By A. M. Reynwood
The news ran rampant through the College of Advanced Mage Arts: there was a demon in the gymnasium. Students evacuated the area, congesting the halls with a tumult of people, strobing lights, and blaring alarms. Sebastian could hardly think in the cacophony, which was probably how he managed to wade so calmly against the current. He didn’t have the opportunity to second guess the absolute idiocy of what he was doing.
The only way for a demon to get past the wards into the college grounds was by infecting a staff member or student. Devouring humans made the abyssal creatures strong, but if the voidspawn latched onto a mage, it could feed off their magic and grow powerful enough to open a Rift between the Abyss and the human world.
Sebastian kept a hand on the book strapped to his belt–—a grimoire, most believed. They were wrong, but he didn’t see the need to correct them. It was safer for Kurt this way.
At last he emerged from the fleeing mob, alone in the corridor now littered with discarded textbooks. Magicked ceiling lights flashed. Alarms resounded. Breaking into a run, he reached the gymnasium and burst through the doors, expecting a battle.
He found Mr. Hyde. At least what was left of him: a blackened, shriveled husk wearing the landscaper’s muddy khakis.
No demon.
Sebastian swore. That voidspawn needed to be stopped before it could feed off anyone else.
Sebastian spun out of the gym, drawing the book from its holster. Flipped it open as he dashed through the abandoned halls. Ashen vapors billowed from the pages, leaving a cloud behind him.
“Come on, Kurt. We have to work fast!”
“What do we have here?”
That wasn’t Kurt’s voice.
Sebastian stumbled over an abandoned knapsack and crashed to the floor. The book flew from his hands. Half blinded and disoriented by the strobing lights and screaming alarm, he looked around for where it’d fallen. Couldn’t see it among the scattered schoolbooks.
Where did it go? Cold fear crept into Sebastian’s stomach, heart rapping against his ears. That book was a gateway into the Abyss. If it was closed, Kurt couldn’t manifest to help him.
“Oh, sad boy.” The demon’s velvety tone pierced the din as though it were silence. “All alone. But don’t fret. I’ll keep you company.”
Sebastian didn’t stand much chance of defeating the demon alone, but there wasn’t time to worry about that. He scrambled to his feet, drawing magic into a brilliant sword, golden as sunlight. He gripped it tight to steady his trembling hands. “Keep to yourself, voidspawn!”
“Tch, how rude.” Through the flashing, a hunched form black as night’s shadow filled the hall. Long arms. Curled talons. Gleaming red eyes.
Sebastian blinked and it was gone.
Something hard slammed into his back, throwing him to the ground and knocking the air from his lungs. Coughing, dizzy, he staggered to his feet.
An ominous presence loomed behind him. Grasping claws tickled his arms. “You smell delicious.”
Can’t let it touch me! Heart in his throat, Sebastian whirled, swinging his shining sword. Struck something soft, but substantial.
The demon’s shrieking rattled the air. Its mace-like arm flailed, caught Sebastian in the chest and bashed him into the wall. His head cracked against the cold stone. White stars burst across his vision, ears ringing. He sagged to the floor, sword dispelled.
“I will rip you open for that,” the demon roared. “I’ll tear out your bones and make a puppet out of you until I’ve devoured every last scrap of magic from your body!”
Sebastian couldn’t move. His mind screamed Run! but his limbs would not answer.
The demon lunged, but jerked to a stop. Toppled to the floor. Skidded backwards. It screeched and flailed but could not free itself from whatever had grabbed it.
What the—?
Then Sebastian saw. His book lay splayed open, and a pair of obsidian arms sprouted from its smoking pages. Hands tight around the demon’s foot.
Kurt! Relief crashed over Sebastian’s aching body, pouring new energy into his limbs. Crawling to his unsteady feet as the hall spun around him, Sebastian summoned another blade of magical light. He slammed it against the demon’s scrabbling claws. It lost its grip on the tiles and slid back a little farther.
“No. No,” it wailed. “I’m still hungry!”
Sebastian swung his blade again. “You’ve eaten enough.”
“Never!” The demon’s desperate thrashing freed itself from Kurt’s grasp.
Sebastian dove away from its slashing claws. Scrambled to reach the book and held it upright.
An ebon blur streaked from the fuming portal and grappled with the demon. Kurt was smaller, but no less fierce.
Sebastian dropped the book and readied his gleaming sword.
The two demons fought horn and claw, snarling like wild beasts. He wanted to help, but feared accidentally hurting Kurt instead.
Suddenly Kurt barked, “Strike!”
Trusting his friend, Sebastian lunged. The rogue demon’s head was flung into the sweep of his blade, cleaving it from its shoulders.
Abrupt silence permeated the corridor. At some point the alarm had quit screaming and the lights flickered low, creating an eerie dusk.
The felled voidspawn dissolved.
Kurt grinned at Sebastian with twinkling red eyes. “Nicely done.”
“Ditto.” Sebastian pulled the demon to his feet. “Lucky the book fell open. I’d have been toast.”
Kurt puffed his chest. “Ha! I opened it myself, thank you. Looks like our bond has made me strong enough to handle the gate on my own.”
Sebastian opened his mouth to retort when voices echoed from an adjoining hallway. “I heard something this way!”
Sebastian shoved Kurt toward the book lying open on the floor. “Never mind. Things’ll get messy if the teachers find you.”
Kurt rolled his eyes and disappeared into its swirling vapors.
Footsteps jogged into the corridor. “Who’s there?”
Sebastian froze. “Sebastian Bony, Professor.”
“Bony? This wing was evacuated. What are you doing?”
Sebastian turned around, hiding the book. “Just taking care of a demon, sir.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Great opening sentence! Interesting visual of the hands reaching from the book.
crazytown! i think i’d want my tuition back, if only one student in the college has the wherewithal to mount a challenge. nice going sebastion! (and kurt)
That whole first paragraph pulled me right in!
Always love your use of vocabulary we don’t hear every day. I felt like I was right there watching everything in live action.
Exciting story! You had me hooked from the start!