,” I called faintly. “Help.”

“Coming, El!”

The wavering figure loomed over me. “Stupid girl,” he snarled.

Doing the only thing I could think off, I raised my hands, palms out.

And flared.

You have cast light’s fury.

Light gushed out of my hands. Bright. Uncontrollable. And blinding.

“Aiyee!” the thug shrieked, staggering backward and throwing up his arms to shield his eyes.

I’d bought myself a few precious seconds, and even better, the haziness in my vision was clearing. Looking around frantically, I spotted my stiletto less than two feet away. Clutching the blade, I rose shakily to my feet and refocused on my foe.

He’d lowered his hands and was glaring at me with loathing. “Damn cu—”

Two halves of a long, red-nosed snout appeared on either side of his right ankle and snapped closed.

Adalinda has injured a level 14 human.

The Devil’s mouth dropped open in a silent O of pain. I staggered forward, stiletto raised. The thug saw me coming and brought his own blade to bear.

But he’d failed to account for cunning of the lizard ensnaring his foot.

A second before our blades met, Adalinda tugged, pulling the Devil off balance and leaving him exposed.

Darting in, I buried my blade in his chest.

You have killed a level 15 human.

“Thank you, Ada,” I exhaled noisily. My one remaining good arm windmilling, I somehow managed not to land in a sprawl beside the corpse. Righting myself, I took stock of the battle.

Vigil was nowhere to be seen.  The battle also appeared to be winding down. Those few figures still left standing were moving more sluggishly than they once had. My efforts had borne fruit too, and the remaining Raccoons looked to be rallying. They could even win, I thought with a tired smile.

“Are you alright?” Adalinda asked worriedly.

I nodded tiredly. “I will be in a second,” I said, fumbling for a health potion.

You have restored yourself to full health with a moderate healing potion.

You are no longer crippled.

“Ah better,” I murmured as sinew and skin knit themselves back into a seamless whole and the pain in my shoulder vanished as if it had never been. “I feel ready for anything now.”

But no sooner did the words escape my mouth than I spotted another familiar figure.

A most unwelcome one.

Swaggering across the hall, seemingly without a care in the world, was a green-skinned warrior bearing a morningstar.

The assassin was back.