These new creatures looked a lot like foxes, but larger, almost the size of wolves. In place of fur, their bodies streamed with fire, from the tips of their noses to the ends of their tails. Where they walked, the ground was left scorched. Eyes black as coal stared out from above vicious fangs. I’d often thought of foxes as cute animals, but these were anything but cute.
“Dajis!” Kegohr yelled in terror.
“Don’t use fire techniques!” Vesma added.
The salamander scrambled over the body of its brother and landed next to me. I slashed at it, but it blocked the blow with a claw and opened its mouth.
I flung up my hand and shot thorns into one of the creature’s eyes. It screeched in pain and flung its head wildly about. While it was distracted, I closed my eyes and dug deeper into the power of wood. I summoned a series of Plank Pillars all around the salamander. It hacked at them with its claws and battered its head against them. A gap appeared in the pillars after the giant lizard broke through, and it started smashing its head against the hole. As it leaned in close, I thrust my sword through the gap and into the creature’s brain. A ripple of satisfying lava bubbled out from the wound. The ripplet became a spray as I removed my blade, and the monster fell dead with a thud.
The pillar disintegrated as I turned and sprinted across the room toward where Kegohr and Vesma were facing the other salamander. A band of Ember Sprites stood in my way, their arms raised as flames flickered from their hands. The flames broke off from their hands, rose to swirl in a circle in the air, and blocked my way.
I skidded to a halt and stared, amazed at the sight. I’d never seen Ember Sprites use fire before, and especially not in an intelligent manner like this.
Then, I noticed the Dajis. They were moving their heads in time to the floating flames. As I watched, one of them pointed its snout toward another Ember Sprite, and the fire flew from the sprite’s hands before rising to join the circle in front of me.
The foxes were controlling the flames.
I couldn’t fight the fire, but I could battle its source. I cut down the sprites in front of me with precise aims of my weapon, and their coal-like bodies fell to the ground. The burning wall didn’t vanish, though, so I guessed the Dajis could still use the stolen fire even after the creatures they’d taken it from were dead.
While Kegohr kept the salamander busy, Vesma jumped up onto its back. She swung her spear back and forth like a reaper with a scythe as she tried to cut through the creature’s armored neck. Scales flew as she sliced away at the lizard.
The salamander jerked, almost throwing Vesma off its back. Kegohr hit it in the jaw with his mace and knocked it aside just as it breathed a gout of flame. Once again, the foxes took hold of the fire and made it dance in the air above them.
Vesma’s spear rose and fell one last time as she buried the tip deep in the salamander’s neck. The creature reared and raised a leg to try to hit her. Kegohr brought his mace down in the middle of the creature’s forehead, and it finally went limp.
Two dozen Ember Sprites swarmed past the foxes and raced toward me. Fire flew from their hands, but the foxes snatched it away. I’d never seen so many sprites in a coordinated attack like this, and I figured the Dajis were enhancing not only their fire abilities, but also the minds of the creatures around them. As the swarm came for me, they suddenly changed direction and descended upon Vesma.
“Argh!” she cried out as they latched onto her.
One grabbed hold of her leg and buried its teeth in her thigh. Another leapfrogged off its companion and came flying at her face. She batted it away with a swing of her spear, but by then, the rest were on her.
I rushed to help her and started tearing them away. They weren’t happy with losing, and they squealed as I pulled them from Vesma. The little bastards clawed, gouged, and bit as they tried to remain clamped onto her body. Sweat drenched Vesma’s face, and her dark hair was soaked in it. The sprites were causing her body to overheat and—
“They’re draining my Vigor!” Vesma yelled.
I’d never seen them do that before, either. Those Dajis were becoming a real pain in the ass.
Vesma’s knees buckled, and she sank to the ground as a sprite climbed over her face. They held tight as I flailed at them with my fists. I would have used Augmentation or my sword, but I didn’t want to risk harming Vesma. Kegohr joined me by her side and started crushing sprite necks in a single hand. I peeled the last sprite from Vesma’s face, and she gasped a mouthful of air. The sprite in my hands snarled and opened its jaws, and I slammed my hand directly into its mouth. The little teeth gnawed at my arm as I shot a thorn into its insides. It croaked and went limp.
Wood didn’t beat fire, but a thorn down the throat of an Ember Sprite worked just fine.
At last, the sprites were done. It was just us and the Dajis now.
The foxes stood in a cluster at the edge of the pit and looked straight at us. Their heads swayed in eerie unison as they directed the flames that were now circling us and drew them closer and closer. Those flames formed a ring on the floor of the cave and rose from there almost to the ceiling. My skin prickled at the heat,
