Chapter 84: Battle Hammer
Irwin sprinted as fast as he could, ignoring Lamia's worried shouts from behind. He heard Daubutim's voice turn to a storming roar as he began ordering people around with way more fervor than before, but he paid barely any attention to it.
All he could think about was the only link to Malorin, to his home, was ahead of him, and he needed help. A tiny part of him was yelling at him that he was acting suicidal, but he ignored that too.
Besides, Coal can hold back two by himself, he thought as he scanned the happenings ahead, forcing himself to come up with a plan.
If Coal could hold them back, that meant an uncommon summon was strong enough to hold two of those things at bay. With his Coperion Body, Eyes of Blaze, Hammer and flame, he should be fine holding back at least one.
The two Tardels were making hit-and-run attacks on the larger hound, and Irwin could see Coal wanted to chase and kill one but had to hold back or risk the second one pouncing on the riders and, by extent, Greldo. He scanned the riders, including the downed one, but still couldn't recognize his friend. There were two rangers, both wearing a hood, a robed female sorcerer that made him frown, and three guards, one with a helmet.
It has to be one of those two rangers, Irwin thought, gripping his hammer.
The Tardel that had ripped apart one of the cindermares let out a deafening roar as blood streamed down its maw. The other Cindermares had backed up while their riders were shooting arrows and bolts into the oncoming demon. The dismounted rider was shoving his hand forward, and what looked like bolts of air propelled from his hand, slamming into the Tardel, which seemed unaffected.
Thick-skinned. I'll try with Eyes of Blaze first and follow with a hammer, Irwin thought.
The Tardel roared and rushed the riders, who scattered, while Coal let out a roar of its own, blocking one of the Tardels it was facing that jumped towards a ranger. For a moment, it looked like the Tardel would miss them, then its body jerked midair, and it lurched into the rider, knocking the Cindermare on its side. The guard screamed, his leg pinned below the animal, while the Tardel roared again, clawing and biting the struggling Cindermare. One of the Cindermares was sprinting away, straight at Irwin, and he saw a pale-faced, wide-eyed guard spurring the animal on while the first Tardel sprinted after it, blood still running down its maw.
Fine, Irwin thought as he focused on Eyes of the Blaze, willing out a long thin beam of roaring fire that rippled out in front of him, passed the startled guard. The Cindermount dodged sideways just as the beam struck the Tardel. The demon's eyes widened at the last moment, and it flung itself sideways, causing the fire to rip into its flank. The thick brown hide rapidly darkened, then the demon rolled away.
Whatever it had planned, it was too late. As it scrambled up, grunting angrily, Irwin reached the monstrous thing. This close, he realized how much bigger the thing was, almost the size of a fully-grown Charbull.
No going back now, he thought, as his flame erupted from the back of his hand. With adrenaline driven willpower, it rippled around his arm, shoulders, down his other arm, and around his hammer in a flash.