Scientific Sorcery

Part 5

The demon pulled from the Gateway, bringing his second hoof to land on the marble with a clatter. He was twice the size of any man Char had ever seen. Thick muscles made him look like a knotted tree trunk of a creature. Behind him, a pair of red, leathery wings stretched wide, gripping at the air. His jaw hung low, exposing two rows of sharpened yellow teeth. The black tattoos covering his bald head seemed to shimmer and move. A solitary horn curved skyward from his forehead. He flexed his arms with a roar, popping his chest muscles. His bare skin glistened red to his waist. Below, he was the shaggy legs of an animal, clumps of red fur swinging like bundles of ropes.

Char was moving as fast as his loose robes would permit. He shouted the words of his spell, letting the vapor concussion escape from his mind.

There was a thunder of air, and the demon's head was rocked sideways by an anvil of air. The hit was strong enough to knock him half way back into the Gateway.

And then Char was on him. He brought his staff to the demon's chest, delivering a blast of lightening shock. The demon oofed as his chest flashed. The demon brought up an arm to counter, but Char hit it away with the head of the staff, giving it another shock.

The demon took a step forward, lashing out with his other hand. Char blocked the swing with his staff held sideways. It bent on the impact, but did not break. It was enchanted to never break.

Char moved the staff to hit the demon's arm again with shock. The arm bounced away in a flash. Shock seems to be working. Do more of that.

Char chanted a lightening storm into existence. The room was flooded with dark gray clouds, flashing electric death. As Char finished the words, he added a protection to the spell—the lightening would not touch him.

Lightening sparked the clouds, one-two, and then latched on to the demon. It howled as arms and legs where pinned back, entire body vibrating from the hit. In the back of the room, lightening strikes were scattering the treasure of the Overlord in every direction, melting the gold into pools of golden goo.

The demon tried to take another step, but was hit with another bolt of lightening, knocking him sideways. Char visualized a metal belt surrounding the demon. He summoned all of the lightening to the demon. Flash after flash hit him. Thunder rattled Char's ears, but he was grinning ear to ear. He might pull this off—

Roaring in fury, the demon surged forward, pushing the air with a beat of his wings. Lightening continued to peg against him, but he was pushing through it. Char's eyes opened wide. The demon was on top of him.

The demon swung one arm and then the other at Char. Char ducked sideways, bringing the pointed end of his staff in an arc that sliced up the demons chest. Wizard's fire engulfed the demon in blue flames. Char dropped away, rolling backwards. He came back to his feet, just in time to see the demon brush the flames away with a smile. It looked at him with amused respect.

When he spoke, it was like metal scraping over glass, "You attack fast, but it won't make a difference. If you'd seen my world, you wouldn't bother with the fire." It coughed a rattling laugh. "I was born in the fire!"

With that, he opened his mouth wide, and roiling fire poured forth in a liquid torrent. It spilled over itself in a rush to toward Char.

Char's throat squeezed shut in a muffled squeak, but he managed to get the words of ice past his lips just in time. A protective wall of ice shot up between him and the boiling fire. The ice hissed and popped, the magic of the spell reforming the ice as fast as it was melting. Char pushed himself away.

The demon snarled and smashed through the wall, sending shards exploding in all directions. He growled as he charged forward. Char let the spell of wizard fire fall from the end of his staff and planted the end in the ground. He angled the head of the staff toward the fast-approaching demon. He leaned back to brace the staff.