Fire Elementals by the Dozen

 

Ritter was still panting from his run toward the smoking portal, a healer's quick bandage streaming behind him, her potion still bitter in his mouth.

He felt the heat as another fire elemental roared out of the portal and tore a scorched path through the outpost's defenders. It was shaped vaguely like a human with crackling arms of flame that lashed out like whips.

It was midnight, and the creatures had been coming through the portal all day. It started as a few at a time, probing the defenses. Then, as the winter darkness rolled in, they began pouring out by the dozen. The defenders were exhausted, but the healers and the blacksmiths kept everyone vertical.

Ritter ran past the latest elemental and got in a few hits with his sword. The heat was almost unbearable.

The hellspawn screeched and veered toward Ritter. Then Crow and Ace appeared from the darkness and laid on from behind. The elemental turned toward them, and Ritter spun to attack from behind.

They had learned many painful lessons about defeating these creatures, but they had learned quickly, and the elementals had not. Enough attacks from behind finished the screeching monster, and it collapsed into a puddle of fire.

At last, one of the wizards finally figured out how to close the portal. Her wild, warbling incantation was almost as fearful as the hellspawn. Blinding while light erupted from her hands, and the portal seemed to collapse in on itself until it vanished with a thunderous roar. The wizard wobbled from her exertion, but she stayed upright.

Ritter drew a ragged breath as he scanned the patches of still-burning ground where each elemental had fallen. Healers were moving swiftly among the defenders, speaking quietly. Closer back to the outpost gate, Ritter heard weeping. A few cries of pain came from the darkness as healers took drastic measures.

Crow chucked Ritter on the shoulder. "Shit," was all he said.

"We're too old for this," Ritter replied.

Ace rubbed his sooty face, his constant smile gone. The kid finally looked tired.

No great cheer went up at the hard-won victory. Just a disorganized wandering back to the outpost in muttering groups of threes and fours. Some smiled at the daunting achievement, but others had a distant blank look.

"Let's get some water," Ace finally said. All three turned away from the smoking carnage and limped back home.

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Original image by Chrysander Mandragora (Instagram @mandragora_media).

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