Ghost had lodgings in the main housing complex of the trade guild. The party were still underneath the duchess roof. They were woken up very early. They needed to act upon the information that they had recovered from the hidden hand. The longer they waited the more demons could be summoned traps prepared and generally the worse it would be for them, when they tried to assault the sorcerer’s location. They rushed through a very early breakfast cold mutton and hard bread washed down quickly. The entire group was ready as quickly as they could be. A coach had been prepared they would be delivered as close as possible to the sorcerers and then off they would go.

They didn't have an army behind them, low level humans didn't generally stack up well against the demons, due to their infernal constitution and high levels of skill. The guards and militia were out of the question. A few monks and priests had volunteered as well as hunters and crusaders, they would be noticed a mile away and the demons and sorcerers would be long gone. The local leaders were not willing to risk throwing a large number of soldiers who would die easily or worse end up possessed.

The four masters and ghost were small enough in number not to be noticed. They all packed a significant punch one way or another and the chance of them scoring some significant kills would be highly beneficial. Even if they managed to only kill a couple of the sorcerers it would be worth it. They could keep cutting their numbers down bit by bit until the circle of sorcerers was no more or gave up and fled.

They carried no magical mana draining shackles, they had no intention of capturing a sorcerer, especially after they had tried to summon a demon overlord. There would be no prisoners taken this time no quarter given. No mercy no surrender they were pretty sure that the sorcerers were aware of this. They would not be surviving an encounter with two exalted masters and three grand masters.

Heading along the trail ghost stopped them, she held out something that looked like a compass made from octium. It was going wild spinning in two different directions at once. She silently pointed to a spot on the ground and then to Alice. Activating the trap or disarming it would let the sorcerers know that they were approaching. Alice used the end of her staff and slowly drew an outline of the edge of the spell, she found another and another. The party crawled to a halt carefully circumventing the sorcery traps. They moved cautiously for another fifty meters until Alice was sure the path was clear.

Ghost took the lead again scouting far ahead, there were a few tracks that looked to be too big to be human, unless someone had been taking a lot of growth potions. They were probably summoned demons soldier variants, ghost did a quick count of the tracks and indicated six. A little further and they encountered more magic traps, again Alice marked their boundaries and they moved forwards. They encountered more tracks paw prints this time ghost did a quick count she gestured 8, probably a group of hell hounds. The sorcerers had an outer perimeter around there camp spell summoned demons. As soon as they attacked the other demons would appear, as reinforcements.

David gestured to head out and take care of the patrols. If they did that then they would alert their primary target lose any surprise and the sorcerers would probably be gone before they even saw them. A few looks and hand gestures from Vivian drilled this into David's thick skull. They would not be paid for killing demons only sorcerers.

Martin could feel a certain unease rising in him, a sense of something very much like the vampires. One part of them blood and ritual infernal magic. The sorcerers had their own ways to be strong their own ways to threaten. A vampire could use their abilities fairly easily, they had fought and killed one powerful vampire sorcerer, that had worked for razor the elite vampire. Martin was quite happy to eliminate every sorcerer and all their profane knowledge from the world.

Alice could have ripped the sorcerers traps apart with her magic. Found and blasted the patrolling demons to pieces with an assault of spells. She chafed at the bit to get to the fight, a fight she was well suited for. She would gain a few more benefits as she continued to level up. Her spells would get a bit stronger her mana reserve increase quite a bit deeper. She would gain a bit more magical resistance and she would be able to juggle a sixth active spell.

Her spell casting was as efficient as it was going to get, which was to say very efficient. She was confident that she could layer defensive spells and overwhelm even multiple sorcerers with her offensive spells. She had an almost physical need to beat them. She considered sorcerers weak relying on demonic creatures for strength rather than their own spells. She considered even the most powerful sorcerers as weak grovelers.

Ultimately, they were trying to win the patronage of a demonic overlord so that they could receive their patrons’ favour in the form of a soul splice. Which would eventually turn them into a powerful demon if they endured long enough.

There was some irony to the situation, a degree of hypocrisy that Alice would not acknowledge with her attitude. If anyone pointed out the similarity between the mages patronage from the crown and a sorcerers infernal patronage they would end up gargling acid. Still Alice dreamed of changing that one level at a time, until she was strong enough to warrant entry to the highest parts of the mages tower.

David and Vivian saw a pay-check and a job. A task to be completed, one that they were unfamiliar with. Alice and Martin had some knowledge and ability against such foes and the ghost certainly seemed to be well aware of their capabilities. From having fought them for at least three years, working as the main enforcer of the merchant’s guild around North port.

They found the outskirts of the camp a clearing in the middle of a cold forest. A few covered wagons a few tents it was very temporary. There was an alter four feet high made from wood and rocks, it seemed to be smeared with the blood of whatever woodland animals could be found. Birds dear hare what looked like a bear cub it was a long way from a significant place of power. There were a few cages some animals’ weak ones to be sacrificed and a few hounds probably intended for a possession ritual to create hell hounds.

Ghost scouted around she gestured to the trees around the clearing indicating four then made the shape of a spider. Four of the spider demons hidden in the trees around the clearing. She gestured counting out numbers there were ten more Demon soldiers summoned back and fortified both with conjure armour and weapons and some sort of shield around them. They would be tough to kill but they could not be summoned back instantly. There were two demonic spell casters probably the familiars of whoever was leading this camp. There were six hell hounds as well following the demons about.

There were five sorcerers left large red hooded ritual robes, they were probably fur lined to keep out the cold. The group silently wondered where the other five were. A quick glance around showed five beds this camp was just one, there would have to be others. The sorcerers had split up. Hooded robes moved about doing mundane chores that they didn't quite trust the demons to get right.

They pointed and nodded getting a very quiet agreement on targets. Ghost would target and deal with the demonic spiders, the half human half arachnid monsters acting as perimeter guards. Martin would target the two spell casting demons. They probably had much better offensive magic than their summoner. So that they would be the biggest threat on the battlefield. Alice and David would target the minions and start going through them while Vivian targeted and eliminated the magic users at range, it was a relatively solid plan. Based on the way they had fled last time they expected the sorcerers to use another infernal portal to get away. They had a short amount of time to target them before they got away.

Ghost was the first to move pretty much disappearing, there was a rustle and the fist tree something fell out of the branches and hit the ground starting to dissolve. Then the second tree a minute later and something slumped over a branch and then started to dissolve. Ghost headed towards the third spider demon when the camp started to react, the sorcerers had realised that a number of there summoned minions were gone.

Before one of the sorcerers could cast her spell an octium arrow smashed into her shoulder before she could hit the ground a mithril arrow followed it and made certain she would not get up. Martin was into the clearing and firing off his pistols four barrels and one of the spell casting demons was on the ground. his holy symbol held out he used the blessing “word of judgement”, the combination of sonic and holy damage was enough to finish off the demon. The second demon spell caster took off making it harder for Martin to hit a moving target.

David charged into the group of demon soldiers sending three of them spinning from the impact from his shield. He blocked a series of blows from a demon with particularly impressive horns then smashed it in the face with his shield. Hard enough to shatter both horns and knock half its teeth out. There was a lot of credit to the strength of the demon when it got back up and spat a few fanged teeth out. Two of the demons were fairly weak having been summoned by the less experienced sorcerers, they didn't have the raw power or toughness to compete with David one had its legs crushed the other lost an arm to a precise sword blow.

Alice layered up her defences an earthen wall to protect herself bonus vitality mage armour. She hurled an electric strike spell into the hell hound pack. With a follow up pair of acid strikes four shocked hell hounds whined and got back up. Two started to evaporate leaving the mangled bodies of the dogs that they possessed behind.

One of the spider stalker demons fell out of a tree into the clearing a dozen steel knives sticking out of her body. The demon had half her limbs missing yet still got up. Ghost appeared behind her and removed the demons head with a slice of her thinner blade. The demon collapsed; Ghost dived back into the shadows as an infernal bolt spell hit the ground she had been standing on.

One of the spider demons anticipated the trajectory of the arrow Vivian had fired and stepped right in front of the two shots. The adamantine arrows passed right through the surprised demon leaving two holes then hit the sorcerer that they had shielded and sunk in. The sorcerer was far less durable than the demon and collapsed dead with barely a whimper. Martin hit the second spell casting demon with a pair of blessings “hand of judgement” knocking them out of the sky and “pillar of ice” freezing them in place. The blizzard dissipated showing the remains of the frozen demon that started to slowly fade away.

David moved towards the sorcerers forcing the demons to intercept him. There was an exchange of blows his mithril shield stopped javelins thrown axes some form of hooked mace. He had a few good bruises but nothing that could slow him down. David brought the pommel of his sword down on one demon the stun enchantment affected them he lined up his cut and removed their head, ducking back to avoid the counterattack he circled back around. Alice targeted the hell hounds that tried to split apart to make themselves a harder target. A duel cast electrical strike spell still managed to catch two of them at the maximum of its range.

The leader of the sorcerers revealed himself to be an exalted master in possession of a powerful supreme spell that changed the course of the battle back in his favour. Infernal energy flowed out from him in a wave as he used his “possession” ability. Red circles formed around the party under their feet. Alice's high spell resistance dramatically slowed the effect on her. Martins nature as a religious job gave him protection and he only suffered a little damage. But Vivian David and Ghost began to fight, as something unbidden began to crawl out from the ground to invade their body's.

Martin knew it was his moment, “litany of blessings” he had been conservative in the use of his defensive blessings now he was not. He activated everything he had as he run for all he was worth. His martyrs sacrifice ability amplified his body's speed and strength while tearing in apart. The demons and sorcerers focused in on him. He got close up to Vivian “purge soul”. The effect was over the demonic spirit trying to invade her body, banished back to whichever infernal plane it had been summoned from.

Martin was already moving away from Vivian trusting her to recover, he used his blessing “martyrs’ spirit”, suddenly the translucent blue white soul of a hunter materialised. He had a blade in hand and defended Vivian while she recovered. After ten seconds he faded away back to the beyond a blessing made with his spare hand. He sprinted over to Ghost, again “purge soul” she reacted immediately and got up disappearing into a blur of motion. Martin got close to Alice she was highly resistant to the attack, but it was still slowly affecting her. He used his last use of “purge soul”, immediately she was free and back to slinging spells.

A demon tried to stab David while he was fighting possession, he had enough time to just block the blade. Martin was next to him he moved quickly taking the bottle of holy water, not sacred balm from David's belt and emptying it over David. Smoke rose up from his armour, but the spell was gone. David was back in the fight, though his entire body stung like hell he was free.

The exalted master sorcerers last trump card was gone used up they retreated. At a gesture the alter shivered and cracked a swirling portal appeared from it three cords of demonic sigils looped out seized the sorcerers and pulled them in. The portal disappeared moments later, it was some sort of emergency escape, three of the sorcerers had gotten away. Two would not be joining their compatriots. It was not the crushing victory that they had hoped for, but the sorcerer’s numbers were thinned even further, and their leader would have to wait for some time to use his supreme skill again, if he got the chance.

Ghost took the opportunity to pounce on the demonic stalking spider and finish her off with a stab to the skull with her adamantium blade. Martin removed the head of one of the remaining demon soldiers with his lionhearts hammer pistol. Vivian fired off her adamantium tipped arrows two power shots took out two more of the demonic soldiers as they tried to close the distance on her. Alice hit the last two hell hounds with a few acid strike spells and down they went. David ducked down low his shield edge buried in the ground he flicked it up throwing dirt into the demon’s face. He struck forwards into the demon’s chest piercing the summoned armour and banishing the demon.

The remaining four demons didn't like their chances, but they were stubborn and not likely to give up without one hell of a fight. Alice hit one demon with an icy tomb spell, in credit to the demon it managed to keep moving before it was finally frozen, and its conjured body gave out. David sent the demon nearest to him flying with an adrenalin shield block, his power strike cut it practically in half. Vivian's arrows quickly finished off her target head and heart, though she was not sure if a summoned demon actually had one. Martin shot the last demon in the knees with his regular pistols ghost was there a second later slitting its throat with her octium blade.

The adventures could hear crashing through the woods, the approach of something or someone else. Martin reloaded his pistols in preparation Alice cast healing spells on everyone. Arriving late to the party must have been the patrols that they had bypassed, the tracks they had seen earlier. Six demonic soldiers moved into the clearing. They included David's familiar demon nemesis and sister followed by eight hell hounds at their heel.

The demon looked to his sister “shit we missed the party”, she pointed at David, “and you said we would be first to the fight on the patrol detail, there are still a lot of us, focus on that one”. Martin held his holy symbol up “final judgement”. A demon in the middle of the group howled in pain as he was flooded with white light smoking. He seemed to disappear receiving enough holy damage to completely remove him and his summoned body from the physical plain.

The demons charged for David he charged back, battering them aside with his shield. His nemesis cursed and spat, “shiny new upgrade must have cost you a bit, it’s going to serve me better”. The demon dodged out of the way of a power attack. “I can smell the possession spell you almost joined the family, clumsy”. Vivian targeted the hell hounds three of them fell with adamantine bodkin arrows lodged in their skulls and necks. They dissipated to reveal the lifeless mangled bodies of the wolves that they had possessed.

Alice hit two of the demons with her icy tomb spells, they had been two focused on attacking David to notice or avoid the magic conjured around them. Martin had his four barrelled pistol out he emptied it and threw his Tesla grenades at them for good measure. Two of the hell hounds didn't get up. Ghost appeared out of nowhere and dispatched one of the demon soldiers, her blades finding gaps in the conjured armour to sink into the demon’s neck.

The remaining two demons bickered to the last, Martin bombarded them with smite and other blessings. David hacked and cut ghost got one of the remaining hell hounds with a barrage of thrown knives. Vivian removed the other two hell hounds one as it charged her the second as it turned to flee. Alice finished off the demons with an electric strike spell.

One thing to be said about the demons were that they were a quality enemy. Fighting and defeating them made an adventure strong very quickly or dead very quickly. Martin and ghost didn't gain anything but Alice David and Vivian each gained two levels. Alice reached level 90 with the class level she gained another 50 points of spell resistance. Low level magic would have a very hard time affecting her. She also improved her mage armour spell to the grand version it was probably equal to a suit of some mithril chainmail.

David reached level 86 gaining the same class level Vivian had gotten earlier and gaining an ability peak condoning at level 1. That enabled him to do a bit more damage when he was near or at full health. Vivian reached level 89 raising her knock down skill to level 8, if a target survived a shot from her bow there was a very good chance that they would not be standing up.

David looked about the camp, “you would hardly believe a battle was fought hear, I could feel something trying to crawl inside me like a parasitic worm it was disgusting”. Martin nodded, “when I was bit by the werewolf it got like that”. “Could you feel another mind trying to whisper out to you”? “No, I guess that element was different”.

Alice looked at Vivian and ghost, “are … you alright”? Ghost nodded, “I have a ring of ruinous defence it slowed that spell down a lot, I think I will be carrying a vial of holy water as a backup, that looked painful but in a pinch it would be a good solution”. Martin nodded, “it’s almost like a combination of the purify purge and cleanse and the consecrate blessings in one go”. Vivian hand shook for a second. “I don't feel very good, that demonic possession could he do that again the next time we fight them”? Alice shook her head, “that is a powerful supreme spell …it will have a cool down like Martins supreme, a week maybe two if we press the attack, they won’t have a chance to recover”.

They started to get themselves together while recovering her arrows Vivian had a brief scouting run. A little blue powder to steady her nerves and she was back. Ghost showed them some half burnt papers she had pulled from a fire. One of the sorcerers had had the presence of mind to throw into a fire at the beginning of the fight. It was a map it showed amongst the burnt remains, an area a rendezvous. They had some idea where the backup site, where that emergency portal had led.

There was also a rather incriminating letter written in a highly stylised script like calligraphy. It detailed a contracted to destroy the dock section of the city, probably the summoning ritual that they interrupted, a promise was made of 150 gold and 60 souls from the Midnight King, offered to them payment on completion. There was also a vague promise about replacing any lost members of their group if they had issues, it would be some useful intelligence for Francis the local vampire hunter.

The Midnight King was an ally of the Empress of Shadows, now that her main agent in the area was dead the Midnight King seemed to have been trying to help disrupt the trade talks. Though this plan was a long time in the making, so it might have been a backup all along with him trying to regain favour with her.

They went through the dead sorcerers’ possessions. There was little of note a few objects were enhanced with infernal enchantments onto the fire they went. A scroll a staff shared similar fates. There was one very nice ornate dagger unfortunately it didn't survive the purify blessing and broke into splinters. More than one idiot who had taken an enchanted object from a sorcerer had lived to regret it, as the corrupting magic was an easy route for possession.

They did find one ornate box. One of the sorcerers was a coin collector. Ghost seemed to know her stuff. There were old elven coins from both the northern and central plains cities. They were made from one metal ringed with another and another, it looked to be alternating layers of silver and bronze. They were very hard to forge, due to the complexity of their construction only with a tireless workforce of golems could something so detailed ever be mass produced.

There were dwarven coins possibly from thousands of years ago. They had enchantments to make them impossible to forge and also very hard to damage. The actual enchantments were mostly durability and some sort of polish enchantment to keep their surface clean. These coins could have been here before even the vampires. There were central plains coins various denominations sadly none of their mithril Drach, they were worth an utter fortune. The central plains could only forge small pieces of mithril, so it was used on coins and jewellery.

There were south-land coins made from rare hardwoods alchemically hardened. There was a dragon note from the time of the blood alchemist’s empire. The scrip still clear after ten of thousands of years. There was even a five-sided coin minted from white iron. The coinage of the short-lived arch lich city state. Everything of value mostly the coins and the correspondence was gathered up. The two dead sorcerers were wrapped in cloth, they would be brought to the cathedral and given last rights and cremation to lay their spirits to rest.

David carried one body Martin the other. Ghost looked after the correspondence and coin collection. Vivian took a torch and set the remains of the camp on fire. A bit of petty revenge to settle herself. Having a demon summoned from hell trying to crawl its way up her soul had not been pleasant. Martin was immune with his religious job; Alice was resistant to harmful magic as a high-level mage. Still she had holy water with her, next time she would know how to deal with it herself if there was a next time.

Alice let off a bit of steam detonating the magical traps she had marked out with a few fire bite spells. It was no surprise that the circle of sorcerers around North port had lasted so long. It was quite difficult to pin them down. It would be harder for them the next time as they had a few less sorcerers to prepare defences. With a pop and a crackle, the last of the trap spells ignited leaving the path clear.

They soon met up with the carriage a guard and a driver keeping well back out of the way. The transport was not up to fighting a demon but could outpace demonic foot soldiers if necessary. They returned to town and passed the usual checks, they arrived at the hunter’s house and passed on all the correspondence they could find. Including the letter from the Midnight King to Francis. It was stark proof that the vampires were treating the trade talks as a serious threat to the status quo.

There next destination was the cathedral the priests would take almost anyone for last rights. As a duty to usher souls and spirits onto the next life, whatever the creator god ordained. If the ghosts of two less sorcerers were not wandering the world that would be a good thing. There remains would be left as unknown anonymous sitting in an urn in death, a final resting place amongst the forgotten inside the vaults of the cathedral.

The church bar one or two thought that everyone that was human was deserving of the last act of respect. David gave thanks for his deliverance and made a donation to get a replacement bottle of holy water. Ghost seeing the usefulness made a donation and received a few bottles herself. Next time she faced a sorcerer she might not have a religiously trained adventurer supporting her.

Now that they were free of their official duty's they headed to a tavern and proceeded to have a good few drinks. Coming close to being possessed like a puppet didn't exactly have a good effect on their psyche. A plate full of pies, mostly fish disappeared quickly. There nerves and stomachs sated they had a few more things to do. Ghost lead them through the merchants guild to the trade commissioner.

She was admitted with the doors, “good to see you Ghost, how is the hunt for the sorcerers going”? “We killed two of them. Three got away through a portal, we have leads on some more, the Midnight King might be bankrolling them to help the Empress of Shadows”. “It’s a little progress hardly warranting you to report back yet”. “I found this it reminds me of a collection that disappeared a few years back”. “Yes, much the same plus a few items, you took this from a sorcerer”? Alice spoke up, “it’s safe …no spells”. Martin held out his holy symbol, “completely clean no sorcerers magic”.

The merchant nodded removing a pair of white gloves she carefully checked the collection out examining them with a magnifying glass, “blood alchemist currency is very rare, the dragon revolt didn't exactly leave much of their empire standing”. She looked over the group and assessed it, I can pay you 300 silver for the Lot. David and Vivian looked at Ghost they didn't know what to make of it. Perhaps they could have gotten a bit more, but they didn't know that much about old coins and they trusted Ghost not to be ripped off. The four masters share was 240 silver, with a fifth of it 60 silver going to ghost. A few pleasantries and they left the trade commissioner.

Vivian and Alice started to practice using training dummies again, Alice would defend them with spells as Vivian tried to attack. Then they would swap with Vivian trying to intercept Alice's low powered spells with arrows as the reverse of the exercise. Martin set about repairing equipment while David set about drilling and training some of the guards. There work on shield and spear sword and shield. How to resist charges how to scatter from a fire ball. These were lessons he had learned through bruises burns and a lot of pain, he would pass them on with only a little of the pain.