Power Awakens

The Demolt had smashed through hundreds of houses on his way to the outer wall, with countless humans still inside them, screaming and dying, as they didn’t heed the call to evacuate quickly enough. It now stood thirty paces from the wall and a mere half a league from its destination. Although it was only six hundred paces from the nearest gate, as was its design and as the Werd of Command had ordered, the Demolt didn’t deviate from its chosen path, it took the shortest possible route to its final target. The Wall was relatively tall and relatively thick and although it would prove to be a very difficult barrier for an invading army it would prove to be no obstacle to the Demolt, it would merely slow it down as it destroyed the stone and mortar piece by piece.

Over a hundred men where now trying to attack the Demolt but the beast ignored them, soon it would be ripping blocks of stone and throwing them in all directions, which would probably keep the attacking soldiers at bay. Pausing momentarily to identify its first strike point on the wall, the Demolt felt a sudden growing of power in one of the humans on the wall. It looked up and could sense the increased intensity of the aura of this human, this one had power, thought the Demolt, but was it enough to threaten him or his mission.

Fraykus stared at the Demolt as it entered the killing ground at the bottom of the outer wall. Even though the houses were close to the wall they all still had to be at least a hundred paces back from the base of the wall to allow the killing ground to be kept clear, this area was often used in times of celebrations for pitching up tents and stalls, but usually it was kept clear. For the Naming Day celebrations most of the festivities were around the centre and the south of town, which left the space at this North-western sector clear.

As Fraykus saw the Demolt for the first time, he was struck by an awful fear. The Demolt was over twice as tall as the tallest man, the same size across, and at least a third as big from head to tail, if you could call it a head. It was a creature from nightmares, it had four limbs, and a thick tail ending in six spikes, each of the four limbs were three times thicker than a mans waist, and all ended in what could only be described as talons which were over two hands long, the enormous musculature of the beast was clearly evident even under the thick armour like skin which would appear to be too thick to be pierced by anything less than a whalers javelin.

There were no apparent eyes and no neck just a lump at the front of the beast with a jaw the width of a tall man, which seemed to be able to open at least the height of a man and maybe more. In its jaws there were at least five rows of dagger like teeth followed by another ten rows of less pointed teeth, which looked capable of crushing rock. The teeth were between one hand and two hands long. The skin was a dark motley red and brown, and appeared to shine in the sunlight, but it didn’t look to be slimy, a large ridge of bone stuck out from its head like front. Yes, definitely a creature from your worse nightmares.

The creature seemed to ignore the constant attacks by the surrounding soldiers and occasionally it would catch a soldier or horse and crush it in one of its mighty claws. The Demolt obviously walked on its four limbs but occasionally it reared slightly back, balancing on its enormous tail and struck out with its front two limbs to catch a soldier who had been too slow in retreating from a blow it had delivered to the beast. When this happened the Demolt grabbed hold of the struggling unfortunate with both appendages and ripped the soldier in two with a sickening tearing and popping sound and a spray of blood across the open killing ground. Strangely the three that had been killed in this way made no sounds other than the sound of a human being wrenched into two halves.

The Demolt made its way across the killing area and Fraykus thought that the name Killing Ground was a very apt name for this cleared off area, but not for the reasons the architect had given.

The Demolt paused about thirty paces from the wall and terrified Fraykus began to draw in his power. One of the most powerful Sorcerers in Bruk Fraykus could draw life-energy from over twenty paces around his body. As Fraykus drew in his power he was momentarily taken aback and almost lost his focus as the Demolt quite slowly and deliberately raised its almost head and looked straight at Fraykus who was ten paces slightly off to the right of where the beast was previously focusing. Terrified before, Fraykus was now petrified, the focus of such a creature as the Demolt felt as though it was boring straight into his soul. A fear and certainty of death had never been clearer to Fraykus and he nearly lost his nerve in continuing to focus his considerable abilities. The Demolt seemed to slightly shrink back in on itself like an enormous spring coiling itself to strike. Suddenly, with no further warning, the Demolt shot forward with the speed of a crossbow bolt it hit the wall with the bony ridge of its head. Those standing on the wall felt a deep shudder and shock wave run through the wall, and greats chunks of stone and smaller chips flew into the air, some hitting unwary soldiers both below and on top of the wall. The Demolt moved back and once again coiled itself, an almighty crunch hit the wall a second time, even more rocks and debris littered the air, causing those nearest to duck down to avoid being smashed by flying debris, it felt like a primeval force had struck the wall, a focused earthquake. The Demolt was already a half a pace into the stone wall with only two strikes, once again the Demolt moved back, however, this time it paused, as it had done only moments before to look at Fraykus.

Fraykus, his aura ablaze with power, soaked up as much life-energy as he could handle, he felt like he was going to explode, his head, spine and veins felt as though they were on fire, with power coursing through every fibre of his body. He focused on the Demolt, put both hands together, made them into fist shapes and unleashed Logan’s Fire.

An explosive outflow of energy exited Fraykus’s body through his hands straight into the Demolt, a bar of liquid fire, like molten rock, hit it on the bony ridge shape and cascaded around its body. The fire was so bright that to look directly at it left smears of bright yellow bars across your sight, as it hit a roaring sound like an avalanche reverberated across the clearing. The Demolt was knocked back onto its hind legs and tail, but wasn’t knocked over. The Logan’s Fire rebounded off the Demolt and instantly vaporised twelve of the Royals who had been attacking it from the right flank. Although it was only seconds, it seemed to last for minutes, then it was over and Fraykus slumped to the base on top of the outer wall.

As soon as the Demolt had been rocked back, three of Petrek’s strongest moved in with Boar Lances and punched them deep into the underside of the Demolt, they managed to penetrate less then they expected but they didn’t have time to withdraw for a second thrust as the Demolt’s right claw swept all three men off the ground to be dashed against the base of the wall twenty paces away.

The Demolt hit the ground and lay still.

Pain, such pain, pain as it hadn’t felt in over five hundred years, the human demons fire had hurt the Demolt all over and deep inside its sensor area, two sensors had burned and fizzled into tiny crisp like leaves, they hurt the most, the puny humans attacking its underside had only made it worse, somehow they had managed to damage one of its regen organs, it was going to take months to re-grow that one. Pain, and now anger, few times in its existence did a Demolt feel anger, this human demon that had now dropped down out of normal sight had managed to hurt it, this creature was going to pay. The Demolt lay still for a few more minutes collecting its thoughts on what to do next, a number of options left to it but the demon human had to be killed first. More humans attacked it once more but these didn’t cause any damage to the Demolt, it suddenly sprung up, killing three more soldiers and crashed into the wall with its bony ridge. This was twice as powerful as the first two attempts and seemed to reach halfway through the wall at the same time as throwing an enormous cascade of debris into the air. Once more it crashed into the wall, again and again, and on the sixth strike a four pace wide section of the wall crumbled. The Demolt was through.

Jonin helped Fraykus to the next ambush point. The Wizard appeared to be drained but managed to hold himself up, as he was half carried, half walked, across the ground to the appointed house.

Fraykus through his terror at the Demolt staring at him had managed to draw almost too much power and when he expelled and twisted that power he had almost drained himself in the process, attempting to fry the monster where it stood. He had been extremely shocked when all that he had managed to do was to rock it back on its haunches and kill a group of soldiers. The Archduke was right, the use of Logan’s Fire was dangerous, but what choice did they have.

Fraykus began drawing life-energy again and immediately felt better. Surely they had damaged the Demolt, maybe they killed it, he thought.

In answer to the question Fraykus heard the first of the crunching blows the Demolt gave to the outer Wall.

Svelte was ready with his Lancers, he had seen the effect of the Wizards fire from his vantage point on the wall, so he kept his men well back. He didn’t know if his attack would do any harm to the Demolt but he meant to give it his all even if it meant his death. His thoughts wondered momentarily to his wife and baby daughter safe back at home in Mank, what would happen if this creature was loosed in Mank a densely populated city, the carnage would be incredible. He had to stop it here.

The Demolt heaved itself over the rubble of the outer wall, Svelte could see the Wizard with his eyes closed. The Demolt for the first time since Svelte had encountered it deviated from its straight path. It moved towards the Wizard with an amazing swiftness.

Fraykus looked up to see the Demolt head straight for him at a pace. It defied logic for a creature so massive. Fraykus’s hands came up while the Demolt was only six paces away, and he unleashed a torrential strike of Logan’s Fire directly into the creature, this time the Demolt was ready, it hit the ground as the demon human unleashed the burning light pain, with its front claws protecting its sensor pods, it reigned in its senses to avoid the searing pain that had hit it earlier, this time it was ready.

Logan’s Fire soared across the intervening space; rivulets of it rebounded from the tough skin of the Demolt to demolish nearby buildings. Svelte opened his eyes a fraction of second too early and was rewarded with a blinding flash of light that etched a pattern on his retina.

He was ready to give the order and begin the charge himself when he noticed that the Demolt was prone on the ground, his underside was not exposed, as it had been earlier, the Demolt did not seem injured in any way. Within the space of a heartbeat the Demolt appeared to suddenly spring forward, and with a sickening squelch and popping noise the Demolt tore the head off the shoulders of Fraykus. With an almost dismissive gesture, the Demolt crushed the head with a loud crunch and disdainfully flung it back toward the wall. The Demolt, ignoring the surrounding soldiers, turned and continued its journey towards the keep, smashing through anything in its way.