Chapter 784 Chapter 783: Round Two
"Oh for the love of..! Pull back! Regroup!"
Jahi's shout drew our attention, and without hesitation Anput and I did as she asked, dropping back and maintaining a unified front with the Demons beside us as they followed a moment later, trusting the judgement of their 'leader'.
"This is just like Renacla, isn't it? Gods be damned..."
Anput growled softly as she stared at the growing portal, causing the Demon beside us to ask "What is it? Besides a larger portal, anyways..."
The red skinned man kept his shield raised and eyes focused on the portal even as he walked backwards, his footing even and assured - though as soon as he heard what we said in answer to his question, the Demon stumbled briefly, surprise sending a shock throughout his body.
"IF it is the same - and let's hope it isn't - this was the type of portal we saw back in Renacla County not too long ago, and it summoned forth not a monster, nor any Cultists, but instead a Fiend. So... let us pray this isn't the same type of portal. But, prepare yourself just in case it is."
Jahi joined us a moment later, her eyes fixated on the portal as she cursed softly, before turning her gaze up towards the lanky Deacon above, who was grinning madly down at us as he continued his chant, the rain of spells that were previously splitting his focus quieting down, and a quick check with my ears picked up the pattering of boots on cobblestone as Leone and the Cimeriesa's moved to join us.
"Alright, the best bet for this is to bombard it as soon as it appears. Charge up some spells. Anyone with Earth Magic, begin fortifying this area a bit, something for us to fall back to or hide behind briefly."
Turning, Jahi shouted "All of you, charge spells! Keep focus on that Deacon though! If he tries something, defend us from it!" before looking towards me, the Demoness asking in a low voice "Could you coat this place in ice, ready to be used as a weapon for you? A Domain, though not as draining on your Core; we'll need all the power we can get, and having you tied to something wouldn't be ideal."
I nodded, tracing out the runes needed as soon as she asked even as I watched the portal regain its mirror surface, noting that this time, instead of showing the interior of some sort of stone fortress or something, it instead showed an expanse of blue leaves and grass that swayed with a gentle breeze.
The backdrop wasn't what got my attention though, as instead the thing that really occupied my sight was the blue skinned thing that stepped towards the portal curiously before stepping out of it, looking around before it focused its eyes on us.
Tall and thin, the blue skinned Fiend was probably at the ten foot mark, whilst its body was rather malnourished in appearance, its bones prodding against its skin and threatening to break past if even the smallest amount of force was applied.
Bare chested, the Fiend proudly displayed the swirling tattoos that were inked onto its skin, while a pair of large grey wings unfurled behind it, flapping a few times as the Fiend brought itself off the ground, hovering there with the aid of magic; beneath the first pair was a smaller pair of grey wings that mirrored the movements of the larger pair.
In its hand was a large silver hoop that was engraved with various runes, while a blue orb floated gently in the center, coated in a layer of mana that fluctuated in power each second; it was a peculiar item of some kind, its abilities and uses unknown for the moment - though if I had to wager a guess it was a fancy kind of focus, meant to channel the mana of the Fiend into the orb to cast spells...
The legs of the Fiend ended in royal blue scales that overlapped one another, before a set of talons hooked down atop each toe and behind the ankle, merging a bird and human foot together alongside reptilian scales.
Finally, the last - and most notable difference - was the feathered neck and head of a raven, the deep blue, almost black feathers reflecting the moonlight as the Fiend turned its head towards us, those beady cerulean eyes narrowing as it tilted its head, its beak opening a moment later.
"Ah, I see now why I was summoned by some mere mortals... Delira did put a... 'hit' on you particular pests, and it would seem I was the only one capable of responding in time."
The voice that spilled from that beak was deep and melodic, contrasting the scrawny body of the Fiend as it nodded to itself, only to chuckle in amusement as it raised that silver ring and spoke again, stunning us for a brief moment.
"You are... unlucky. I recognize you yellow skinned Demons; Cimeriesa's, aren't you? Magic is a powerful, divine tool to be wielded by all. It does not discriminate, it does not care about the one to wield it. As a tool, it has many facets, many avenues of study. Many roads to take and survey. The road I chose was a unique one. One treaded by a select few, even now. You see, magic..."
The blue orb floating around in the middle of that silver ring grew in size, its surface cracking apart before it revealed a pulsing, ancient rune that began to absorb the spells hurled towards it, uncaring of the power or potency of the magics it was 'eating'.
"All stems from the same place. The world itself. If you learn to work with the world, and not against it... to take the world and use it as a partner, not a master, then you will find that sometimes, things you believe to be impossible..."
The orb began to return to its previous form, and the raven headed Fiend nodded as it stared at the blue orb closely, studying its surface for a moment and ignoring us.
"Become possible. I walked the path not of a mage, or a sorcerer; not an enchanter, or an alchemist. I didn't choose to work against the world, to try and control it, but instead to give myself to it, to let it flow through me and guide my body, my mind. And what it has shown me... well, it has been nothing short of magnificent."
Shaking the ring, the raven headed Fiend just chuckled before turning back towards the Deacon, those cerulean eyes narrowing as it stared straight at the lanky man, who managed to gather the courage to say "O-Oh mighty Fiend! Lord Tza'Orbias! Please, grant unto me thy power so that I might aid you in your battle against those insufferable Demons!"
Tza'Orbias just nodded, before raising its ring and staring at the Deacon as it said "No... No, I don't think I will. I... dislike being told what to do, especially by those as pathetic as yourself. Though, perhaps you will be of some use..."
The Deacon's expression went down and then went back up, glee appearing in his eyes as he knelt in fervor, that silver staff tossed aside as he clasped his hands together, trying to show a reverence that felt insincere even from here; an act, a play, nothing more.
His expression dropped once more as Tza'Orbias reached out and tapped the ring against the Deacon, who suddenly began to scream as he dropped to the ground, writhing in agony as his skin began to turn blue.
His mana began to seep through his flesh and flow into the orb, and Tza'Orbias shook its head as it said "Give me your mana. All of it."
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