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Goblin Dungeon
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“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA how we’re going to kill this thing?” Dacrith asked as we stared up at the colossal demon.
“I was kind of hoping you’d have some suggestions,” I replied. “Haven’t you ever fought a demon before?”
“Of course, but none were as large as this.”
“How did you kill the other demons?” When I’d been in hell, I’d used blessed bullets. A simple headshot had been enough to take them down. I wasn’t even sure a holy cannonball could blast this thing to death.
“Beheading them is the quickest way to ensure their deaths,” he told me.
“I don’t think our swords will be enough to get that job done,” I said dryly. Reaching the demon’s neck would be a problem. I was the only one who had wings and I wasn’t as fast as usual when I was in the air.
“We can’t win against that thing,” someone said in a panicked tone. “It’ll kill us all!”
“Grow a spine,” I said with a sneer at the trembling fairy. “Everything can die in here, even a big demon.”
“That creature isn’t big,” another warrior protested. “It’s immense!”
“I’ll give you two choices,” I said to my team. “You can join me and fight that demon, or you can stand back and watch. If I lose, the demon will fry you in your armor. If I win, I’ll cut your damned cowardly heads off myself.” They flinched at my ferocity, knowing I spoke the truth. “What’ll it be?” I asked.
“We all have to die sometime,” Dacrith said philosophically. “We’re with you, brother.” No one argued with his declaration, although they didn’t look happy about it.
“Split into two teams,” I ordered when they gave reluctant nods that they were with me. “We need to see if it has any weaknesses. My team will keep it busy while Dacrith’s group circles around behind it. Let’s see how it deals with a frontal and rear assault.”
Obeying me silently, the warriors broke into two teams. Hexam trotted along at my side, but he couldn’t hide his fear. His tail was tucked between his legs. We hadn’t even engaged the monster yet and he was already on the verge of running.
I led my group and angled to the left. The demon hadn’t moved yet. Huge black eyes with vertical scarlet slits for pupils were locked on me as if it knew I was the most dangerous foe in the chamber. Dacrith and his team headed to the right. At first, I thought they would succeed in getting behind the demon. Then its spiked tail lashed out, aiming for the center of their group.
Most of them managed to dive out of the way, but one warrior wasn’t so lucky. Five-foot-long spikes smashed into him, tearing gigantic holes in his body. One went through his neck, severing his head completely. With a casual flick of its tail, the demon sent the body flying, leaving the head to fall to the ground. The creature hadn’t even glanced at the fairies and he’d managed to kill one of them already.
“Yeah, this isn’t going to be easy,” I murmured, then had no time for further reflection as our foe lumbered towards us.
The ground shook with each clomp of its cloven hooves. Hexam let out a whine and bolted. The flames prevented him from leaving the chamber, so he couldn’t get far. I glanced back to see him huddling near the arched doorway, watching the demon in stark terror.
Dacrith and his men sprinted into action, attempting again to get behind the hell spawn. I shouted to draw its attention to me and began running towards it. Again, its tail lashed out, but the nimble warriors managed to avoid it this time. I pictured us as tiny chihuahuas trying to attack a rottweiler and snorted out a laugh.
My amusement dried up when the demon bent and tried to scoop me up in its hand. I dived out of the way and one of my minions was caught in the monster’s grasp instead. He let out a strangled sound of pain, then I heard his bones being crushed to pulp as the demon squeezed him hard. Tossing the already dead fairy into its mouth, it chewed, then swallowed.
I sprang to my feet and raced towards it again. We’d already lost two of our team members, but I would gladly sacrifice them all if it meant I would gain victory. To do that, I had to get higher. Dacrith had the same idea. From the corner of my eye, I saw him duck beneath the spiked tail when it lashed out again. On the backswing, he leaped up and grabbed hold of one of the spikes. He was drawn high into the air, then leaped off the tail and landed on the demon’s wing.
“Keep it distracted!” I shouted at my troops, then launched myself upwards with powerful beats of my wings.
The demon flicked its wing in annoyance, but Dacrith held on for grim life. Clutching onto the leathery membrane with his legs, he scooted forward as quickly as he could. I flew towards the goliath’s face, aiming my swords at its eyes. Although I wasn’t as agile when I was in the air, I was faster than my adversary. It lifted a hand to try to bat me out of the air and I zoomed out of the way.
On the ground far below, the Unseelie soldiers had reached the demon’s feet. Springing upwards, they grabbed hold of its hairy fetlocks and hauled themselves up high enough to reach its flesh. The demon stamped its hoof when their swords began chopping into it. A few fell off and a couple were squashed when it stood on them. More died when its tail smashed into the second group who were attempting to climb its other hoof.
Dacrith had reached the end of the wing and leaped onto the leviathan’s shoulder. I zoomed at its face when it tried to flick him off. My sword scored a cut on its eyelid, drawing blood. The beast bellowed in rage and swept its hand at me. I pulled my wings in tight, dropping down to avoid it, then flared them out again to halt my fall.
Rage beat at me, begging for release. I couldn’t allow myself to let the black haze descend just yet. I still hadn’t figured out a way to kill it. I had to work out a plan before I could let my battle lust take over.
Flying upwards, I circled above the demon and noticed an indentation in its skull. It reminded me of an x-ray I’d seen of a baby’s head where the plates hadn’t fully joined yet. Infants were vulnerable until their plates fused together, which was why dropping a baby was so dangerous. It could be nothing, but I wouldn’t know until I’d tested it.
My second in command raced towards our adversary’s neck, then began slicing into its tough skin. It would take him a year to be able to do enough damage to actually hurt the creature, but it was at least enough to distract it.
While the hell spawn’s attention was diverted, I flew closer to its head, avoiding the horn that almost skewered me. The indentation was a good ten feet across and three or so feet deep. Moving closer, I reached out with one of my swords and poked it. The blade sank into the indentation without resistance and the demon went berserk.
