Age of Asango: Book I

Chapter 3.3: Blood and Magic

            

As Kota darted between the lumbering ogres, some part of him remembered the dagger Cassian had given him and his hand snapped back to unsheathe it just as he came upon his enemy. He leaped on the demon's back from behind and plunged the gleaming blade right into its neck. There was more resistance than he had expected in the creature's oily hide, but Kota's muscles were working harder than they ever had and he managed to force the dagger in all the way to the hilt. The demon let out a metallic scream of rage and the great bat-wings flapped hard, knocking Kota backwards. The creature tore the dagger from its neck in a spray of thick, black blood and it whirled around.

Kota was not afraid. The sight of the demon's blood - the smell of it spurred him on even harder. He snarled at his enemy as it turned and raised its blade. Kota might have died in that instant had Darius not renewed his attack from behind. Instead of slicing Kota in half the demon was forced to turn and defend itself from the larger threat. Using that opportunity, Kota sprang then onto the demon's back again. This time, with no weapon, he reached around the sides of its head and slashed furiously at its face where he judged the eyes would be with his claws. The monster roared even louder than before and a powerful hand reached back and clamped down on Kota's left arm. He felt his body being wrenched over the demon's shoulders and then he was slammed down on the ground. There was a snap in the lower part of his right leg followed by a wave of pain, yet as he experienced this he looked up and saw that the demon was blinded in one eye and he felt himself smile.

The human warrior, who looked half dead from all the blood he had lost, attacked again in a clumsy, weak attempt to slash at the hellish creature's throat. The demon parried the blow away easily, but the effort left another opening for Kota. With his remaining good leg he leaped up and sent two of the claws on his right hand directly into the demon's remaining good eye. His fingers penetrated into gooey flesh and the creature let out a shriek that shook Kota's bones. It shoved him, thrusting one of its arms out in a blind rage. Kota sailed through the air and slammed into one of the stone walls. He bounced and rolled to the ground, but he kept his eyes on his enemy. Blinded, the demon swung its sword about and shouted in a horrible, guttural voice: "Where are you?! I'll KILL you!"

Half limping, Darius moved in and struck. The demon's head fell from its shoulders, and the strange battle fury that overtaken Kota left him within a few desperate breaths. He lay there, badly beaten, his leg broken, blood dripping from wounds he did not even remember receiving. He became himself again, and he could not make sense of what had just happened.

Darius moved to him then, dropping down next to him and wheezing: "Are you still alive, Kota? Please don't die!"

Kota could not talk. The impact of the wall had taken all the wind out of him, he was only a sweating, gasping mass on the ground, but he was still alive. Darius put a hand on his shoulder and shouted: "Soldiers, rally to me!"

The men moved around the two of them, carrying four badly injured soldiers with them and setting them next to Kota. They formed another circle around their wounded. Darius rose to his feet and took a place among his men, gripping his weapon with his still good sword hand. There were still so many ogres. Kota could see them through the legs of his protectors. But they were hesitating.

Kota heard a single pair of feet walking softly toward his group. He rolled onto his stomach to get a better view and looked up to see Cassian walking toward them. The dead or unconscious body of the demon sorcerer was sliding and scraping along the city floor next to him, seeming to be dragged forward by Cassian's invisible power. The young sorcerer walked between the Onkai and the rest of the ogre army, and then turned to face the enemy.

An ogre nearby lunged very suddenly at Cassian, letting out a furious battle cry and swinging a spiked club downward at Cassian's skull. Just before the weapon could connect it snapped into splinters and metal nails, all of which flew away from Cassian, and the massive ogre was hurled backward at least ten paces. It let out a horrible scream as Cassian took a few steps toward it and it scurried back on its hands and feet.