madnovel Paradise in Trouble II
Paradise in Trouble II
Paradise in Trouble II
Kyembe the Spirit Killer gasped from the top of the stairs.
Masked men and lupine demons surrounded Wurhi. They had cornered the little thief. Death was no doubt heartbeats from her.
Gritting his teeth, he channeled his inner magics. His ring flared. Burns slithered up his arm as the eldritch energy extracted its terrible price.
Wurhi! Shut your eyes! His aim was circumspect. Too close to the Zabyallan and the hellfire might leap to her. His ring levelled at the devils feasting on the guards. He shut his eyes.
Vrooosh!
Hellfire leapt forth and - even through his lids - it shone like the Lighthouse of Pharos. Its crackle was the sound of bone bursting. Bestial yelps swept up with the screams of men and an acrid tang of ash. His eyes opened.
One of the demons and several robed men had immolated into clouds of white soot. The rest stood paralyzed, clutching their faces: hellfires unearthly brightness and heat had stung their eyes shut.
Kyembe did not waste the opportunity.
Brandishing his improvised cudgel, he took a running leap. One step carried him onto the balustrade. The next had him soaring toward the ring of creatures surrounding Wurhi as he roared a battle cry in Gezi: Ukufa Kuza!
Death-bringer. And death did come.
He landed on the shoulders of a masked man, riding his collapsing body to the stones. Kyembes cudgel came down.
Crunch!
It caved in his struggling foes skull. An upward sweep of the poker caught another half-blind man on the chin.
Crack.
Teeth, blood and bone exploded; the masked mans jaw crumpled, his head arching backward through the dark. His neck twisted unnaturally as Kyembe snatched the corpses dagger from its limp hand. The Sengezian twisted his body with all his prodigious speed and power, casting it toward the beast closest to Wurhi.
Shcnk!
The blade plunged into the lupine devils eye.
Howls of agony shattered the air as the creature reeled backward, clutching at the blade embedded in its eye. The attackers fell into disarray, half-blind and panicked. Kyembe darted into their midst.
Wurhi! Get up! He clasped his comrades hand, yanking her to her feet. She gasped, and her other hand clutched her shoulder. His brow creased. No wound met his eye, but that did not preclude the demons having dealt her some hidden injury.Visit for the best novel reading experience
Come! I will heal your wound, but you must move! He dragged her toward the stairs, channeling his inner eldritch energies. A golden light enwrapped his hand as he pressed it to her arm. Is that better?
Wurhi let out a strained breath, rubbing her shoulder. Thank you. Could barely move it.
Good. He pressed his hand to his own arm. The magic spread through his flesh, sloughing away his burns. We need our weapons. He glanced to the devils. Preferably quickly. Can you pick the lock on the vault?
She mounted the stairs. Yes! Yes!
He brandished his brass cudgel. Then go. I will hold them here as best I can.
The tiny Zabyallan flinched. A discomfort lay in her still, despite her physical recovery. Kyembe, I-
Later! he barked. There was no time to spare. Go! Already, they recover!
She grimaced. Dont die.
He brought up his ring. Hellfire flared. If you move quickly, I will not! Now go! Keep your eyes turned away!
Shutting his eyes, the Spirit-Killer levelled his hand at the knot of attackers.
Vroooosh!
A flash. Screams and ash filled the air.
He pressed his healing magics to the burns rising on his arm then dropped low like a stalking cat. He rushed forward, his bare feet making not a sound on the stones. The beam had struck no wolf-men, but four robed figures were no longer a threat.
It was swifter by far than the smaller one.
With a curse, the Sengezian dove to the side. Air parted where the beast passed mere finger widths from his skin.
Crash!
The devil collided with one of tables, shattering it. Kyembe rushed to take advantage.
Snap!
It sprang onto all fours and leapt, near-severing his arm with its jaws. Its fetid breath reeked of rotted flesh. The swordsman recoiled. As the beast loomed to its full height, Kyembe shuddered: even the hulking Eppon of Garumna seemed small compared to this devil, yet it stalked him with liquid grace. Circling to the side, he sought to place the burning corpse between himself and this titanic foe.
Then he noticed something strange. What?
The flame was moving, growing dim. He risked a glance toward it.
The burning beast was rising from the floor.
Its monstrous body blazed and its blackened ribcage lay bare. Somehow, flesh renewed by the heartbeat. Sinew knit over bone. Viscera swelled like bubbles until they returned to their natural order. Stone-hard hide grew over new musculature.
An alarming possibility dawned on him. His gaze shot toward the creature whose eye he had gouged. By the stars! The bestial orb was whole in its skull.
Deviltry, he hissed. Deviltry revives you.
The black-coated devil regarded him with rapt attention tinged with amusement.
Kyembe swore. Well he knew the beasts of the south and the demons of the outer planes. Substances, tactics, and spells hed learned to be their bane. Of these fiends, though, he held no familiarity. His wanderings had not reached much of the dark, cold places of the world. He glanced to his weapon and yearned for his blade. Its magics might not have ended these creatures, but its bite had always served him well against all manner of foe.
His hand flexed. Hellfires full fury had proven their match. He glanced to the balcony. He would need time and distance for a beam.
Kyembe darted for the closest flight of stairs
The largest of the devils gave a short bay. By its command, two of the beasts loped into the Sengezians path. They stalked forward, teeth bared and snapping, herding him as though he were a cornered stag. He made to slip past them, but two other wolves circled his flank.
Their towering leader moved to his other side. He was efficiently closed in.
No longer did they charge wantonly like raving barbarians. Now they moved as a cold, instinct-driven pack - cautiously hunting dangerous prey. He could only give ground. Even with his swiftness, he doubted he could avoid every swipe of claw or gnash of fang. Not from all sides.
He grimly studied their natural armaments.
It would only take one to end him.
He took a step back.
Immediately, a pair of beasts broke from the pack, loping for the stairs.
He cursed.
Come brothers! a masked man cried. The hunters surround the lamb! Onward! To our prey!
They had gotten him.
Bastards! Kyembe began to bring his ring to bear, but the beasts tensed for a spring. The moment his attention lapsed; they would be upon him. Letting loose his own growl, he studied them in frustration.
All he could do was hold these devils attentions. Goad them. Attempt to make them err so he could slip through their encirclement.
Unfortunately, that would leave a certain Zabyallan to shepherd herself for a time.
Run swiftly, Wurhi, he whispered.
His eyes drifted across the beasts before him.
War-cries sounded from above.