Chapter Twelve: Demons and Doubts
The de'Arnise keep, 2 Hammer, 1370 DR
Nalia stared as the ogre lumbered towards her. Narrowing her eyes, she moved towards it, filled with rage. Why couldn't these creatures just leave her keep alone? How many times had it fallen to rabid beasts? Without realising that she had done so, Nalia reached into her robes, and pulled out a fist of powdered brimstone, which she threw towards the ogre, incanting a simple cantrip.
Seized by magic, the beast exploded into searing flames, flames that lit up the dim corridor. Nalia stepped over the burning corpse, and ran quickly towards the stairs that led into the cellar. She knew what the ogres had come for. They were attacking her, hoping that she would defend the keep, leaving the vault undefended.
Well Keldorn was strong enough to defend the keep for now, and hopefully Algerias would lend his spells to aid them. Nalia had to make sure that the powerful magic items hidden in her keep would not be stolen.
Another ogre roared and thrashed towards her with its huge, spiked club. Nalia was too close to attempt a massive spell, and instead just slapped her hands together, with a few simple words calling a massive blast of flame to surround her hands. The ogre swung with its club, but the solid wood encountered the fire, and burst into ash.
Without drawing breath, Nalia wrapped her hands round the creature's neck, and held them there until he started to burn, and then she ran past him. Rounding the corner, she sent a spinning blast of chain lightning, and smiled as it touched ogre after ogre, turning them into blackened bodies.
They thought they could stand against her?
Fools, one and all!
Nalia stopped for a moment, and took several minutes to surround herself in spell protections. And then, confident that she was safe, she moved towards the vault door. Around the iron door were the bodies of about thirty ogres, all having been caught in the magic of her traps. But despite the horrendous loss of life, there had still been enough ogres left to break open the door.
The vault was open.
Shouting in anger, Nalia sped through the vault, and stared at four black-and-green robed wizards, glaring at her with hatred. Zhentarim. Cursing, Nalia uttered a powerful spell, sending a bolt of searing energy flying towards one of the wizards. The man tried to raise a barrier, but he was cut down before he could.
The other three hastily summoned their own barriers, and then with complicated gestures, opened three gates to the demon realms. Nalia paled, and took a step backwards. The wizards were desperate indeed, to call such monstrosities into her keep. If they were not properly protected, it would mean their death.
But Zhentarim would obviously be well protected.
They dealt with demons on a regular basis.
Without wasting time, Nalia sent a blast of freezing ice towards the demons. It rolled over them- their screams echoed through the vault- and then faded, but the demons still stood there, and now they turned with golden eyes fixed firmly on the powerful mage who defied them.
A bolt of sizzling gold struck one of the demons- it flinched. A finger of death, a slash of cruel purple energy hit directly the chest of another- it groaned, but did not crumple. Two bolts of lightning ripped through all three, and started reflecting off the stone walls. Nalia flung herself to one side as the lightning bolts sizzled towards her, the blue energy crackling like some strange animal.
Leaping to her feet, Nalia whispered another spell, one she had taken from a wizard loyal to one of the Five. Larvok's Major Drain. A trickle of grey mist sprang from her fingertips, shrouding one of the demons. It struggled, but as the spell took hold, those struggles became weaker and weaker, until it stopped struggling all together, collapsing to the floor- dead.
Nalia felt the energy of the demon pulsing into her, driving away her tiredness. Fixing the two remaining demons, Nalia sent another rolling, churning cone of cold towards them. The demons avoided it.
Then they were upon her.
The wizard de'Arnise grabbed a pulsating staff from the wall, and used it to block the vicious attack from one of the claws. But there were another seven claws to block- and that was from just one of the creatures.
Grunting, Nalia was thrown against the wall.
Praise to Kathryn and Mystra both, but her iron skins enchantment had protected her against the tearing attacks of the demons. But they wouldn't for long. Nalia felt something like shame rise inside her. She had stood against fire giants alone. Lowly demons such as these should pose no problem.
She had just grown too unused to fighting.
With a shout, Nalia uttered two consecutive sunburst spells, which sent the demons stumbling back from her. Seizing the advantage, Nalia released a contingency of magic missiles, which struck one of the demons. With a primal shriek, it convulsed, and then died. The last demon started to move towards her, but with a shout of rage, Nalia struck it across the head with her staff. It groaned, and fell to the floor, also dead.
Nalia then moved towards the wizards, who were standing, awed. Sneering, Nalia reached into her components pouch, filled with needles, and gestured. They span for a while, above her head, and then thudded towards the wizards. They tore around them, breaking down barriers and protections. With each barrier broken, one needle disappeared. When the wizards were left defenceless, the needles broke into hundreds of tiny specs of light.
"Time to die, wizards."
Nalia uttered a death spell, and sent it blasting towards the three shocked, silent wizards. They died without a single cry, their bodies thumping heavily onto the stone floor.
Above, the sounds of battle were fading.
* * *
"It was a complete victory. All the ogres were destroyed. Algerias acquitted himself very well, accounting for a third of the ogres himself. Perhaps we should be wary of him…"
Keldorn was smiling, enthused by the victory. He was much like her, an adventurer who had returned to the business of governing an estate. Nalia, Keldorn and Anomen, all rulers of powerful houses, all adventurers of great skill… or so they were supposed to be.
"I nearly died, Keldorn."
The paladin said, "I'm not surprised. Three demons, taking you by surprise like that. I don't think I could have killed them. Not to mention the fact that you had very few spell components on you, as you were not expecting an attack…"
Nalia sighed. "If it wasn't for Algerias, I don't think I would have arrived in time to rescue the equipment in the vault. How did he know the ogres had transported in? This is meant to be my keep, how come he knows what is happening before I do?"
Behind her, the nasal voice whispered, "Because I am not worried constantly about the people in my care. I have no-one to look after except myself, so my mind is free to focus on disturbances in the magical fabric here. I could feel the gate the Zhentarim made, just as I could feel the demons attacking you. My lady, you are lucky to be alive. They were no ordinary demons, they were sent by Cyric himself to destroy you, and your soul."
She jumped. "What are you doing here?"
Algerias bowed sardonically. "I was merely returning from the battle, and heard you talking to the noble paladin, here. Rather than let you jump to the conclusion that I was involved in the attack somehow, I decided to explain. Forgive me, perhaps next time I should let the distrust grow here, so that Cyric's goals are easier for him to accomplish. If you will excuse me, I have spells to commit to my memory once again, in case we are attacked while vulnerable."
The wizard pushed past them on the stairs, and walked quickly away. His boots tapped heavily and his robes swirling as he moved. Nalia could sense his anger from here, even though it was masterfully concealed from his voice.
She let him walk.
Keldorn said to her, "He did not hold back in the slightest. He attacked the ogres as if it was his keep to defend. Perhaps we have got the wrong impression of him, Nalia."
Nalia frowned. "I am unsure. Perhaps I have grown too cynical lately, but I cannot bring myself to trust a wizard forced on me by the Council. I am loath to make him prove his loyalty further, because to do so would make it obvious that I doubt him, but… well, these are thoughts for another day, Keldorn. At the moment, we have a feast to get ready for."
* * *