Demonstorm

'We're capable, Rebraal. Or hadn't you noticed? I can speak elvish.'

T wanted to be sure.'

Hirad shook his head. 'How bad is it?'

'Ribs, arm, shoulder. .' Rebraal shrugged and half smiled. 'The rest just aches.'

'Anything broken?'

'Of course there is,' said Denser, opening his eyes. 'And of course he also knows that to fix it we'll have to put him to sleep. Fractured collar-bone, three cracked ribs and one broken and leaning on his lung.'

'Bloody hell, Rebraal,' said Hirad. 'What good do you think you're going to be like that?'

Rebraal's eyes flared. 'More than if I'm lying over there asleep. I am not in your Raven. I will fight beside you and with my people if I choose.'

'Perfect,' growled Hirad. 'Want to tell me how you propose to tie up the right-hand side when you can't hold a mace?'

'I have two hands,' snapped Rebraal. 'I'll fight on the left instead.'

'And who's on my right, Sirendor Larn? Only he's been dead for eight years. Want to be joining him today?'

'Hirad, enough,' said The Unknown, striding over from the healer mages. The cut on his forehead had been closed by a

WarmHeal. It glowed unnaturally red and was edged dark yellow, almost gold in the Globe light. 'Let's get thinking.'

'That'd be a novelty.'

'Coldheart, stop it.'

Hirad leaned into Rebraal. 'Fight with us, but withdraw if you're weakening. Promise me. We can't afford to lose you too.'

Rebraal nodded, a reluctant gesture. To their left, a six-foot section of the outer wall gave way to the accompaniment of roars from the massed demons outside. Above the tear, a balcony box teetered and collapsed, thundering to the ground and sending up clouds of plaster dust. Karron moved in, wading through the rubble.

'Get a Cone on that hole!' ordered Rebraal.

'Gheneer, do it,' said Dila'heth.

Gheneer moved forwards quickly and swung his spell from the ceiling to the ground.

'Clear!' he shouted.

Elves ran left and right. The Cone caught the karron, driving them back outside.

'I need another Cone on the roof now,' said Dila. 'Afen'erei. Sorry but I need you.'

The wear)' Al-Arynaar mage dragged herself to her feet. There was not the slightest hint of discontent in her expression. She began to cast.

'Whatever we're going to do, it had better be fast,' said Hirad. 'These investitures aren't going to last.'

As if to confirm his words another gap, longer this time, was dragged in the walls. Dila'heth called for more mage back-up. Healers left their charges and ran to the defence. Pheone moved up to the stage once again, urging greater concentration and efficiency.

'Thraun, all of you, get over here,' called The Unknown into the growing din. 'We're forming up. Someone help Rebraal on with his armour.'

'Gods falling,' said Hirad. 'They're going to bring this place down on top of us.'

'The ForceCones will keep the roof up,' said Dila'heth.

'Not for long,' said Pheone. 'That's a lot of weight and pressure.'

Thraun led Erienne, Denser and Ark over. Around the playhouse, elven warriors readied themselves. Mages prepared offensive spells and led prayers. Demons howled and shrieked. Reavers gathered in the sky, visible through the tears in the roof. Strike-strain clustered. Another gash was ripped in the playhouse wall. Timbers collapsed bringing more balcony boxes down.

'We've got to make a decision here,' said Denser. 'When to drop the spells and use the ColdRoom so at least we can kill some of them.'

'Only when we have nothing else. We're holding for now,' said Pheone.

'Raven, form up,' ordered The Unknown. 'Rebraal, my left. Thraun, switch to the right by Hirad. Ark, far left. Denser, you know where you need to be. Erienne can you cast?'

T don't have much choice, Unknown,' she replied. 'I'll be all right.'

'Use the weakening casts,' said The Unknown. 'We'll do the rest.'

'Whatever you say.' She sounded tired. Frail.

'Ready to move, Raven,' said Hirad. 'Where's Eilaan?'

'Injured but recovering,' answered Pheone. 'I'll back you up.'

'ForceCone overhead,' said The Unknown. 'And thank you.'

Two men ran over to the stage, flinching at the sound of falling stone from behind. Another tear, another weak point. They stopped in front of The Unknown.

'Captain Suarav.'

'Sol,' said the captain, a man already in the Xeteskian college guard when The Unknown had been prepared as a Protector. 'Brynel is gone but we aren't done. It would be an honour to fight in your line.'

The Unknown smiled mirthlessly. 'How the world turns, eh? You're welcome. Our right, by Thraun if you don't mind. Sharyr, I suggest you prepare something suitably lethal. Stand in the mage line.'

'My pleasure.'

'Maces, Raven,' said The Unknown. He raised his voice, cutting across the cacophony, Rebraal translating his words. 'Waiting. Remember, we need to force a viable breach if we're going to break for the college. Al-Arynaar, you have to shore up the flanks and rear. Just keep a holding pattern. Dila, Pheone, we need someone near the wounded to bring them out of sleep if we have to.'

'You want to break out?' asked Pheone.

'Not if we don't have to. If we can hold them, that's what we'll do.'

'And then what?'

'Pray for assistance,' said The Unknown grimly. 'Because if we do have to break out, we'll lose a lot getting to safety.'

'Let's hope it doesn't come to that,' said Denser.

The Raven watched the increasing desperation of the Al-Arynaar mages. Hirad's heart thumped in his chest. He felt the adrenalin wash away his aches, hiding them from his body while he prepared for battle. He took a long look at Rebraal. The elf was clearly hampered by his injuries. He stood left-side-on and held his right arm across his chest. He was pale and sweating.

'Leave the line, Rebraal,' said Hirad. 'You aren't fit to fight.'

'I'll be the judge,' said Rebraal. 'I do not desert my friends or my people while I can stand.'

'You aren't in the rainforest now, Rebraal,' said Hirad. 'We need you for later.'

'Think there's going to be a later, do you?' he asked. 'Listen to the noise. Look out through the holes. We need everyone fighting just to survive for whatever help The Unknown thinks is coming. The Al-Arynaar must see me here in the front line.'

'Be ready,' said The Unknown.

He indicated a buckling area of wall behind the raft of injured. The Raven began to move. The WardLock cracked and protested. Plaster burst from the binding. Timbers groaned and splintered. The tear would be at least six yards wide and there weren't enough mages to keep ForceCones in place.

'Not too close,' warned Hirad. 'It's time to complete those spells.'

Al-Arynaar moved up on either flank, covering the route to the injured. To Hirad's right, Thraun snarled. His yellow-tinged eyes were wide but the set of his body calm and composed. Beside him the Xeteskian, Suarav, gripped his sword tight in his right hand. He was determined but in the shake of his body was the memory of the horrors he had suffered to get to this new place of danger. His soul would not be easily taken.

The investiture failed. The stone and timber of the playhouse wall

burst in, tumbling across the gangway and sweeping aside benches. Balcony boxes fell across an area of thirty yards. Dust and debus billowed towards them where they stood at the edge of the standing room, clouding around the edges of the ForceCones. Karron bellowed and squawked. They charged in, reavers behind them.

'Spells away!' roared The Unknown. 'Raven, let's use what we learned on board ship. Suarav, take our lead. Steady. Steady.'

Pheone's ForceCone blazed overhead, slapping into the reavers flying in behind the karron. Deep blue FlameOrbs leapt from Denser and Sharyr's fingers, arcing over The Raven and dropping into the pack still outside the playhouse. Hirad felt the heat when they passed, saw the detonations and heard the screams. Mana fire splattered across the defenceless karron. It had the desired effect. Those in front of the fire clustered in.