“While you work on the door, Brerkemuul and I decided we’ll have another feast.” William breathed out, exhaling red smog and narrowed his eyes at the horde running towards him. “Come, let me show you all the might of Brerkemuul, The Devourer.”

William skilfully pulled out his hidden dagger and swiped it across his palm. His dark blood stained the blade and left a deeper wound on his palm. “Blood Enhance.” Tendrils of blood latched onto the blade turning it crimson.

He spread his feet wide and his black wings snapped open. “DIE!” He roared before taking off. His body moved and he didn’t tell it to. William's black magical aura took over the power the dagger, making the already crimson blade look sinister.

He swung the dagger horizontally.

SWOOSH!

Magical energy exploded from the dagger in the form of a sharp blade and cleaved dozens in half causing spouts of blood to shoot into the air. He dove into the bloody rain with a manic smile. He licked his lips, tasting the blood and stabbed his enhanced blade in the chest of a possessed human male that cut into him like butter.

BOOM!

The blade expelled black energy, blowing out the back of the man in a rain of blood and innards. The black energy disintegrated the other possessed humans unlucky enough to be caught in the blast.

He flew through the horde, draining blood replenish his own and severing appendages with his crimson dagger. Blood stung his eyes like tiny vipers, dripping down from his gore sprayed face. His manic grin with blood-stained teeth made him look even more demonic.

He loved the feel of battle, the feel of life slipping through his fingers, he loved it ever since that faithful day. His first taste of murder had tainted him and turned him into a monster that only wished to devour. Brerkemuul’s demonic presence only made this feeling stronger as they were one and the same.

“William!”

Primrose’s cold voice snapped him out of his bloody revel and he quickly looked in her direction. The horde was pounding on her shield with ferocity. “Tut tut tut, Rose I can’t have you dying on me yet.” He angrily said before diving towards the ground and vanished into a pool of blood he had spilled.

“Devour!”

Blood pooled at the feet of the small horde banging on the shield and thin threads shot upwards, impaling the possessed humans. In seconds, the demons were drained of their blood and turned to dust. William rose from the blood pool and stood in front of the shield.

“Though Brerkemuul and I are enjoying this feast, our time is running out. I won’t be able to hold this form for much longer so I suggest you break those wards, my fair Rose.” William playfully said.

“You can’t handle a few demon-possessed humans?” Primrose scoffed. “Some man you are...”

William’s eyes darkened and he smiled.“I’ll gladly show you how much of a man I am whenever you want, my fair Rose!” He replied before jumping back into the foray.

All him around was nothing but a whirlwind of blood, limbs, and a blur of color and vicious motion. He could hear his heart beating and Brerkemuul’s voice guiding him. His parched, panting tongue lapped up the blood from every blood splatter that decorated his face.

The sound of the cries of men, the screams of women, and wails lesser demons was barely enough to contain his blood lust. The sea of scarlet liquid which drained from his foes soaked the once vibrant clearing of flowers and grass.

Primrose bit her lip as she looked at the ward with a complicated expression. The tree spirits were dancing across the blue barrier at her request, using nature energy to filter out the demonic energy that seeped into the ward. While the tree spirits did that, she analyzed the magical formulas that formed the ward.

Except, the ward was all in elvish letters and numerals which further complicated things. The only way to assail a magical ward was through the act of "picking" a magical ward, akin to how a thief would pick a lock. She would have to magically un-stitch the wards by piecing apart the magical formulas used to erect them.

The problem was that her elvish was only so-so and some combinations made no sense. Her only choice was to go into this blindly. She rubbed her sweaty palms in her dress nervously.

“I’ll do the easier ones first....” She said with mixed feelings.

She raised both her hands that dazzled with magical energy and started un-stitching the ward. She translated the first formula and pinched a blue thread of magic with her fingers, pulling it out of the ward. Instantly, the blue thread disintegrated into blue particles and the magical formula appeared larger in front of her.

“ERTH(MD) = F24(MD) × WTR26(MP) = LGHT20(MD) / DRK5(MP) = WTR50(MD) - LGHTNG30(MD)”

Primrose was stumped at what she saw as they weren’t regular mathematical wards that witches or warlocks usually used but it was something she hadn’t seen before. She cursed under her breath and broke down the formula piece by piece to understand it.

“Those acronyms stand for the elements...” Primrose mumbled after a minute had passed. She moved her nimble fingers across the ward. “The other acronyms stand for magical defense and magical power. The numbers are the strength of the element.”

“F24(MD) × WTR26(MP) = WTR624(MP)” Primrose calculated with a flash of understanding. “Water is the stronger element of the two so naturally water wins. “LGHT20(MD) / DRK5(MP) =LGHT4(MD)” She pulled out another magical thread before she started on the other part of the formula.

“WTR50(MD) - LGHTNG30(MD) = LGHTNG20(MD)”

She furrowed her brow and brought her answers together.

“ERTH(MD)=WTR624/LGHT4(MD)+LGHTNG20(MD)=LGHTNG26(MD)”

Sweat dripped from her forehead and she pushed strands of hair behind her ear.

“Then….ERTH(MD) + LGHTNG26(MD)= ERTH26.”

Primrose stepped away from the ward as the magical formula disappeared. She tentatively probed the ward with her hands and found it had gotten slightly weaker but not by much.

“What’s taking so long!?” William roared, breaking her concentration.

Primrose looked behind her and was shocked. The ruins were littered with carnage, gore, and destruction. Red was the new color of what was once filled with lush green grass and grey ancient stone. Stray demons were pounding on her shield with bloodied hands. Her emerald green eyes locked onto the injured warlock who was trying his best to defend against the rest of the horde.

“Give me more time!” She yelled before turning back to the ward with urgency.

“Get it done in five fucking minutes!!!” William yelled angrily before knocking away a possessed man with his left-wing.

Primrose looked at the formulas with a sense of dread. There was no way she could break the ward completely in less than five minutes. She wrung her hands together before placing her palms against the ward. She knew of another way to get through the wards but it was extremely dangerous. She would have to override the ward with sheer magic power alone and make it her own.

It was considered dangerous because of the backlash that would occur if she couldn’t muster enough magic power to override it. Her breath quickened and she glared at the ward. Her magical aura spiked to high levels and blazed around her.

“Tree spirits….please lend me your magic power!” She pleaded and the tree spirits stopped their dance and flew downwards, landing on her body and started transferring magical energy. “Anastasia, go and help William. I can handle the rest myself!”

Anastasia hesitated before reluctantly dropping the shield. The moment the shimmering shield fell the demon-possessed humans rushed towards them.

The familiar fluttered her wings and lifted herself from the ground in flew into the sky. She flapped her wings continuously, releasing a freezing breeze that swept the battlefield. The breeze soon turned into a strong wind that slowed the movements of the demons by slowly freezing them.

“You are useful after all!” William complimented as he flew past the familiar and rammed his dagger into the skull of a possessed woman.

Bioluminescent mushrooms and flowers sprouted at her feet in a half-circle as she poured her magical energy into the ward. The witch gritted her teeth while sweat rolled down her neck as the ward hammered against her magical intrusion.

“YOUR BODY IS MINE!”

The supernatural voices and footsteps made the hairs on her neck stand up.“Carnivorous Flora!” She quickly said, her tone cold.

She felt the drain on her magical pool and her knees trembled but she pushed through powering more energy into the ward. The bioluminescent mushrooms and flowers at her feet grew exponentially and started attacking violently to protect their master.

Primrose could feel the ward bending to her will and sent one last burst of magic into the ward. Her nose started to bleed as she fought against the ward and instantly, the ward turned from blue to green. Primrose let out a sigh of relief, wiping her nose with her sleeve before rearranging the wards so William could get in.

After she was done she turned to the warlock. “It’s done!” She informed before pushed the stone doors open and stumbled across the ward.

“Finally!” William replied before flying towards the entrance along with Anastasia.

When they crossed the wards and entered the ruins, she was finally able to breathe easy. She sat on the ground and leaned up against the stone door, watching the horde pound against the ward, unable to get in. She felt a warmth on her shoulder and found Anastasia in her regular form.

“I’m so full...and I’ve grown stronger.” William proudly said, stepping in front of her and looking down at her.

She casually looked at the man who was back in his regular form as well. His clear blue eyes stared at her with an unreadable emotion as he ran a hand through his black hair.

She stood up and crinkled her nose. “Clean yourself up.” She coldly told him, briefly glancing at the demon behind him. “We’ll camp here for a while then we’ll continue on.”

William laughed. “So cold.” He teased before waving his hand. “Cleansing Light.” In an instant, he was clean of blood and grime. “That was a close call.”

Primrose nodded before observing the dark dungeon for the first time. “Dancing Lights.” She whispered and snapped her fingers. The flame lept from her fingers and jumped from torch to torch.

The duo watched light filled the long hallway in anticipation and found that the hallways were longer than they thought. Suddenly, the horrible aura they felt before washed over them and a sinister deep voice spoke.

“Welcome to the Restless Chambers, Primrose Willis, and William Vanner. Walk down the hallway and you shall find what you seek.”

Primrose frowned.

"Who does this demon thinks he's ordering?"

Primrose turned to Brerkemuul who spoke up for the first time since entering the ruins.

"Let's go, I want to see who this demon really is!" Brekemuul yelled indignantly before floating down the hallway.

Primrose looked at William with a raised eyebrow and said person raised his hands defensively.

"He's always been like that, don't blame me!"