[dplax]

Andrion Wilgor

Time. A minute or two without distractions is what he needs. The risks are deadly, but so is the other option of not taking them. Spells of invisibility, mirrored images, summoned creatures, he throws out every distraction he can think of.

Hours, maybe even a day would have been required for a standard preparation for such a spell. Yet ingredients are hastily scattered on the ground, in nowhere near the shape that the spell usually requires. Time for proper casting he does not have. He wishes he had prepared Time Stop, but it is not the time or the place to be losing time exploring what if's. Masses of magical energy, the likes of which he has never used, quantities he does not hope to master, are called up. The shadow in the room lightens, almost dissipating, as the Chosen of Shadow calls its force to him.

He can feel the energy crackle at his fingertips, he can feel it course through his body, shadows lurking more present than ever in his corrupted heart. Still he has to contain it for just enough time to utter the horrible spell.

Finally his efforts and the massive expenditure of spells pays off, and as the elemental chases after the penultimate mirror-image and under the terrified gazes of the still remaining defenders he casts one of his most powerful spells.

Knowing the risks of summoning a demon without protecting himself, but defying those risks he rapidly murmurs the spell anyway, infusing it with some of his own shadow essence, making it even more powerful, and unknowingly saving his own life.

The demon, barely fitting the small chamber, steps out of the rift created between the planes. More powerful than any demon he had ever summoned. Furious at having been torn from its home plane the demon rips two of the defenders in half with its claws. Terrorised the other two try to flee. The demon easily catches one of them, while the other is burnt to ashes by the very fire elemental he had helped summon several years earlier, when Andrion manages to push the elemental off himself with a spell.

Many of his protections exhausted in the battle with the elemental, Andrion, already weakened, half of his hair almost completely burnt away, the other half badly singed can only watch as the two mighty creatures, both far from their home plane engage in a battle to the death. He does not know which of the two he'd prefer to win. The fire elemental already proved itself a formidable opponent, and he can easily guess that the demon is none less. A handful of new protection spells are cast, but they can only function as token resistance in case of an ensuing fight.

Formidable opponents, both comparable, if not more powerful than the shadow giants hammering away at stone above, the two extra planar creatures are at what seems to be a stalemate. Physical damage does not hurt the fire elemental and the demon seems to be immune to fire, using fire as a weapon itself. It rapidly realises its mistake, noticing the healing effects of fire on the elemental and reconsiders. Spells are tried out, and after an incantation, interrupted twice by blows from the elemental, a terrible spell sends the creature of flame back to the plane where it came from many years ago.

With a growl of victory the demon turns on the mage, who prepares to cast one of the few spells that remain to him. In two bounds the beast is next to him and swings a clawed appendage, which could easily take off Andrion's head. The claw stops millimeters from the mage's neck, but does not touch him. The little shadow essence infused in the spell is enough to create a force inside of the demon, which stops it from harming the one who had summoned it. Seemingly it cannot get across the thin shadow surrounding the mage. After half a dozen, both physical and magical tries at disposing of the annoying creature of shadow that had called it into this plane, the demon realises the futility of its acts and simply waits until it can return to its home plane.

An unnatural silence descends on the chamber once the demon is gone. The faint crackling of the Holy Flame, unperturbed by the whole battle and the even fainter, distant thuds of the giants fists do not reach the mage's ears. His heart still beats fast, his blood still gushes in his veins. He realises that sheer luck has at least as much to do with him being alive than skill. Finally the tension inside of him abating, he lets out a sigh of relief.

As a conclusion to the fierce battle, the unnatural shadow on the chamber lifts as the last of Andrion's spells expires.

The battle has been won, but he still needs to get the flame. A task, that most definitely isn't as simple as just picking it up.