"See this, Salvatore? A demon lord, about to return to the mortal realm! This is what we're here for."
His apprentice did not look excited.
"What are we to to do with it?"
His master gave him a smothering look.
"Enslave it to my will, of course! And if it does not yield, we will destroy it."
He shook his head, than let his gaze roam over the ruins of the old temple. Finally, he read the golden runes on the mural once more.
"We need an amulet to contain the demon. It seems to consist of two halves, which are kept in the northern part of the temple, it seems."
He thought for a moment, running a hand through his beard.
"We split up. You take Captain Eldanar with you, Berningar and Quicknight. The rest will come with me. We'll meet again at dusk right in this spot."
With a sharp gesture, he marched off, followed by his selected entourage.
Salvatore shrugged and turned to Eldanar. The new captains face was stoic as ever, but that was natural with the elves.
"If the master orders..."
"... we will obey." the captain finished the sentence.
***
Salvatore took a look around the ruins. He could hear some grunting noises from inside the temple complex.
He sighed. "Let's get to it, then."
Calling upon the Infernals, he made the ranger Berningar into a vessel for one of those black souls. The eyes of the ranger glowed with a deep scarlet, as he turned and went to scouting.
Salvatore and Eldanar followed him slowly, while the thief, Quicknight, darted from shadow to shadow.
Berningar returned. "Demons - fat ones. They seem to guard treasure. I could see two, one at some kind of altar."
The apprentice nodded. "Eldanar, Berningar, you try to get them closer, Eli, you circumvent them. Get me this amulet!"
The warriors nodded and got to work.
***
Eldanars sabres flashed, as the demon closed in. A fat arm fell to the frozen stones, the second saber opening the fat belly. The demon screamed, sulphurous smoke rising and engulfing it.
Berningar shot arrow after arrow at the approaching demon, but they just stuck in the wobbling flesh. Even his demon-enhanced muscles could not stop the demon with arrows, it seemed.
Salvatore saw the demon perish under the elven blades and cast his spell. A magical leap brought him to the chest, the demon had been guarding. His master would be furious if they left anything valuable behind.
Finally, Eldanar and Berningar destroyed the second demon and Salvatore leaped with the chest back to the entrance.
"We've got company" said the elf, pointing into the ruins.
Salvatore had trouble seeing what the sharp eyes of the elf had seen, but then he saw the small forms move towards the altar. Mouslings!
"Master Nar'Duk will be very displeased if we let them get away with our prize! Get them!"
Sabres clashed on steel as Eldanar fought the mousling ranger. His opponent used his small size effectively and the elf missed. He felt something scuttle between his legs, than he lost his footing and crashed onto the floor. Darkness engulfed him.
Quicknight the thief saw the captain fall and rushed in. He was met with steel and felt himself being pulled by tiny but strong hands into a throw, crushing into a wall and knocking him out.
***
"No! This cannot be!" Salvatore saw his men fall, then one mousling grabbed the amulet. He felt rage rise within his chest - and fear.
He channeled both into a ball of green fire, casting it on the mouslings. Screams and the smell of burning hair and flesh made him smile triumphantly. Berningar ran in front, loosing arrows at the critters.
And then Salvatore saw her. Hasela, the apprentice. Again he channeled his rage and fear into fire, and again a ball of searing flame shot through the ruins, exploding on the mousling. The screams of pain and fear came like music to his ears.
The mouslings ran, but still carried the amulet and another sack of treasure.
"Stop them!"
The ranger nocked an arrow and took aim. He shot the mousling with the sack down, just as it was about to clear the ruins. The other one, the one carrying the amulet, got away, though.
"The master will not like this..."
***
Salvatore and Berningar took care of their companions, and together they carried the treasure back to their meeting with the master. Hopefully, master Nar'Duk had fared better - it would not matter that the mouslings had paid a price. They had the half of the amulet now and that was all that would matter to the summoner.
But Salvatore had been surprised by his own power. Casting elementalist-spells was no easy task, but he had used his own fear and rage to power them. Maybe he was not such a fail at all, even if his master said otherwise...
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