The Hedge Wizard

Shadow came over the far side of the cavern as the light of the essence stone lanterns dimmed, obscured by the thick veil of stone and earth. The cloud hung over the platform, just above the heads of the warlocks. Some were on the ground, trying to protect themselves with their arms or shield spells, others stood on their feet, staring up at the suspended rock. The warlock spell had ceased now, the red light of the formation fading as their magic fell to pieces.

Bud watched as the greater demon’s gaze turned on them. He saw the wicked gleam of glee in the demon’s eyes and fixed the hideous beast with a glare of his own. Rage boiled in him. He had been right. The warlocks and demons were working together. This ungodly misalliance must have been how the demons infiltrated Fort Nordric in the previous assault. It had been because of them his company had been ambushed from the rear, and so many of his own company killed.

His blessings blazed around him in an aura of cold, flickering with his anger. Were these warlocks the same group responsible for that attack too? Perhaps this greater demon had been a part of the attack.

They’re all responsible, Bud realised. He had a target for his rage, for his vengeance, and for his redemption for failing his people before.

The demon turned its diseased hand on them. The mass of stone burned as it shifted before Bud. Power roared through the cavern, blasting wind and debris against his face with relentless force.

It wanted to use the collapsed roof against them. Without thinking, Bud stepped ahead of his party and the soldiers, up to the edge of the walkway, his sword outstretched at his side. Frostfire billowed along the blade, flaring out at the tip in a great blaze.

Not one more person would suffer their atrocities while he drew breath. With Hump still in the tunnel behind the lines to cast his spell, there was no one else to create a shield to protect his men. It was up to him.

“What are you doing?” Emilia’s voice cracked with urgency.

“Meeting this attack,” Bud said. “Stay back! All of you!”

The demon's power twisted, corrupting into a maelstrom of purple essence, laced with venomous streaks of red and green, overwhelming Bud’s radiance. A great, rumbling boom shook the chamber as the essence brightened. The cloud of stone shifted toward him. Pebbles caught in the storm pinged off his armour, then all at once the cloud shot at him.

It surged forward like an avalanche.

Bud reached for the fire in his soul—his connection to Kelisia—unleashing its restraints. Energy surged within him, exploding out in icy inferno. As it met the cavern air, it birthed a swirling fog, glittering with tiny crystals of ice.

Wings of ice unfurled from Bud’s shoulders, erupting in streaks of roaring flames, painting the cavern with their fierce light. The stone was closer now, so fast Bud could barely prepare himself. For a brief moment, the cloud of stone shone brilliantly with it, ice crystallising over the surfaces closest to Bud even as it was gripped by the demon’s will.

He extended his left hand toward it. “Glacial Bulwark.”

The fog coalesced into a dense mist before him, thickening until the world beyond was hidden. Ice crystallised across the frosty veil, snapping and crackling like logs on a winter’s fire. It spread rapidly, building into a vast, square shield of radiant crystal. Frostfire danced along its edges, flickering and writhing in defiance.

Beyond, the bombardment of stone slowed in its mere presence, but it did not stop. The weight of the cavern roof fell upon his shield with the might of a giant. The ground shook like ocean waves, undulating beneath his feet.

“We’re clear,” Emilia shouted behind him.

“He’s not getting out,” came Dylan’s voice. “Stay here.”

Bud did not move—couldn’t move. A moment’s lapse in focus and everything would come crashing down. Clenching his teeth, he threw more essence into his shield. Bud felt as if all the warmth was siphoned from him, his strength draining beneath the onslaught. Cold pierced him to his core, as it had very few times in his life. Cracks webbed across the surface of his shield. Stone piled up against it like water pouring into a dam. Each thud and rumble added to the relentless cacophony that filled the chamber.

Dylan stepped up to his side, the druid’s vines rising around them and netting together.

“It’s not going to hold,” Dylan said. “I’ll buy you a moment, but you need to raise your other defences.”

Aspect of the Bear roared over Dylan’s head as he took on his most defensive form. As much as Bud hated to admit it, Dylan was right. There was simply too much stone for him to hold back. The cracks in his shield were widening.

“Damn it!” Bud snapped, calling upon his own defences. Ice Armour manifested over his steel plate.

His shield collapsed with the sound of breaking glass, shards of ice flying, giving way to stone. Dylan’s vines lessened the blow for only a moment, bending inward before snapping. The stones crashed down upon Bud with a thunderous roar. Weight pressed down on him, crushing him to the ground, pinning him mercilessly in place. He attempted to scream, but his voice was smothered as his mouth filled with dust. Only the rigid shell of his armour kept his body from being crushed entirely.

He manifested his blessings, filling the air with his power—the only light in his dark tomb. Ice formed around him on the cold, hard stones, encasing him in a shimmering sphere of ice, holding the rocks as if suspended in a glass globe. The rumbling and shifting of stone gradually ceased.

Distantly, he thought he heard Dylan’s shouts, his voice distant and muffled by the dense layers of stone. Bud couldn’t see him from the cramped confines of his icy sphere. He couldn’t see anything.

The sound of his breathing was heavy and loud within the tight space. He gathered himself, building his power. He wouldn’t be stopped here. He wouldn’t fail. Closing his eyes, he focused on that warm place his power came from. The part of him most closely connected to Kelisia. Her guiding light rushed through him, and he focused it on his back, to the Wings of the Frostfire Paladin.

He focused on the wings on his back, crushed beneath him but still surging with flame. “Harbinger of Ice.”

The air raged with flickering ice, yet all he felt was heat. Blue light erupted all around him. Flames engulfed him, raging against his tomb. With a roar, he flapped his wings of frostfire, launching himself upward.

Ice and stone exploded before him as he soared upward, breaching his tomb and launching himself through the cavern. Briefly, he took in the warlocks atop the stone platform: Dylan and Emilia led the other soldiers, clambering over the stones and onto the walkway to engage a group of bloodhorrors; Celaine stood atop the stones, loosing arrows into their midst; the greater demon toward the back of the tavern, near one of the tunnels. Then he was falling.

He gripped his sword away from his body as the ground came up beneath him. His wings flapped again on his back, lifting him and slowing his descent. He landed in a heavy crouch, his armour ringing out. Rising, the greater demon stood not five paces from him, its eyes now wide with surprise. Three of the strange fish monsters stood between them, scrambling toward Bud with mindless hunger.

Bud strode forward, his blade billowing blue fire as he carved a path through the three monsters.

"I judge thee evil, demon," Bud decreed, raising his sword high overhead. The blaze upon his blade vanished, concentrating into the steel itself until it surged with divine light. Calling upon Blade of Judgement, he swung his sword down at the creature.

The greater demon hurriedly raised its walking cane. The air vibrated. Shimmering streaks of essence surrounded the creature. Bud’s blade stopped in the air, inches from the demon’s head, frozen in place.

“What?” Bud murmured.

He heaved, pressing his blade against the demon’s power. The creature hissed and snarled, struggling under the weight, but it did not give. Bud tried to pull back, only to find his sword jammed tight. He tried to lean back and use his body weight but couldn’t move, as if his entire body had been restrained. Roaring, he wrenched against the creature, yet still it didn’t budge.

Monsters snarled behind him. Bud tried to look behind him, his eyes turning but his head unable to move. His heart raced as hands grabbed at his armour, tugging him back. He fought harder, his blessings raging around him, Heart of Frostfire and Ice Armour sending the monsters back with frozen hands. The demon’s grip started to fade, caught in Bud’s aura.

Bud tried to bring his sword around, but it was a second too late. A powerful tendril lashed out from the water and wrapped around his waist. His armour creaked as it tried to crush him, but it didn’t bend. He was heaved from his feet and dragged toward the water. His sword fell from his grip, clattering to the ground out of reach.

Bud reached for his belt knife, drawing it and sawing at the tendril. Frostfire blazed around the blade, freezing the tendril where it touched, but its thick, slimy skin seemed resistant. He pierced its outer coat and dug deeper, feeling as if he were cutting through mud.

“Burn!” Bud cried, fuelling his knife with more power. Its flesh turned to ice and the creature’s grip weakened.

The greater demon approached behind him, laughing. It barked something in its twisted tongue and a purple spear appeared in its hand, wreathed in chaotic power. It drew it back, the power building. The air pulsed with its light and the creature launched it at him.

Bud’s knife severed the tendril and he collapsed to the wood floor, right at the edge of the pool. The spear of power crashed into the depths behind him, and he dragged himself up, slashing out at the greater demon with his knife, unleashing a blast of Frostfire. The creature reared back with a scream as the flames licked its face, frosting one of its cheeks and the side of its neck, sending it back in wild pain.

Then Hump cried out, launching Rockshot and pelting the demon, distracting it for a key moment. Three arrows followed and pierced it in the chest, one after the other, each one landing with a body shuddering thud. Bud sighed in relief. His party had arrived to help him.

The demon staggered on its feet, its eyes wide. It stumbled backward, somehow keeping its feet, its flesh knitting itself back together. Then it turned, limping back to the far tunnel where it had originally come from.

“Get back here, demon!” screamed a woman amongst the warlocks. “Fight, fiend! Fight!”

It glanced at her and scowled, continuing to the tunnel. There was a blur of red light beside Bud, and Emilia appeared, rapier in hand. She used it to flick his own sword up, catching it in her free hand and extending it to him.

He stood, taking the sword. “Thanks.”

Behind her, the pile of stone rose into the air, rotating in a wind of bronze essence. Hump stood amongst it, eyes shining with his magic, staff ablaze, his attention fully turned to the warlocks and their attempt to regroup. Tendrils of power lashed at the rocks and sent them flying at the warlocks in a constant barrage. Dylan advanced along the walkway along with Celaine, Inquisitor Hartlen, and a dozen other troops.

“The formation has fallen to pieces,” Emilia said at his side. “The mission’s a success.”

Bud looked over. She was right, the warlocks had abandoned their platform, but that only left them open to retaliate. At least for now, the Red Fog had lost its focus. They had achieved their mission.

“Good,” Bud said. “You know what else? We were right about the demons and warlocks working together. I knew it.”

“What now?”

Bud gazed after the retreating abomination and sneered. “Now we have a Greater Demon to kill. Can you block its retreat?”

She nodded. “You sure this is a good idea?”

“It’s injured. We can take it.”

***

Hump deactivated Ward of Earth, relinquishing his control over the stone and letting his supply of ammunition drop. The melee fighters advanced, pushing back the disarrayed bloodhorrors and progressing on the warlocks defending the stone platform. His plan to collapse the section of roof above them hadn’t exactly worked, but it had thrown the enemy into confusion. Their spell had faltered, whatever hold they had over the Red Fog should have stopped. Now, his focus went elsewhere.

Across the dock, in the far tunnel entrance, Emilia stood firm, barring the path of a demon. At its rear was Bud, the knight completely covered in dirt and dust. Whatever the creature was, it was powerful, and seemed to wield telekinetic forces. The two of them attacked together yet couldn’t penetrate its defences, but it was trapped.

“Celaine!” Hump shouted, diverting her attention from the warlocks to the greater demon. She nodded, ready to join the fray on cue.

The dock was littered with the corpses of monsters, slain by arrows, magic, and sword. None remained to fight as Hump navigated through the carnage toward Bud. He caught the demon’s eye, seeing fear in there briefly before it slammed its cane into the ground, unleashing a blast of essence in all directions. Hump shielded his face with a hand. Bud barely flinched, but Emilia was sent soaring through the air, only to land gracefully in the tunnel and dash back to her position, unyielding.

Hump stabbed at the creature with his staff. “Lava Coils.” The fiery tendrils whipped out, glowing orange and yellow, sparks trailing behind them. The demon froze them just out of reach, gripping them tightly. Hump felt it too, squeezing him tightly like an invisible vise.

Break through, Hump willed, pitting his power against the creature’s, envisioning his whips breaking through. Whatever spell it wielded, it was incredibly powerful. Gradually, he felt its grip weaken. His spell inched forward, edging closer.

Simultaneously, Bud and Emilia flanked the demon. It spun, dropping its hold on Hump to erect a wall of force against them. Hump slashed with his staff, sending his Lava Coils crashing into the creature. It countered, striking back with its cane, deflecting the whips in a burst of essence that shattered Hump’s attack.

Hump didn’t relent. He thrust his staff, unleashing a Fire Beam that screeched as it pierced the humid air, warping it with intense heat. The creature raised a shield just as Hump’s spell broke over it with a rushing roar. The creature gathered spears of purple energy around it, launching them just as its shield fell.

As Hump raised his defenses, a motion caught his eye on the left—a figure on the stone platform. An arrow flew, striking the demon through the back of its head and piercing its eye. The creature tensed, a brief flicker of consciousness before it collapsed.

Celaine greeted him with a tense smile. “We’ve secured the artifact,” she called down. “You’d best come take a look at this.”