Arthur could feel it. The interference of time. Forbidden magic to humans. Not that he hadn’t dabbled in it a few times. The imp had used a simple spell that froze time for a short period of time within a small area. With minimal work, Arthur freed himself from the spell but remained frozen in spot. He still wasn’t sure who or where the enemy was.

To the right, a soft rattling echoed through the clearing as a short creature hobbled out from within the woods. It was only about two feet tall but was wearing an expensive looking suit. The skin that was visible was gnarled and grey. The look of an elder imp. The creature slowly hobbled up to their group of three scowling. “Fucking idiot kids. I don’t have time for this today.” His voice was deep and grating causing the hair on Arthur’s arms to stand on end. The imp paused for a second before looking straight at Arthur, “I know you can move child. You’re a terrible actor.” Arthur’s blood ran cold, but he shifted his weight to look comfortably at the imp.

“This is my first time seeing an imp in person. You look exactly as I expected.” Arthur couldn’t think of anything to say but figured talking was better than trying to fight the creature in front of him. The imp looked at him curiously. “And this is the first time I have met a human capable of escaping my time magic so quickly” The imp hobbled closer and looked carefully at Arthur’s very average looking features. Something registered within the imp, and he took a step back. “You look so much like your parents. I never thought I would meet one of your family here.”

Arthur began to stand up, but the imp pointed his short cane directly at Arthur’s forehead. “Unlike many others though, I don’t happen to be frightened of your family. Sit the fuck back down.” An invisible force slammed against Arthur pushing him back into the seat. “Now I’m not a fan of murdering younglings. It doesn’t leave a good taste in my mouth. You…” The imp waved his cane at Arthur’s face, “ are an exception though.” An eery smile spread across the imp’s face as he looked over at Arthur. “Your family has been tormenting my kind for generations. So many slaughtered. So much potential wiped out. I think the world might actually throw me a celebration for getting rid one more Montale.” The elf raised his staff, but Brennan leaped out of his chair as the effects of the time spell wore off. He teleported to Emily first then to Arthur and then quickly teleported away from the Imp.

The three of them reappeared in a similar looking forest stumbling and falling onto the bright green leaves and dirt underneath them. “Fuck!” Brennan swore. This isn’t right. This isn’t where we should be.” A crackling laugh came from behind them as the imp appeared once more looking amused.

“Teleportation and advanced teleportation at that. Your group is very interesting Montale.” The Imp was obviously fucking with them. Emily stood up now. She realized how dangerous the situation had become and wasn’t going to give the imp any more chances. With a loud crack, she disappeared leaving a hole in the ground where she was previously. She covered the distance between her and the imp in half a second and swung her heavily reinforced fist down at the small creature.

“Very good!” The imp screamed out as a flash of light struck out sending Emily flying back with a spray of blood. “You two are very impressive.”

“Emily!” Arthur screamed out at the now still figure lying on the ground. A large gash cut across her stomach and blood was slowly pooling underneath her. Arthur looked over to Brennan. They didn’t need to say anything. They knew what they needed to do. It happened within a second. Brennan teleported once again. He carefully picked up Emily and disappeared once more. At the same time, a high-pitched crackling filled the air as lightning gathered around Arthur.

The imp was now fully focused on Arthur, the same toying smile plastered across his face. “I was wondering when you would use your accursed magic. Lightning belongs to the gods, not too lowly humans like you.” A dark ball shot out from the imps cane straight at Arthur. As if he was lightning himself, Arthur appeared behind the imp. “I think you’re misunderstanding something here, Imp. I was hoping you would leave well enough alone. I…” But his speech was cut short by another spell. It wasn’t a spell Arthur was familiar with. A binding spell of some kind. One even he couldn’t escape from easily.

The imp slowly walked up to Arthur grimacing. “I think you are the one who doesn’t understand, Montale! Did you really think I wasn’t prepared to fight you after knowing who you are? I didn’t think anyone was this fucking stupid in your family.” The imp slapped Arthur with his cane and crippling pain shot through his body. Arthur screamed out in agony, but the pain wouldn’t let up. “This is for what your sister has done!” The imp hit him again and a fresh round of agonizing pain shot through his body. It felt as though his body was being jabbed by millions of needles. In and out. Over and over. Tears and snot ran down Arthur’s face as he crumpled to the ground. “Please....no more.” He muttered, but the imp wasn’t listening or just didn’t care.

Again and again, the imp would name one of his siblings and each following slap of the cane would be more painful than the last. All Arthur could do was withstand and wait for an opening. Any opening. He was running out strength. After the fifth or sixth slap of the cane, Arthur couldn’t keep count, the imp turned his back to Arthur. Arthur realized this was his only chance and without hesitating, he unleashed the most deadly magic he could think of on the spot. A long lost and long forbidden spell that ate away at anything living in the area it was cast. An absolutely horrible and agonizing way to go. The spell happened quickly, the imp didn’t have a chance to react. A pitch black arc shot out from Arthur through the Imp and out into the distance.

The Imp knew the spell and knew his fate as he crashed heavily to his knees. “How? How could you?” The question confused Arthur, but quickly the sounds of the Imp hellishly screaming filled the forest as his skin and organs congealed into a dark black sludge. It wasn’t until he stood up and looked around did Arthur notice the true extent of the damage he caused. The surrounding forest and wildlife had completely disappeared leaving only the same black sludge for miles. Arthur just stared dumbfounded at the aftermath of the spell he used. In a daze, Arthur sloshed through the sludge. It was a devastatingly terrible spell. It wasn’t until houses became visible in the distance that the imp’s words started to make sense. A horrible sense of dread filled Arthur as he made his way to the village. Each step felt heavier and slower than the next as if the black sludge he was trudging through was sucking him down with it. He knew what he would find, but he continued forward. He had to see for himself.

It was a small village. Each house, with matching yellow brick and tall archways, stood now as a monument to those dead inside. The village was eerily quiet as Arthur walked through smelling of freshly baked bread and other delicacies. Evidence of the lives there was obvious by the abandoned food stalls in the middle of town and other abandoned items strewn amongst the black goop. Arthur checked inside a few houses, but each was the same. Random pools of black sludge filled each house. Remnants of those who once lived there. He was numb walking through the town. He committed a crime on an international level. He had killed so many. It was an accident though, right? He hadn’t known what the spell would do. He hadn’t known the village was here.

Arthur slumped down into an empty bench in the center of town. It was then a notification popped up in front of him. The first he had ever seen in his twenty years of life. The two words flashed colorfully in front of him as if to mock him. “Level Up.”