Mark of the Fool

Chapter 484: Three Demonic Brothers

Chapter 484: Three Demonic Brothers

Bang! Bang! Bang! Osshar grumbled, his fangs grinding as the chambers main doors boomed on their hinges. All this bangings driving me mad! Why arent we attacking?

He scrutinised his brotherslip curling in distaste at minor imperfections marring the otherwise perfect form that all three sharedthey squatted on elaborate thrones, observing the chambers side entrances.

Patience! Azzad snapped, revealing chipped, yellowed teeth. The fool never did take care of his fangs properly. Why attack when we control the fortified position? Let them bang away and exhaust themselves! Thats to our advantage!

We should at least use the lava! Osshar pointed to pipes spider-webbing across the ceiling and running down the chamber walls, burrowing through them, then vanishing behind stone surrounding the three carven images of themselves outside the doors. Within the towering ceiling in the room, lay an enormous chamber where lava was pumped directly into a reservoir from the earthbeneath the Hold then dispensed at the triplets whims.

Ossgar licked his hyena-like chops, remembering the last time theyd poured lava onto a band of unsuspecting rivals seeking their lives. To this day, the delightful smells as lava bathed them, and their terrified screams, still made his pulse quicken.

How long ago had that been?

A century?

A millennium?

Far too long.

What was the point of a lava trap if one never got to use it?

Where are they? Sabai demanded, moving away from his throne and growling at the runtish pazuzite hovering before a peephole. Are they not back at the entrance?

N-no, most malicious of masters! The pazuzite cried. I dont see the interlopers! Just the monsters they conjured!

I told you we should have thrown the doors open and swarmed them! Sabai whirled on his brothers. You foolish fools! This is why father prefers me to you two impulsive brutes! You have no subtlety! Cowardice oozes from you in a stink that everyone in the realm can smell!

You dare! Azzad snapped. You are the greatest fool of fools! We have full tactical advantage here!

He gestured to their demon forces spread throughout the enormous chamber: a hundred pazuzites with claws twitching, and another hundred tiashivas sharpening bone axes against each other. Above, scores of agwiagma floated near the ceiling, their forehead tentacles glowing with power.

B'alamxibas waited in the shadowy corners of the vast room, poised and ready to spring from the shadows and fall upon their foes in the light.

Hosts of varied demons had come together, waiting for their orders: eight-armed makadeanstauric demon spiders propelled by eight legs and eight armseach armed with heavy crossbows meant to rain volleys of hellfire-hardened, iron, bolts on those foolish enough to barge through the doors. Demonic suuderai boiled silently in the gloom beneath the brothers thrones, the sinister creatures eager to possess unwary mortals.

See? Azzad pointed to the rooms side entrances also covered with lava pipes feeding through the stone around them. Weve covered every direction, our forces are ready, even a demon-host led by the Three who Dwell in Ash would break against our defences! Why throw away tactical advantage just to rush into the halls like maniacs? Wheres the logic in that?

But, then we wont be able to use the lava! Osshar snarled. You foolish fools are fooling yourselves if you think those mortals wont be getting a taste of my simple, but masterful trap today!

Well, trap or no trap, we wont be using anything if they dont come to us, Osshar. Azzad growled. Where are they? Blast it, I wish we had our sniffers. Theyd tell us where they are.

Father needs them, Sabai said. And weWaitdo you hear something?

No, why? Osshar paused. ...waityes. Like the earth rumbling?

The three hyena-headed demons looked all around, their ears twitching and swivelling.

Its agrinding sound, right? Osshar grunted.

Masters! A pazuzite shouted, pointing at a wall. I sense great fear coming from there! And strange noises!

What? Azzad frowned. Isnt that one of the kitchens? What are theyIt sounds like theyre tunnelling!

Sabai snarled. Archers! Pivot your aim! Troops! Turn! Prepare to strike as they come through! I want those invaders dead before they can take three steps!

Osshar scowled, his anger rising as he leapt from his throne. I want to tear them apart personally. How dare they deny me my lava!

A massive tongue licked his enormous belly-lips like he was tasting something.

First, Ill drown them in mucus, then swallow a few of their warriors whole. My laugh is going to pop ear-drums, and my magic will poison their insides. He began to jiggle at his own plan.

No fair! Sabai snapped, charging up behind Osshar. First blood is mine!

No! Osshar turned, ready to reprimand his brother.

Only for a moment.

First, he felt a sudden surge of mana like a riptide.

Then a mounting boom rocked the chamber.

He whirled in time to see a tremendous hole rupture a wallwide enough for him and his brother to fit through shoulder to shoulderejecting a storm of boulders that dropped onto hapless demons standing too close.

But the hole was soon obscured by a floating mix of mist and stone dust.

A voracious roaring wind followed.

A sour stench filled the air.

A whirlwind of acid sprayed from the hole.

Osshars sensitive ears screamed in pain, acid fumes gnawed at his nose, a tornado swelled, growing in intensity, whirling into the chamber, gathering up stones and demons close by.

Look out! Sabai leapt back.

Acid droplets sprayed like water, burning tiashivas, melting their flesh in instants. Osshar growledhis own demonic form was made of much sterner stuffand waded forward with confidence, straight toward the whirlwind.

His bulk would keep him anchored to the ground.

His resilient hide would resist the acid: hed simply walk through the spell and

Glowing droplets touched his skin, hissing dangerously.

He flinched, screaming as his flesh began to burn.

Whats this? He cried. Its burning!

Radiant holy liquid sprayed over the stunned demon, burning skin, flesh, and, as he inhaled, scorching his lungs. Agh! Osshar stumbled back, trying to escape the holy rain, but the tornado was already on himfull of the blessed drenching liquidwhich swirled with acid, eating away his rubbery hide.

Gotgot to get out! He gasped.

A sudden whoosh caught his attention in time for him to spot an enormous cauldronglowing with divine blessingbarreling down on him at great speed. The blessed vessel struck with the deep clang of a rusty church bell, almost bowling the demon over. Metal crumpled against his bulk, burning his hide with divinity.

Screeching, Osshar fought to peel the crumpled metal away, casting the ruined cauldron into the tornado as it finally passed. He coughed and heaved, his chest wracked in agony: his vision blurring from holy fluid stinging his eyes and tongue as droplets peppered his face.

They have at least one priest, he thought, enraged. Those mortals used their filthy blessings on our kitchen vessels and our food and sent them against us like a weapon! What kind of scum fouls a perfectly good meal that takes days to percolate? Theyre tricky, but lets see how tricky they are when I kill the first one I see!

Osshar looked up, squinting at the stone-dust swirling in the hole.

A flicker of movement.

There! He pointed. Archers! Fire at the hole!

A screech of terror filled the room as someone flew from the hole at incredible speed.

Osshar drank in the mounting fear, savouring it as dozens of bolts and lines of lightning shot past him, striking the brazen fool in mid-air. The scream quickly withered to a dying gurgle as crimson lightning ripped through the attackers form.

By the time the man collapsed, all he could do was twitch in silence by Osshars elephantine feet.

Thats one lessWait He stared. Now that the dead human lay before him, there was a familiarity about him. Isnthe..that coward the necromancer brings here? What is he

He heard the sound, but much too late.

Osshar, son of Ikharrash, looked up in time to see an enormous human flying toward himsheathed in the mana of many spellswith a titanic sword held in a tight grip. Before the powerful demon could even twitch, the warrior became a blur of motion.

Something raced for Osshars neck.

And thenthe world was tumbling.

End over end, the chamber spun around him.

Whats this? He wondered. Did a wizard bewitch my mind?

He tried to right himself, anchoring his body to the ground, butfor some strange reason, he could feel neither his legsnor arms. The sound of stone impacting the side of his hyena-like head gave a dull thud.

Wh he tried to choke out, but no air came to him. There was no breath in his lungs and.wait, what was he seeing? Standing above him was a bodyheadless and spasmingslowly sinking to the stone.

One of his foolish brothers had gotten themselves killed before the battle had truly started! How useless they were! A sneer spread across his lips.

How could he let his centuries of life end so easily, so foolishly, and be taken by unworthy mortals? He wondered. Which one is it? His eyes scanned the fools form, trying to find the unique imperfections that would betray who the body belonged to: Azzad or Sabai.

He looked closelythen his heavy eyelids tried to widen in shock.

The body! It has no imperfections! He realised as though through a veil. Thatsits mine! But howhow could I

As the last of his lifeblood poured from his severed head, his thoughts slowed and sloweduntilat lasthe thought no more.

And so ended the life of Osshar, son of Ikharrash.

###

I got one of the sons! Harts shout came through the fog of stone dust and mist.

Then lets get the rest! Prince Khalik shouted. Everyone, get ready!

Forward! Alex raised his staff, commanding another small horde of summoned monsters through the breach in the stone.

A pack of flicker dogs howled, charging through the gap and into the chamber, where they flickered into the ranks of the enemy, mauling them.

First waves in! Alex shouted. Go!

Claygon flew through the obscuring dust first, followed by Cedric, then Grimloch, Theresa, Brutus and then the others streamed through in a line.

Alex took a deep breath as he flew in. Here we go!

He emerged in the chamber, already commanding his Wizards Hands.

All around utter chaos reigned: hordes of demons were in disarray since Drestras tornado had ripped through their ranks, drenching them in acid and divinity infused broth. Cedrics idea to bless both the cauldrons and their contents had been inspired, and throwing the enormous cook pots into the Sages whirlwind proved a devastating combination.

Harts idea to use Heinrich as a decoy was also inspired: putting an end to one evil life and wasting the demons first volley in one swoop.

And now, the demons were feeling their enemies bite.

The flicker dogs bit and harried the confused demons, allowing Hart to lead a charge straightfor another of Ikharrashs sons. Snarling, the Champions bulbous target spread both mouths, set to unleash his demonic laughter and disgusting mucus, when

Whoooooosh!

Claygon fired beams directly into the mouth on the demons gut.

Boom!

An explosion shattered the air, setting the monster ablaze, collapsing his laughter into screams.

And then the Champion of Uldar was on him.

The huge demon barely raised his guard, andthe bladedriven by Harts tremendous strengthbit deep, carving a trench in its limb. It flinched, then the team was on it.

Cedrics spear, bleeding holy power, jabbed its side.

Theresas cuts slashed its other arm to ribbons.

Grimloch took a massive bite from its flank.

It howled and flailed.

And Claygon?

The golems war-spear streaked toward its shoulder, it writhed, trying to flee as the blow carved deep into his torso. Claygon then cocked a stone fist back, swinging it with full force.

The hyena-headed demons eyes slammed shut in reflex.

A terrible crunch followed as Claygons fist flattened its snout like a bellows turning the monsters head to pulp.

Two down! Cedric shouted. Weve got em on their back foot, keep on em!

Grimloch and Brutus roared, diving into a clot of demons. Claygon, Khalik, Thundar, Isolde and Drestra fired punishing magic into scattered schools of agwiagma floating high in the chamber, and at crossbow-wielding fiends.

Theresa and Hart drew their bows, sharp eyes scanning the room for demons gathering magic. The instant they caught sight of capering of pazuzites, or the glow of crimson lightning, they loosed their arrows, skewering threats before magics could be brought to bear.

And Alex conjured monsters, drawing even more power from the aeld staff. This was not the time to hold back.

Gotta keep up our momentum. He thought, guiding his horde of Wizards Hands and forceballs through the room, disrupting the enemy.

His attention turned to the centre of the chamber where the lone surviving son of Ikharrash stoodhis mouth agapethree towering thrones behind him.

If they acted quickly, they could finish the battle before it really started.

This is easy, Alex thought. almost too easy.