“Did we lose them?” I said, half-shout and half-whisper, as branches and hanging vines slapped against my face.

  “Not sure,” Cedric panted, activating his Greater Agility skill to keep up with me. We came to a stop, now halfway between the Elven settlement and the clearing where the Dryads once lived in the middle of the forest. I crouched down into a bush, scanning our surroundings for the Elves.

  Then, a blade stabbed into my back.

  “Lucivar!” Cedric yelled, dashing towards me and swiping at the Elf responsible, but she was fast, disappearing into the trees with hardly a sound.

  “Fuck,” I swore, feeling the wound in my chest slowly closing. Searing pain emanated from the deep cut, but I had no time to cry about it. I sharpened my claws, whirling around to see who had done it.

  A second blade came soaring towards us, and I only barely managed to deflect it. The silver sword impaled itself into a nearby tree, and the Elf who wielded it appeared, leaping towards the trunk and grabbing her blade mid-air.

  “Die, Demon!” She screamed, redirecting her flight path and meeting my claws with her blade. I pushed her off, sending her flying into the foliage, landing with an elegant grace. She spun her sword, then regarded us warily. The Elf wore a set of sleek silver armour and wielded two similarly colored swords. Platinum hair fell down to her shoulders, and her eyes were a striking amber. She pulled the second blade from its sheath, then assumed a fighting stance.

  “The Prince did tell me of demons who had assisted in Ossara’s escape, to think he was telling the truth!” The Elf laughed mockingly. “I’ll have to show him that you lot weren’t such a threat after all.”

  She pointed one blade directly at me before continuing. “I am Iseldrynn, Captain of the Frostguard.”

  “I’m Lucivar, just a demon,” I replied cheerfully.

  She stared at me, dumbfounded for a brief moment. Then, her resolve sharpened, and she struck.

  [Ice Imbue]

  Her silver sword was suddenly encased in ice, crashing towards me, but Cedric was fast, deflecting the blade with his dagger. I could see the afterimage following shortly behind him, and it threw off the Elven girl as she attempted to strike at it. In the brief moment of confusion, Cedric clad his blade in shadows, landing a shallow cut against the Elf’s thigh.

  She gritted her teeth, jumping back a few feet. “A lucky hit, you will not be so fortunate next time,” She spat.

  She disappeared.

  [Behind you!] Joshua warned, not even wasting time to swear at me.

  I whirled around, blocking the attack narrowly with my claws. The frost from her sword numbed my fingers as our attacks met in a clash of sparks. She landed, exchanging a flurry of lightning-fast blows with me.

  “Is that all you got?” I taunted, blocking a strike with both hands. Cedric came flying behind me, throwing his dagger directly at her face, but she managed to roll away. The small demon flipped into a crouched position, grabbing his knife and rolling to his knees.

  “I admit, you two are quick and have good instincts,” She conceded. “But you haven’t seen anything yet.”

  [Frost Step]

  Iseldrynn appeared behind me in a flash of movement, the ground beneath me freezing over and locking my feet in place. Her blade flashed, cutting into my arm and leaving behind a trail of frigid ice. I felt my arm grow stiff, barely able to move.

  “Let’s see what this can do!” I shouted, activating one of my new skills.

  [Summon Lesser Named Fire Spirit]

  A burst of crimson fire manifested itself in front of me, and a powerful-looking being was born from it. The spirit stood roughly my height, shirtless, but with a tattered gray cloak around his waist. A sheathed katana was attached to his hip, and his entire head seemed to be on fire. Golden glowing spheres floated in a circle around his neck, each inscribed with a unique runic marking. His skin was a light brown, and two black horns extended outwards from his head, almost as if he were a demon.

  “Who has summoned me, the great Signeir?” The spirit commanded, a hostile gaze landing on me.

  “Me,” I answered meekly, holding up a hand.

  “My master is a demon? How irritating—”

  He was interrupted by an icy blade careening towards his head.

  A flash, almost too fast to notice, and I saw one of Iseldrynn’s swords flying off into the distance.

  He’s fast.

  [I like him.]

  “You insolent creature,” Signeir spat, resheathing his blade. “Do not interrupt me while I speak.”

  “Hmm, A named fire spirit? I may have underestimated you, demon,” Iseldrynn muttered, taking a step back. Then, a small platoon of Elves, roughly fifteen or so, appeared around us. Some wielded bows and arrows, while others had spears or curved swords like Iseldrynn. Each one was clad in shining golden armour.

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  “Be wary, this one is powerful!” Iseldrynn warned, but it was too late.

  Signeir was a force to be reckoned with, tearing through the Elves with terrifying speed. His blade was sheathed in fire, cutting through the Elven armour like a knife through butter. Iseldrynn attempted to assist her people, but Cedric and I put a stop to that endeavor.

  The small demon was first, dashing in front of the Elf and slamming his dagger towards her icy blade. She parried, but I came next, stabbing into her side with my claws.

  “You little—” she sputtered, but my Blood Chain cut off the sentiment. I wrapped it around the Elf, snaring her arms and rendering her immobile. Iseldrynn cursed, attempting to wriggle free, but it was no use.

  Signeir’s destruction was swift, and the last of the Elves were slain with little resistance.

  Then, the fire spirit turned his gaze to me, sheathing his weapon as he spoke. “Now then, before I was so rudely interrupted,” He stared daggers at Iseldrynn. “I believe I was speaking to you. Your name?”

  “Lucivar,” I answered. Cedric raised his dagger, staring at the spirit with untrusting eyes.

  “Lucivar,” Signeir repeated, slowly walking towards me. “Well then, demon, please, explain why I should serve you?”

  I stared at the spirit for a brief moment, trying to think of an answer. “Well… I summoned you?”

  “Hardly a good reason in and of itself,” He mused.

  Then, his blade came within inches of my face, held back only by Cedric’s dagger.

  “Hold on!” I shouted in surprise, but Signeir was unrelenting, dashing back and charging again, activating another skill.

  [Infernal Draw]

  His sword unsheathed in a simple motion, and this time it was my turn to parry the attack, but I wasn’t quite fast enough as the blade singed the flesh around my hand.

  “Prove to me you are worthy of being my master!” Signeir shouted, sheathing his weapon once more.

  Have it your way.

  This time, the flame spirit dashed forward, but I expected it, dodging to the side and drawing blood with my claws.

  [Blood Chain]

  [Willing Host]

  I buffed Cedric, who leapt forward and exchanged blows with the fire spirit. I simultaneously summoned a Blood Chain, yanking Signeir back violently and slamming him into a tree.

  “Not bad, demons! But let’s see how you handle this!”

  [Runic Fire]

  The orbs around his neck flung outwards, creating a glowing circle of flames behind him. Then, each one began to shoot out bolts of fire magic. I deflected some, while others landed against my body, burning my cloak and simmering against my armored leggings. Cedric nimbly dodged between attacks, jumping towards Signeir.

  The fire spirit reached out a hand, grabbing the demon by his neck.

  “You are not my master, I have no need to face you,” He spat, drawing his sword.

  No!

  [Parasitic Nemesis]

  A copy of me appeared from nothing, slicing directly through Signeir’s outstretched hand. Cedric fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

  “This feels amazing,” Joshua commented, blocking an attack from the fire spirit.

  Signeir dashed backwards, eyeing me and Joshua suspiciously. “An interesting skill, you can create a copy of yourself?”

  “More like a better version of him,” Joshua answered cruelly.

  The fire spirit looked taken aback, then asked a question directed towards me. “You mean, this clone has a separate soul from you?”

  I nodded.

  Signeir sheathed his blade, eyeing the parasite up and down. “Then, do you also have a separate will from your master?”

  This time, it was Joshua who nodded.

  “How interesting,” the fire spirit mused. “Obeying my master is simply a part of my very being, although I am not bound to such an act.”

  “Obeying this guy is not worth your time,” Joshua laughed.

  A sheet of ice interrupted the conversation, freezing my feet to the ground once more. Signeir scoffed, raising his blade and melting the ice.

  Shoot, I guess the Blood Chains don’t last that long.

  “You will all pay!” Iseldrynn shouted, aiming her sword at the fire spirit. He dodged swiftly, sending a strike of his own at her back. She barely parried the attack, ice clashing against the fiery inferno of Signeir’s sword. Steam rose into the air as the icy blade hissed its disapproval.

  Iseldrynn jumped backwards, landing directly in front of me, then pulled an item from her inventory. “I didn’t plan on using this, but if I kill you,” She spat, directing her gaze towards me. “Then I assume your summons will die as well.”

  I was enveloped in a blinding light.

  A cage of thick Ice surrounded me, as if we were in a completely different world. I couldn’t see through it, and I wasn’t even sure if we were still in the forest. Cedric was gone, as were Joshua and Signeir.

  “Bring me back!” I shouted desperately, charging towards the Elf, but she was still on par, if not faster than me, parrying my attack with ease. We exchanged blows, each of us only managing to land a successful attack every so often.

  However, in a battle of attrition, I was sure to come out ahead.

  “You aren’t so tough without all your friends around, are you, demon?!” Iseldrynn demanded, vaulting backwards and channeling her Frost Step skill. She raised her silver blades and rushed forward at blinding speeds.

  But this time, I was ready, jumping upwards, and avoiding the sheet of ice. I landed, running forwards and impaling a claw into her back, summoning a Blood Chain, and slamming her body into a wall of the cage.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” I responded. I launched myself backwards, keeping mental count of the attacks I had landed thus far. Iseldrynn was panting heavily, clearly exhausted, and her mana likely running low.

  “Don’t run now!” She roared.

  “I don’t need to,” I said, activating my skill’s secondary effect.

  Five explosions rang out, bursting the Elf’s blood all over the frigid cage. She fell, not quite dead, but unconscious. It took some time for the item Iseldrynn had used to wear off, eventually setting me free. The cage melted around me, leaving only a small puddle of water in its wake. I was still in the forest, but Joshua and Signeir were gone.

  “Lucivar!” Cedric shouted in relief, rushing towards me, still half invisible from his ring's effect. “I knew you’d win!”

  I hugged him, then held him by the shoulders. “Where did they go?”

  “After you left, they… they kept talking, then ran off that way,” Cedric pointed, and my heart skipped a beat.

  He was gesturing in the direction of the Elven settlement.

  I cursed under my breath, then gave an order to the small demon before me. “Take her back to Mount Boom, have Ossara heal her, but keep her tied up somewhere, and take her weapons as well. I want her alive.”

  The small demon nodded before speaking. “Where are you going?”

  “To stop them,” I answered, rushing off towards the edge of the forest.