Demon-Killing Sword

14.3 Past

A torch thumped into the back of Kjell's head. He sagged forward, momentarily stunned. Huginn appeared behind him, eyes narrowed.

Muninn lunged for the Demon-Killing Sword. She grabbed on, but Kjell still had a tight grip.

"It's mine," he mumbled.

She kicked him between the legs. Kjell groaned and bent. His grip weakened. Muninn yanked the sword free and scrambled backward. She jumped to her feet.

The nokken were almost on top of them. Huginn swung the torch at them. "Muninn!" he shouted.

"Coming!" Muninn ran for her torch. It was half-submerged in the lake. The flame flickered as water licked over it. Even wet, it still issued a thick smoke. The nokken swirled around it, wary. She snatched it up and pivoted. Her feet dug into the mud. Stones sprayed. Smoke billowed after her as she raced to Huginn's side.

Wind caught the smoke and blew it forward, toward the nokken. Hissing angrily, they recoiled. Some covered their eyes. Others coughed. The nearest ones bent to dodge the smoke. They narrowed their eyes and ducked backwards, afraid. At the water's edge, the nokken who'd only just emerged slumped back into the water, dark eyes mirrored in the lake before they vanished silently into the depths.

Muninn glanced over her shoulder at the others. "Come on!"

Kjell limped forward, eyes narrowed. Niina hesitated, but Vivi ran to catch up. "They've beat the nokken," Vivi called. "Nothing holding us back from the capital now!"

Huginn held out a third torch to Vivi as she caught up. "Mind our back." He tapped the unlit torch against his lit one, and it began to smoke as well.

Muninn put her hand on the sword as Kjell approached. He ignored her to stand by Huginn. "Good thinking, kiddo," he said, ruffling Huginn's hair.

"It was Muninn's idea too," Huginn muttered.

The nokken crept up from the side. Muninn whirled and brandished her torch at them. The nearest ones flinched back, but the ones further out stood firm, eyes narrowed.

"I don't know if there's enough smoke," she said.

"It's fine," Huginn replied.

The wind shifted. The smoke blew back, into Muninn's face and away from the lake. She coughed, blinded. When the smoke cleared, the nokken were there. They rushed at her, claws raised. Muninn shrieked and grabbed her sword. She swung wildly. It swished through the air, useless. The torch! Muninn thrust it at the nokken, but the smoke refused to cooperate. Unafraid of the flames, one reached out. A pale hand closed around the torch. Muninn yanked against it as hard as she could, heart racing. "Let go!"

The nokken's grip was steel. It narrowed its eyes. A dangerous smile spread across its face.

"Huginn!" Vivi snapped.

"I know!"

A bomb clattered against the earth. Smoke blossomed up. All around them, nokken shrieked.

"Run!" Niina shouted.

Footsteps pounded through the smoke. Shadows raced past her. She turned to go, but the nokken wouldn't release her torch. "Let go! Let go!" She yanked again. It wouldn't budge. The sound of footsteps receded. The shadows vanished. "Wait!" Muninn called. As she gasped a breath to shout again, she choked on the smoke and coughed. I have to  get out of here!

The sword. Muninn hesitated just a moment, then slashed the nokken's arm. The torch sprang free as the nokken's arm disintegrated.

It screamed. In the moments before it vanished, it screamed. She knew it was the one she'd slashed, because it screamed in horror, not pain or anger. "Sorry," she whispered.

She raced after the others. Water splashed all around her, the nokken thrown into a frenzy. They screeched, high voices like nails on a blackboard. In the smoke, she couldn't tell which way they were coming from. They were all around her.

Out of the smoke. It swirled after her, pluming like a trail. The others were ahead of her already. The nokken chased them at a distance, wary of Huginn and Vivi's torches. They hadn't noticed her yet, but it was only a matter of time.

"Wait!" Muninn called.

Kjell turned back. No one else had heard her. Their eyes met.

He turned away without a word.

Biting her lip angrily, Muninn ducked her head and dug her feet into the mud. Ahead of her, some of the nokken turned back. Dark eyes glistened, pupils nearly wide enough to fill the whole socket. She gripped her weapons tight. "Stay away!"

The others were nearly past the lakeside. Reluctant to chase too far from their lake, the nokken fell back and found her, running at them. "Out of the way!" she shouted, waving the torch. Look big. Look threatening. "Back off!"

Nokken closed in around her. Pale limbs raked through the air. She ducked reaching arms, jumped kicks. The closest ones shied away when she pointed the torch at them, but she could only point the torch in one direction at a time. As soon as she thrust it forward, they closed in on every other side. She pushed forward, holding out the torch. When the nokken thinned before the billowing smoke, she ran at them, brandishing torch and sword. They flinched back. With a leap, Muninn threw herself at them, wing lifting to clutch the air. Claws cut at her face, yanked at her coat. She landed. She slid over the mud, arms pedaling. Found a grip. Ran on.

There was a narrow path where the nokken hadn't yet closed in from where the others had passed. She threaded the space, whipping between the demons. "Wait!"

Huginn glanced back at last. Vivi paused, only to get shoved on by Niina. Raising her bow, Niina fired an arrow toward Muninn. She yelped and dropped, but the arrow fell short. "You missed!" Muninn shouted, but then she realized: Niina hadn't. Smoke gushed from a smoldering rope tied around the arrow. The nokken fell back, startled. Muninn pushed through the gap and made up the distance between them.

"Don't be so slow!" Vivi admonished her.

"I got stuck," Muninn replied breathlessly. She glanced at Kjell. He ran on, eyes dead ahead. He didn't even glance at her. She narrowed her eyes. So that's how it's going to be.

Huginn cocked an eyebrow at her. She ignored him. It's not his problem. Her hand clenched around the sword. I just have to keep it from Kjell until we reach the capitol.

The nokken fell back at the edge of the lake, unwilling to leave their home too far behind. One hissed at them, baring its teeth. Another crept another few feet after them before it stopped. She glanced back one last time, then turned away. One more obstacle out of the way. Hold on, mom. I'm coming.