Forgotten Realms:
Angels and Demons
Part LX
Manheim was vomited into the world again, expelled out like hellish phlegm in his new form. Before him, Malena lay on the ground, a massive crease across her skull. The hated Dwarf's axe had wounded her badly. Walking over to her, the newly formed Devil, Manheim cast a siphoning spell. Instead of using his own strength to fuel the portal opening, he used hers. She screamed in betrayal, but could do nothing to stop him.
"See, you can still be of use," Manheim smiled as the portal began to open again.
Scouts moving about the lines saw Manheim, and reported back his attempts to reopen the portal. In the wee morning hours Lord Wallace and the wizard Bruce were roused out of their cots. Tired, with sleep still calling to them, they were brought in to hear the reports, and soon were wide awake.
"Get the Challengers immediately," commanded Lord Wallace. "Let us pray they have one more miracle up their sleeves."
Minutes later, the remaining members of the Challengers were being briefed. It was quite simple, if the Devil opened the portal back up, the defenders would face increasing numbers. That and opening the portal would continue to weaken the fabric of reality at this place of power. Lord Wallace needed them to stop this, and keep the area safe. How, was still to be determined.
Lord Wallace had given them less than an hour to decide the best course of action, before he ordered the forces forward. He would keep a small number in reserve, just in case the main force failed. However, it was guessed that a massive assault would lead to staggering casualties. Ones they had limited so far by pure strategy and luck. It was up to the Challengers to be the equalizers.
After several minutes of conversation, they devolved into chaotic arguments. Walton favored a frontal assault, to keep the attention on them. Val wanted to use the army's charge as a diversion, and attack the Devil opening the portal. Leilani advocated for a long range attack using magic, and then a quick portal in attack to finish the Devil off. There was no consensus.
Quickly it was coming time to meet back up with Lord Wallace, and the once mighty group were looking anything but. It was then that Raven stood up and told them what they were going to do. This role had been what Kirann had done best. Respected by his friends, they never took his directness as an insult, but a needed focus for consensus. Earlier in their travels, her doing this would not have ended the argument, but instead would have instigated more strife.
Instead the group fell silent, as her voice carried the air of command to it. Not one of magical means, or one borne of her bardic arts. No, this came from a sense of trust, and comradery to it. The closest to their fallen leader, the one he had chosen over all to share his life with. One that had been found just as worthy as he had been, but due to her own deeds. In short, they all knew she deserved the voice she now used succinctly.
"We are going to portal in, and cause havoc amongst their ranks. We'll have Bruce keep the portal open, so that once we have completed the mission, we can pass back through. That means Lorinda, Leilani, we'll need you to guard it, using your spells. Walton you and I will stop that Devil, and keep the portal from stabilizing," she said as if it would be simple, all the while her knees felt weak and she fought to keep the fear out of her voice. "Those who remain will need to run back through. I wish I could say we would all make it through, but we are being asked to save those we hold dear. We are just pieces on a grand board though, and our fates determined by the dice of destiny. Here and now though, we can do what we do best, and make a stand, to challenge fate."
"Are you sure?" asked Walton. "This is a plan that Kirann would suggest, one that would be so crazy it would work. But we don't have him any longer."
"He is with us all!" Val countered, her visage turning briefly angry.
Raven held up her hand to call quiet to the group, "He told us he'd return. I know most of you believe him to be gone forever, and I can respect that. That being said, he is with us, and he'll be with us on this day.
Just as we remember his spartan speech, to his undying loyalty to doing what he thought was right. Remember the man who saw something in all of us, knew we could be more than what the world thought we could. Who gave us a place and a friend that ensured we could be the best possible people we could be? The legends of Sun Warrior Kiran Lichtus talk about his powers, his martial ability, but I say his greatest strength, was in seeing us as we could be.
I know, he loved me, a Tiefling and the opposite of his Aasimar nature. Despite our differences, he saw what connected us. From those connections we have become family. A very odd family, but one nonetheless. One that I would be happy to spend the rest of my days with, even if they be but a bare scant moments."
"Well, after such a speech, how could we not agree to this plan?" Walton smiled broadly. "You have my blade."
The others joined in, and the Challengers began to feel and talk like the great adventurers they were. United, ready for battle, they met with Lord Wallace and the wizard, Bruce. They relay their plan, and though there is pushback, all is agreed to. The die is cast, the forces in motion, and a very sad Lord Wallace seemed to age another decade in mere seconds. There was so much he wanted to say, but just not enough time. He has much to thank them for, just in case this was the last time he saw them.
He pushed that aside though, as he strode out to where his horse was prepared. Mounting it in full armor, he pulled his sward from its scabbard. Bruce had tried to talk him out of this course of action, but he had to remind the wizard of an important fact. He would not ask anyone to do something, he wasn't willing to do himself. If he was going to ask the Challengers to complete a suicidal mission, he could and would lead the attack on the demons. His only surprise was when Bruce mounted up beside him.
"Just what do you think you are doing?" Lord Wallace asked.
Bruce shot him a wizened look of eternal patience, "I am not one to let my friend to ride off into battle alone. Besides, your wife would kill me if I came back without you, and a decent amount of scars."
"Crazy wizard," Lord Wallace chuckled.
Bruce raised an eyebrow, "Impertinent knight." Then with all mirth gone, he said next, "Is the word given?"
"The word is," Lord Wallace nodded. "Attack!"
Wizards, sorcerers and some druids launched long ranged spell attacks at the started demon army. Behind Lord Wallace and Bruce galloped a score of heavily armored knights on horseback. Following behind them were running pikeman and swordsmen. Archers shot their deadly missiles, scurried forward, stopped and launched more ammunition towards the demons. Scouts had gone ahead and harassed those demons on the outside flanks.
Manheim kept his concentration up, but he spared a few glances at the foolish mortals. They were running to their deaths, as the demons began to react. Taking over for Malena, he released them from their leashes. Now they would murder, mutilate and destroy all before them. At least up to a five-mile radius around where he was opening the portal. They were simple things, and he felt confident that he could reign them in later, when he needed them.
He almost didn't see the portal open, and a small party leapt out. He wasn't shocked that they were his old comrades, and he did pull control of several demons back just for them. He sent his forces to intercept the Challengers, only to be shocked as they attacked everything in sight. They gave such a state of chaos, the demons themselves would have been impressed with the disorder they were meting out.
Walton slammed his blade into one demon, pulsing holy power through the sword. The demon's head exploded into darkness and its body disappeared. He brought another slash around, lopping two arms off a six-armed fiend. He moved to another target, as a lithe Half-Elf figure finished off the wounded fiend. Behind him Leilani and Lorinda were casting their spells, and he saw one demon simply disintegrate.
Beside him, Raven was strumming her guitar, and as a target neared her, it found itself impaled on her sword tip. She followed it up with a savage chop, that took the thing's head. Another came, but she sent out a spell and the thing fell to the ground crying in pain. From the smell coming off of it, he knew it had to be some type of acid attack. Another came at her back, but Walton sent it to the Hells in two pieces.
"Legends never die! When the world is calling you, can you hear them screaming out your name!" Raven sung.
The Challengers felt strength and energy surge through them, and they laid into the demons between them and the Devil. For his part, Manheim found it harder to concentrate, as they kept getting closer. So, he siphoned a bit of his concentration, to send Malena after them. The other Devil sprang savagely at the coming heroes, and he was sure that would keep them busy till he could deal with them sufficiently.
By that time, Malena should have been fully healed. However, with Manheim using her abilities for his own needs, her healing had been severely halted. As such, she fought with no reason or pattern. She was no better than the savage demons with her, just a pure agent of chaos spreading Evil. Somewhere deep in her mind, the Devil howled against this, as it went against her very nature.
Walton found himself hitting the ground hard, and his breath left him. He was getting too old for this, but he would be damned if he felled like this. He found his feet, and even managed to counterattack. Only for a demon to plow into him, its hideous jaws aiming straight for his throat. Its taloned hands tearing at his metal armor, and he could feel it starting to give under the assault. He pushed back, with the leverage too much for him to overcome. This was going to be the day he died.
"Let him go you foul beast!" a very familiar, very young voice said.
With it came an elegant, but deadly sword blade biting into the demon. It howled and raised just enough for Walton to finish it off with a quick stab. Then he rolled, just as the thing fell lifeless, and prevented it from trapping him underneath its mass. The newcomer helped him up, and even before setting eyes on her, he knew who had come to his aid.
"I thought I told you to stay with the defenders, Kyla," he said painfully.
Thinking quickly, she laid her hands on him and he felt the healing energy travel throughout his body. He wasn't back at full health, but at least he didn't hurt as bad as he had before. His student had learned her lessons well, and she had shown great courage to come after him. Just enough that he could forget that she had disobeyed his orders to her.
"With respect, teacher," she said. "One more out there wasn't going to make a difference, but one more here might tip the scales in our favor."
"Don't get used to disobeying orders," Walton growled.
His irritation was short lived as Val appeared beside him, "Don't you worry, he's just grumpy because you pulled a Kirann."
The rogue was gone again, leaving Walton scowling, but knowing they couldn't tarry any longer. He motioned for Kyla to follow, and they rushed forward. Leilani cast a fireball spell that hit the Devil running straight at Raven. The female Devil howled, and picked up a nearby demon, chucking it at the Drow sorceress. Leilani dodged it, but found herself facing a demon coming at her.
Luckily for her, Lorinda cast a quick spell and the demon tripped. Leilani quickly stabbed it in the neck, before unleashing a hail of magic missiles into the horde of demons. She felt bardic magic wash over her again as Raven's song kept going.
Meanwhile Val was fighting like a madwoman. Jumping from target to target, letting her short swords rip into demon flesh. Every twist and turn a combination of beautiful agility and savage destruction. She landed behind one demon, slicing the tendon's in its legs, and right before a large demon grabbed ahold of her. The rogue found herself slammed into the ground, and she barely held onto her weapons.
Kyla and Walton were overwhelmed soon, barely holding back the number of demons attacking them. Even Leilani and Lorinda were having to trade spell with martial attacks, as more and more demons swarmed over them. That left Raven alone, and with just one chance. The two paladins had drawn enough of the demons' attention, that gave her one last option. It would be her last if successful.
"…They suffer through harm, just to touch a dream," she sung as she rushed forward.
Leaping off one demon, she came down slashing on another. Two more steps was all it took, and she felt sharp talons rip through her armor. She disregarded it, focused on just one action. Even as more hits came, she brought her sword down and let out a primal yell. Hope surged as she saw her blow land and the Devil howl.
With his concentration broken, the portal collapsed. Turning he backhanded the bard, and she rolled across the ground. Her blood mixed with the dirt beneath her, and her armor was nearly gone. He roared and sent out a magical blast, that somehow she dodged. Incredulously, she leapt out of its way and took out another demon. Then, as her wounds caught up with her, she fell to her knees.
"They become a part of you…Every time you bleed for reaching for greatness….Legends never die," she sang as it became more difficult to breath and her energy waned.
She looked up, seeing the coming down, with the first rays of light piercing the sky. A new day had dawned, and they had done their job. The people had another day of hope, another day for a miracle to come. They would need to fight for it, need to suffer for their happy ending, but the Challengers had given them a chance.
A chance where once had not been before, how many times had they done this over the years? She smiled, knowing Kirann would be proud, but more importantly, she was very proud of herself. Raven, no, Jessica Umbra, now Jessica Lichtus, had done this. The person she was meant to be was fierce, powerful, but most importantly caring and loving. Her power came not from just martial strength, but the inspiring arts.
"I should have killed you from the start," Manheim the Devil said. "You think you have won? Your friends are dead, your sacrifice meaningless, and for what? I'll reopen the portal and all that you love will come to an end. Asmodeus will reward me well, and may just let me have you to torture for all time."
"You talk too much," Raven shot back.
She stabbed forward as she did. The attack wouldn't be fatal, and probably wouldn't even hinder the man turned Devil. However, her point was made. She was not going to go quietly into the night. She was going to fight back, and to her very last breath. As if realizing this, Manheim growled as a spell erupted in his hand, and he flung it.
