Playing With Fire

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Keryn wiped the wetness away from her eyes and slightly pointed ears, too tired to check if it was blood or sweat. Togge groaned, even if she'd healed his wounds.

“You sure I can't knock that Knox around for this?” The warrior's usually shining armor dripped gore from the skirmishes. “He damned sure didn't mention we'd be facing demons! Mercenaries and traps, but not this.”

“Doubt it. He's one of that Waterdhavian Protector's lackeys. Why would the Protector hold Knox to account when no one holds Neverember to account?” Keryn wiped her holy symbol, dabbed it with holy water and a blessing again. The Great Hunter encouraged hunting of undead and those who blighted the land.

Togge looked down the stairs, his sword and shield steady. “You're awful cynical for someone that young.”

Keryn strangled laughter that would echo too far. “You forget, friend, I'm almost old enough to be your grandmother. My elven father escaped the Spellplague into the High forest. I've seen too many opportunists everywhere.”

The warrior flexed his muscles. “Sure, Granma, whatever you say. I'm in it for the fame and fortune. I'm no bastion of self-sacrifice like some paladin.”

And that was why Keryn chose most of their jobs. Joining the Guard meant wasting her skills and blessings on rousting drunks and fights over graft. She wanted to target evil cleanly without being distracted by less important tasks. “No one could mistake you for an ascetic and holy warrior.” Not the way he fussed about his raven hair and clothing...

The warrior stilled, and Keryn gripped her symbol as a clump of zombies shuffled into view. She bound them with magic as Togge slid down the stairs. Then she threw lances of power into those attacking him. More undead and lesser devils appeared ahead of him and swarmed them at times. Keryn followed behind, healing as they advanced.

Togge wiped ichor off his chest with a grimace. “At least skeletons don't leave a mess when they die.”

The elven-blooded cleric didn't look up from her healing spell. “Every room has a squad, just waiting for us. What a waste of effort.”

“Tempus is favoring us today. Tearing these apart is fun.”

“Almost fun. Our host never read any writings of the Lady of Strategy, has he? Slavers and demonologists are my favored prey.”

Togge shook his head and moved forward, his sword and shield ready for the next attack. After an ambush in a cramped stairway, the two adventurers paused longer while Keryn cast a blessing.

The stairway opened out into a more finely finished entry hall, and a wall of fire appeared behind them. A dozen enemies appeared, a mix of imps and brutes.

Floating near the back was a beautiful woman, with exotic eyes and large leathery wings, and tiny horn-nubs of a devil. Masses of her long, black hair and breasts floated that were large enough to shelter children and puppies from a sudden rainstorm. Without any visible support, Keryn winced.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Togge's head jerked as if he walked into something.

In a sweet soprano, the succubus did not call an immediate attack. “Oh, visitors! Gordie doesn't like being interrupted in his research or bacchanal. You run away now and I think I can let you live.”

Togge drifted a step forward, his sword and shield drooping as he stared.

“We can't do that, he took slaves and made undead of them, so they never get free.” Keryn's voice sharpened, hoping her partner hadn't been magically charmed.

He stopped as a pout crossed the fiend's face.

“Gordie has my forever-after contract, and I just can't let you in. So you will have to die.” She didn't sound happy about it.

Keryn yanked her chaining spell around the devil and most of her minions. Many of them fell from the holy magic banishing them in flashes of golden light.

Togge recovered and drew the attention of most of the remaining attackers.

He could hold them off for a moment or two without healing, while the priestess threw spears of light at the remaining fiends. Her other spells weakened or killed many.

A devil brute fell on her, clawing and biting through her armor.

Her prayer a scream instead of carefully chanted, the light of the First Hunter's arrow lanced down from above, knocking her attacker off its feet. Keryn gasped a healing spell and attacked the demon until it dissolved.

Togge sliced another demon through, leaving only the biggest brute and the succubus who winced as she half-heartedly threw ice spells at them.

Her partner tiring and still wounded, Keryn chained the remaining fiends again.

Togge hacked the head off his opponent, and watched, dumbfounded, as the succubus jiggled and howled in her magical chains.

Doubling the binding, Keryn stepped over and smacked the fiend to the ground with her holy symbol until she stopped moving.

The succubus, or whatever she was, didn't dissolve. She groaned.

Keryn spoke, but didn't take her eyes off the fiend, whose hair and breasts weren't floating now. “Togge, you okay?”

“Yeah. Sorry, Keryn.” He sounded embarrassed.

The demon shook her head and pouted up at them. “You didn't have to smack me that hard. I don't have to fight to the death, just can't get out of Gordie's stupid contract. He's not any fun and it's boring down here.”

Names were important for fiends... “What's your name?”

“Charlene. I didn't realize he was your pet. He's much more commanding and forceful and potent.”

Togge flushed.

Keryn frowned. “That's not your problem right now, Charlene. Help us and I won't exorcize you. I hear the lower planes aren't that much fun.”

Dismay crossed the fiend's face. Her proportions shifted and her costume covered more. “Look, I can't help you. I just want my freedom.” A sly look crossed her face. “If you kill him, I'm free.”

The sorcerer had to die.

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A/N: Challenge words are: bacchanal and bastion. Thanks to my beta reader who has been kind enough to read this and point out stupid flubs. Any typos that remain are not intentional... Reviews or a PM to let me know what you think would be very appreciated.