The press of Serra’s aura reached Erin, Sigrid and Liam at nearly the same time as the sound of conflict within the village. All three mages turned where they stood, looking toward the familiar flashes of light that Arthur’s sword produced.

“Do you think the Demons got past us somehow?” Liam asked, his tone doubtful.

“No,” Erin said with a shake of her head, already moving in that direction.

“Wait.” Sigrid reached over and grabbed her by the arm. “We don’t have time.” The fight continued and Erin became more certain by the second that Serra and Arthur were fighting one another.

“What the hell are they doing?” she growled through gritted teeth.

“I don’t know, but we can’t-” and then another magical aura washed over them, drowning out Serra’s by main force. It was as if they were breathing air saturated thick with hot oil. As one they all turned toward the source and Erin saw the creature stride out from the trees. It’s long, stick thin limbs giving it the appearance of an overgrown insect.

“Where’s the other one?” Liam asked as he stepped closer to Erin’s side. The creature turned its gaze on them, as the only people in sight on this side of the village wall.

“I don’t know,” Sigrid said, “but I’d rather do this 1 on 3, so let’s get to it.” Her slit pupil eyes glowed a bright amber as she slipped into the Bronze State, Erin and Liam a half second behind. This was too slow. Runes were still forming on their skin when the demon was suddenly among them. It had crossed the 30 yards in a blink, its towering form and willowy limbs blurred with motion. Liam went tumbling, the force of the blow giving the lie to the weakness of those thin limbs.

“Shit.” The word was much as reflex as lifting her arms to protect herself, but she blocked too high and it whirled a kick into her stomach. Sent sprawling, waves of pain radiated through her body and Erin cried out.

Only Sigrid reacted in time to stay on her feet. Narrowly avoiding the blow, the thing aimed at her, countering with a chopping motion as she dragged a jet of water across the creature’s chest. This was as much as Erin could follow before she hit the ground in a with a muted thud, air driven from her lungs despite the layer of snow.. The force of the attack would’ve left any normal person dazed on the ground for several minutes, likely with some broken bones, but Erin and Liam were not normal. As one they surged back to their feet and rushed forward, to where Sigrid stood alone against the monster.

Erin couldn’t have been down for more than a second or two, but already Sigrid had retreated, bleeding profusely from a cut somewhere in her hairline, half her face crimson with blood.

Erin had seen Sigrid’s Jet spell peel the flesh off a monster in seconds, and for all that she had slashed the demon with it several times, it did no more noticeable damage than a water hose might’ve. Its long arm snapped out, seizing Sigrid by the throat and lifting her off the ground, her feet dangling as the monster raised her up.

A long spear made of stone, smashed into the back of the demon’s head, shattering into dust as it impacted its unreasonably tough skin. Erin decided against casting, instead she leapt for the arm that held Sigrid. She threw the entirety of her not inconsiderable strength into forcing the arm back down and was surprised to find herself successful. As Sigrid’s feet connected with the snow, the woman blurred into motion, somehow breaking the grip on her throat. Another spear of stone hit the demon from behind and Erin whipped a fireball into existence, preparing to launch it directly into the demon’s face.

Frustrated at their interference, Erin felt its aura flare up with the briefest of warnings before a shockwave roared out from its body. Erin, Sigrid and even the more distant Liam were thrown back, their barrage of attacks interrupted. Erin’s wings materialized for just a moment as she snapped them backward, planting her feet as she halted the momentum. This time, it was her standing alone against the monster. Even as she found her footing, the creature was there, swiping its long claws at her with blinding speed. She ducked and weaved, trying to find room to get off a spell as the demon struck a glancing blow, opening a cut across her cheek. Then another until she was forced to give ground. Giving up on the magic, a simple length of wood was pulled from her inventory, snapping into her hand.

Striking any part of its body felt like clubbing a stone wall. The shock of the blow trembled up the length of wood and numbed her hands. The pressure of its magic weighed ever more heavily on her as she continued to retreat. All her thoughts were of keeping its long, clawed hands away from her throat.

Another spear of stone impacted the demon’s side, and Erin was aware on some level that the creature didn’t even flinch from the spell. As if growing bored with the exchange, its hand blurred out and grabbed a hold of the wood as Erin moved to strike. Its long fingers gripped vice-like, and with a sound reminiscent of a gunshot, the length of wood snapped. Erin barely had time to register the top half falling away before the demon unleashed another pulse of magic that knocked her off balance.

A stream of water took the demon right in the face as the gap opened between them. The spray impacted the durable skin and scattered into the air, creating a series of tiny rainbows in the cold winter sunlight. Much like Liam’s stone spears, the pressurized jet of water appeared to do little more than annoy the creature.

What the hell is this thing? Erin thought in dismay after she found her feet and gathered herself to cast fireball once more.

[A demon.]

Lisa responded, her tone almost sad. As her first spell streaked through the air, the demon showed its impossible speed once more, flashing out of existence to appear in front of Sigrid. She dropped the water spell, and opened her mouth as the ruins visible on her skin danced as she prepared to cast another, but the demon slapped her almost contemptuously across the face, forcing her head to turn. Rainbow flames poured from Sigrid’s open mouth, striking the ground around her feet. The months-old layer of snow and ice flashed into steam before Sigrid could cancel the spell. As Erin took a step in their direction, the Demon smashed its fist into Sigrid’s chest. Rather than tumble backward, Sigrid slammed hard onto her back, impacting the ground with an audible thump, and Erin could see the woman’s eyes go wide as the air was driven from her lungs.

How can it be this strong? Erin thought with despair. Lisa had no answer, and Erin didn’t wait for one as she sprinted toward where the demon loomed over a stunned Sigrid. It held its left arm up, and the magic that rolled off the creature shivered as ice formed a blade over its hand. And if it weren’t for Liam, it would’ve stabbed directly through Sigrid’s head. As its bladed arm descended, the large man tackled it, forcing it to take a single step to the side, and throwing off the attack. Sigrid was spared momentarily, though it looked as if her narrowly averted fate would quickly become Liam’s as the Demon rounded on him, blade arm pulled back, ready to strike.

If Erin had another second, she would’ve been in range, but she didn’t. She was going to be too late. Flame splashed all across the demon as Erin’s companion, Hax, made his presence known. The tiny dragon spiraled down through the air, bathing the demon in a cone of fire from its open jaws. Her familiar cut off the torrent of flames as Erin reached the Demon. She smashed what remained of her stuff against its back. A resounding crack and a numbness in her fingers telling her it had accomplished very little. Yet Liam could move back, and Sigrid was rolling to her feet, and together they began again.

Burk led a double row of Wardens up the road, six deep, with a wagon at the back and Dangole less than a mile distant. They could feel the demon’s oily presence. The magic pressure was astounding, and the commander could sense his men’s disquiet. The leading edge of an evacuation was coming into sight, and the villagers had spotted the Wardens approach. Waving arms and beckoning gestures. Burke rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen them, and to ignore the knot of fear in his belly.

“Captain.” He said, and the young man was at his side in a moment. “Organize these people. I want you and them as far away as you can get them, as soon as you can get them there.”

There was the barest hesitation in the reply, but the salute was crisp, and then orders were being given. A dozen Mages, who’re all he could afford to bring, began jogging down the road while the wagon being pulled off to the side, to prepare for being turned around.

Burke loosened his sword in its sheath and heaved a sigh. His eyes flashed with a gold light and he leapt, propelled an inhuman distance up and forward. His vision enhanced by the Gold State, he could see clearly the three mages battling a demon in the distance. Their efforts were clumsy, but their coordination was passable. Still, it was clear to him the monster was toying with them, like a cat flinging a mouse into the air repeatedly before killing it. The pressure of his own magic clashed with the demons, and he could see the beast stiffen as Gold level power washed over it.

Over the course of the fight, Erin had become certain that they were doomed. Had been since the moment they’d first seen these things coming down toward Dangole, following the trail of dead Qek. As she leapt back from the casual stroke of a claw that would’ve ripped her in half, she wondered if she would’ve been so foolhardy to suggest fighting the thing if she’d known it would be like this.

[Hopefully not]

Lisa snapped in her mind, but there was tension in her tone, and Erin knew was scared. Sigrid moved to engage, and of the three of them, she had the only thing resembling an impact. The woman was a blur of motion, a spear in her hand, the tip sheared away in an earlier attack. Sigrid was now using the length of wood as a makeshift quarterstaff, knocking away blows and lashing out with powerful jets of water in follow up attacks, none of which were having an impact. Erin thought they could all sense the creatures’ amusement fading, and they were getting desperate.

“Run.” Sigrid shouted to them as the haft of her staff made a dull clunk against the demon’s chest, before it batted it away. Erin didn’t have time to respond to that the way she felt it deserved before the demon was on top of her. Suddenly fast again. She tried to dance back, away, but she was moving in slow motion as the monster lazily aimed a killing stroke at her neck. It paused, suddenly frozen, and Erin could guess why.

A vast magical pressure rolled over all of them, mixing with the demons like oil and blood being shaken in a jar. She couldn’t have said at that moment which one was more potent, and she saw on the monster’s face a flicker of hesitation, of uncertainty. It couldn’t tell either.

“Get away.” Sigrid screamed, her voice cutting through the shock that had paralyzed Erin. Large wings snapped into existence and she propelled herself back with her legs, wings snapping forward. The gap between her and the monster opened, and the creature looked ready to give chase, but then it turned, cocking its head toward the sky and Erin followed its gaze. A pale blue streak of light was descending toward them, inhumanly fast. In a blink the streaking light was upon them. The demon snarled a challenge, and Erin saw a man, green cloak trailing in the air, one arm coated in ice up to the elbow, the other wielding a long single-edge sword, and then the impact of his arrival sent a wave of snow turned to powder rolling out in every direction.

Suddenly blinded, Erin touched down as her momentum faded, gracelessly falling backward as her feet were tripped out from under her. She braced herself and moved with the rolling motion. The controlled tumble still hurt, a lot, but nothing was broken.

She rolled onto her side, and the world tilted sharply as she tried to get a leg under her. Her thoughts were disjointed, moving in a panicked rush as she tried to stand, falling again and barely catching herself. Then Sigrid was there under her arm and hoisting her to her feet. Erin glanced back in time to see the snow settling. Liam, who had been on the far side of the monster, was moving at an angle toward Dangole, and Erin could tell he meant to intercept them on the way.

The man and the monster battled as shadows, blurs of motion flickering back and forth. Large grooves scoured into frozen earth before her eyes, layers of snow and ice peeled up by the sheer force of the attacks. It was a nightmare beyond anything. That they had thought to fight the thing was impossible, stupid.

We should be dead.

[Yes.]

Lisa agreed, and Erin turned her eyes forward, finally finding her feet, and together they ran.