128 Dzoavits

The group made it near the Kochi-Marseille border and began looking for the demon. They dressed Macha up to look like a child and hid themselves away, waiting for the dzoavits to attack her.

As they waited Palila grew nervous. It was dangerous of Macha to come up with this plan. Although the rest of them were nearby, she still was alone and trying to attract the demon. If something happened to her before all of them could react, it would leave a heavy scar on Palila's conscience.

Hours went by and the forest grew dark. They were about to call it a day when they heard the leaves rustle in the distance. Macha stopped walking to the group and turned her head.

Out of the foliage, an orange snout poked its nose out from between the leaves and sniffed. The mouth opened and a row of sharp teeth protruded out towards her. A thick stream of saliva dripped down onto a leaf. The weight caused the leaf's tip to touch the earth.

When the beast stepped into the clearing, it spotted Macha and got down on all fours. Its back hunched as it lowered its head to the ground.

Palila made a move to attack, but Castel held her wrist and shook his head. The demon still had not entered the trap they laid. They needed to make sure it moved into the circular ring that Aierim prepared. The spell would ensure that the dzoavits would not run off like the manticore did.

Macha's plan seemed to be going perfectly, and she was glad that the creature had found her. When its front legs touched the ground, she sprinted for her allies. While she was confident in her athletic abilities, the sight of the nightmarish monster scared her. She did not want to try her luck and wait any longer than necessary to make it to her friends.

Sweat beaded on everyone's foreheads as they watched Macha run towards them. The demon chased close behind and was practically on top of her. It moved much faster than they anticipated.

When the dzoavits's hind legs passed over the trap, Aierim activated the spell. A solid white light lit up around them, creating a barrier that would last for a day. Nothing would get in or out unless she lifted the spell.

"Now!" Castel shouted.

Castel and Palila both moved from their hiding positions to assist Macha. Aeson, Aierim, and Zian remained hidden so they could attack safely from a distance. This was the plan they agreed on to ensure their party would be as safe as possible throughout this mission.

Macha reached down and stuck one of her daggers deep into the earth. She used that as a pivot to change her direction and kick the dzoavits onto its side as it rushed towards her.

The demon tumbled to the ground and hit the barrier that the spell created. It bounced against the invisible wall and a flare of white light radiated from where the body had struck. As the creature rose, it shook its head and saliva streamed across the grass, dripping from its wide jaw. Wisps of smoke rose in the air from where the saliva landed.

The dzoavits produced a deafening howl that rang into the night and ran at Macha.

This time, Castel intercepted it and brought his hammer down onto the demon's head.

CRACK

When the stone face of his hammer hit the dzoavits's skull, the blow caused the monster to stagger for a moment.

Palila spun on the ground, kicking the creature's hind legs out from under it. It was heavier than she expected and required her to use a lot of force. When its skin touched her, its warm black sweat stuck to her leg.

The party blocked Zian from finding a clear shot. He held back his bowstring, unwilling to shoot because he worried about hitting one of them by mistake.

Before he left, Krystof gave him two arrows that were imbued with holy magic. This ammo was expensive and costed more than they would make by completing this mission. When he tried to return them, Krystof insisted that he accept them.

Krystof emphasized that it was more important Macha gain experience and be safe than the price of the arrows.

This conversation left Zian feeling bitter about how the Captain's woman received special treatment. He was related to Krystof, but no one made extra efforts for him.

When Aeson saw Palila get the demon's perspiration on her, he called out, "Palila, wipe the sweat off! It's corrosive on our skin."

Before they departed from Marseille, he asked his mentors what to expect when battling demons. This was a big step for him and he did not want to let his team down because of his inexperience. They did the fighting, and it was up to him to save their lives afterward.

Hearing Aeson's warning, Palila moved to grab a leaf. She quickly ripped it off the plant and used it to wipe away the black sheen. As Aeson warned, the dark secretion already induced her skin to become red and produce wisps of smoke.

Macha realized that the dzoavits was stunned by Castel's attack, so she leaped up into the air, landing on the demon's back. She stuck her blades deep onto either side of its spine.

The sharp pain in the monster's spine caused the dizziness it felt from the hammer to clear.

It used its claw to swipe up at Castel. He tried to block the paw but was smacked far away. Blood oozed from his arm and his weapon lay out of reach, beside the demon.

The dzoavits kicked its legs into the air to fling Macha off. Her daggers remained deeply lodged in its back and she gripped their handles firmly. Its movements were erratic and violent as her body floated above its large back. Her muscles strained to keep her straddled on the monster and her vision blurred from the fast jerky actions.

Eventually when the dzoavits stood on its hind legs to claw at Macha, Zian found the opening he was waiting for. The monster's chest was exposed as it stretched an arm back.

One of the arrows that Krystof gave flew quickly through the air and struck the creature.

BOOM

The impact caused a bright blinding explosion and both the demon and Macha were flung against the barrier.

The light disappeared and everyone was blinded as their eyes readjusted to the darkness. Zian did not expect the arrow to hit with such force and he worried that Macha had been hurt.

When his vision cleared, he saw the dzoavits lying on top of her. Its chest cavity was blown opened and thick black ichor seeped from the large hole, causing the surrounding grass to decay. A small unmoving arm stuck out from beneath the creature.

Fear grasped Zian's heart. If anything happened to her on this trip the Captain would be furious with them. "Macha!" he screamed.

Macha's head spun and a loud ringing sounded in her ears. When she opened her eyes, darkness filled her vision and a heavy weight pressed down on her. When she tried to move, she found that something pinned her down. Terror coursed through her bones because it was hard to breathe and her entire body burned.

Hearing Zian call Macha's name, the rest of the party ran towards the direction of his voice. Their vision had not fully recovered, but they could tell that the dzoavits did not move. As their sight returned, they discovered that his attack had killed the demon and she remained trapped beneath the heavy body.

Aierim put her hands on the ground and the earth tilted the demon's corpse up, exposing Macha.

The demon's blood coated her body and she screamed in torment. Her skin blistered and red hot pain seeped into her. Now that she could move, her fingers tore at her skin, trying to get whatever was on her off.

Aeson immediately pulled out his flask and emptied its contents on her, washing away the sticky ichor. She was covered in burns, but he needed to help Castel before seeing to her. The wounds that Castel received would be fatal if he did not heal them quickly.

With the demon dead, the party was able to relax. The barrier would stay in effect for half a day more so they rested without worrying.

It took Aeson a few hours to recover after helping Castel. As soon as he was able to walk, he went to treat Macha.

As he healed her, his hands shook. He recognized he pushed himself, but she was his friend and he did not want her to suffer any permanent scarring. His only responsibility was to heal the group, and he took his job seriously.

While Aeson healed Macha, she noticed his hands shook furiously. The burns were painful and the soft breeze from the wind caused her skin to quiver with agony. Despite the pain, she worried about the boy. They were all inexperienced, and she did not want to push his abilities. She heard that if someone used too much of their magical energy, they could collapse.

In a tender voice, she said, "Aeson, you don't have to push yourself. These burns aren't fatal and you already took care of the ones on my face. You can get some rest and do the remaining ones later if you want."

The suggestion caused his eyes to grow wide. His pride stung, and he grew annoyed that Macha viewed him as a weak sissy. His brows furrowed as he inhaled sharply. He retorted, "Do you really think I'm so useless that I can't heal you?"

Aeson sounded offended, which surprised her. She had only been worried about his health and well-being. Since she was older than him, she treated him differently than the others. He was just a child in her mind and she had a hard time thinking of him as an adult.

Macha hung her head with shame. She realized that she had not respected the effort he put into his job. It was not her place to tell him how to do his tasks. "I'm sorry. That was thoughtless of me. You know what your limits are better than I do."

The apology sounded so sincere that Aeson felt guilty for snapping at her. He understood she was just concerned about him. As he focused on his task, the green light from his hands illuminated his face. "No, I shouldn't have snapped. My temper was too quick and I know you meant well. Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine."

A small smile formed on Macha's lips and she ruffled his hair lightly. "No need to apologize. I would barely call what you have a temper." After being around Tyr and seeing how angry he got at people, Aeson's little outburst seemed trivial.