The Demon of Black Hill

Chaos erupted.

A whirlwind of roars, whistling arrows, and blades clashing with bone-shaking force.

“Keep moving! If you stop, they’ll surround you!” Caeriel shouted.

Gus stumbled after her, breath already ragged.

“Easy for you to say… you don’t sound like your lungs are on fire! Cardio hasn’t exactly been my thing lately!”

He gasped for air, his side aching, while she moved with the calm precision of someone who was used to be outnumbered.

Every arrow she loosed found its mark, an orc choking, another collapsing, a third taking a shaft clean through the eye.

Gus tried desperately to copy her, his daggers trembling in his sweaty hands.

Then an orc lunged at him, axe raised high. 

Gus yelled, staggered back, his heel hit a loose plank, the wood snapping upward and smacking the orc square under the chin.

Before Gus even processed what happened, Caeriel’s arrow buried itself in the creature’s chest. 

She gave him the quickest glance. 

“Focus! Or you’re dead!”

“I’M. FUCKING. TRYING!” Gus bellowed, just as he caught another axe swing between crossed daggers.

The weight forced him back, boots grinding into the dirt, as the blade crept closer, inch by inch toward his face.

With a desperate snarl, he kicked the orc between the legs. 

The swing faltered, and Gus drove both daggers into its chest, hot blood splattering across him as the body collapsed forward.

Gus dropped to his knees, gasping, adrenaline screaming in his veins. 

He stared at the corpse in disbelief.

“...Damn.”

“Keep going!”, Caeriel snarled, yanking him up by the collar and dragging him onward.

Gus stumbled after her, chest heaving, and she knew he couldn’t keep this pace up for long.

“…We need a way out…” Caeriel muttered under her breath, eyes scanning the chaos.

Above them, she spotted a makeshift scaffold of beams and ropes holding up a ledge.

Before Gus even realized what she was planning, she was already climbing.

She leapt onto the side of the structure, boots finding purchase on a narrow brace as she climbed with practiced ease.

Clenching her bow between her teeth, she sliced the first rope with a swift flick of her dagger.

The scaffolding groaned, dust raining down as she swung herself onto the next beam.

Another cut, and the whole structure began to sway dangerously, orcs below shouting in confusion.

Then she vaulted upward, spun off a crossbeam, landed atop the platform, and loosed two arrows in the same breath, dropping two orcs clean through the throat.

Her dagger flashed once more and the final rope snapped.

The scaffolding buckled, wood shrieking, then the entire thing collapsed in a thunderous crash. 

Beams and planks crushed the charging orcs like insects beneath a boot.

When the dust cleared, Caeriel landed lightly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, bow already raised again.

Gus stood frozen, mouth open. “Holy shit girl, that move was insane!”

Her gaze stayed cool, her breath steady, and she simply nodded. “The path is clear. Now move!”

No sooner had she spoken than she grabbed his arm and yanked him forward.

They sprinted, splinters and dust still raining down, while behind them came the muffled screams of trapped orcs.

---

The road ahead lay open.

Gus let out a shaky laugh. “Ha… we’re still alive. I can’t believe it…”

For the briefest second, Caeriel shot him a glance, something almost like relief flickering in her eyes.

Then the ground erupted.

A blast of green hellfire split the earth before them. 

The shockwave hurled them off their feet, searing heat washing over their skin. 

Coughing, Gus forced himself up, while from the flames a figure emerged.

Tall. Slender. Almost human in outline, yet his skin was pale as marble, laced with glowing green veins. 

Elegant horns curved from his white hair, and emerald fire burned in his eyes. 

A dark cloak draped his form, embroidered with runes that shimmered faintly in the firelight.

He floated closer, feet never touching the ground.

A smile played on his lips. “Well now… what do we have here?”

Caeriel raised her bow, steady as stone. “Demon scum", she hissed.

Gus swallowed hard.

So this is a demon?

The stranger bowed his head slightly, almost courteous. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kazzander, General of the Demon King. You’ve caused quite the stir tonight.”

His gaze drifted across the bodies and wreckage with something between amusement and annoyance.

Then his smile faded and his voice hardened, cold and final.

“You’ve robbed me of my sacrifices. Do you know how difficult it is to keep prisoners alive when one must command brainless orcs? Tsk… Your meddling will not be tolerated.”

Even before he finished, Caeriel loosed an arrow.

A flicker, so fast it was almost invisible, and a long, barbed tail deflected the shaft with contemptuous ease. 

The demon’s eyes lingered on her.

“A ranger… from Haltharan, yes?” His eyes gleamed as if he’d discovered a rare jewel. “So much fire in you. Your life force alone could rival a hundred others. You’ll make a fine offering.”

Then his gaze shifted to Gus and his expression soured.

“And you… a human? I thought your kind were nearly extinct on this continent. Weak, fragile things. You wouldn’t be worth the trouble of a proper ritual. Best to snuff you out here and now.”

Green fire crackled in his palm, aimed straight at Gus.

Caeriel hissed at him under her breath. “I’ll distract him. You run.”

Gus froze.

Run? Leave her? Again?

His chest clenched and he thought of his pal Marcus, the idiotic bravado.

What would he do right now?

He clenched his jaw, imagined his friend in this very moment, and suddenly, an idea struck.

Legs shaking, he stepped forward into the green glow, jabbing a finger at Kazzander.

“Tsk… you son of a bitch think I’m scared of you? Just because I’m human, you think I’m weak? Wrong!”

Kazzander tilted his head, faintly amused. “…What?”

Gus pulled his daggers, his voice hoarse but defiant. “These blades are forged in... uhm... secret fire! Your green fireworks won’t mean shit against them, demon!”

For a heartbeat, silence. 

Even Caeriel gawked at him in disbelief.

Kazzander blinked twice, then broke into laughter. 

“…delightful,” he finally said, letting the fire in his palm vanish. “Humans may be weak, but your mouths never cease to entertain me. I meant to burn you where you stood. But perhaps I’ll let you squirm a little longer. Your soul may be worthless, but your screams might still amuse me.”

With a flick of his hands, runes blazed to life in the air, and from them snapped chains of cold green fire that lashed out.

Caeriel tried to dodge, but they coiled around her limbs, pinning her in place. “Coward! Kill us here if you dare!”

“Whoa, hey!” Gus shouted, thrashing as the chains bit into his arms and chest. “Don’t speak for me! I’d really prefer not dying, thanks!”

Kazzander drifted closer, smiling as the bindings drew tighter, burning against their skin.

“No need to worry. Death will come, soon enough…”

The chains constricted, stealing their breath, and the world tilted into darkness.