Chapter 16
Uriz grabbed the first Reacher rushing towards him, using his make shift staff as a handle to turn him around. He shoved the end into the creature's chest, pushing him backwards with a strong enough force to knock into the oncoming attackers. The staff remained firmly in Uriz's hands. At least now he had something to work with. He whirled the staff for a moment and turned to face the next opponent.
He knocked the next one across the head with the weapon. The Reacher lolled its head to the side, some of the dark blood dropping upon the ground in varying splatters. Satisfied, Uriz turned in the direction of a scream.
Evie was being dragged by one of the creatures; a tug of war playing out on her arms. Her feet dug desperately into the ground and slid further towards the entrenched altar with each step.
Knocking a stray Reacher across the face, he pushed his way forward. What they lacked for in brain power, they certainly made up in numbers. Another Reacher charged at him. The two locked staffs with one another, blocking moves as best he could. One of them hit against the side of his rib cage. He felt the blow land and retaliated by jabbing his own weapon into the exposed gill of the creature. Without ample breathing, the Reacher began choking upon its own internal water system and dropped to the ground, staff still embedded.
He charged across the gap separating him and Evie until he successfully grabbed hold of the creature. The Reacher reared its head towards him, the sharp teeth coming dangerously close to his face. Uriz threw him across the room and onto another group of approaching Reachers.
Turning to Evie, he said, “Go.” He motioned with his head in the direction of the door. If her friend was being held here, that was the best spot to start looking.
“What about you?” The Reachers began rising to their feet once more. They didn't seem pleased with the way things were turning out on their own turf.
“I'll be fine. Go now.” He nudged her away from him, pushing her towards the door. She looked at him once more before hurrying in the opposite direction. If he wanted her to help, she needed to follow his instructions. Besides, she was more of a liability with these creatures roaming around.
A Reacher charged into him, taking him off guard for a moment. His thoughts centered on whether or not Evie made it to the door safely. When he heard the door closing, he knew he bought her enough time. He grabbed onto the two closest Reachers, knocking their heads against one another. The bony plate offered much resistance for the creature and only caused Uriz to feel the pain. He took a few steps back.
Shaking it off, he swung and landed a punch in the center mass of the creature. His eyes glowed with an intensity mimicking that of the inferno forges. He knew he entered into dangerous ground now. While they were evil, if he enjoyed the kill too much it didn't count. The extra surge of power felt wonderful. He needed to control himself before he destroyed everything he worked for.
As the next Reacher rushed at him, he grabbed him by the arm and brought him closer. He stared at the creature, feeling it writhe underneath his grasp as it tried freeing itself. “You thought everything was planned for.” He thrust his hand into the creature's chest forcefully. Removing it, he held on to the small shard from inside, the life force of these creatures. It was a piece of the elemental plane all of them possessed. Squeezing tight, he shattered it into pieces.
“Next,” he said tossing aside the corpse. It dissolved the moment it touched the ground, green liquid bubbling away. He laughed. No one was coming after him now.
Grabbing a nearby Reacher, he tossed him easily into more oncoming contenders. They toppled over easily, the initial creature becoming destroyed from the sheer force of impact. Uriz laughed. “This is becoming fun.”
The other Reachers exchanged worried looks with one another. A few began backing out of the room, their feet tripping over the smooth stone as they sought any refuge from him.
Uriz calmed himself down. He knew he sufficiently scared them away from him. He didn't plan on using this ability again. He always felt drained after it not to mention, it looked bad when someone reviewed the incident.
“What are you doing?” Harry stormed, “He's one person. Get him.” His finger thrust out, pointing directly at Uriz. His hatred was evident in his voice.
They all looked at him for a moment, considering for a moment the gravity of his words. Failing to follow through on an order from Harry, their leader, was against their protocol. However, they witnessed his power. None of them ever went against one of the elder elemental lords. It seemed they might not survive another attack against him.
“He's one person but he's Uriz,” one of the Reachers remarked in his garbled language, “One of the Fire Lords.” His views were shared by the others who nodded in agreement.
Harry narrowed his eyes, his face twisting in a grimace of sorts. Between gritted teeth, he uttered, “I don't care if he's Uriz the ruler of every plane, get him.” He pointed at Uriz once more. The Reachers were to follow his command. On this planet, he was their leader if only for now.
Uriz prepared himself for their attack. A direct order given by their superior was always followed through. If they all decided to attack him now, he would be in a tough position. He had to hope his recent outbursts were enough to keep them away. The remaining Reachers stepped further away from him. He softened his stance. That was luck.
“We've been here for months now without any of the rewards you promised us,” another Reacher remarked, “We don't want to bring Nitror here. He'll do the same as you.”
That answered one of Uriz's questions. Nitror was one of the medium elementals, if that could be used as a classification. He roamed the upper regions comprised of water elementals which strongly resembled vapor. He must be tired of dealing with the problems in his realm. It explained his use of the Reachers as opposed to one of the more intelligent species. They were the only ones he could probably control. Everyone else knew it would be futile to attempt to bring a water elemental to the surface of a planet not completely enveloped in vapor.
“Do not speak his name in front of him,” Harry said between clenched teeth. He didn't need to get his benefactor in trouble. He was promised greatness beyond measure if Nitror was successfully able to obtain a stronghold upon Earth. With his goals within grasp, Harry wasn’t going to let it pass.
“You take him then,” a Reacher said.
Uriz was a bit impressed. He must be getting more famous than he remembered. Either that or they really were tired of being here. Regardless, it worked in his favor. He might make them leave without having to kill another one. He doubted that. He shifted his eyes back to Harry. That was the one he had to kill and end all of this.
Harry's anger grew. He knew he was losing his grip on these creatures. His brethren turned on him all because of fear. If they wanted fear, he’d show it to them. He threw his staff, impaling the Reacher who spoke. The others stiffened. They knew at any moment, they may be next.
Seeing he captivated their attention, Harry turned his anger towards them. “If you don't go after him, the same fate will befall you all.” He meant it. He would slaughter all of them to fulfill his objective.
So much for diplomacy. Uriz saw the crowd of Reachers advancing upon him, the fear they previous experienced replaced by the wrath of Harry. It was his turn to take a few steps back. Taking one at a time was easy but when all twelve of them attacked, he couldn't fight them off. They sensed this and descended upon him in an almost state of madness.
One of the Reachers bit into Uriz's arm; the skin being ripped by the teeth. He grabbed the creature's face in an attempt to dislodge him but was besieged by another from the side. His arms were being held against his will; his struggles to free them in vain. Four Reachers grabbed his legs, hoisting him into the air. This was definitely not where he wanted to be.
“Place him on the altar,” Harry commanded, “I'm sure this sacrifice will be better than the one we previously had. Maybe we'll even gain the attention of one of the upper
lords. They’d love to see their old friend.” He cast a wicked glance at Uriz, one filled with pride of his accomplishments tonight.
Uriz felt himself being dragged to the altar, his body landing hard upon the warm stone. He struggled to free himself onto to receive another blunt hit upon his head from the bony plate of a Reacher. “That hurts,” he muttered to himself, unable to raise his hand to check for damage. His hands and legs were shackled into place; all resistance being lost. “You better hope I never get out of this,” he warned. He yanked against the chains. If he was back in his previous state, he could free himself before he thought it. Now though, he was forced into remaining here for whatever elemental arose. Then he'd have to fight that one as well. It never ended.
“I know you won't,” Harry said with a smile. The night was going perfect. He began reciting the ancient text, the words burning into the air around them. The Reachers fell back into position, crowding around the altar as they raised their voices to join in the chanting. The ritual began once more.