Eternity Zero

Chapter 11

        Killian soon decided that weird conversations were bound to happen when travelling with a mage, two wisps, and multiple enemies on their heel at any moment. Just a few hours ago, in the alley, they ran into a bugbear. Iobar said they were mischief makers, who usually tormented people in their dreams. It was a little hairy thing, with small, sharp teeth and a long snout.
        They were now in another of Iobar’s safehouses, watching the conjurer build a little tin man. He said it was an “automaton.” Whatever it was, it was working. Currently, it had a little broom, and was sweeping off the dirty desk he was built on.
        “Magic?” asked Kai.
        “No,” said Eaden sarcastically, “It’s just the gears doing whatever he tells them, by their own volition.”
        “Don’t be rude.” reprimanded Aeden.
        “Be rude,” said his twin.
        “Shut up.” said Iobar.
        “I’m bored,” said Kai, “Nothing happens.”
        “Honestly, kid!” exclaimed Eaden loudly,m showing his odd little flame-mouth. “You just found out yesterday-”
        Suddenly, the wall exploded.
        Splinters flew everywhere, thousands of little sharp pieces, giving Kai and Iobar hundreds of little cuts on every bit of exposed skin, the wisps just burning through them. Tiny little pieces of wood, doing so much damage. But Kai saw something else fly toward him, black and shiny. It thudded into the wall behind him.
        He and Iobar were both knocked to the floor, but when the Mage saw a black, glistening spike poking out from above Kai shoulder, he yelled:
        “Get behind me!”
        Kai complied. He scrambled to his feet and stood behind the Wizard. A protective barrier formed itself around them, a glowing blue dome. Just as it went up, the black night out the broken wall shot more cold, black needles into the room. Luckily, they were protected now, and they just bounced away.
        “What the-” coughed Kai.
        “Manticore!” said the Sorcerer.
        A huge, dark shape leapt up from the shadows. The first thing Kai noticed about it was its tail. It was a long scaled, black thing, with a large stinger on the end, like the scorpions he sometimes heard about, with long barbs, the same size and shape as the ones they had just blocked, along it. The next thing was the body, that of a lion, with little spikes on it’s back. It’s face was slightly humanoid, hairy, with a large, tooth-filled, mouth. And last of all, it had wings. Humongous, black, bat-like wings, membrane stretched over bone. They went from wall to wall, making the room one big shadow.
        “Don’t let it near you!” warned Aeden, “Those barbs are poisonous!”
        Iobar’s eyes narrowed. He reached inside his pocket, and pulled out a knife. It was a slightly curved, heavy-ended, one-sided thing, with a curved handle as well, sort of moon-shaped.
        “Kopis,” said Iobar, now standing. “it’s enchanted.”
        Kai was confused. “What does it do?”
        “Press the button,” he replied.
        Killian looked again. There was a button on the pommel, red, and right next to where the hole for the string was. WIthout thinking, he pointed it at the frustrated manticore, and pressed it.
        A flame blossomed from it. At first it was small, like a candle, but it half a moment, it might a well have been dragonfire enveloping the beast in its tongues of fire. At first, the young deity was knocked back by the sheer power of the strike, but he regained his balance.
        After a few minutes, the manticore was deemed “dead” and “well done.”
        “That’s called the Iron Flame,” replied the old man.
        “Imaginative, right?” said Eaden.