Eamon fell in between a swarm of Torkes. They hissed and growled, their claws scraping against the rocks as they lunged toward him. His back hit the ground hard. Dust rose around him. His vision blurred for a second. But his hand instinctively reached for his sword.
While still lying down, he pulled the blade free from the gauntlet. Without wasting a moment, he swung the sword in a wide circular motion. The silver blade sliced clean through the legs of the Torkes that had surrounded him. Black blood sprayed into the air. Limbs fell beside him. The Torkes shrieked in pain as they toppled over, clawing at the ground.
Eamon rolled to his side and quickly stood up. He didn't wait. He spun on his heel and brought his sword down on the nearest Torke, cleaving its head clean off. He turned and did the same to the next. One after another, heads dropped to the dirt. The ground was already stained with the dark, tar-like blood of his enemies.
As he caught his breath, he looked around. His eyes widened.
"Damn it," he whispered to himself.
While he had been eating, the number of Torkes had tripled. No, maybe more. They had crept in silently while he rested. They had filled the forest floor. He could no longer rely on just his sword. His arms were tired. His body ached. The sword alone wouldn't be enough.
He darted toward one of the Torkes and jumped high. His foot landed on the creature's shoulder. Then he took another step onto the back of the next. He ran across their heads, using them like stones in a river. Some tried to grab him, but he moved too fast. When he reached the edge, he pushed off with both feet and landed in an empty clearing.
He chanted 'Arcana Ember Dart' and threw a blazing needle-like flame at one of the tallest trees to create some light. He could now see everything around him, though not clearly.
He let out a sharp breath and kept his sword back in the gauntlet. Then he raised his hand.
"Arcana Hellstorm Barrage"
His voice echoed. The air above him shimmered. Flames began to swirl in the sky. Then they rained down. Fireballs the size of boulders fell from above, crashing into the ground in front of him. Torkes screamed. Their bodies caught fire. The forest lit up with orange and red. Trees cracked. Smoke spread fast.
There had been nearly a hundred Torkes in front of him. At least half were now burning or already turned to ash. Eamon stared in surprise. His spell was stronger than ever.
Back in his training sessions with Arvin, when he had tried the same spell on the puppet targets, only a few had been destroyed. Five maybe. Ten if he was lucky. But now? Now he had wiped out dozens in one go. As the power of a magician increases the impact of his spells also increases. He was now using tier 2 spells at their fullest potential.
"I'm stronger than before," he muttered. "I didn't even realize it."
He raised his hand again.
"Arcana Hellstorm Barrage"
The sky rumbled. More fireballs dropped from above. The rest of the Torkes in front of him didn't even have time to react. The moment the fire touched them, they burst into flames. The scent of burning flesh filled the air.
Eamon took a deep breath. "That should hold them back."
But just as he lowered his hand, the bushes rustled again. More Torkes came from the forest. Their eyes glowed in the dark. Their snarls were louder this time. And from the mountain slope, others leaped down like shadows falling from the sky.
Eamon's face tightened. "You just don't stop, do you?"
He clenched his fist. His voice rang out again.
"Arcana Flicker Blaze"
A flame wave shot forward in a zigzag pattern. It danced like a serpent. It cut through the middle of the charging Torkes. One by one, their bodies split in half. The wave didn't stop. It kept moving until it reached the base of the mountain. It hit the rocks and exploded in a burst of sparks.
But Eamon didn't wait.
" Arcana Flicker Blaze"
He shouted it again. Then again. Flames spun out in all directions. They crisscrossed the battlefield, slicing through everything they touched. Trees were cut in half. Bodies fell, some still twitching. Some didn't even have time to scream.
The whole area beside the forest lit up. Burning corpses surrounded him. Smoke rose from the blackened earth. The sky above was still dark, but the battlefield looked like a furnace.
He stood in the center. His clothes were torn. His body was bruised. His eyes were hollow. But his grip on the battle hadn't loosened. Not once.
He looked around at the destruction he had caused. He could barely recognize the area. The mountain behind him was covered in ash. The trees around the clearing were either burning or already turned to charcoal. The ground under his feet was soaked in blood and soot. The river now flowed with the dark black blood of the Torkes. The entire sight was too gruesome and ungodly to watch.
Eamon exhaled slowly.
"Is this what my future will be?" he whispered. "Endless battles. Endless bloodshed. And Endless corpses".
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Hours had passed since the night came. The fire began to die down. The night grew quieter. The stars above started to fade.
A faint orange light crept over the edge of the sky. The sun was just about to rise. The wind was cooler now. The smell of smoke was still thick, but the sounds of battle had faded.
Eamon looked toward the forest.
It was quiet.
He narrowed his eyes. He didn't trust the silence.
Then, he saw it.
A shimmer in the air. Above the river.
A huge black circle appeared. It hovered a few feet above the water. The air around it vibrated. The trees bent as if a storm had passed through. Then something stepped out of the circle.
It was a Torke. But unlike the others.
He was taller. His body straighter. He didn't crawl or limp like the others. His back was upright. His arms were longer. Sharper. He wore an armour that glowed faintly in the sunlight. His eyes were dark red. His claws were thick and curved like swords.
Eamon stepped back.
"This one… he's different."
Then he remembered.
He remembered something Arvin told him a while ago. Back during one of their early training days.
"Torkes usually move in colonies," Arvin had said. "Each colony can have anywhere from one to five thousand of them. But each colony is led by one Torke leader. These leaders are ten times stronger than the rest. They're smarter too. More dangerous. You'll need at least a tier three spell to even hurt one."
Eamon clenched his jaw.
"I haven't mastered using tier 3 spells yet. This is going to be difficult", he said to himself.
"So you're the leader huh?", he said, staring at the new Torke. "And I guess you are the last guest of the night."
The Torke leader didn't speak. But he took a step forward. The ground trembled slightly.
Eamon could feel a little pressure in the air.
He didn't wait. He couldn't let fear take over.
He pulled his sword out from the gauntlet again.
"Let's end this."
He ran forward. His sword aimed at the leader's head. But just as the blade came down, the Torke leader raised his arm.
With a loud clang, he blocked the attack.