Eternal Forest: Savage Rising (23 page)

             
Slowly, Azalea's sorrow turned to rage. Her eyes turned again to Killika. The Balisekt Lord was kneeling over the elven commander. The ornate sword, held so proudly and confidently into the air mere moments ago, lay on the ground in front of him, half submerged in a puddle of thick mud. Azalea could see the elf's chest rising and falling under his golden breastplate. He could have easily picked up the weapon and attacked, but it was clear there was no fight left in his spirit. For such a grand army to fall so quickly under his command, he was in too great a state of shock to even move.

             
With the commander motionless, Killika bent over and pulled the sword from the mud. He lifted it slowly, as though savoring the moment. The look in his eyes made Azalea feel numb. A gust of wind ran through the trees as he held the blade above his head. The breeze parted the leaves, letting a ray of light reflect off the muddy blade for a brief moment. As the beam faded away again, Killika swung the sword downward onto the defeated commander’s neck. The elf’s head came off cleanly, and the balisekt soldiers cheered.

             
Azalea rose to her feet, keeping her eyes locked intently on Lord Killika. Somewhere, in all of her sorrow and shame, she found her focus. She had done a terrible thing, but never again would she help this monster, no matter the cost. However, this battle was already decided. Striking back against her captor would not forgive her sins on this morning, and it would still ensure her friend’s demise. No, now was not the time to act. She would let Killika believe she was still his to command until the opportune moment.

             
Then, he would truly know her power.

Chapter 23

             
It was a long night for Firefly, but a productive one. As the rumbles of thunder grew louder from the south, the faerie acolyte zipped quickly from house to house in the city of Stonemouth. With each visit, she met with the families cowering inside. She was there to comfort them, sure, but she was there to rally them as well. Killika had left a sizable portion of his army in Stonemouth to keep an eye on the dwarves, but the dwarf population far outnumbered it. Taking the army on could be accomplished with few casualties.

             
It was the massive fire demon that kept them cowering in fear. Standing three times larger than the biggest bear Firefly had ever seen, the creature was an enormous beast of living flame. Like a wildfire, it charged through the forest swiftly, and left nothing but smoldering destruction in its wake. The dwarves had seen its power firsthand when it attacked the marketplace, and none of them were brave enough to venture out as long as it patrolled the base of the mountain. If she were to have any hope of rallying the dwarves to strike back, she would need a sign from the Lady that they had hope of victory.

             
With the thunder rumbling in from the south, she had her sign. It hadn’t rained in months and the forest was dangerously dry. The conditions were terrifyingly perfect for the fire demon’s destruction to increase exponentially. However, with a storm, rain would fall upon Stonemouth once again and the demon’s powers would likely be weakened. Firefly didn’t honestly know what effect a rainstorm would have on the unnatural creature, but it was all they had.

             
There were many who met her with resistance when she entered their homes in the middle of the night. They’d lost loved ones during the invasion, friends and family members who still lay lifeless in the marketplace that they may never be able to bury properly. No matter the odds, they couldn’t bring themselves to face more violence and bloodshed. They would choose fearful obedience instead, for it allowed them to cling to the loved ones they still had left.

             
However, with each opposing voice she heard, the thunder boomed louder and closer. “Listen to that,” Firefly would cry out. “The Lady sounds her battle cry. Her strength is behind our cause and we will not fail.” The thunder did indeed inspire the dwarves of Stonemouth. For rain to come now, at their most desperate hour, surely it must be a sign.

             
The coming storm did more to rally the troops than Firefly could have hoped to, for she only had to help the dwarves interpret the message in the thunder. When the dwarves were finally ready to fight, it was coordinating their efforts that proved to be the greatest challenge. It would take a massive surprise attack to overrun the soldiers before they were able to react, and that meant zipping quickly and silently from home to home all night as she conveyed messages and laid out the battle plans. When she could finally hear the beat of the rain against the southern trees, Firefly was already exhausted.

It was a couple of hours before dawn when the rain finally fell upon the city. Hungry for the moisture, the dry earth soaked up the large droplets as they struck, turning dust to mud rapidly. The balisekt soldiers hissed low in protest as their fair-weather guard detail soon turned most unfavorable.

Firefly watched a cluster of soldiers from behind a potted plant in the window of a small home. She had started at the bottom of the city and worked her way up as the night progressed. She was now near the top of the mountain where the wealthier dwarves lived. Most of the soldiers were patrolling up near the spire. Firefly figured it was because the higher-class dwarves could afford better weapons and armor, making them the most formidable threat. Also, the fire demon patrolled near the base, which negated the need for a large force.

As the rain crept up the side of the mountain, the quiet terror of the night was filled with the loud, steady roar of millions of water droplets striking walls of stone. Rainwater pooled in the leaves of the plants above her head and dripped onto the granite windowsill. Shaking a droplet from her hair, she turned towards the family within the home that sheltered her.

The dwarves stood scared but determined in their armor, carrying small swords and axes. There were five in this household, a husband and wife with their two daughters and one son. Everyone was dressed for battle, for it would take every dwarf able to hold a weapon to drive the balisekts out of their city. Numbers were on their side, but the more dwarves that attacked, the faster the battle would be over, and the better chance they had of minimizing dwarven casualties.

Firefly knew that in the other homes, the dwarves that dwelled within were also standing at the windows with their weapons in hand. The balisekts had no idea an army lay in wait behind the very walls they were guarding. However, victory would only be assured with a well-timed, universal
attack. For this, Firefly had no choice but to turn to faith. Once each dwarven family was convinced to join the battle, they asked what sign they should look for to start the attack. “At dawn, look to the west,” she would tell them. “The Lady calls us to arms with the coming storm. She will sound the charge.”

It gave the dwarves hope, but Firefly wondered how sure she was in her own prediction. Even Sunrise had taken notice of how shaky her faith could be. She truly loved the Lady, but she could see now how the merit of her mentor’s concerns. In this moment where faith was all she had, could she truly believe without a doubt that her deity was there? Never before had she put so much stock in her faith like this, and never before had it been so important for her to be right. The storm had arrived, but until the sign was clear, the dwarves simply watched and waited.

The blankets of raindrops coming down only made Firefly’s already limited vision worse. Still, a small light flickering at the base of the mountain caught her eye. Curious, she lifted off the windowsill to get a better view. There was a flame burning down near the marketplace. It appeared small, but for her to see it at all, it would need to be massive in size. The flame moved around wildly, jumping from point to point with no discernible rhythm or direction.

Then she heard it. There was a roar echoing off the side of the mountain. It repeated several times before Firefly could pick it out, but once she could differentiate it from the sounds of the storm, it didn’t take her long to recognize it.

              “Acolyte,” the dwarven wife said as she moved towards the window. She had a small axe in her hand and a plate of polished brass covering her chest. “Is that what I think it is?”

             
Firefly nodded. “It’s the fire demon,” she responded. From this distance, the massive creature looked smaller than she did to the larger races. Still, it was easy to see it was not taking well to the storm. The roars it made didn’t carry the pride and confidence they had when it ransacked the marketplace.

             
“It cries in pain!” the husband said. “The rain is weakening it.”

             
“This just might work,” the wife said with glee. “Where is the sign from the Lady?”

             
“It’s coming,” Firefly answered. “Have faith.” She wasn’t entirely certain if she were saying it to convince the dwarves or herself. As the rain continued to pour, everyone watched silently as the beast roared and jumped below.

             
The balisekt soldiers were taking notice, too. With their champion weakened, they quickly began shouting commands to one another. They took up their weapons and assumed defensive positions. Firefly was getting worried. Their attack hinged on a successful, unified assault. If the soldiers were alert and ready for battle, the timing would be all the more important. The Lady’s sign would have to be unmistakable.

             
At the base of the cliff, the demon bucked and paced frantically. The large rain droplets on its fiery skin clearly pained it. It lifted its head up towards the sky, crying out with a roar that rivaled the thunder above, then the storm answered back. With a brilliant flash, a bolt of lightning came down from the dark clouds and struck the beast. Though the morning was upon them, the bolt still shone more brightly than a full moon on a clear night. Firefly’s prayers had been answered.

             
“That’s the sign!” Firefly shouted. “Now!”

             
The Lady’s sign was clear to more than just the young faerie. All the doors of the city flung open in unison. Dwarves from all walks of life charged into the stone, angled streets with their weapons held high in determination. With such an overwhelming force coming so suddenly, the balisekts were barely able to look over their shoulders before the dwarves were upon them. Many found axes in their chests or blades across their throats in an instant. Others fought back, but were quickly overrun by the swarm.

             
Firefly had done her job coordinating this attack, but she was useless in the battle. Without control over the Lady’s magic, she could offer no assistance with the attack. As the dwarves overran their oppressors, she zipped down the slope of the city towards the forest floor.

             
The raindrops were thick and heavy, making her flight nearly impossible. Faeries were prone to stay under shelter during storms. Their tiny forms were too light to fly in a normal rain showers, and this storm was heavier than most. She dipped down, sailing under a swinging sword as it cut across the torso of a nearby balisekt. A spray of blood mixed with the falling rain. As she rose again, a large droplet struck her left wing. It took her a moment to right herself again before carrying on.

             
The battle was nearly as loud as the storm. Swords clashed and the fallen cried out in pain. There were dwarven casualties, and it hurt Firefly's heart to see these innocent miners and merchants falling forever to defend their homes, but her plan was working.

             
As she looked over her shoulder, a brilliant flash of lightning reflected off the rain-soaked stone walls and illuminated the battle. From the top of the city, the dwarves descended like an avalanche. Filled with rage from being held captive in their own homes, they hacked and slashed at everything that stood in their way. The walkways, ladders, and bridges that crisscrossed the buildings were overflowing with dwarves. Many balisekts were defeated simply by being pushed off these narrow passageways and falling to their deaths.

             
She paused to admire the spectacle a moment too long and was stuck once again by a large rain droplet. It nearly knocked her out of the sky, but she was quick to correct herself and continue on to the base of the mountain. Many of the dwarves were already on flat ground, charging into their ruined marketplace with the fury of a seasoned army.

             
The fire demon was there. The once terrifying creature roared and growled in pain. Each droplet sizzled as it struck its glowing flesh. Pained as it was, it was still strong and completely aware that the dwarves were coming for it. Its massive head turned towards the coming aggressors. Nearing the creature, Firefly could see its glowing eyes narrow and a snarl cross its blackened lips. Its fiery paw lifted into the air as the dwarves encircled it.

             
Though weakened by the storm, the fire demon was still a formidable foe. The paw it lifted was the size of a merchant’s cart, and when it lowered it again with a mighty swing, a wave of unfortunate dwarves sailed through the air and disappeared into the curtain of rain. The other dwarves plunged their weapons into its coal-like hide, sending showers of embers into the air to be pummeled by the raindrops.

             
Switching tactics, the creature spun around in place. Its tail flipped back and forth like a whip, sending bright sparks into the storm. Each swipe of its paws sent another wave of dwarves flying off through the marketplace. Nevertheless, the citizens of Stonemouth were persistent. Regardless of the danger, regardless of the cost, they would not allow themselves to be held as prisoners any longer.

             
The dwarves attacked the demon’s hind legs, stabbing and slashing with each pass it made. It stomped and shook, trying to stop the onslaught. However, with its front legs busy attacking, it couldn’t lift its back legs out of harm's way. The rain driving down on its fiery skin was also proving too much for it to bear. Growls of anger and rage slowly transitioned into whimpers and whines.

             
As the demon grew weaker, its cries sent a charge of confidence and strength through the dwarves. Even in the storm, Firefly was able to see the fire extinguishing on the monster’s skin, burning instead in the spirits of the dwarves defending their home. Unable to continue traveling in the storm, Firefly landed on the broken beam of a wrecked merchant’s cart. There was just enough of the small straw roof left to keep the rain off her.

             
From her small perch, Firefly watched proudly as the fire demon finally stumbled and fell onto its left side. With its glowing skin fading to black, the dwarves piled on top of it like ants on a hill. Their weapons hacked and slashed feverously at its coal-like body, breaking it apart. The cheers and jubilant cries of the dwarves were loud enough to put fear in the hearts of the remaining balisekts, and an overwhelming sense of pride in Firefly.