178 - Familiar (Patreon)

They really were everywhere, the demons.

Lyra couldn't see them, but apparently Archmage Lenore could. She zipped around the open space like a lightning bolt, slashing her sword through the air, the chain at the end snapping when she flung it forward and snatched it back. Her fist and feet collided with what seemed to be nothing, yet made a racket on impact.

Her wide sword with jagged teeth was becoming increasingly stained with black blood, and the cleaving sounds it made told them that the creatures were indeed there. They just couldn't see them, which was the most terrifying thing Lyra could imagine.

One of them caught and ripped out the sleeve of Archmage Lenore's robe, exposing the inked spells up her arm. 

They glowed, and she got even faster.

Before she began fighting, the archmage had rapidly scribbled with an ancient brush on a scroll and then thrown the scroll in the air. It had split into glowing fragments, the seal insignia appearing, as the fragments found each of the eight people currently in their group.  

One fragment landed on Lyra's forehead and disappeared. At the same time, she heard a hiss from right around her ear that suddenly vanished.

She whipped her head around, but nothing was there.

A shiver raced down her spine.

Was that a demon?

It had been that close to her?

Don’t panic, she told herself, taking a deep breath. But it happened, again and again. 

She kept hearing the sounds near her but they would vanish before she could truly register them. 

It was the seal, she realized. The Archmage's protection kept the creatures away from them. 

She should be comforted by that, but she just wanted to cry again. Actually, she wanted to curl up in a ball, put her hand over her ears, and cry while pretending none of this was happening.

But she couldn't. 

She had to fight back, even though she didn't know precisely what she was fighting against.

Even now, she felt frozen in place, with her wand out, waiting for something to get her, to burn her, to hurt her.

But nothing touched her.

The creatures came close. Sometimes, Lyra felt a pressure around her wrist or neck, but then it released her just as quickly.

Once, clawed hands appeared from nowhere and shot into her face. 

They nearly got her, but she jerked back just in time to escape, with the scream frozen in her throat. 

The hand retreated and disappeared. 

Merciful sentinel. 

It wasn't just happening to her. All around them, people were escaping from the monsters in the nick of time, and Edward and another man next to him began casting light spells that did nothing.

"Don't waste your energy," Lenore ordered. "Just attack."

"Attack where?" the man asked.

"Anywhere." She whipped around and used her chain to drag something into reality. It vanished again too quickly for Lyra to see what it was, but Lenore’s chain was suddenly smeared with demon blood.

"Shoot anywhere,” she said. “You have an 90% chance of hitting your target. Just make sure you don't shoot in each other's direction."

They glanced at themselves in apprehensive silence. 

Maus was the first to break it. He held out his wand and said, "[Void Slice]."

The schwing scored right in front of him, and black blood sprayed on his face. 

He gaped.

After a moment of shock, that seemed to give everyone the boldness to start throwing out spells too, ensuring that they weren't targeting each other.

Except Lyra.

Everything was so chaotic, and [Spore Burst], the only attack spell she had, was an explosive directional skill. If she used it, it would likely hit someone she hadn't meant to. It seemed to be in her best interest to stay out of the way.

So she watched what they did while the violence grew, the chandelier shaking from it, a ghostly wind rattling the shuttered windows, as the menace tore through the walls.

A roar broke through the air, and Lyra jerked, moving closer to her father.  

"Head towards Edwards' room again," Lenore said. "But slowly."

Why slowly? Lyra wondered.

“Distance,” Archmage Lenore said, and beheaded a three-headed demon that popped out of nowhere.

The head fell at her feet, the necks springing out of it like blood-tinged onions still attached to their roots.

Lyra very nearly threw up. Her heart was beating so fast that she almost didn’t hear what Archmage Lenore said next.

“That’s how they split us up. They create distance and insert an anchor. But I've used a seal to ensure we don't get separated again. Just make sure you don't move out of my line of sight."

“Yes,” Lyra’s father responded for all of them, ensuring Lyra was behind him as he targeted and commanded another spell out of his wand. He also cast a vitality spell on Lyra and everyone else, one by one, healing as many injuries as he could, even those on the Archmage. 

Edward and Maus found themselves back to back, at the front of the procession as they began climbing the stairs. Both boys had their eyes wide with fear, but they continued walking cautiously, attacking the air in front of them, Edward creating shields out of air. 

“Argh!” the Archmage cried out suddenly as blood burst from her center. 

“Archmage!’ Lyra and a red-haired man cried out, but the archmage snapped in response, “I’m fine. It's just a scratch."

A scratch? Lyra's mind burst into panic.

Blood spread rapidly across the front of her white robe, dripping on the floor.

The woman put her hand on her stomach, halting the outflow, but that wasn't healing, Lyra knew. 

She could stop the bleeding and perhaps even dull the pain, but if her internal organs were damaged, it might be more complicated.

Lyra’s father jerked towards her, but the Archmage shook her head.  

“Just keep going,” she said. “When we find a quiet spot, then you can heal me.”

The conflict was clear on her father's face, his jaw working, his eyes worried.

But he obeyed what she said and went up a couple more stairs, leaving her to bring up the fort.

The higher they climbed, the more demons seemed to reside in the nothingness.  

Occult-sounding whispers with sadistic cackling followed them, which made Lyra press her body as close to her father’s as she could. He put his hand on her shoulder, as he cast his protective spells. The illumination flickered and dimmed, until Lyra could barely see through the thick whispering smog.

The only beacon of light was the Archmage, forging ahead nevertheless, her sword glinting with each strike, the chain dancing around her with an artful grace, simultaneously acting as offense and defense. 

"Help," someone ahead of her choked out, and Lyra looked up, but the darkness and the curve of the staircase obscured who it was.

Until something whooshed past her and a blast of light hit all of them. 

It made the nightmare in the shadows shriek in pain.

The light was blinding at first, but then it dimmed to a manageable level, allowing them to see the Archmage tearing off yet another scroll with her teeth.

Even injured, there was barely any sign of strain on her face. Even as she destroyed the demon and saved the caller, her expression was unmarred.

She was incredible.

As terrified as she was, Lyra couldn't believe she was witnessing something like this, awed by the glory of the woman who was battling demons like nothing.

Was she even human?

Was this who Lyra was supposed to become?

Impossible. The chasm between them was insurmountable, so wide it didn't even feel like they were the same species.

They finally made it to the fifth floor again, and the light suddenly dimmed once more.

It was even darker than the last time, and the Archmage began darting between them, back and forth, her sword's flashes increasing in frequency.

That told Lyra one thing. The demons were increasing in number.

A raucous cackle hit the air as someone screamed.

The Archmage moved and unleashed another flash of light and heat that released the second man who had been captured. The light also revealed the rest of their surroundings.

Blood stained the walls.

That had not been there before, meaning that something else had happened here while they were gone. They only had a third of the group with them, so maybe the others...

No. Lyra refused to let her brain move in that direction.

They were alive. They had to be.

“Ah!” Another scream and Lyra’s head whipped around.

The man who stood by Edward was now levitating, his hand grasping desperately around his neck.

"Halland!" Edward yelled.

Painful choking. Reddened eyes popping out of his head. They swelled like they were trying to explode.

Lyra barely heard the sound of footsteps.

Her mind was trapped in the horror. 

And then a minuscule man from nowhere, with a shock of white hair, was leaping into the air, stabbing behind Halland with a dagger that glowed.

A creature screeched and let him go. 

The Archmage shot out a pillow of air to catch the choking man, forcing air into his lungs.

"Breathe," she said.

Halland gasped in breath, as the newcomer continued fighting the creature. Archmage Lenore finished off with hers, and aided him, killing it with one merciless move. 

The newcomer was wearing a classic waistcoat and linen trousers, with shoes that looked a size too big. He had blood, both human and demon, on his clothes, and his hair looked like it had been burned in some spots,.

He also had an air of authority and preparedness about him.

"Master Thiel," the Archmage said as she paused for a singular breath.

"Archmage. How are you holding up?"

"Fine," she said, shooting forward and stabbing in the air. "My luck gets worse the longer this drags out, though."

"Then we'd better finish it quickly."

She nodded. Her face held a sheen of sweat now, and she winced as she moved, but she still didn't look all that tired.

Maybe that was just her resting expression.

Without warning, the environment changed for the worse. 

More cackling. 

More blood on the walls, mostly red. 

A septic scent that would have made Lyra gag under different circumstances. 

The entire air was charged and stunk of misery.

Master Thiel materialized a long staff, and flipped it around to reveal a sharp edge.

"Did you meet the rest of our group?" Edward asked him in between casting spells. His face was red, his chest moving quickly. He looked two steps away from exhaustion, yet, he didn’t slouch.

Master Thiel didn't answer the question. Lyra had to imagine that his face confirmed what he didn't say.

But she chose not to look at it. She couldn’t take it. 

The air began to sizzle, followed by the moaning of ghouls all around them.

“Oh what fresh hell is this?” the redhaired man muttered.

Multiple swirling dark balls appeared, and monsters popped out of pockets of darkness.

Lyra's heart stopped.

They were a variety: large, horned ones, red ones with wings, ones that looked like insects, and ones that looked like serpents.

All with sharp, gleaming teeth.

They didn't hesitate, charging at the group.

Lenore swore, and she flung out her hand, a large seal unfurling from her remaining sleeve, demarcating her group from the demons.

The monsters tore through some of the seals, even though a mysterious force drove them backwards. Lenore sent a wave of fire which burned the serpent creatures to death, but the rest seemed impervious. Her sword danced even faster now, zigzagging through her enemies near-autonomously and slicing necks, attached to her only by a chain. 

Seal after seal appeared in the air, binding some in place, petrifying others.

More monsters appeared after, and the portals began to shoot fire and slices of air, seemingly reflecting some of the attacks Lyra's group had been doling out.

"The door," the Archmage yelled. "We need to get them through the door."

Edward's door was still sealed even though the wall beside it had caved in. The worst part was that the monsters completely blocked the path.

"The youngest first,” Lenore said. “Master Thiel and I will create a path, so run for it.  But be careful."

"There's a code," Edward suddenly said, his breathing labored as he shot out spells as fast as he could. "And I have to be the one to put it in."

"Then get in front. The rest of you follow."

“Are we going to die?” the first choking man asked.

“Probably,” she said in a casual tone, and when the man squeaked, she frowned.

“Maybe,” she amended. “I will try my best to ensure that you don’t.”

He nodded.

Lyra could not follow much of what happened next.

There was so much blood, so much fighting, so many monsters. Climbing the walls, cackling, leaping at them.

They didn't seem to be enough protectors to go around, and as the humans attempted to push through the crowd, one of the demons jumped forward and thrust its hands at Edward.

His companion, Halland, threw himself in between them, and the hand burst through his chest cavity, where his heart could be.

"No!" Edward screamed as the man's body dropped to the floor, and another creature charged at him.

"[Stall]!” Maus yelled, giving Master Thiel enough time to burn ut.

"Keep going!" Archmage Lenore snapped at Edward, who had stopped to stare at the fallen body. "He's already dead. Just go."

Pale-faced, he forced himself away and continued to fight his way through.

A sense of despair fell over Lyra as she watched it all unfold.

They were going to die here. She knew it in the pit of her stomach.

There were too many of them, an endless stream that seemed to be getting more powerful with time. They appeared as fast as Lenore killed them. Maybe even faster.

They had already lost two...three people. The Archmage was injured. Everyone was getting tired, and the demons were getting more vindictive.

The door was only a few feet away, but it seemed like it was in another universe given the amount of creatures that stood between them, and also surrounded them.

"My essence quota is out!" Maus yelled, and that pretty much sealed the deal for her

Then she felt the rush of heat behind her.

Lyra didn't turn around. She already knew what it was; the creature that the Archmage had killed likely came back to life.

Demons do that, she thought with a delirious laugh. But humans don't. So I guess this is it.

It was too late for her to do anything but accept her fate. 

"I love you, Father," she whispered, squeezing her eyes tightly.

It took her a second to realize that the fire had been at her back but wasn't progressing to burn her.

Then another second to realize it had disappeared entirely.

She opened her eyes just in time to watch vines burst out of the ground.

They swung and grabbed the demons, lightning wrapping around them, scorching some of the horde to ashes instantly.

An acrid scent filled the air, along with howls of pain.

Some demons didn't die, but they certainly looked like they wanted to. They convulsed and choked, bursting into flames, or disappearing, swallowed up once more by their black holes.

Speaking of black holes.

Frozen fireballs emerged from them.

They were not literally frozen but they seemed stuck.

It was strange, like they had begun forming but stopped halfway through.

“What is happening?” someone asked.

Archmage Lenore killed one more invisible creature and turned towards the way they had just come.

They all followed her gaze, unveiling the one behind the lightning and the vines.

It was a woman.

Tall, with a cloth that covered the lower half of her face. Lyra couldn't see the color of her eyes from here, but she did note that the hair was brown. She was wearing pants, boots, and a cloak all in black.

Lyra was instantly washed in equal parts awe and fear. 

The woman didn't seem like an enemy, considering that she had helped them. 

But if she really had done all, if all that came from her, then she was just as terrifying as the monsters were.

Yet, there was something familiar about her too.

“Vittoria?” Archmage Lenore inquired.

The woman said nothing, but Lyra's eyes widened.

A flood of relief hit her.

No wonder she felt so familiar. She was Commander Vittoria. 

Commander Vittoria was here.

Vittoria held out her hands, and the black holes in the air that held the frozen spells began to widen.

The light flickered violently.

The cackling became torturous, piercing screams. The partial darkness lifted.

With a sharp snap and a surge of energy hitting the walls of the room, the holes vanished.

Everyone stared at the woman now as she calmly let her hand fall. The leftover demons’ screams were the only sound for a few more seconds and then…

Silence.

Nothing attacked from the dark anymore. 

The entire space was quiet.

As the woman walked closer to them, everyone's eyes followed her. She was tall but not as tall as Archmage Vittoria.

Her eyes were also brown rather than golden. Lyra saw them when the face turned to her.

At the woman’s regard, her throat tightened, and her voice stopped working.

She should say something.

Thank her, at the very least.

Maybe even bow.

But both her voice and her body betrayed her, remaining still, like prey petrified at the sight of a predator.

She wasn't a predator, though. She was their saviour.

Archmage Lenore executed a bow, and so did the Master.

Everyone followed their lead, even Lyra, who forced her body to work, albeit jerkily.

"How did you get in here?" Archmage Lenore asked after she straightened. “I thought the nature of the Overlord’s spell didn’t let anyone in or out.”

Once more, the woman didn't answer.

"Are you sure it's Vittoria?" Master Thiel asked. "I've seen the commander a few times at the council, and she did not appear thusly."

"That's because this isn't her true physical form. It's a soul clone. That's also probably why it's not speaking."

"A soul clone?" Edward asked.

"There's no time to explain it."

The alleged commander’s eyes turned to Lyra again, and she thought she saw relief in her gaze, followed by frustration. 

Why would she be frustrated?

Did she want to tell Lyra something? Why did she keep looking at her in particular? Maybe the clone recognized her, from the time they met. 

The commander’s gaze flicked to Maus, and then the rest of the group. She said nothing.

“You're bleeding again,” Lyra's father said, his eyes fixed on the blood dripping down Archmage Lenore's side. More of her robe had been torn off, exposing her midriff, where the blood had started trickling once more.

Lyra’s father, after a moment of hesitation and glancing at his daughter, hurried over to Archmage Lenore.  He put his hand on her side, extending his wand with the other.

“I’m not much of a healer," he said, “But I received some rudimentary training. I will do my best."

"Just ensure I last until you guys get out of here," she said.

Father nodded. 

Lyra knew that healing could be painful, but Lenore didn't flinch, jutting her chin toward Edward.

"You," she said. "What are you waiting for? Open the door."

"Y–yes. Of course." He spoke automatically like he’d been programmed but his mournful gaze lingered on the ground, where Halland's body lay, even as he hurried forward to open his door. 

After he opened it, his doorway was wide enough for them to see the ornate decorations on the wall, and for Lyra to estimate just how big the space was. 

Edward took a left, disappearing from view. 

Unexpectedly, Archmage Vittoria began to follow him into the room. She stood at the doorway, staring at whatever he was doing to unveil the portal.

"Vittoria," Archmage Lenore said. "Just to warn you, the portal won't activate if more than two people are in the room." For now, it was just Edward and the commander, so it should be fine.

However, Vittoria stepped out of the room regardless.

"Okay," Lenore said once she did, turning to Lyra. "You and the boy are the youngest. You two can go first."

"No," Vittoria spoke for the first time, her voice deeper than Lyra remembered. "They can't."

"What?"

"They can't go through the portal."

"Why not?"

She hesitated. She looked like she struggled to think of what to say next, her eyeballs shifting from side to side, and her forehead furrowing in a frustration that reminded Lyra of someone.  

Arielle, it occurred to her. The soul clone made a similar expression to what Arielle made whenever she didn't quite know how to express herself.

"The creatures are operating in the abyss," Commander Vittoria said. "And they are being helped by someone who rules the abyss. Since teleportation, even with a portal, is technically a movement through a vacuum, like every portal out of here, it may have already been corrupted."

Archmage Lenore looked unsure, frowning. "I've never heard of this before."

"It's a recent discovery."

"I see." Lenore still looked unsure.

"But then how do we find our way out of here?" Master Thiel asked.

Vittoria didn't speak. Her mask moved, and Lyra got the impression that she was biting her lip, or pressing them together, even as her gaze dropped.

That was funny. Arielle bit her lip and dropped her gaze like that when she was thinking too. And she also had a way of never looking anyone directly in the eyes, the same way Vittoria was doing now.

Lyra shook her head. It was uncanny.

Vittoria's soul clone acted very much like her best friend.

***

The Aryks were spat out of the abyss, still screaming, though the lightning no longer burned their bodies. The inner pain likely remained, and Vacius killed them himself to shut them up so he could think.

That girl that Leviathan wanted...she was definitely a wild card.

He'd watched her defeat everything in her way with a singular zeal, getting to her target much faster than he anticipated.

Not to mention, it was her early discovery of their summoning that shifted their timeline sooner than intended, before they could test out the limits of their new found gift adequately. They'd had to scramble to seal off and distract the Archmages before they could leave and ruin their plans for good.

Luckily, now the trap was set, but the girl...he had not expected her to be so skilled.

Nevertheless, she had weaknesses. In fact, her fighting style was a weakness, but it was also unpredictable. She used an array of low-level spells, then suddenly would utilize one or two explosive spells back to back without any effort. Odd. If she was that good, why did she bother with the lower spells? Why not invest in other high tier spells?

Her magic didn't seem to follow a set pattern like human magic typically did.

And she had very little in terms of actual combat spells.

She also had weak defenses and low physical acumen. She wasn't durable, and seemed to be extremely fragile physically.

Their strongest advantage against her, though, was the abyss itself. She needed to be separated from the group and dealt with personally.

"Leviathan," he said.

"Yes." The Overlord responded.

"Your time has come.” 

Leviathan paused and grinned widely. They had lost a lot of their low-level troops, but it didn't matter. Many humans had died. The Master of the Abyss was currently winning the war against the ferocious Archmage, and at the same time, Vacius had prepared something for the lucky Archmage and the others.

"Commander Vacius."

Irritation filled him as he turned to see one of his generals approaching.

"What is it?"

"The human mage, the one who came to the demonic realm looking for your brother..."

"What about her?"

The demon's mouth opened and closed. "We need reinforcements."

"We sent ten garrisons."

"Yes, my Lord. She has killed them all."

His eyes narrowed.

Ten garrisons? In that little time?

He'd known she was powerful. They had been told she was one of the most powerful humans in the world. But defeating ten garrisons of demons while in the demonic realm?

It seemed she was just as much a threat as the one in the abyss.

But the Master could only focus on one of them at a time. Which meant they had to take care of her another way. A thought occurred to him.

"Humans tend to form attachments easily," he realized. "It makes them weak, doesn’t it?"

"I've heard it does."

"Who are this one's attachments?”

"The girl I am currently haunting," Leviathan said. "And another that she had taken in with her. A maid."

"Where is this maid?"

"She is in the earthen desert, but we have difficulty tracking her. Even after we finally located the Archmage’s abode, we could not get past the territorial defenses, and once we got further into it she moved them somewhere else entirely. We have not found her since."

Vacius stared at the scenes in front of him, at one of the ancients they were nearly done summoning.

Not to mention, they had the Master of the Abyss on their side.

"I think I know a way," he grinned.