Perd

  He stared helplessly at the horde of monsters before him, knowing there would soon be more blood on his hands. Struggling against the mental cage which trapped his mind and allowed a monster to use his body he let out a silent agonized scream. Witnessing so much suffering had left him an empty shell, consumed by misery. Unable to look away, his choice was between watching the horrors as they were committed or listening to the demon’s gloating and plans. He wasn’t sure what was worse.

  Surviving one nightmare after another, he had lost all sense of self. He wished he could make it stop, he wished he could die, but his captor wouldn’t let him fade away.

  But then one day he heard a new voice, one that offered him freedom for his aid, and he told it everything he knew.

  Driks

  Driks had learned that the demon they were hunting was called Beszdux. Being cautious to the extent it could be considered cowardly, it favored a bland and androgynous form, something which easily slipped from memory. Additionally, since time had little meaning to a magical entity like itself, it was extremely patient. Being in no rush, if a task took longer than planned, it would simply possess another host when its current body became too damaged or decayed. This complicated their hunt as they needed to catch it by surprise and ensure it had no means of escape. Fortunately Driks had learned of its next target and in this case Beszdux’s slowness gifted them with an ample amount of time to prepare.

  From a vantage point high in the sky, Driks watched the horde of monsters leave Beszdux’s lair. Dozens of twisted greenish grey creatures were riding equally warped mounts. The riders were roughly human form with gangly limbs, wiry bodies, and beady red eyes. They wore patchy leather armor, made from the skin of many different creatures and carried bent and broken swords, shields and spears. They rode their beasts without any sort of saddle, instead relying on a simple collar and rope. Roughly the size of wolves, their mount’s filthy fur was stiff and jagged. Razor sharp claws tore into the ground as they ran and their muzzles dripped with pink-tinged drool.

  Though Driks had never encountered them himself, based on what Dover had told him these were undoubtedly goblin riders. Extremely cowardly when alone, goblins instinctively banded together and followed those stronger than themselves making them ideal minions. The mounts were some sort of demon hybrid presumably summoned by Beszdux.

  Flying a few feet above the ground behind the raiding party Driks spotted Beszdux itself. Its leathery wings slowly flapped as it followed its horde, observing their progress with a wicked toothy grin. Though unarmed and unarmored it wouldn’t be easy prey. It had grown visibly stronger since the memories Driks had viewed. The formerly patchy scales had thickened, covering more of its body and greatly toughening its hide. With fierce looking nails and unknown life attribute magic it could inflict a lot of damage. Fortunately, considering what Driks knew, and provided its powers were indeed similar to his own,it would presumably rely on others to fight. As such, though physically formidable, Beszdux was unlikely to be skilled in direct combat and would most likely crumble under a sustained attack.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  From the distance Driks watched as Beszdux guided the goblins towards where a large merchant's caravan would soon be passing. Driks chuckled to himself knowing that the caravan had already been rerouted and that the monsters would never reach their destination.

  As if on cue, a thunderous rumbling was heard and a cloud of dust billowed around the goblins. Since the demon’s unwilling host had been able to share their target with Driks, they knew exactly where to strike. Dover and company placed numerous traps in the ground using his exploding powder. Cynder had crafted a large magical circle of flame as well.

  Driks continued to watch from above.

  Dover and Company

  Having barely finished laying their traps, Dover and Cynder watched from hiding as the hoard approached. Cynder, being the only spellcaster, prepared their magical trap by herself. Drawing the circle as fast as she could and priming it with her own blood allowed her to simplify the ritual and finish before the monsters arrived, but it also left her fatigued and meant she couldn't help with any other preparations.

  While Cynder worked, the guards had dug numerous holes around the field and filled them with strange devices Dover built. These strange balloons looked like little leather mushrooms and were filled with the explosive powder Dover was particularly fond of as well as stones and other debris. They were then inflated and tightly sealed. Once they were ready, they were carefully placed in the holes and buried, leaving the tops exposed. If anyone should step on them, or otherwise pierce the skin, they would explode and spray their contents everywhere. Cynder had never seen Dover act so carefully as when he placed them.

  Then Dover quickly disguised their tracks and hid the signs of their work. Lastly they sent the guards off, fearing they would fall victim to the demon’s magic, and laid in ambush behind some rocks where they’d be shielded from the initial blast.

  The wait was terrifying, Cynder lay as motionless as possible and waited for Dover to act. She held her breath when the goblins were finally visible on the horizon. They were riding hard and fast without paying attention to their path. Everything was going according to plan.

  The first few entered the circle and Cynder felt her ritual's energy begin to build. As the goblins got about halfway into the clearing, the lead rider stepped on the first mine, causing a loud explosion and throwing up a cloud of dust and stones. The goblin and its mount were shredded by the blast.

  Though they tried to change course and stop, they were traveling too fast. More explosions rocked the ground before Cynder’s view was completely blocked. She lay there, waiting, as debris rained on her back. Then she felt the magical drain from the circle as it finally triggered. The flames roared to the sky, visible for miles, and burnt away the dust.