Into the Abyss

Tom headed through the wards. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t archers shooting down demons, or trying to. Where they failed, wizards were zapping demons with lightning bolts! It was like a demon massacre! Holy shit! The Sky Fleet and the Rod were acting in tandem to shoot demons down where they would then hack them to pieces on the ground!

This was fucking insane! Those demons hadn’t been doing anything but spying and now they were being butchered? True, they’d most likely just go back to the Abyss, but it would be very painful for them. The vast majority were type I and II demons.

Tom shook his head in dismay and looked for Antefalken and Rupert. He found Antefalken hovering high, dodging arrows, occasionally batting at one with his harp. “Hey.” Tom said as he approached.

“This really sucks.” Antefalken said sourly.

Tom nodded. “Tell me about it. It is starting to piss me off. Have you seen Rupert?”

“Not yet.”

Tom, or rather, Edwyrd had managed to get a link on to Rupert last night, fortunately. He could feel Rupert, alive on the other side. It was just a tad bit confusing, at the moment, to follow it; what with all the demons and arrows an lightning bolts.

Tom scanned trying to find Rupert visually. As he glanced back towards the city, he saw Tizzy come through the wards, sort of drifting aimlessly, staring around at all the commotion. “Tizzy!” Tom shouted.

Tizzy spotted him and flew over. “What’s going on, what’s with the party?” Tizzy asked.

“What do you mean?” Antefalken asked.

Tizzy shrugged, “I was just wandering around this morning and suddenly all these demons start screaming and heading for the wards, like there was some big party going on, and no one had told me.” He shook his head and lit his pipe, which was suddenly in one of hands.

The other two demons looked at him as if he were insane — which technically — he was, “Didn’t you feel the compulsion spell?” Tom asked.

“The anxiety, the fear?” Antefalken asked.

Tizzy blinked and thought for a moment. “Oh, that. I just thought that was a sour stomach. Ate some seriously noxious stuff last night. That and I’m pretty hung over. And, well, I’m just a little twitchy normally so... really didn’t pay it much mind.”

Antefalken shook his head. He turned to Tom and shrugged, “Well, I’ve heard that fear spells and such don’t work very well, or predictably, on the insane. Who knows?”

Tom just shook his head. Tizzy never ceased to astonish, he started to look around for Rupert again when about two thousand feet away a flying carpet with wizards came flying out of the wards. The wizards were rolling around on the carpet looking pretty sick.

“What are they doing? Coming out to observe their handy work?” Tom asked and pointed. Antefalken squinted, telescoping in on the rug.

“The one guy is Exador, Lenamare’s arch enemy.” Antefalken stated.

“Notice the one guy, in the leather straps and the two swords on his back?” Tom asked, Antefalken nodded, “Ramses,” they both stated.

“Who’s the woman?” Tom asked; Antefalken shook his head, not knowing.

Tizzy piped up. “Her name is Bess. I keep trying to get her in the sack, but she plays hard to get.” Tizzy was rubbing his first set of genitals; however not erotically, more like in pain. “Last time she used acid to burn my nuts off; took forever to grow them back.” Tizzy complained.

The other two demons shook their heads. “Well, now we know who the three archdemons are.” Antefalken stated. Tom laughed, not really amused.

“That was one hell of a spell to get rid of Archdemons, Greater Demons and a thousand or more other demons.” Antefalken shook his head. I suppose if one has to have an Accursed Master, there’s no shame in having yours, Tom.”

Tom gave him a sardonic grin. “Gee, thanks!”

Tom suddenly felt a rush of panic, he couldn’t figure out what was causing it until he realized it was coming from his link to Rupert. He quickly arrowed in on it, following it down to Rupert. “Oh shit!” Tom exclaimed.

“What is it?” The other two demons looked at him. “It’s Rupert, the Rod has got him again.” Tom shook his head and took off towards Rupert, the other two following.

Chapter 79

Tom flew towards Rupert as quickly as he could; he used his long-range vision and hearing along with the link to figure out what was happening.

Rupert was on the ground rubbing his right wing where it had apparently been shot; taking him out of the sky and into a circle of Rod members; including the big guy in the glowing armor that must be Talarius.

“So Rupert Demon,” the knight asked. “How many times am I going to have to kill you?” Talarius drew his sword.

Rupert stood up straighter and got into something like a fighting stance. “At least this time I’ll be able to put up a fight.” Rupert answered bravely.

“I don’t think it will be that much of a fight; I’ve taken your measure once before, demon.” Talarius responded very seriously.