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Azimuth’s voice was filled with urgency as he spoke. “I was afraid of the risk of breaking the pact which kept the fae away. Now that they’re back,” Azimuth paused here for a moment to let those words sink in, “all bets are off.” He looked down at his hands, his expression tense.
The air around them felt heavy and oppressive, like a storm was brewing just beyond the horizon.
Orias’ ever-watchful eyes darted around them, his dark brown eyes filled with a steely determination. His silence spoke volumes, the weight of their situation visible on his face.
“Do your visions have any guidance for us?” Nadir asked him.
“My sight is quiet. Unusually so for such a unique situation,” he replied, his voice low and somber. “I can’t see beyond the darkness that surrounds us.”
Nadir felt a pang of worry. Orias’ visions had always been a guiding light for their cabal, a tool they had relied on time and time again to avoid danger. Why would his sight be silent at a time like this?
“We’ll manage,” she said firmly, trying to reassure both Orias and herself. “We’ve faced worse than this before.”
Azimuth and Kobol nodded in agreement, their expressions grim but resolute. Nadir felt a flicker of pride. Despite their differences, they were united in their cause, working together to achieve their goal.
“I’d recommend we leave the fae somewhere near running water, if possible,” Orias continued. “Their kind are often instinctively drawn to it.”
“The Cherry Creek Trail is just south of here,” Nadir replied. “It should give us a few quiet places to hide them.”
They moved in silence for a few more minutes, the only sounds being the shuffle of their footsteps. Finally, they reached the trail. Moving quickly down a deserted and winding bike path, they were soon surrounded by high walls, cultivated embankments, and a rushing stream. It was the perfect place to leave the body—out of sight, and unlikely to be disturbed.
Nadir and Orias placed the fae’s form gently on the mossy ground, positioning her as if she’d simply sat down to look at the water. Kobol and Azimuth cast a quick spell, masking the area from human eyes so the body would remain undisturbed. When they finished, the fae’s clothes rustled, causing Nadir to jump back.
“What’s that?” she asked, and a moment later, a snake slid out of the fae’s clothing, its skin iridescent in the moonlight.
Kobol immediately stepped forward and grabbed it, his hands steady and sure. “Do we let it go or kill it?” he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty.
Nadir felt her heart tug at the thought of killing the creature, so small and fragile compared to their powerful enemy.
Azimuth took a deep breath before speaking. “Let it go. It’s not our place to decide this one’s fate.” They all nodded in agreement, and Orias released the snake into the tall grasses lining the trail, letting it slip away until it disappeared out of sight.
“We should go,” Orias said softly, his gaze fixed on the fae’s still form. “Before we’re seen.”
Just as they were finishing, Orias suddenly swayed, his eyes glazing over. His legs buckled beneath him, and he would have hit the ground had Nadir not darted forward to catch him. A wave of fear washed over her, her heart pounding in her chest like a war drum.
“Orias!” she exclaimed, her voice echoing off the walls of the bike trail. Azimuth and Kobol spun around, their faces pale under the moonlight. They rushed over, their previous argument forgotten. The banter had died, replaced by a tense silence as they all stared down at Orias, waiting.
Orias’ body was rigid in Nadir’s arms, his eyes glazed over and unfocused. His lips moved, but the words were nothing more than whispered fragments of a language that was not meant for human ears. His body jerked suddenly, a shudder running through him, and his eyes snapped back into focus.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for him to speak. “Belial,” he rasped, his voice hoarse as if he’d been screaming. “The fae. It’s all going to change.”
Nadir’s heart clenched in her chest. “Change how, Orias?” she asked, her voice steady despite the panic that was slowly creeping up on her.
Orias shook his head, his gaze distant. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Darkness falls like starlight.”
As if summoned, a sudden force yanked at their very essence, pulling them toward their master. Nadir knew it was Belial summoning them. The timing couldn’t be worse, but when their daemon prince called, one didn’t have the luxury of delay.
Azimuth was the first to react. His eyes flashed an icy blue, concern evident in his gaze. “We need to move,” he said, his voice hard. He helped Nadir lift Orias, his arm around the seer’s waist for support.
“Let’s go,” Kobol grunted, glancing around the river one last time. The fae’s body was moved away from the Temple and their tracks were erased as best as they could.
Nadir cast one last glance at the hidden fae body, a sense of foreboding filling her. Orias’ vision, the summoning, it all pointed to an approaching storm. She tightened her grip around Orias and followed Azimuth and Kobol, their figures just barely discernible in the darkness. The night was no longer just grim; it was ominous, filled with uncertainty and a sense of impending chaos.
As one, they ported back to the main room of the burrow. The incorporeal pull of Belial’s summoning tugged at their cores. It was an insistent, unyielding pull that each of them was all too familiar with. In the center of the room, Belial awaited them, his imposing figure casting long, monstrous shadows on the walls. His crimson eyes bore into them, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
“You’re late,” he chastised, his voice echoing in the cavernous room.
“A delay, my lord,” Azimuth explained, bowing his head in deference. “We saw fae while out hunting in the city, and Orias had a vision.”
