CHAPTER 563: IN A CAVE SURROUNDED BY DEMONS

Chinua Lumogu, Captain of the ‘renegades’, had been prepared to die since he was a boy. It seemed today might be the day. But he could not run anymore.

“We stand here,” he said, hearing the exhaustion in his own voice as he inspected the cave entrance holding his players.

His people said nothing, nodding or looking at the ground or the sky outside. They knew what he was going to say before he said it. That they’d fled as far as possible. That the demonic horrors chasing them weren’t going to stop. And that all their civilians were going to be found and killed in the tunnels beyond if they failed.

Since abandoning their semi-permanent home those weeks before, chased out by a demonic event, they’d been constantly on the move. Demon holes had opened up everywhere, ruining the countryside and making dangers ever present.

Back when the ‘holy city’ had first been formed, all the settlement stones were taken to grow its power. Chinua had wondered at the time what the cost would be. Now they were learning.

The demon events, it seemed, had been meant to challenge every settlement. Without anyone in place to fight and potentially stop them, they had opened unchallenged to claim the surrounding areas. Now those areas spewed demons that roamed everywhere looking for flesh.

The beautiful plains and hills of the new world, from the western mountains all the way to the eastern coast seemed plagued with monsters. Chinua had a hundred civilians and far too few players. To protect them in the open was impossible. He’d had to get them somewhere safe.

They had settled on a system of caves and tunnels on the side of a mountain. But with all their travel there wasn’t enough time to hunt, not to mention all the demons making it almost impossible to send civilians alone. They were nearly out of food. They were hungry and tired and running out of clean water.

And so now they had to fight, or die. Chinua expected them to win this battle. But he also expected some of his players to fall. Maybe even himself.

“We don’t have the luxury of despair,” he said, forming his spear as the demonic horde gathered at the foot of the mountain. “And we will win the day, I promise you. We can’t fight them in the open. We’ll hold the mouth. Set a wind, Julio. Adela, focus on anything at the mid-range out of my reach. I hold the front. If I need relief I’ll call for it.”

“How’s your mana,” said Adela, meeting his eyes. She knew he hadn’t slept in nearly thirty-six hours. That he was well below half, and that he’d reached a soft cap for Julio’s regeneration.

“It will be enough,” he said. His main killer took a breath and nodded. So did the others.

Chinua wanted to tell them that serving with them had been an honor. That all his life he had lived and dealt with soldiers, and that none had ever impressed him more. But it was more important they see him undeterred. That they see he still believed they could win. That there was yet room for hope.

“Stop worrying,” said Ayden the Turk, “we’ll win.” Chinua could have hugged him. Ayden was the company’s voice of reason. Of inevitability. He spoke when a thing was true and needed saying, and almost never for any other reason. Even Chinua felt the breath on his spark of hope.

“Let them come,” said Adela, clanging her chakras together and rolling her shoulders.

“Yeah. I was tired of running anyway,” said Julio.

“Is that what you call that faggoty little traipse of yours,” said Mathias, their archer. Even Chinua laughed, especially since Mathias was the only man in the unit who preferred the company of men.

Any thoughts of final words fled from his mind, knowing his warriors were soldiers to their bones and required none. Everything that needed to be said had been said and understood long ago. They were like him. Ready to kill. Ready to die. Together.

“Bad news.” Their chief civilian scout dropped down from the cave above still panting. “The reds and blacks are getting along. Guess they want us pretty bad, Captain. They’re talking below. Pretty sure I heard ‘discussion’ about who eats first.”

Chinua winced, hoping the creatures argued and fought. The reds were smarter and a real problem. They wouldn’t just charge headlong to their deaths all day. They’d test. Adapt. Chinua’s mind raced for some plan to disrupt them, but if he attacked he’d likely just solidify the creatures’ temporary alliance.

“Kill reds first, always,” he said. “Focus on any that speak to the others. They’re like officers.”

A few players rolled their eyes because he’d said such things countless times. Chinua blinked because he could have sworn the stone wall beside him shimmered. He squinted and stared, seeing two points of green light that seemed to slowly expand. Then two more. He stepped back and raised his spear in panic as something shimmered into view.

“That’s smart,” said Baron Mason Nimitz, stepping from the stone wall like he was walking in the park. The ‘Wolf of the West’ wore dark green armor that covered everything but his huge, tattooed arms and apparently legs. What looked like ram’s horns jut from his head. His unnaturally bright, green eyes shone like lights in the gloom of the cave.

Beside him stood a slim, young beauty that Chinua recognized. Another powerful nature player he’d seen fight in the Neutral Zone. Her eyes were like his. She at least looked concerned when she saw all the players. But Chinua had the distinct feeling she wasn’t truly afraid.

Chinua’s people fell back and scattered in controlled panic. Despite the almost animal urge to run from Mason screaming, he managed to hold his ground.

“Captain?” said Adela, as if for instruction, her voice as close to fear as Chinua had ever heard.

Mason smiled as he looked around at the players, then out at the small army of demons. He whistled.

“Those planars take you folks seriously. You should be proud.”

Chinua was lost his words. Was this actually the man in the flesh? Was it some kind of projected hologram? The last time they’d spoken, they’d parted as potential allies. But Chinua knew things could change fast in a dangerous world. And Mason glowed with Player Killer aura. It could always have been a trick. He hoped his voice didn’t shake with the concern and exhaustion he felt.

“How are you…are you truly here? Can you teleport my people out? Or can you bring more warriors?”

The young but terrifying man smiled and stepped forward. He gestured with a nod at the cave entrance to the girl beside him, and she flared with power as her eyes glazed. Chinua felt the powerful thrum of energy from her as magic started to infuse the only entrance.

Chinua flinched with surprise as a big hand rose, and Mason gripped his shoulder.

“We’re really here,” he said. “You’re not alone anymore. We’ll get you all to safety, but we’ll have to walk for a day, maybe two. So we’ll need to take care of your friends down there.”

Chinua took a breath and tried to fortify himself for the task ahead. They might still lose a player or two in the battle. And another two days of hard marching would be difficult and likely claim civilian lives. But they could do it if Mason had access to supplies and allies. He was about to explain as much when the young man turned away.

“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll go negotiate.”

Chinua scoffed but wasn’t sure how to respond. He looked at the young woman for some sign of a joke. She just smiled politely and shrugged.

“He negotiates with demons?” he said, concerned at the potential answer. The young woman made a face that was almost…embarrassment? She shook her head and shrugged in an equally confusing gesture, like she didn’t want to speak.

“Um. No,” was all she said. Her voice cracked before she blushed and cleared her throat, and Chinua had no idea what to make of it. He glanced at his soldiers, who mostly just shrugged.

“Should we…go down and help him?” said Julio. Chinua walked towards the entrance for a better look, but the young woman’s arm shot out and blocked him as her eyes widened.

“Please don’t. The spores, er, my magic…Mason can go through but…you guys can’t.”

“But he’s alone,” Chinua said. “What if they attack him? I know he’s powerful, but there are hundreds of the creatures.”

The young woman shrugged again, giving him an almost apologetic shoulder tilt, as if she had no idea how to explain something.

“Not for long,” she said. “Um, don’t worry. I think you guys can probably just…relax?”

Chinua felt his eyebrows raise, again glancing at his soldiers. He had seen the young man fight in the arena, and he had surely been a holy terror, even defeating the emperor. But to kill hundreds of demons? Both reds and blacks? Including leaders and larger breeds? Alone?

That seemed…impossible. Or at least reckless. Chinua did not put away his spear, but accepted a seat beside Ayden on a large, flat stone. The stoic man met his eyes and shrugged.

“Told you we’d be fine.”

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