The Isle of Terror: Part 8

Those of us who still had guns opened fire at the charging demon. This time, however, instead of halting its advance and dispersing, it continued straight ahead. Gandor and the last remaining soldier were the closest to it, and they dashed towards it, determined to stop it from getting close to Annabel. Their instinct, however appropriate when facing a regular foe, was in this particular case misguided. The demon dematerialized, slipping between them in the form of mist, reminding us that it could use this ability whenever it wished, and not merely as a reaction to injury.

Annabel was still chanting.

Rhombus and the sapper moved between the sorceress and the incoming mist. I, however, stood my ground, so that she remained between me and the rest of my allies. This turned out to be the right call, as the demon reappeared inches from my face. My mind was screaming at me to retreat, but that would cause me to stumble into Annabel and disrupt her concentration, so with all the willpower I could muster, I remained in place.

We were too close to each other to mount an effective attack, so I took hold of the demon’s neck, as if trying to wrestle it. It took it all of four seconds to shake me off, which was enough for my comrades to once again form a protective circle around the sorceress. The demon turned into mist and began circling us in that form.

Annabel was still chanting.

The demon correctly pinpointed the sapper as the weakest link, taking physical shape in front of him, hoping to either cause him to panic or kill him easily. It would’ve worked too, as his only reaction was a panicked scream, but Rhombus, who was standing next to him, was perceptive enough to save the day. In a split second, he plunged his sword into the demon’s side, activating the electric enchantment before it disintegrated again.

Too distracted by electrocution to assume mist form, the monster began thrashing around, trying to shake Rhombus, who was holding onto the sword’s hilt for dear life, off. In a heroic feat of fortitude, he managed to last far longer than I did. Gandor and I pondered how to help him, but found no feasible avenue of attack. There was nothing to do but pray for the best.

Annabel was still chanting.

Neither Rhombus’s tenacity nor Gandor’s and mine prayers proved to be enough. The demon slammed his side into a wall at full power, and the young noble finally lost grip, falling to the ground. As he dazedly got back to his feet, the monster briefly turned to mist, just long enough to let the sword drop to the ground, and reformed nearby. The lengthy electrocution had enraged the beast, and its focus was now solely on getting revenge.

Rhombus was still off-balance from the attack, and unarmed to boot. He wouldn’t last a second now. Gandor and I rushed to his aid, not even thinking we were risking the plan’s success by leaving the sorceress to fend for herself. The soldier and the sapper, not being attached to the young noble in the manner the two of us were, kept to their duties.

Gandor was approaching the demon from behind, and I from the side. The bodyguard reached it first. Not expecting the monster to be able to react to an attack from the rear, he was caught unawares by the tails, two of which impaled him through the gut, lifted him into the air, and tossed him aside.

In the meantime, I reached my target, stabbing it from the side. To my surprise, it remained solid, backhanding me with its left paw. This broke my already injured left arm, caused me to lose my grip on my sword, and knocked me away. Frantically, I tried to get back on my feet, dashing towards the closest weapon I could find, which turned out to be the enchanted sword.

Annabel was still chanting.

Realizing he had no chance of escape, Rhombus, in a final show of defiance, rushed at the demon, his fist clenched, intent to punch it in the face. The tail blades swung, and the noble’s severed hand flew away. Then the demon pounced, knocking Rhombus down, and pressed its massive paw onto his chest, putting its entire weight onto the unfortunate young man. A sickening, crushing sound was heard, like an egg cracking but louder, and the monster returned to mist.

Just about that time, I managed to pick up the magical weapon and darted to protect Annabel. I was beginning to lose hope. We were down to three men guarding her. Out of that, the sapper was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and I was badly injured. Only the last remaining soldier was at something resembling full strength.

Annabel was still chanting.

Once again, the demon spent a few seconds planning its attack. I forced myself to focus and plan a course of action of my own. Last time, the monster went for the weakest link. This meant that the soldier was safe for the time being. I couldn’t rely on the sapper doing anything but get himself killed, with the rest of us following shortly thereafter. Therefore, I wanted the demon to attack me instead. But how could I achieve that? Then I remembered my sparring match with Rhombus.

I let my sword arm hang limply to my side. Simultaneously, I stumbled slightly forward and dropped down on one knee, as if my legs had given out. My acting was convincing enough, as I noticed my allies growing several shades paler out of the corner of my eyes. The demon fell for it, too. Black mist swirled in front of me, and the monster popped into existence once again. It ignored me altogether, attempting to pounce on Annabel, who was just behind me. I was as good as dead, after all. Better deal with the pesky wizard before she finishes her banishment spell.

To my shock, things have, for once, gone just as intended on this cursed expedition. My enemy was just where I wanted it to be. Before its hind legs left the ground, I sprang into action, diving Rhombus’s sword into the demon’s stomach and, using the single bit of magical knowledge I had, activating the electric enchantment.

The demon found itself once again a victim of a painful electrocution. This time, however, its movements were limited. I rested its impressive weight on my still armored right arm and shoulder, and to my immense relief, my chitinous armor protected me from the electric current. The demon couldn’t reach me with either claws or tail, and was unable to hinder me in any way. Only one question remained: could Annabel finish her incantation before my legs gave out, for real this time?

Given the very existence of these memoirs, I’m sure the reader can deduce that she could. The demon was enveloped in a white light, the burden on my shoulder became gradually lighter, and in a few seconds, we were alone in the dark corridor.