Chapter 38 INCINERATION
The demons either didn't notice her shouting or didn't care. They focused only on her, not even bothering to look for the person she was calling too. They were far too simple-minded. They only cared about her. That was enough to frighten her into calling out again.
"Magnus, I'm begging you! Do something!"
From his perch, Magnus watched what was happening below him. However, no matter how hard he tried, the images from his dream kept returning. He could still see the town before him ablaze. This was too much to take. The fear was so great that he didn't know what to do anymore. He couldn't even come up with a way to help Xyra. His mind was completely blank. What am I supposed to do?
He had always hated fire. He didn't know all that many fire-related spells because of this very problem. They were hard to control, and one wrong move meant setting everything in the area aflame. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something so horrific happened. However, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to his companion due to his incompetence. Got to do something. I have to move! Despite how he tried to coax himself into this, his body was still all locked up. He couldn't do anything.
Xyra was surrounded now, her back as tightly to the wall as she could manage. Her eyes shifted everywhere, keeping tabs on each demon in case one made a move. If only I had kept my blade…and if only Magnus wasn't such an idiot! What's with him?! She stole a glance at the sorcerer, and even from where she was, she could see his body trembling. He's scared… Is he worried about losing control?
"Magnus!" she tried again, needing to snap him from his fear. "Don't worry! You can do this!"
"Who are you talking to, woman?" asked one of the demons. "There's nobody here."
"Shows how much you know," she mumbled, making sure these creatures couldn't hear her.
One of the demons moved closer, extending his hand towards her. Xyra shied away or even moved, but when she saw a few sparks come from his fingers, she froze in place. These were lightning demons, something she had already determined, but she had forgotten just what that meant. They weren't only immune to that type of magic. They were able to control it.
"You're a loud one," he told her. "It's time we shut you up."
"Magnus!" she tried once more, her voice trembling. "Please! You have to! You said I could trust you!"
Not another word was able to escape as the demon's hand wrapped around her throat. With it came a shock. Lightning began to travel through her, and suppressing a scream quickly became impossible. She had only been able to bite it back for a few seconds before she cried out in pain.
Magnus's eyes snapped into focus when he heard Xyra's words followed by her scream. His eyes quickly sought out the demons he was supposed to be destroying, and he saw that one had a firm hold on his companion. The demon was slowly killing her. He couldn't let that happen. For the first time that day, his mind began operating properly.
Without hesitation, Magnus cast a spell. Geysers of fire began to erupt from the demons. They started backing away from them, and when one got too close to the one by Xyra, he quickly released her and got out of the way. The thief's eyes closed, and her body slumped against the wall. The demons didn't seem to care about her anymore as their lives were now in danger. When they had backed up far enough, a huge ring of flames formed around them, keeping them where they were.
Satisfied for now, Magnus cast a levitation spell and took off. He went right to Xyra, getting down next to her. Other than a few burns from the lightning, she looked to be okay. She was still breathing, so that was a good sign. However, she had just been severely shocked. There was no telling what kind of damage had truly been done.
"Xyra?" he asked gently, hoping for an answer. "Can you hear me? Xyra!" Slowly her eyes began to open, and they eventually sought out his.
"Hey," she whispered. "Took you long enough."
"Sorry…" He placed both of his hands down on the ground, and before another word could be said, a stone barrier had been set up around her. She could no longer see Magnus. "I'll take care of it now, so just stay here, alright?"
"Okay…" Her voice was rather weak, but that was only natural considering what she had just gone through. He was going to make them pay for that. They were all going to die.
Magnus extended his arm, his palm facing the group of demons. He had already cast the first part of the spell. All that was left now was to finish it. He wasn't going to hesitate this time, and he'd deal with the heat of the flames. He wasn't going to lose control. He had done this so many times before. So many people were counting on him right now. Besides, he owed it to Xyra. She had gotten hurt because of him.
"Incineration," he whispered.
The ring of fire around the demons began to grow, forming a dome around them. As soon as the dome was complete, it filled in with fire. The screams of the demons was evidence enough. They were slowly being burned within the hellfire Magnus had created. He didn't even seem to care. Their cries didn't bother him in the slightest. He was a hunter. This was something he was used to.
When their cries died down into nothing, he finally ended the spell. The fire slowly shrank, and soon it was nothing but a small flicker. Eventually, it completely went out, leaving nothing behind. The demons that had tormented the town for so long were no longer a problem. He had taken care of them, and now he would have a new talisman to add to his ever-growing collection. However, he doesn't really care about that right now. He quickly turned and ran back to Xyra.
The second he reached the barrier he had set up, he quickly disposed of it. The rocks sank back into the ground they had come from, leaving only Xyra sitting there. She appeared to be a bit better, now sitting up instead of lying down. Her eyes were a little tired looking though.
"Xyra?" he questioned, drawing her attention as he got down next to her. She looked at him in confusion for a moment before a smile crossed her face. However, it implied that she wasn't happy.
"Hello Magnus," she said a bit too sweetly, and before he knew what was happening, she had smacked him upside the head. He quickly backed away, his eyes never leaving her. He looked a little surprised to say the least.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"How can you even ask that?!" she shouted. "You jerk! They could've killed me! Why were you hesitating?! That wasn't part of the plan!"
"I…" he began, about to defend himself, but when he saw how many burns she had and the places where her dress had been ripped, he quickly clamped his mouth shut. Nothing he said was going to justify what he had allowed to happen. She had trusted him, and even after he had promised that nothing would happen, something had.
"I thought I was going to die," she told him a bit softly. "What do you have to say to yourself? I want an explanation."
"I…" he said, trying to decide the best way to tell her. Guess I should just tell her the truth… "I was afraid."
"Afraid?" Her voice wasn't quite so harsh anymore.
"I kept seeing the town…burning. I kept thinking about what would happen if I miscast the spell. Everything would've been destroyed…everyone would have died, and it would've been my fault." He lowered his head, pausing for a moment. "I'm so sorry. I know I said you could trust me…I even promised you wouldn't get hurt, but…" He glanced over at her, but he quickly looked away. "Do they still hurt?"
Xyra was confused for a moment, but she soon began to look herself over. She hadn't noticed at first, but she had burn marks just about everywhere. Her beautiful dress had been signed in quite a few places, the skin beneath looking a little raw. She also took note that her neck hurt, most likely because that demon had been holding it so tightly.
"Not really," she whispered. She could have told him the truth, but he seemed a bit broken. He obviously blamed himself. You're too nice, Magnus…always worrying about everyone but yourself. "Sorry I yelled, and sorry I hit you."
"Nah, that's okay," he said with a smile as he raised his head to her. He wasn't about to let her see him so disappointed anymore. This had gotten far too depressing. He couldn't take it. "Guess I deserved that." He laughed a bit, his smile becoming a little warmer. It was hard for her to stay mad at him now. Instead, she just smiled back and tried to stand up. Unfortunately, that didn't work out too well.
"Could you help me?" she asked him sweetly as he moved closer. "I can't seem to get up."
"Alright, but first I got to take care of those burns." He held out his hands, and they were soon surrounded by a white light. Eventually it spread to Xyra, and all of her burns began to heal. Soon there was no longer a sign of them. She was completely fine again. However, that hadn't removed the inability of her legs. Her body was apparently still in a bit of a shock from what had happened.
"Remind me never to let that happen again," she told him. "I've decided I don't particularly like getting shocked."
"You have my word," he responded in a bit of a joking manner. "Now let's head back to the castle. I'm sure everyone's waiting."
Xyra was about to remind him that she couldn't walk, but there was no need. He was apparently already aware of that. Without even asking for permission, he bent down and picked her up, carrying her bridal style. There was a smile on his face when he saw that she was blushing and avoiding his eyes.
"Do I make you nervous?" he asked a bit softly, his voice rather low. He already knew the answer.
"Just walk," she told him. "I want to get out of this dress."
"But you look so nice… Think about what Darren would say if he saw you like that."
"Which is exactly why I won't be wearing dresses anymore."
Magnus laughed a bit and began to walk forward, heading away from the stadium. He was in high spirits again after such a stressful ordeal. Everything had turned out okay in the end. Xyra was alright, the demons were dead, and he was going to be getting another talisman. Everything was perfect. Hopefully, things will keep working out like this. We sure did have quite the adventure. You better get back soon, Darren. We're going to have a lot of catching up to do…