Chapter Twenty-Eight

Petra awoke to blood. Not hers, It was familiar though. Then she saw his body. Alid had been slain, his weapon was missing. Whatever had happened there must have been a fight. He would have died defending her, but from who.

Memories began coursing through her mind. She saw the demon rising from the summoning circle; she was fighting it. Alid had come in to defend her, but someone had killed him.

She looked up and saw the demon. He was facing down a sturdy woman in armor. Neither seemed to be fighting. But her lips were moving, and she was..Kneeling? This must be the demon's servant; this was the one who killed Alid.

She hurled a mass of shadow bolts at the intruders. The demon was thrown back, he'd let his guard down in distraction. A barrier of light protected the other. The demon, what was his name? Califrax was it? He looked at her with something between mirth and awe.

"The servant awakens. Destroy the intruder then, and embrace your destiny."
"You killed him!"
"Petra, stay back; I still have a chance to banish him. You're not strong enough yet, you're to badly injured."
"You worthless wretch! You killed him."
"What? Petra you're delirious; Alid was dead when I got here."

She readied her scythe and knocked the offender aside; the woman's shield held but her concentration was broken.

"Petra, what are you doing? He's loose now."
"Indeed I am. Well done, now kill her."

Petra turned on Califrax.
"You, this is your fault. If I kill you this'll all go away."
"Petra you're in no condition..."
A blast of magic threw her deep into the crypt. Her focus on the demon was unbroken.
"I've spent years preparing to fight you, I'll not let your lackeys get in my way."
"Ha! You'll do your work perfectly. Let that fire burn, take it out on her."

Petra took the scythe in both hands and let the magic flow from her. The room changed, all light purged as her anger built. The alchemical symbols beneath Califrax changed of their own accord. In place of a burning dark evil, nothing but shadows. The barrier that had supported him faded and he stretched his wings and floated forward to the edge.
"What? You are the tool of my power. Your soul is mine fool."
"I am no one's tool. I will not be your servant as she is." Her blade cut the air, and the shadows matched her blows upon his wings. As he teetered on the edge she called out to him, "I banish you, By my blood alone shall you be free. SHADOWS, CONSUME HIM!"

And they did. Beasts came from the depths on leathery wings, arms like tentacles rose from the depths, and as they did she heard a chant rising from the depths.
'Ew reah dna yebo, ssertssim. Wodahs hcihw semusnoc, emusnoc mih."
And a Maw opened up within the shadows. She could feel it, it was the shadow so she couldn't actually see it.
The demon was dragged down into the shadow. He hung clinging to the edge for several minutes. Finally she stepped up to him readying the butt of her Scythe to push him off. She could feel his mind, it was powerful more so then any other mind she'd felt. But then the thought came to her, this was one of the most powerful beings in all exsistance; and he was at her mercy.
She smiled, and laughed. It was a cold laugh, all hint of mercy and compassion drained from it.
Then she put the end of the scythe to his forhead and filled her blade with his power. And with it pushed him off the edge.