First blood!

By the time I left the community hall, everyone was fleeing in panic. My chest tightened. I looked around, trying to find the cause of that horrible roar.

“It’s the Demon Merc!” cried some of the boys, still uncertain about what was happening.

I looked ahead and saw a dark figure flying, rising and landing among the crowd of armed men. The Demon Merc himself no longer roared, but the sharp, tormented cries of our boys filled the air. Left and right, terrified men looked for a way out. How could they stand a chance against a winged monster like this? How could they shoot arrows without risking hitting the others?

“Make room!” I yelled. “I’ll deal with this one!”

The few men who could hear me in the commotion nodded and left in the opposite direction, away from the demon. They cleared the path, and I rushed to kill this flying monster. I knew he must be a Stick User, even though I didn’t know what his powers could do exactly. I only knew one thing: that as a Stick User myself, I was the only one who could stand against him!

“In formation!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I hoped my voice could reach as many of the boys as possible. “If the Demon Merc attacked, Dresda must be close. Prepare for the enemy army’s arrival!”

As I got closer, a terrible sight lay before me. Bodies of my fellow men, some dead, some grievously wounded. Their bodies had been butchered by deep claws that cut deeper than bones. A red pool of blood flooded the ground. My shoes stuck to the thick, horrible fluid. Still, I quickened my pace, splashing through the red liquid with every running step. The screams of my companions grew louder and louder as I got closer to the enemy.

I wanted to help. I wanted to stop beside the injured and save them. To bandage their injuries and tell them everything would be fine. But I had to move on. With every passing moment, loud slashing sounds rose from the crowds. With every passing second, I knew a few more of my friends were stabbed by the long, black claws of the Demon Stick User. I ran as fast as I could, trying to zigzag between the fleeing soldiers. Going against the current made it hard to move forward.

How did it come to this? Screw it all! I must hurry. I must defeat him. I’m the only one who can use those magical Sticks and put an end to this!

And then I saw the Demon Merc emerge into the air once more and rush in my direction. I pulled the Stick from my pocket, a thin, light gray rock. I placed it between my teeth and crunched with force. It cracked easily between my teeth. Nothing visible happened, but I felt a wave of energy spreading through my body. It was only my third time using a Kynetic Stick. Still, I was already quite used to it.

I kept running towards the Demon Merc, and the Demon Merc kept flying in my direction. But he didn’t seem to look at me. Well, that could be good. I might have the element of surprise…

As the Demon Merc drew close enough, I used my Kynetic Stick powers to pull the sword from my sheath. I did not need to use my hands. My mind focused on the sword itself—it pulled and swung with force. Not the force of a single hand, but the force of my entire body was now behind this sword that flew in the air at my command.

The sword rushed with speed, like an arrow shot from a bow, toward the Demon Merc. The sword was fast. Too fast for any normal person to dodge.

The next moment, I felt a powerful invisible force fighting against my entire body. I saw the sword hitting the Demon’s claws as he parried the hit. My sword clashed against the Demon about 20 m away from my position. A clink of metal hitting metal resonated. The Demon held strong, but so did I. My feet buried into the mud under the distant force of the sword. My ability could move objects at distances of up to around 30 m. I was in control. The Demon fought against me, but could not win.

“There you are!” the Demon Merc sneered in a deep, growling voice, as if it came from the very depths of hell. He was looking me in the eyes. He inched in my direction. For a moment, I thought he would rush toward me. Instinctively, I pulled my second sword to defend myself.

It was a mistake.

I used my hands to pull my second sword, but lost part of my telekinetic force holding the first sword. The Demon’s eyes relaxed a bit, a slight smirk showing on his lips. He used his full force to push my first sword and slip away. He flew away from me, beyond my telekinetic reach.

From that moment on, the Demon avoided me completely and headed toward the community hall. I rushed toward him, only to see his claws go full force toward a frightened Aster. Aster held his sword. Aster would not be easily defeated. But the Demon's claws didn't care. Aster's sword was thrown away from his hand in a swift motion. The claws headed towards Aster's chest...

He fell into a pool of blood.

I screamed in rage as I ran towards the Demon Merc. But the Demon Merc had no interest in me. He flew once more and hurled himself into the fragile roof of the community hall. The roof collapsed. Screams, horrible screams, came from inside, trapped under the rubble. No, the elders were still inside; that can't be.

The elders were gone. Most of the captains now lay dead. Around the place, soldiers were screaming, fleeing. Some were trying to form a formation, but they didn’t have real shields or armor to protect themselves. They fell like insects to this criminal. This Demon. This madman. I wished I could run fast, come closer to this monster, and end him for good. The Demon kept cherry-picking the remaining fleeing captains around the community hall.

But then a brave figure leaped out of nowhere, his sword heading toward the Demon’s back.

Basil struck with the full might of his sword. A young man with no supernatural abilities. He had been hiding amid the panic, waiting for this moment. And now it was his moment.

The Demon half-dodged Basil’s sword, but the sword still cut the tip of his shoulder. Black blood spilled onto the ground. The Demon's mouth contorted, but did not yield a sound. Instead of trying to hit back, the Demon leaped forward, away from Basil’s reach. He was ready to strike back, and Basil would be as good as dead.

I kept running, and now I was within 30 m of the Demon. I swung my telekinetic sword towards the enemy. Basil was ready to attack as well. A few soldiers from around, filled with courage, also drew their swords and charged. We had the momentum, and we would end this enemy now.

But the Demon had other plans. With a powerful sweep of his wings, he soared to a high altitude, away from my sword's range, away from everyone's reach. He flew at full speed, up and away from the village. He flew north, toward the border with Dresdapolis.

And then I saw it. North, at the edge of the forest, stood an army of ironclad soldiers bearing the marks of Dresdapolis.