SUNSHIELD
Three months. For three, long months I have tracked this demon, managing to follow it everywhere, despite its best efforts. I see through its deceptions, avoid its traps and kill any who profess allegiance to it and try to stop me in my task. I swore I would bring down the demon after the atrocity it committed and I have run it to ground. It has no where left to hide and so it flees to Stratholme, daring me to enter and hunt. It thinks I might be daunted by an ever-burning Scourge-filled city, but it's wrong. That is its first mistake. Its second mistake was taking control of some of the Scourge within the city. Amateur. The rest of the Scourge will now see them as enemies, adding more problems for the demon to deal with and making it easier for me to ambush it.
Getting into Stratholme has never been an issue. It's getting out alive that is the problem. I know many friends and fellow Crusaders who have ventured into the wrong parts of the city, never to be seen again, or even worse, being seen again, but as a twisted, undead wretch. However, I have been part of many raids deep into this cursed city, both with Crusader brothers and sisters and by myself. I know of a few passages and paths that are less dangerous and should allow me to get closer to the cowardly, hiding demon without being eaten by a ghoul. I use the demon's foul magic traces as a breadcrumb trails of sorts, letting me determine the best path to take. I allow myself a small smile as I realise the demon has barricaded itself near an old bakery, very near one of my safest secret paths. How fortunate.
I duck under a flaming beam of wood and hold my golden shield over my head, listening to the burning embers pinging off it. That shield has seen me through thick and thin and I have wielded it ever since I started my training to become a paladin oh so long ago. I can't remember which one, but one of the older paladins who was training us remarked upon my shield and gave it the name Sunshield, thanks to it golden finish and extra large size. I can still remember how the shield's epitaph became a part of me. I make a small grimace as I reminisce about how people used to think it was my name. 'There goes Holia Sunshield' they would say. Eventually, I gave up and just became Holia Sunshield. It was easier for everyone.
Exiting the flaming death-trap of a dilapidated house, I check the alley for Scourge before entering. With nothing in sight, I climb into the next building through an empty window. It used to be a school. The rows of broken chairs and desks, some on fire and some burnt to a crisp, always give me pause. Passing through, I make sure to offer my usual small prayer to the Light for the children that were here on the day that it all went bad. Moving on, I draw my sword when I hear a scratching noise over the sound of burning wood and the groaning of the perpetual death of the building. I enter the small side room, fully prepared to blast my target to ash with the Holy Light, but find it is simply an overly large rat. I sigh and keep pressing forward. From experience I know that on the other side of the room, behind the burnt bookcase lies a passage that leads more or less straight to the demon's current location. Just as I'm about to move the bookcase aside, I hear a low, wet growl from behind it. Thanking the Light for the unsubtle Scourge, I go to the side of the bookcase and raise my shield and sword and use my foot to topple the bookcase. It comes down with a crash and throws bits of charcoal in the air. Two ghouls burst from the passage, their attention drawn by the falling furniture. I heft my shield and smash aside the first ghoul, its rotted flesh burning away. A normal shield bash would not do so much damage to an undead, but, normal shields are not infused with the Light. I slice the remaining ghoul from shoulder to groin and it collapses into a heap. I break off a nearby chair leg and put the end into a fire. I hold my makeshift torch in one hand and my shield in front of me in the other. Hopefully, the death of the two minions hasn't alerted the demon to my presence, but I've never been much of an optimist.
As I near the end of the dark passage, I throw the torch behind me as far as I can, as to not give away my position to any nearby 'surprises'. I exit the passage of shadow into more shadow. There are no torches lit here – the demon and undead have no need for them. This used to be a hall, so there is plenty of room to move around, but there is also plenty of room for enemies. Cautiously, methodically, I look around the room, examining the surroundings. It is empty save for the lone crypt fiend guarding the main entrance. Had I been stupid enough to enter through there, it would have been a simple matter for it to ambush and kill me. Now, the predator becomes the prey. After I double check the hall again, I pick a large piece of burnt wood from next to me and toss it to the other side of the room. Instantly the crypt fiend turned and sprayed the area with sticky nerubian webbing. With its multi-eyed head now in a clear line of sight, I unleashed a bolt of Light at it and watched in satisfaction as the Light blasted the damned giant bug's head away into ash. The body quivered for a second before the legs gave out and it thumped to the floor. Drawing my sword again I made for the only place left for the demon to hide. His foul magical taint led to the mayor's office.
There was a single door at the back of the hall, just off to the side where the mayor's office was located. I knew this, because I remember hiding there once to evade a particularly persistent banshee. I steeled myself for the coming battle, singing a silent hymn for my soul and a prayer for my strength to prevail. I came upon the door and kicked the burnt wooden door in, shattering it and exposing the office. I was surprised, at first, to not find the demon there waiting for me, but a little girl in a pink dress sitting in one of the chairs facing away from me.
For a second, hesitation froze my body. What in the Light was a little girl doing this deep in Stratholme? Sitting in the chair, swinging her feet, without a care in the world. She then stopped and turned around to look at me.
"I thought you'd never make it! You're such a big strong fighter! You'll save me from the scary monsters, won't you?"
Her voice was the exact imitation of a little girl. I smiled.
"Of course, darling. But first..." I left the sentence unsaid as I charged forward in the blink of an eye, my shield slamming into the chair and throwing the girl to the far side of the room, hard into the wall. The little girl started giggling, her child-like laughter morphing into a deep, inhuman guffaw.
"I can honestly say, paladin, I didn't think you had it in you." The little girl-demon got to its feet, wiped the blood away from its mouth and dusted off the dress. "Now the real fun begins." When the girl-demon finished speaking, huge scythe-like black claws grew from its fingers and a pair of curled horns as black as night burst from its forehead. "That's better." The girl-demon stated, revealing a maw full of needle-sharp teeth and two oversized fangs.
Cracking its neck and shouting a demonic curse, the demon slashed at me. I took a step back and blocked the swipe with my shield. The force behind the blow was incredible; it was all I could do to stop the shield being torn from my arm. Watching the demon for another attack, I back out of the office and into the hall, where I had more room to manoeuvre. Giggling like a little girl, the demon followed me, confident it could overcome me. It was in for a rude shock.
As soon as it's cursed little head came out of the doorway, I threw a bolt of holy energy right at its horrid little face, catching it unawares. The demon roared in pain before it was able to erect its defensive wards that dissipated my second bolt. The damage was already done. The dead body that the demon was possessing was now ruined. From the shoulders up, there was not left but flapping skin ending in ash. With a shout of rage, the demon's true form burst forth. Stretching its wings and arms, the dreadlord stared at me with pure malice.
"I particularly liked that disguise, do you have any idea how long it took me to acquire it?"
I told myself I wouldn't be baited, but I could not help but answer. "I do and it's part of the reason I'm hunting you, demon."
The demon immediately switched tactics. "Oh come now, use my name, we are friends are we not? I know you know it, I made sure of that."
I spat on the floor in response. "I will not give you the satisfaction." Before he could retort, I summoned a blinding wall of Light and sent it towards the demon. From his hiss of rage, it had worked.
"I will find you little mortal, you cannot hide from me!"
I smiled as I ran from the hall. I counted on him finding me.
I sprinted along the soot stained alley, knowing where I was going and confident the demon would be arrogant and angered enough to personally find and kill me. Rounding the last corner, I took a moment to catch my breath as I lay eyes on my salvation. The outside was a nondescript building nestled between a blazing two story inn and a large collapsed warehouse. I ran inside, sheathed my sword and waited for my foe. I did not have to wait long.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are."
I could hear the demon in my head, mocking me, but I was prepared for it. Knowing that it had me corned, the demon appeared from a purple portal in front of me, unable to fit its bulk through the human sized door.
"There you are little mouse. You can only run and hide so far." It sneered at me with it disgusting face.
"Who said I was hiding?" I replied, putting as much snark into my voice as I could muster. Using my shield to hide my actions, I reached down with my spare hand to the pouch on my waist. Gathering as much of the contents as I could, I threw it at the demon's face with all my might. It got about halfway across the small room before the foul creature beat its monstrous wings once. As crammed as they were inside the building, they still produced enough of a blast of air to stop the sand I had thrown and send it back towards – along with all the soot that sat upon the walls and floor.
I coughed as it flew past my head, going in my nose and sticking to my lips. Even with the shield in front of me, there was just so much soot thrown up from the demon's wings that it didn't matter whether I had a shield or not.
"Pathetic." The demon said, its otherworldly voice exuding contempt. But soon my hacking cough turned into laughter and I think it was then that the demon lost its temper.
"Why are you laughing you miserable creature? Answer me! I have you cornered and at my mercy and yet you dare laugh at me?"
"Because you are exactly where I want you, demon. In your arrogance, you have waltzed blindly into my trap." Drawing my sword and moving my shield back into position, I advance slowly towards the demon as it realised its mistake. With all the soot so neatly blown away by the demon's wings, it revealed the runes of binding on the roof and walls that I had carved there long ago, for future use. Beneath the demon, as it looked down and saw, was a huge sanctified sigil of the Light, completing the binding and making sure that the demon could not flee and would be trapped here until the runes were destroyed.
"You are now at my mercy, demon. I would love to give you the slow death you deserve, but I do not want to linger any longer in this cursed city than I have to." The demon snarls at me and spits and hisses curses, but the runes caging the demon flare each time it finished one, negating them entirely. Raising my sword, I gathered the Light about me and prepared to unleash the killing blow.
The next thing I know, I jerk forwards – I realise that the demon has reached out and grabbed my shield, using it to drag me closer. My feet try to take me back to safety, but the demons grip is iron and my arm is at the wrong angle to leave the shield's straps. A sharp pain suddenly blooms in my stomach. I look down and see the demon's claws sticking into my belly, right through my breastplate. Its claws flare purple for a second and then indescribable pain flows into my body. Still the demon does not let go. It brings me closer and leans down to speak to me.
"How does that feel, little mouse?" It whispers, foul breath nearly making me gag.
I clench my teeth together from the pain, but still manage to reply. "Not as bad as this." With all my strength left in me, I swing my sword arm around and listen to the satisfying sound of my holy blade ripping right through the demons neck. I fall to the ground as the demons body goes slack. I note with grim satisfaction the surprise that is etched upon the demons decapitated head.
"Didn't see that coming did you, Beltheris?" I wince at the effort, but manage to drag myself to the wall and prop myself up. Looking at the dreadlord's body, I watch as it turns pitch black and explodes into shadow that then breaks up into hundreds of shadows that looked vaguely like bats before they disappeared completely. The dreadlord's empty armour crashes to the floor now that there was no dreadlord to wear it.
Turning my attention to my injury, I can see that the wound is still gushing blood. I say a prayer and try to call upon the Light to seal my wounds, but nothing happens. It seems that the bloody demon will have the last laugh after all. I sigh. I can at least take comfort in the fact that I have finally rid the world of Beltheris. I feel so cold. And tired. I know I'm dying, as soon as I close my eyes, I will never open them again, but at least I'll...die knowing...my...duty...was... ...done.