The two demons behind the Mages picked each member up under the arms keeping them chained up, first was Livia and Nora who was still staring blankly into space, then Gennel was picked up finally they got to Adrex who was hoisted up onto his feet. Adrex looked straight ahead at Taginnoth, felt the anger building as he created the spells in his hands then cast them. Two white flashes and the two demons behind him went flying into the back wall, just before the chains surrounding all four mages started to creak as they expanded before shattering, Livia creating a shield between their bodies and the chains and expanding it slowly.

Taginnoth looked at the four of them and smiled. “And I thought you had given up.” He said with glee.

He raised one hand and a wave a black fire erupted towards Adrex. He created a spell to counter, but watched as the wave hit one of livia’s shields and wrapped around and over them instead. The black fire stopped, Livia’s shield vanished in a shower of blue sparks and Adrex cast his counterspell a lance of fire the shot forth, straight at where Taginnoth used to be. The demon had charged forward under the cover he created and Adrex’s spell was too narrow. The demon easily stepped out of the way and jumped at Nora who had not moved and was standing there holding herself. Taginnoth grinned as his claws came down only to meet Gennel who had stepped into at the last second arms raised with shields covering them.

Gennel surged forward pushing the Demon Lord off balance and then began to punch the demon using his shields as weapons. He caught Taginnoth with a right jab followed by a left haymaker and a right uppercut. Taginnoth took each blow and stepped back as Gennel went for another left punch. Taginnoth caught it, pulling Gennel forward and then tossing him away. Taginnoth took a step towards Nora who finally seemed to realise where she was and took a reactionary step backwards.

Taginnoth brought his arm back to slash at Nora with his clawed hand, he stepped forward to strike only to stand on a small trap Adrex had managed to cast. It emitted a bright flash, and Adrex used this moment to rush in and push Nora out of the way. Taginnoth swung blindly and his blows were blocked each time. Adrex stood squarely facing the Demon with an orange glowing sword that he had managed to cast gripped firmly in his hands.

Livia rushed behind him and collected Nora and pulled her out of Adrex’s way, as he swung high at Taginnoth’s head before pirouetting and slashing at the demons exposed chest forcing it back before he followed up with several stabs and cross cuts, that were either dodged or bounced of the demons hardened skin, allowing Taginnoth to leap backwards and regain his footing. The demon glowered at Adrex before he cast several fire spells at the Magi who deflected two of them and let the other ones pass him.

Taginnoth roared and started to attack, slashing, slashing, slashing, trying to break down the boys defenses but each block would slow him down, however he was still forcing Adrex back, first it was a quick half step, then another, then it was a full step. Taginnoth got his opening, he pushed with his left hand before slashing down with his right, adding a small bit of demon fire to his claws. Adrex raised his arm to protect him, but his sword was out of position. Taginnoth would take his arm, then his life. His clawed hand was on target then stopped and bounced back off solid air. Adrex looked up, surprised, but quickly launched a fireball with his free hand that caught Taginnoth and sent the demon reeling back. He peered through the smoke and saw it, the shimmer of a magic shield. That stupid Magae had cast a shield on Adrex’s arm.

Taginnoth cursed,and lunged forward. He still had the Mage on the backfoot. He slashed and sliced and even though the Magae countered the strikes getting through he was still faster, stronger, and more powerful. He shoulder charged Adrex, breaking his defense, crafted a spell and launched one at Livia and one at Gennel who was still struggling to get up. He heard the gasp as Livia saw the attack and set up both shields to protect her and Gennel, leaving Adrex exposed and staggered. Taginnoth kicked out and slashed Adrex’s shoulder with his clawed feet. He felt the flesh tear and saw Adrex reel back, his sword breaking from his loss in concentration and his hand going to his shoulder as blood poured from the wound.

Taginnoth broke both spells, reached forward and picked the Magi up by his throat and tossed him back. Only to have something large hit his head and clatter to the ground. The defensive Magi had thrown a damn chair at him. He turned only to bump into a shield wall as the Magi ran past. He turned to give chase and bumped into another wall. He slashed and felt the shield pop but it was too late. The others had collected Adrex and had carried him out of the throne room. Taginnoth raged, as he stormed to the throne, summoning demons to him. The King might have taken a large number, but he had enough to search the castle for a wounded Magi.

-

Livia ushered everyone down the corridors, down a flight of stairs and into a small room, immediately closing the door behind her and setting up several barriers just in case. “Gennel, get Adrex on the table now.” She ordered the Magi.

Gennel gently placed Adrex on the wooden table and helped clear the space around it before pulling back the shirt that Adrex had on to reveal the wound. “Shit, it’s bad.” He said.

“Apply pressure to it.” Livia said.

She turned to Nora who was still staring straight ahead, completely zoned out. If Livia hadn’t grabbed her arm when they left she might have stayed put. “Nora! Wake Up!” Livia said loudly.

Nora blinked slightly but seemed to be looking right through Livia, like she wasn’t there. Livia looked at Gennel and Adrex, Adrex who was slowly bleeding out on the table and the one person who could heal him was standing here catatonic because the events not even an hour earlier had broken the girl. Hell they would have broken Livia too if she was in Nora’s position, her entire family was just executed in front of her. Livia pulled her close into a tight hug, “I’m sorry, but we need you with us and functioning.” Livia said. “It’s for Adrex, so forgive me.”

Nora blinked slowly as Livia let go of her and then slapped her, hard. “Livia!” Gennel shouted.

Livia ignored him, she placed her hands on Nora’s shoulders and looked her in the face as Nora’s eyes slowly focused again and she looked up at Livia, before her hand went to her cheek. “You, you slapped me.” She said, slowly. “You slapped me.” she said again this time aghast.

“Sorry, it’s for Adrex. He was hit while fighting Tinn.” Livia said.

Nora looked past Livia at Adrex, unconscious on the table, blood staining his shirt and covering Gennel’s hands. “Forgiven, get me some water and whatever clean fabric you can find.” Nora said as her training kicked in, she could mourn later, after she saved Adrex’s life.

She walked over to Gennel and got him to stand over Adrex’s head to apply pressure to the wound so that she was closer to the wound. Livia appeared next to her with a bowl of water, Nora didn’t question where or how, that could wait, she raised her hand over the bowl and with her other hand slowly weaved the spell before she cast it and it fell into the water before dispersing. “This will hurt him but I need to clean the wound, and in this case that means purifying too.” Nora said. “His own Demon will be hurt as well.”

She dipped the rags in the water and then started to wipe the blood from around the wound and then gently wiping the wound itself. She could see that there were several deep cuts and blood was welling from these cuts, they were very deep. “I’m going to have to stitch the flesh together, it’s magic intense but it will get him fighting fit again.” Nora said, “But you need to keep cleaning the wound so I can see what I am doing.”

Livia and Gennel nodded as Nora held both hands over the wound slightly raised and started to craft the spell; it was intricate and multi-layered, each individual piece doing another job all layering on top of each other to form a single spell. Nora stood there wide eyed, she had never seen something complicated in spell form. Once crafted it started to glow a vibrant green, so did Adrex’s wound as sections started to slowly repair themselves. “You need to keep cleaning so I can see, it’s not just muscle I’m stitching back together it’s the entire nervous system and blood vessels. Thankfully I don’t have to do bone.” Nora said. She didn’t tell the others that Adrex’s own body was doing some of the work and when Nora brought the magic to her eyes so she could focus her spell she saw the black tendrils of demonic magic directing her magic to the most damaged places. It was as if the demon was helping them.

-

Adrex lay back as Athridon approached him. “So, did you enjoy that as much as I did?” The Demon asked him.

“Not particularly.” Adrex groaned.

“Relax, your friends are healing you, I’m helping where I can. The crown princess has already caught on.”

“Nora, is she…?” Adrex asked, trying to sit up but falling back down, “...is she okay?”

“She appears to be now. Don’t know what happened but she started helping after the others got you out.”

“Why can’t I move, even here in my own mind?” Adrex asked.

“Your body is using almost all its energy to heal you, with Nora’s help. You’re lucky you can do this, Taginnoth doesn’t know how close he came to killing you. If his kick was just a little further left he’d have sliced your lung or even heart.” Athridon informed Adrex.

“Are you here to gloat then?” Adrex asked.

“Did you not hear, I’m helping you heal.” The demon said earnestly.

“Why would you do that?” Adrex asked.

“I live here too, I don’t want to die.”

Adrex rolled his head to look at the demon, the floating face sitting in the magic trap, though Adrex could see it was severely weakened. “Why not escape? You could probably take over now.”

“Your body is not strong enough as it currently is, I couldn’t make it out before your friends or Taginnoth ended me.” Athridon said.

“Sounds like you're in as bad a place as I am?” Adrex said glumly.

“That could change though. Once you’re healed up.” Athridon started to propose. “You’re friends can’t defeat Taginnoth, and they become a liability in a fight that he will expose and use. You’re also not strong enough to defeat him alone.”

“But you are, and if I surrender myself you’ll defeat him?” Adrex asked. “Not going to happen.”

“Not surrender. It’s more of a cooperative effort to take down my brother.” Athridon replied.

Adrex thought it over, and he kept coming back to the same thought. The only way to get his friends out was what Athridon was proposing. Taginnoth had the magical strength to beat him and had the spell diversity to stop his attacks. “We get my friends out, we stop Taginnoth, we escape?” Adrex asked.

“Something like that.” Athridon replied.

“I’ll need to tell the others when I am able too.” Adrex told the demon.

“That’s coming soon, if you free me now it will happen faster. I’ll give you time to give your instructions to them.” Athridon said.

Adrex sighed, and released the spells surrounding the demon, the magic flowing back into his stream of energy as well as the demon's black magic, his face becoming misty to Adrex as the black magic joined his. Immediately Adrex felt a surge of strength and his eyes shot open. He was lying on his back looking up at the roof, Gennel, Livia and Nora’s heads floating above his before his vision cleared and he could see them better. He looked down at his shoulder and could see it rapidly start to stitch the last pieces of flesh and skin back together barely leaving any scarring. He smiled up at his friends as they looked down at him, tears welling in their eyes and staining their cheeks, worry etched on their faces and blood on their hands and arms.

Adrex forced himself into a sitting position despite their protests before he swung his legs over the edge of the table. “I need you to leave.” He said softly, raising his hands to stall their protests.

“Adrex, what are you saying?” Gennel demanded in a concerned voice.

“I can’t defeat Taginnoth, certainly not when he will use you as targets. I will not allow him or anyone to hurt the ones I love, not when I have the power to save them.” Adrex said paraphrasing what Livia had told the Grand Meister during her testing. “While I’m fighting the demons you need to get out, ride for the battleschool and warn them what happened here.”

“Adrex, we can all get out. We can sneak out like last time.” Nora said pleadingly.

“We need to stop Taginnoth though. Before he builds a new army for the Demon King, we need to warn the others about the fall of King Colman.” Adrex said, softening his words when he mentioned Nora’s father. “I believe I can stop Taginnoth, but I also realise that there is great risk and if it goes wrong I need you to stop what comes next.”

Adrex pushed himself off of the table to a standing position, smiled at his three friends as he walked past them to the door. He opened it briefly and checked the corridor which was clear so he signaled the others over to him. “If this all works out then I’ll see you at the battleschool, if not find me and if necessary stop me.” Adrex instructed them. “Promise me that.”

“Adrex, are you sure?” Livia asked.

“I, I can’t.” Nora said in tears.

Adrex looked sternly at Gennel. “Promise me.” He said forcefully.

Gennel sighed deeply. “I promise.” He said.

“Good, now get them out. I really don’t want you to see this.” He urged them.

“But, Adrex. Please.” Nora pleaded.

“Go.” He said forcefully.

He stepped out of the way and Gennel grabbed the two girls and took off down the corridor. Adrex stepped back a few steps and closed his eyes. ‘OK’ He thought, ‘Let’s do this.’

Athridon strode towards him in his mind’s eye and held out his hand. Adrex took it and felt the demonic magic flow into his fully interweaving with his own and becoming one. His eyes shot open and he looked down at his arms as inky black lines started to crawl up them forming clawed hands, they traced their way up over his clothing reaching his torso where they started to merge with the ones from his legs. He was expecting it to hurt but it felt good like a wave of pleasure was washing over him. He waited until the feeling covered his entire body. ‘I’ll help you control this new power, you’ll find that things have been enhanced.’ Athridon said to him.

Adrex took a few gentle steps before he opened the door and sprung into the corridor, his new eyes let him see magic without having to adjust his body's magic like before and he could hear and smell better, he could smell a couple of demons approaching looking for him and his friends. He sniffed and knew where they were. He took off with strong, powerful strides.

Nora, Livia and Gennel watched from the corner of the corridor as Adrex, now a demon, appeared in the corridor, sniffed a few times and took off. Livia closed her eyes while Nora watched with tears streaming down her face and Gennel turned away and hit the wall in frustration. Adrex had spent so much time worrying and fighting it, and now to save them he had allowed this.