Chapter 73: Lord of Ash 1

The darkness still carried its unshaken gloom. Hovering over Auryn’s words like oil in water.

The demons only responded in growls, before the winged demons elevated higher into the air space then dove down like ballistic missiles.

The grotesque ones with fused parts charged through the ash with strides that shook the ground intensely.

But the humanoid ones remained still, about ten of them just crouched like they were scouting. Watching. Waiting.

Auryn remained motionless even as he took a deep breath with eyes half-shut and sword stretched forward.

There was sudden silence within his head space and the entirety of Ashen grove felt like he viewed it from above. A pair of crimson and golden eyes hovering over everything.

This was the effect of Territorial Awareness, that assured everything within this space was under his gaze.

His eyes snapped open as his right leg stomped the Ashen floors and right from around his immediate vicinity, a powerful shockwave tore out in all directions sending the charging demons reeling back with the winged ones tearing apart mid-dive.

Auryn pulled back his sword, even as the dust clouds spread out in all directions, he disappeared.

SLASH

The grotesque creatures that were sent blasting back suddenly tore apart in two equal halves with Auryn appearing at the other side.

He didn’t waste another moment and disappeared again, moving in a blur as he avoided an immediate retaliation from another fused creature.

Ash was sent flying into the air where Auryn had left as he reappeared beside the creature with the sigils of his blade glowing menacingly.

He cleaved the creature’s head or what seemed like it, separating it off the body.

Both the creature’s fell in a thud as their darkened skins began to melt into the ash like wax.

Ser Saul didn’t remain passive as he had moved just after Auryn did, but unlike Auryn. Saul moved with eloquence.

Each step like he was dancing with danger. He moved like a single stream of water dodging the grotesque fused creatures that came his way.

But amidst each dodge under the moonlight. His rapier sent precise arc flashes across the joints of the demons. Dismembering them with surgical mastery.

His raven black hair flowed with the windless forest as he moved from trunk to trunk, avoiding the approaching claws and maws of the demons, leaving only blood and dismembered parts in his wake.

Amidst the bloodbath, the humanoid demons suddenly screeched like banshees. Each sending harsh but non-lethal sounds across the space in unison.

Auryn paused as he looked upwards.

“Move,” he yelled. With his head tilted in Saul’s direction.

Suddenly, the floors of Ashen grove cracked. From above waves of almost invisible needle like shards descended.

The winged creatures that weren’t completely destroyed earlier had used the cover of the screech and the night for a coordinated aerial assault.

Auryn was able to discern through territorial awareness. He retreated in the company of Saul behind the weird trees around Ashen grove.

Both men backed the trees as cover. With the bone-like shards pinning into the trees. Sending splinters flying everywhere.

Auryn looked at Saul, who was across from him to the right.

“I’ll take the lead, you clear whatever remains,” he said.

Saul nodded, straightening his now glowing rapier vertically in front of his body with hands squeezing just below the guard.

Auryn smirked as the air around his body crackled and balls of fire about the size of basketballs emerged from crimson scripts of energy.

Turning away from the tree, the balls of orange searing flames that numbered to ten, blast across the air like cannon balls.

BOOM

They collided with the winged demons releasing short burst of flames that consumed multiple creatures at once.

Causing sharp hissing sounds as a line of orange stretched across the air revealing their positions in the darkness.

An heartbeat later, Saul emerged with his rapier burning like the last flames of a dying star. His eyes squinted while he slashed diagonally across the space from left to right.

The air bellowed with a massive wave of bright starry light, releasing a beautiful blue explosion that enveloped the orange line of fire, destroying every winged creature instantly leaving sparks falling like fireflies painting the gloomy space.

The remaining demons suddenly moved back in retreat but this was a feint.

Behind both Auryn and Saul one each of the humanoid demons had sneaked in with their bodies invisible and their faces splitting to reveal hundreds of teeth ready to tear the duo apart.

But Auryn couldn’t be fooled. This was his domain. His territory. Tricks didn’t work here, especially now that he wasn’t far away. Everything was clear even in the darkness.

His right hand stretched his blade over his right shoulder, thrusting precisely into the opening mouth of the demon as blood splattered on his armour. The demon suddenly began burning with orange flames searing into its form.

Simultaneously, Auryn’s left hand stretched outward towards the direction of Saul’s head, making the shape of a pistol with his index finger forward and his thumb raised.

BANG

The space between him and saul vibrated as a compressed ball of fire split the air towards Saul but at the last minute the ball curved behind Saul’s head bursting through the head of the invisible demon behind him.

Saul’s ocean blue eyes widened. He made a reflexive half turn and divided the already dead creature in two with blood splattering his platinum armor.

He turned to Auryn and for the first time since the battle began he spoke with a calm and relieved tone.

“Thank you.”

Auryn nodded and faced the creatures. Now he knew the main threat wasn’t the fused demons but the rather intelligent humanoid ones and whatever was behind those trees they were emerging from. Which for some reason he could only see as blurs even with territorial Awareness.

Auryn focused down on the remaining demons that were expanding and mutating seemingly fusing into one another and casting an increasing large shadow over the moon.

Auryn’s hands glowed as crimson scales replaced skin, fingers curled into black razor sharp claws and both his pupils turned crimson with horns emerging from his head.

His breath misted with a smirk still on his face as eyes reflected the monstrosity.

He pulled his sword from the body of the dead invisible demon that had turned into ash completely. Stretching the blade forward.

He spoke

“Gentlemen… shall we?”

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