“We were promised the blood of the Hallowed,” a hèlborn screamed. “And wewillreceive our due. We’ve done what your bleeding Farasees said. Now give us our blood!”
A hèlborn launched at me. Angling my body like a battering ram, I barreled into the hèlborn, and the three that were close behind, flattening my wings so they could sharpen and slice across all the hèlborn at the same time. Wasting no time on the ones dying before me, I scanned the horde.
There was an innumerable amount of demons here. I would have to kill them in droves, or else I’d get tired and make a mistake which could lead to death. One never knew how far this temple would go to prove a point. I had to kill the demons en masse.
“I don’t care what you were promised,” I spat. “The blood of Hallowed are not up for exchange. Especially to hèlborns.”
I began spinning like a spiral. I gained speed until the chamber around me was a complete blur. When I couldn’t go faster, I focused on the brimming well of starfire within myself that fueled every inch of my body. I took a breath. Continued spinning. Plunged into my inner wells of power.
Then I erupted with a numberless count of sharp-tipped spears made of starfire. Like a volley of arrows, the spears launched out from me as I threw my arms wide, and flexed my hands. In moments, hundreds of hèlborns were tumbling to their feet, screaming. My starfire burned them until there was nothing left but ash.
Wasting no time, still spinning, I jerked my body and plungeddown. I pulsed my wings, hard, gaining speed the further down I went.
“Cursed Hallowed,” one of the hèlborn spat. “We’ll take our time with you. We’ll make you pay.”
“You’ll have to catch me first!”
I kept flying, focused on my target. As I neared the horde beneath me, I grunted at the barrage of hèlborns trying to break through the shield surrounding the Hallowed. There were somany. And I alone was here to defend them all. Fear began gripping my hearts.
Do. not. yield.
Refusing to give in to the fear, I leaned into Quazar’s words. It was the only encouragement I could muster and it would have to do. I erected a barricade around my hearts and mind. I would not fear. I would not relent.
Facing the hideous horde head on, I reinforced the shield around the Hallowed. They would not die. Not this dawn.
I forced more speed into my descending spin. Then at the last moment, when I got close to the hèlborn, I jerked to the side and flew parallel to the top of their heads. A large number of the hèlborn turned from the shield and began racing after me. Demons were land bound. They couldn’t fly which worked to my advantage.
Balls of black fire flew past my head as the hèlborns began unleashing their power. I dodged attack after attack, weaving in the air as I charged for the far end where glass met marble floors. If I could get their eyes off of the Hallowed…
I screamed as a ball of fire plowed into my shoulder. I stumbled, losing momentum. I nearly dropped from the air. Another bolt struck me. Then another. I wouldn’t outlive this barrage.
Golden, hot blood trickled down my body. Pressing beyond the stinging pain, I kept weaving. I put energy again into spinning as fast as I could. Before the hèlborns could strike again, I shot for the marbled floor. When I got close, I pulled up short, jerked my body, and slammed my wings into the ground with ferocity.
Fissures of starfire snaked through the marble, seeping beneath the stone. As the hèlborns rushed me from all sides, I grunted and screamed, grabbing the air in a yanking motion, pulling on my power, ripping it up from beneath the marble.The starfire I released exploded from the ground like galactic tentacles. Starfire sliced through an endless amount of hèlborns, cutting the demons through.
I pulled the same maneuver again and again, yanking hard as I thrust my powers into the demons. It was exhausting, straining every muscle I had. But the horde began dropping left and right, until only a small handful were left. I rushed over to the remaining hèlborns who were trying to break through my shield.
“Enough!” I screamed out, filled with holy rage.
I threw my hands out, shooting starfire bolts at the hèlborn. They screamed, disintegrating under the fire. The rest turned from the shield, deciding to fight me instead. As they charged, I released more starfire. I spun around myself, whipping my wings like swords, cutting and piercing. One by one the last of the hèlborns dropped lifeless, until there was none left.
“Good, burning, stars.”
I dropped to my feet on untouched marble. The cold of the stone was a nice reprieve to the heat draining me of all energy from the struggle with the hèlborns. I huffed and puffed, bending over my knees, trying to catch my breath.
“At what point will you do what makes the most sense here and release me!” the Farasee shouted.
I snapped my head up, narrowing my eyes at him. Rotting dung eater. This brute seemed to be as bad as Farasee Kaelthos.
“Farasee, I will do my best?—”
“You will rid me of these shackles now,” he snapped.
Impatient, pompous?—
“I am almost certain Farasee Nathaniel is responsible for this. Liberate me so I can address this matter at once.”
“You’re as demanding as a female in heat,holy one.”
