Demons, Mercenaries, and Other Complications Chapter 3

Hello again! I hope you're enjoying the novel. If you missed chapter two last Friday click here. If you're new to this party click here to go to Chapter One, and start this Fantasy genre bending Sci Fi adventure properly. Every Friday I'll post a new chapter. Make sure to visit my channel for updates, new stories, or just to contact a crazy writer. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Snakes and Centipedes

“Saggin take Alpha and get the prize! Everyone else mop up these undead incuspus filled lapdogs!” Riath voice joined the resounding shouts of “Hie Siashen”. She nodded to her troop, and led the small force of Le Kia into the compound’s inner temple.

Yiolem burst his jump jets forward slamming through the stout double doors. He used his body instead of his sonic blaster… for some reason. Sometimes Riath didn’t understand what went through that ape’s brain.

Shial and two more Le Kia dived in after him incinerating the waiting Death mages. The cultists answered with explosive spikes and undead guardians. Riath was glad she was still wearing her helmet. The rotting three headed giant spiders would have made even the toughest stomach want to vomit. It was a good thing they didn’t last long.

The Saggin used her short sword to skewer what was left of them. She sent enough vibrations through their pus infested bodies to implode them with each cut. Fangs and blood splatter soon covered the tapestries on the walls and her visor. Yuck.

“Mie Mei, Li Cat you have over watch. Yiolem you got point. Let’s get the prize before the stench sinks in.” The mercenaries jumped into action with several, “Hie Saggins,” and one playful wink from within Shial’s goo splattered helmet. Mie Mie and Li Cat blasted into the air flying by the temple, and peppering the windows. The rest of the warriors advanced.

Riath steadied her breathing and wiped her visor. The squad began checking the corners and doorways in the massive complex. Their employer had told them the sword was in the center of the temple bound to an alter. The Saggin fingered the enchanted stone Shadow Shen had given her while deep in thought.

“When we hit the ground you’ll be in charge of the prize Riath. Keep a good hand on that crystal. Without it the Death mage magic will suck you dry the second you touch the prize got it?”

Riath understood even if she was a little curious. All this for some sword seemed crazy in a bad way. Not that she cared. It was nice to have an excuse to blow up Death mages and their slaving ilk.

Still Le Kia mercenary battalions didn’t come cheap. There had to be something fancy about this shiny tooth pick. Riath might get a little frustrated if it turned out to be a rusty piece of incuspus only a collector would buy.

“Saggin, three cloaked two in the rafters,” the closest Le Kia said using his magic to read the heat signatures behind the ordinate door blocking their path. Death mages could change their skine to camouflage into any environment, and that made it nice having Fire mages on your side.

After this they had to enter the center of the temple with no outside support. Things could get sticky. Of course Riath was more worried about Yiolem rocking the temple off its supports taking them all down to Homen’s Pit.

Riath signaled to the swooping Le Kia outside the long hall of windows and paintings. A second later the room next door erupted in flames and shouts. Yiolem smashed the door before the screams died.

Shial jumped over her brother blasting the Death mages before they could heal. Li-Cat and Mei Mie shattered the windows, and took up their places with the rest of the squad. Riath led them into the bowels of the temple keeping the building’s layout in her mind with each turn.

Riath was going to have to get Shadow Shen to tell her how he’d gotten such great intel for a change. Usually the junk labeled “intel” was more like mangled garbage than actual information. This new employer’s was good, and that was rare. Riath hoped she could meet him. He might fancy using some Esinali in his next operation.

The squad slid to a stop on the colorful tiles. Yiolem had jerked his fist into the air with the standard enemy present sign. Riath crept forward to her old friend’s side where the giant nodded toward the far side of a courtyard in-between them and the alter room.

It took a second, but the young warrior soon saw what had spooked Crusher. A bulge on a pillar near the far entrance didn’t belong. That meant camouflaged Death Mages. Crafty, Riath was glade Yiolem had seen him. At any other angle the necromancer would have been invisible.

Riath held up a single finger signaling Shial and two Le Kia to take up the right flank then signaled with two fingers telling the remaining five Kia to flank left. Riath used valuable energy to create cover for her and Yiolem giving the men time to position themselves.

Ten seconds later she double tapped Yiolem’s shoulder. The big man smiled before imploding several pillars and more than one pristine fountain. The Death mages answered with their spikes and undead servants only to be plastered by Shial’s squad firing through the court yard’s wall to Riath’s right.

The fire fight raged for a while before the Le Kia led by Mie Mie on the left opened fire clearing out the fledgling cultists. A second later Riath and Shial’s team had charged into the shattered courtyard pushing past the destroyed blue and yellow foliage. Team two charged a second later cleaning out any mages still healing after the barrage.

Not much further now. They had one more set of doors, and an inner chamber before they reached the alter. Damn these Death groupies liked their long corridors and columns didn’t they?

Technically the Death mages hadn’t made the temple they’d just repurposed an ancient cultural sight for their nefarious goals. Riath and her gang of mercenaries were destroying priceless history with their shenanigans. And you liked it didn’t you? You monster, I hope you’re satisfied.

Shial breached the next set of doors setting off several Death traps waiting to drain them of all their life force. Yiolem snatched his sister out of the maggot filled tentacles before they could cause permanent damage. The rest of the squad burned their way through the mesh of undead flesh.

Riath tried to check Shial’s vitals, but was slapped away before she could. Riath had to hold back a chuckle when she saw a searing glare burn past Shial’s visor. The necromancers should be glad they were dead. The Man-eater could be creative with her vengeance. Riath had found that out the hard way.

Finally they came up to the second to last set of metal doors that led into the inner chamber. Scenes of demons and netherworld undead preying on mortal souls marred their surface. A warning to all who entered that this was a Death mage den enter at you own peril. Or just have Yiolem disintegrate everything on the other side before the ciaths could fire a shot. It didn’t take him long to finish his massacre.

Riath’s nose wrinkled inside her helmet. Walking through the carnage and putrid smelling incense was not an experience Riath had ever gotten used to. Not even the Le Kia gas masks could protect you from it. Riath could almost see the decay shimmer into the air. Damn Death mages and their filth.

“Ug and I thought they smelled bad when they were alive!” Shial groaned. She kicked open an offering basket in frustration. It turned out to be filled with undead lizards with stinger tails that flipped up like scorpions.

“Eek! I hate swarmers!” Yiolem laughed at his sister’s pain. Shial took her frustration out on the rotting reptiles annihilating them in seconds her bursters melting their colorful sails that ran along their spines. The spirits trapped inside the undead screeched as they escaped their lizard shaped prisons.

Of course this made the stench even worse, and left behind an acidic mist that made it difficult to see. It was a good thing they were still wearing their suits. That spray would burn if it touched your skin.

“Saggin,” Mei Mei said with a curdled lip that Riath could just make out through his dirty visor,” I can’t sense any heat in the chamber ahead can you sense any movement?”

Ah Le Kia mercenaries, they just didn’t know how to enjoy a moment did they? Who cares if there was a small army of mages and undead guardians trying to kill them? What was life without a little risk, and some fun along the way? That being said Riath couldn’t sense any vibrations or movement in the inner chambers which could be a problem.

She couldn’t even sense the base vibrations and echoes that Shial’s panic attack should’ve caused. Not to mention if the Le Kia couldn’t sense any heat that meant something was wrong.

Those cheeky Death groupies must have a surprise for them on the other side of the inner alter chamber. A good thing too Riath was getting bored.

Death mages were supposed to be creative. Why were they using such mundane tactics? Hopefully they had a special fight waiting for them. That missile ride could only keep a girl satisfied for so long.

“Yiolem how many charges do you have left?”

“Enough to blow a fancy hole in this very holy temple Saggin.”

“Crusher that was a terrible pun, never use it again, but I do want a hole. Several in fact.”

The overgrown youth chuckled before pulling a dozen or so crystals connected to a few small clocks and a mess of wires out of his many pockets. He removed the clock and wires before tossing a couple of the bright red crystals to Shial who stalked over to the wall. A fire raged inside the hard but clear crystal skin, and once armed the crystals grew spikes letting the two Esinali stick them into the solid stone gate.

The mercenaries huddled behind a solid wall that the Saggin crafted with a slam against the floor. Destroying a few mosaic masterpieces in the process I might add, but why care about art? I must be too old.

Shial changed the shells in her burster shotguns for greater range. Yiolem created a rock stand for his sonic blaster. The Le Kia primed their fire swords and molten lead rifles, and Riath let a content smile fill her face. A second later she set off the explosives.

The gate was consumed by concussive blasts that made Riath adrenaline spike. Dust filled the room. A new rancid odor assaulted Riath’s senses. Despite the horrid smell the Saggin licked her lips in anticipation. That stench could only mean one thing: a high class undead guardian.

It was about time these Death mages stepped up their game. Enraged hisses thrashed into the room making the Le Kia tighten their grips on their weapons. Riath’s eyes found Shial’s helmet, and imagined the expectation crossing her friend’s face.

All she could see was Shial’s glowing blue Lenguin flower tattoos through the crusted helmet, but Riath knew. She didn’t even have to look at Crusher to know he was finally having fun. He was more of a hunter than a warrior after all. A giant undead guardian was just his kind of jam.

A single green glowing eye pierced through the churned rubble. The sound of thousands of insect legs crawling over stone flowed into the outer court, and then an immense head appeared through the haze.

It was a snake’s head with a single Cyclops eye on its forehead. It also had two empty eye sockets on the side of his face spewed out pus and poison. The monstrosity’s mouth opened to show a decrepit tongue with crab pincers reaching out from the jagged fangs.

As more of the creature came into the light Riath saw bones sticking out of the decaying flesh, and mini versions of the beast spewing out of its boils. The snake body had thousands of legs that stuck to the walls like an insect. Its single green eye narrowed in on the invading mercenaries. Hell yeah this was more like it! Now if only it didn’t smell like churned sludge at a glue factory.

The beast lunged, and the mercenaries fired. The undead fiend rushed for Crusher only to have its face explode from concentrated sonic waves. The flesh burned from the molten lead and magma shot fired by Riath and the rest of the warriors. By some strange twist of fate the smell became even worse. How that was possible was beyond the warrior, but there it was.

The mini snakeapede things charged the Le Kia. They were melted for their effort, but the mammoth guardian churned their flesh into its own reshaping its decaying head. It lunged again this time getting decked by Crusher who was running low on ammo at this point.

Shial and Riath covered Yiolem’s back as he and three of the Le Kia fought the immense beast with inferno swords. Their colorful flames blazed through the mass of flesh and legs spreading the fire with each swipe.

The rest of the mercenaries concentrated on the tiny snake guardians. Riath called them tiny because they were small compared to the undead guardian. However the smaller ones were four feet long the larger ones seven feet long.

Because who doesn’t want a six foot long snake, Cyclopes, centipede hybrid flying at your face? Did I forget to mention the screeching leeches that were gorging on the undead flesh?

With each cut they screamed their protest. The leeches flew from one perch to another till they were so aggravated that they assaulted the mercenary squad in a shrieking swarm. As exciting as this fight was Riath drew the line at a swarm of pale leeches trying to suck her face through her helmet.

Drawing her short sword Riath slammed the floor sending a shockwave through the air knocking the swarm to the ground where they imploded. It was an effective tactic, but taxing. Riath could see even Crusher was wearing down. The stench was draining their energy, and with each passing second the monster grew stronger. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

“Yiolem duck!” Crusher responded after imploding the disgusting crab tongue. Riath thrusters sparked to life lending her speed. Shial and the inferno sword wielding Le Kia jumped to her flanks knocking back the guardian’s defenses and crushing the undead minions.

She made a thrust for the pulsing green eye. Her sword struck slicing through the thin membrane before shattering the crystal beneath. Just as Riath thought the eye was also its power source. The Death mages had made things interesting after all.

Riath burned her thrusters for extra momentum. She used the burst to cut through the top of the snake’s body sending destructive vibrations throughout its horrid form. With each step another section exploded leaving twitching insect legs behind.

Ten steps later there was nothing left of the head, and the beast showed no sign of healing. Riath could feel her jump jets straining, and her momentum slowing. With a final burst she plunged her blade into the snake’s tail setting off a shock wave in all directions that disintegrated the coiled body of the monster with a sickening splat.

Slime stuck thick to Riath’s suite making it hard to move. She sat with a huff on the guardian’s demise. Yeah that was worth the effort. A battle hadn’t drained her this much since the last Laiyvan Stomp Festival. That after party was a beast just as scary as that snake was, but much less disgusting. The hangover the morning after was another story.

Riath laughed at the memory. She tried to remove the gore from her helmet, but just managed to smear it around. She could just see the Le Kia mercenaries pumping their multicolored inferno swords in the air through the muck.

They chanted a fierce cry of triumph as Shial and Yiolem pounded each other playfully. Riath knew they needed to guard the perimeter, but she let them have their fun. The Saggin panted through her helmet wishing she could take the sweat filled contraption off.

Thing was she knew that the smell would be unbearable. She had rotten flesh and intestines all over her suite. Not to mention the tail of the ex-guardian was still twitching. The motion was kicking maggots and leaches everywhere, and she didn’t fancy getting any of their slime on her face.

At least the mini guardians had curled into dead rather than undead balls with their larger cousin’s demise. So that was one less thing to worry about. She’d seen some guardian’s of similar caliber make their minions into bombs after their second death. It didn’t look like the necromancers had any more surprises left.

Riath was about to join her men when the pile of flesh rumbled under her. That couldn’t be good. Shial noticed first and yelled a warning. Too late.

The snake reformed sucking in the dead flesh and maggots around it. Riath jumped looking for the creature’s power source. It must have had more than one Cubeen Crystal. How many times did this thing want her to kill it?

The next thing Riath saw was a solid bone tail. The pain racked her body as she flew back into the snakeapede’s chamber. If it wasn’t for her suite and her own magic dampeners Riath’s body would have snapped when it struck the black horned altar.

Through her cracked visor the Saggin saw the creature appear with several more heads, and no less than five crystal eyes between them. That wasn’t good, and neither was the sick Death aura sapping her strength.

Riath could see the wraiths in the haze draining what life energy she had left. It took her a second to realize there was a sword hovering above her head. Then it struck her. The spirits were meant to hold the sword in place. Shadow Shen had given her a crystal for this.

Riath ripped open her pocket with her last burst of energy, and dragged out the tiny stone. With a desperate shout Riath smashed the crystal against the black altar.

The wraiths screeched louder than the leeches. The crystal consumed their energy expelling the spirits to the netherworld. The sword fell with a clang next to Riath. She was a bit delirious otherwise she would’ve been more interested in the oversized undead hydra snake trying to eat her squad, but the blade enthralled her nonetheless.

It was a cutlass with a long elegant blade that had lightning bolt engravings running along its surface. Riath’s eyes followed these glowing blue electric paths to a giant gemstone that was violate in color, and sparked every now and then. The lightning highlighted a wolf head fashioned into the hand guard. Its mouth and fangs were open wide to let the blade jut out from its jaws.

With a closer look Riath saw that half the face, blade, and part of the pulsing gemstone had five scratches thick and burning marring their perfection. Riath wanted to admire the artist skill more especially the wolf’s mane that meshed into an intricate maze of metal around the handle, but her body had different plans for her.

Red hot pain shot through her throat as she spat blood into her helmet. That wasn’t good. A shout brought her back to the battle. She could just see the fledgling squad fighting the many heads. They weren’t going to last long.

Riath growled in defiance of her internal injuries. She sat up grabbing the wolf sword without thinking. What happened next was a bit confusing.

All Riath saw was an immense wave of electricity engulfed her. The energy feed her fledging body before blasting outward and consuming the undead guardian. The charred flesh turned to ash as it fell on the stunned mercenaries.

“Where did that come from?” Riath thought. Then her internal injuries reminded her that she was in pain. Riath slumped over. She could just make out Shial running toward her when her vision faded.

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The story continues: Chapter 4: Snake Eyes on the Hunt 

Click here for  Chapter Two: The Harbinger of Death