Jeff Inlo - Chain of Bargains

Vowing not to allow the infern to get away, Ryson charged after the streaking half-demon with all of his speed and agility. In order to stop it, he needed to get to higher ground, and he chose a nearby building that had not yet been touched by flames. His acceleration was so great it propelled him nearly half way up the side of a building before he furiously climbed the rest of the way. He found solid footing on the rooftop, planted himself firmly, and threw his sword like a spear at the fleeing infern.

Flung with such velocity, the Sword of Decree cut through the black armor and thrust itself firmly into the half-demon's chest. The monster lit up like a comet. The burst was so powerful that it pulled from the fires well below the soaring infern. Flames raced up to and across the sky. The glowing flash was far more extensive than any of the previous encounters, perhaps due to the depth at which the sword was embedded. A huge fireball blotted out the body of the half-demon, consumed it in an instant, and then exploded.

Ryson watched as the light burnt out. The infern was gone. Just his sword hung in the empty air, upheld by the tremendous wave of heat that erupted from the blast. After but a moment, the blade plummeted to the ground and fell into the middle of the road below. He climbed back down the side of the building, but did not dare touch the weapon's handle. The intensity of the last blast made the entire sword glow.

He remembered a fountain in the center plaza behind him. There was plenty of water, but nothing to carry it. He ran down several side streets until he found an abandoned merchant's cart with a small pan. He grabbed it, returned to the fountain and filled it with water.

Racing back to the sword, he threw water over the weapon. Every drop turned instantly into steam. Over and over Ryson returned to the fountain and then ran back to his blade. Eventually, the sword cooled enough for him to take hold of it.

Before turning his attention to the western side of the city, he took stock in his surroundings. For the first time, the fires started by the infern had not all been extinguished by its demise, probably due to the larger size of the blaze and the half-demon's attempt to escape. Whatever the cause, two buildings still burned and there was little he could do about it.

When he did look to the west, he noticed blazes spreading there as well. Time was working against him. The fires, however, would have to wait. He knew there were more inferns stalking the city, and they were his first priority. He raced on to meet every new blaze and confront the infern responsible.

Defeating them took more time than he hoped, as the half-demons could not help but notice the bright flare in the sky and the end of the fires in the east. They knew something was working against their efforts, and they moved with greater caution.

Ryson faced them all, and defeated them all, but several fought him or tried to escape. The delay allowed the fires to spread even further, and just as in the center of town, many of the blazes in the west survived the destruction of the last infern.

Ensuring all the inferns had been eliminated, Ryson circled the city in a quick scout. He noted the location of each fire. The eastern section of the city remained secure, but the western portion of Ashlan suffered from scattered fires burning from north to south right to the center of town. Unchecked, the fires would eventually spread to the east as well and destroy the entire city.

The only solace he could find was that the goblins had already forced the evacuation of the city. The residents of Ashlan had not yet returned. He noticed many of them slowly moving in from the west, but stopping well short of the city borders. Ryson knew they were all wondering the same thing. He couldn't help wonder himself. How long would it take for the city to burn completely to the ground?

Ryson realized there was little he could do. Any attempt at bringing water to each fire would be futile. Even with his speed, he wouldn't be able to keep up. He hoped that perhaps Enin or Jure would return. They were better equipped to handle such a dilemma. Disregarding the flames, he turned his attention back to the source of the crisis.

The draevol.

The demon had waited for them in the basement of the town hall, but they had all left… ordered by the elf guard to deal with other distractions and calamitous diversions. He, Enin and Jure were sent away, and that was clearly the plan. Holli was left alone to face the demon, and if his assistance was needed, it would be there.

The space within the cellar of the town hall was tall and wide. The area covered the entire expanse of the building above. It was mostly open, save for several support columns and some cabinets and shelves around the walls. The clear area would allow Holli to utilize her agility, but offered little cover, not the best circumstances for the foe she faced.

With the demon waiting at the center of the expanse, it could spread demon fire or cast out spells with few obstacles. The elf could dodge certain blasts, but in an enclosed space with little protection, a wave of force or fire would quickly eliminate her. Holli needed to alter the battlefield if she hoped to survive and she did so by casting the first spell before the conflict began.

Calling on trees that surrounded the town center, she cast an incantation that accelerated their growth rate and spurred both roots and stems to come to her aid. The shoots blasted through the rock floor of the cellar as well as the brick walls. They did not fill the space completely, but rather encircled the draevol, forming a cage like presence. Some branched out further and formed natural barriers. They grew thicker as they pressed through open air and created several safe havens for Holli to utilize. Those shoots that filled in the space around the initial cage did not form a maze, but scattered about to create several clear paths that extended throughout the basement. In essence, the thick branches and roots formed a mini forest within the confined space, an environment that aided an elf guard.

"You waste my time and doom yourself to death," the draevol snarled. "This is your last chance, leave now and you will live. Continue, and you will die."

Holli responded with another spell. She called on the surrounding ground water to swell into the roots of the trees. She knew what was coming and was already preparing for the assault.

Realizing the elf was intent on battle, the draevol cast a spell of its own. It needed to be free of the cage of roots as well as the annoying sorceress, and it deemed to do both with one blast of fire.

An oval of dark brown magical energy raced about the demon's body. It grew brighter as it expanded to a full wall that encircled the draevol just inside the cage of roots and branches. The brown shade faded into a burnt orange and the energy turned into a barrage of fire.

The draevol threw out its arms and the flames of plague magic burst out in every direction. The blaze filled all of the open area within the cage and then shot out through the entire cellar. Fire consumed most of the space, but several of the thicker roots and branches blocked enough of the fire to create small breaks of safety.

Relying on her agility as opposed to the magic, Holli leapt behind a thicket of roots and branches before the draevol completed its spell. She covered her face with her left arm as she continued to hold her bow in her right hand. She felt the heat all around her, but she was not burned.

The results of the spell surprised the demon. It expected to see the tree shoots burned to blackened crisps that he could snap with ease, but though many were scorched, most held to their healthy vibrancy. While it did not know Holli fortified each branch and root with a deluge of ground water to resist the fire, it surmised the elf had something to do with the results.