Erich didn’t think. There wasn’t time for that.

  His sword practically appeared in his hand as he lunged toward the looming shape, his form a picture perfect Magma Blossom thrust. Mana erupted from Erich’s chest, flowing down his arms to reinforce his body as his sword flashed through the air, faster than the unaided eye could follow.

  The tip of his sword found only rock as his opponent twisted to the side with the reflexes of a striking snake. Erich pulled his weapon out of the stone, his feet dancing across the floor as he opened up some distance between himself and his enemy.

  It was a demon. There wasn’t any doubt in his mind. It looked like one of the flying imps except it stood almost seven feet tall and had four limbs rather than six. If its size and physical changes weren’t enough to drive the point home, the monster’s eyes were a dead giveaway.

  They weren’t the eyes of an unthinking animal. The demon was analyzing him, weighing his strengths and weaknesses as it tried to decide its next course of action. Its eyes glinted and a sneer crept across the monster's face. Whatever it had found while eyeing Erich up and down, it had found him wanting.

  When the demon moved, it moved fast. Erich could track the flurry of thrusts and slashes from its dangerously clawed hands, but only barely. If he hadn’t broken through to the second tier, that first set of attacks would have easily overwhelmed him.

  Sparks flew as his sword flicked back and forth, barely deflecting the onslaught of attacks even as he backed away from the monster. Each blow from the demon, despite their deceptive swiftness, carried almost as much force as a full double handed slash from Erich. Through his sword, he could feel flame, not as hot as the flames that burned in his image, but there were more of them, enough to overwhelm Erich if he wasn’t careful.

  A swipe came from the left, forcing Erich to swing across his body in order to block it. The force of the collision jolted up his arms, jamming his shoulders back into their sockets and knocking him back a step.

  He didn’t have a chance to properly recover. Another claw thrust toward him from the right, talons wide as it sought to grab hold of Erich and tear through his flesh.

  His sword chopped downward, barely intercepting the demon’s claws before they caught hold of him. Once again, Erich found himself buffeted to the side as the creature overpowered him, but at least he managed to avoid its attack.

  Before he could set his feet, a wing swung toward him. It wasn’t moving anywhere near as quickly as the demon’s claws, but Erich’s sword was out of position. Unable to parry or dodge, he was left with only one option.

  Erich tucked his arm to his side, shoving as much mana into the Poison Tempered Body as the strengthening technique could take. The wing hit him with the force of a blacksmith’s hammer, lifting him off of his feet and sending him flying almost ten feet in the opposite direction.

  The bone didn’t break. A small mercy that Erich didn’t have the time to feel thankful for as his other side hit the rocky floor, bouncing once before he rolled to a stop.

  A talon covered foot rushed through the air toward him as the demon tried to stomp on his throat. Erich barely managed to roll to the side, one of the monster’s claws drawing a two inch long cut in the skin of his cheek.

  Its other wing slammed into the ground, next to Erich’s head, cracking stone with the force of its attack. A wild swing of his sword, his first attack in the entire fight, forced the demon a half step back, buying Erich a fraction of a second.

  He jumped to his feet, backing away from the creature warily. It didn’t pursue him, instead cocking its head to the side and watching as Erich panted for breath.

  His mana reserves began to wane as the Poison Tempered Body began healing the damage dealt by the attack. Erich could feel a line of angry darkness in his cheek where the demon had drawn blood, but after a couple of seconds the poison disappeared, buried under the warm life energy welling up from his image.

  “You managed to neutralize this one’s miasma.” Erich practically jumped as the demon spoke, its voice a guttural hiss.

  “A mortal of your level should be halfway to transforming into a mindless husk by now,” it continued, its eyes gaining the first flicker of interest he’d seen during the entirety of their fight.

  “Does that mean I’ve passed your test and that you will step aside?” Erich asked hopefully, his words coming out as a strained croak. “I would appreciate it if you would.”

  The demon stared at him, a foot long purple tongue darting out of its mouth and passing over most of its face before it finally deigned to respond.

  “By the contract Wyannix should let you pass. This one recognizes the sword style that you use as belonging to the dark ones, and the dark ones have offered Wyannix much to guarantee their safe passage.”

  Erich didn’t let himself relax. Demons could be trusted when they were under contract, but whatever contract the creature had, it wasn’t with him.

  “But you attacked Wyannix first.” The demon’s wings flapped once behind it. “That breaks the contract. You are outside its protection.”

  “Plus,” it continued, a fang filled smile stretching its feral face. “The contract was signed when Wyannix was Wyanna. A deal bargained and struck with a lesser demon cannot bind an intermediate demon. Only the truly foolish would believe such.”

  Fear prickled up and down Erich’s spine. It might have been lying about being an intermediate demon, but he’d seen the monster move. Even with a full reserve of mana and a well thought out battle plan, it wasn’t terribly likely that he could beat it.

  “But killing would be a waste,” it continued, taking a hopping step toward him that sent Erich skittering backward. “This one can feel the fire, light and life in you. A rare combination. As sweet as it would make your flesh, a contract would be even more delicious.”

  “This one is called Wyannix,” the demon said, finally stopping its advance. “Give Wyannix your name mortal. Give it willingly and Wyannix will take it from you. This one can give you something sweet and nice in return. You only must ask.”

  A shiver ran through Erich’s body. He didn’t know much about dealing with demons. Just that they were treacherous and that they kept their deals to the letter, nothing more and nothing less.

  He didn’t know what ‘giving his name’ to Wyannix would do, but Erich knew better than to find out. The creature was staring at him hungrily, and Erich was pretty sure that its hunger was for more than just his flesh.

  “You can call me Erich,” he replied. A flash of displeasure clouded the demon’s eyes, and Erich knew he had answered correctly.

  “He gives not his name, but instead what Wyannix may refer to him as,” the demon said thoughtfully. “Interesting. He knows the games. That is more than Wyannix would expect from a lost and weak mortal.”

  “I don’t suppose that it is interesting enough that you will let me pass?” Erich asked hopefully.

  “Let you pass?” Wyannix questioned, its voice singsong, mocking. “This one may let you pass. This one may give you many sweet and delicious things. Power that will swell your weak body and let you dash your foes against the rocks. Crack their bones and drink the aether inside.”

  “I suppose that I would have to pay a price for this power?” Erich wasn’t really asking a question. He could feel cold sweat beading on his brow. They both knew that the demon would demand something of him.

  “Little things,” it replied, its voice dropping into a malevolent whisper. “A spot in your image. A taste of your light. A name. A shape. A memory. An act of power.”

  “Nothing much,” it cooed. “Nothing you would miss. All things you can forget.”

  “That actually sounds like quite a lot,” Erich replied, his stomach sinking. “It sounds like you’re asking for me to turn over the core of who I am.”

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  “Yes,” Wyannix hissed. “This one wants your core. It is sweet and tangy now, but it is not ripe. Wyannix will give you power and you will venture above. You will grow and find glory. You will ripen and your aether will fuel this one. You will grow strong, and Wyannix will grow stronger through your acts and name. A trade. Simple and clean.”

  “I would prefer to not turn myself over to you,” Erich said nervously. “I don’t know a lot, but I don’t want to become someone else’s pawn.”

  “A name or a life,” the demon snapped back. “Killing Erich now would be a waste, but he is sweet and he is delicious. This one would enjoy the feast.”

  Erich’s thoughts spun wildly. It can and would kill him. There was no doubt in his mind that it was stronger than he was. SIgnificantly so. Even if he tried to run away, Erich would only make it a couple dozen steps before it chased him down. Out in the open, his chances were likely even lower as the winged demon could probably fly.

  His eyes lit up. It might not be enough, but the hint of an idea blossomed in his mind.

  “You said that you could taste fire, life and light while we fought, right?” He asked, trying his hardest to project confidence that he didn’t feel.

  “Oh?” Wyannix cocked its head. “This one did feel those energies. A delightful mix, adding a hint of spice and power to your tender meat.”

  “What about lightning?” Erich pressed. “My sword technique is rooted in fire, and my body strengthening art uses life magic. I suspect you could feel my light magic as it cleansed your poi-miasma, but did you notice my lightning?”

  “Lighting,” the demon remarked, a hungry glint to its eyes as its massive tongue flopped from its mouth a second time. “A rarer magic. Tasty and energizing.”

  “I don’t have a technique worthy of my lightning yet,” Erich said hurriedly, “but my master said that my affinity is stronger than he’d ever seen. Wouldn’t it be a waste to eat me now? I don’t even have a lightning art to channel my lightning mana.”

  “True,” Wyannix said thoughtfully. “A meal such as Erich must be savored. Eaten over time as it grows and blooms, but a hasty morsel is better than no food at all.”

  “What about a wager?” Erich asked hopefully. “You said that games interested you. How about we make a bet. If I win, I can pass. If you win, I will give you my name.”

  “And a spot in your image. A taste of your light. A shape. A memory. An act of power.” The demon appended, its voice thoughtful.

  “Sure,” Erich said weakly, his pulse racing. He didn’t know what he was offering the demon, but it didn’t really matter. If he lost, the demon would have a hold on him. The extent of that hold was unclear, but he suspected that letting the creature kill and devour him would be preferable.

  A strange clicking sound came from deep in Wyannix’s throat as the demon cocked its head. Slowly, it sidestepped, walking around Erich without drawing any closer, as if it wanted to get a better look at him. Finally, it broke the silence.

  “What game is it that Erich wishes to play? Does he wish to use riddles and words? Or perhaps he wishes to test his body? A race is traditional, but tests of skill such as dancing or art could also work were this one to call over a judge.”

  Erich immediately dismissed the final offer. There was no telling how long it would take to summon a judge, and any judge that the demon called over would be a demon itself. Even if it didn’t outright cheat and simply bribe its companion, he wouldn’t have any idea what standards of beauty or aesthetics the creature operated under.

  If subjective fields were out, that narrowed his options considerably. Erich never spent time learning games of skill. Those were reserved for the upper crusts of Hollendil’s society such as his brothers. Ultimately, that left only one thing.

  He took a deep breath, blowing the air back out quickly as if the silly ritual would somehow make his request less foolish.

  “Combat.”

  The demon laughed, a high pitched noise that sounded like steel dragging against ceramic. It skittered across his ears, making his skin crawl.

  “Combat?” Wyannix asked, delighted. “Erich truly is amusing. You propose a game because you know you will lose a fight with Wyannix and the game is a fight itself. This one is curious. Does Erich have a plan? Some artifice or secret that he thinks can turn the tides? Or is he just foolish? A dull light masquerading as something much more brilliant.”

  Erich raised a single finger.

  “One hit,” he said, his heart fluttering out of control. “If I can land one hit on you, you will let me pass unharmed.”

  “Interesting!” Wyannix exclaimed, leaning forward slightly before returning to its original position. “Such are the terms of the game. If this one can subdue Erich without being struck, he must give his name, his image and his light. If Erich manages to strike this one, he may pass and climb back up into the mortal lands.”

  “Unharmed,” Erich corrected, adrenaline spiking as he noticed the ‘accidental’ misstatement of their agreement.

  “Unharmed,” Wyannix agreed. “Wyannix will not slash or eat his delicious flesh or taste the sweetness of his light.”

  Erich nodded at the winged demon, setting his feet. Both of his hands were gripping onto the hilt of his sword with enough force to turn his knuckles white. Wyannix cocked its head to the side, making the clicking noise at him again.

  “Then we are agreed as to the rules of the game, mortal,” it hissed. “Strike me once and go free.”

  He held his ground. Attacking the demon was foolish. He’d seen how quickly it moved and how strong it was. Maybe with a couple years of practice Erich might be able to train Magma Blossom to the point that he could barely puncture the creature’s defenses, but for right now, it was an impossibility.

  Erich only had one real chance. Just as he had the demon’s measure, Wyannix had his. It knew that he wouldn’t be able to fight back fairly, so it would probe him before trying to overwhelm his defenses. The only real trick he had was the strength of the Poison Tempered Body and the fact that the monster wanted to take him alive.

  Wyannix grew tired of waiting and pounced. A claw slashed toward Erich’s face, lightning quick.

  He got his sword up in time. Erich was a little more prepared this time. The demon still outclassed him completely, but his previous experience let him predict the course of the creature’s attacks, giving him a fraction of a second more to set his defenses.

  A second slash came from the other direction, and Erich’s feet shuffled on the rocky ground, rotating his body just in time for him to catch the demon’s claws on his blade in a flash of sparks.

  Wyannix hopped backward, both of his wings buffeting in from either direction in an attempt to batter Erich into submission. Mana swelled inside his chest, flowing into both of his legs, and Erich jumped backward as well, the demon’s wings passing just in front of his face with the sound and force of a thunderclap.

  The demon didn’t give him a moment to relax, storming toward him with an overhand swipe followed an eyeblink later with a horizontal slash from its other claw. He spun to the side, avoiding the downward strike while slamming his sword into the other claw.

  It was only three exchanges, but already his wrists and shoulders hurt. There was no real way for him to quantify how much stronger and more capable the demon was, but there was no doubt in Erich’s mind that it could have torn through a dozen warriors of his caliber in a matter of seconds if truly wanted to.

  A talon covered foot left the floor, grasping toward his exposed thigh. He rotated his body, trying to pull himself out of reach even as he swung his sword downward. The weapon barely made contact with the demon’s ankle, sending a spray of sparks but doing no damage to the monster’s scales, when Wyannix launched its actual attack.

  It thrust toward him with its right hand, a single claw extended like a needle. Erich didn’t bother to block, letting the talon sink into his shoulder even as he changed the grip on his sword. Pain exploded from the wound as a dark, burning energy poured into Erich.

  “Truly weak,” Wyannix said with a click of its massive tongue. “This one thought you had a secret, some-”

  He thrust upward, one hand on the pommel of his sword while the other rammed it into the unprotected demon’s chest. Erich ignored the agony in his shoulder and let the fire from his image burn high. Mana filled him, hot and angry, driving the tip of his blade through the demon’s scales and drawing a single drop of thick ichor.

  Wyannix froze, confusion rapidly giving way to anger as it realized that it had been tricked. The talon ripped free from Erich’s shoulder, drawing a gasp from him that was quickly cut off as it grabbed him around the throat.

  Erich’s world whirled around him as Wyannix spun him around, slamming his back into the stone wall of the cave. Air exploded from his lungs only for the demon’s grip around his neck to hold it in place.

  Distantly, he heard his sword clatter as it hit the stone. The entire attack had taken place before his weapon could even fall from his hand to the floor

  The room swam, and Wyannix’s face was right next to Erich’s. Rage filled the demon’s eyes and he could feel the flames of its mana through the hand around his throat.

  “You did have a trick,” it whispered, cold and dangerous. “You used this one’s arrogance against it. A good trick to end a good game, but Wyannix hates losing.”

  Erich shuddered. He could feel his physique slowly healing the wound to his shoulder, but the darkness left behind by the demon’s claws was slowing the process.

  “Wyannix also has a trick. Erich was foolish and did not watch his words. This one will not injure or harm him further, but that does not mean that Erich may pass without being marked.”

  The demon’s huge purple tongue slipped out of its mouth, darting past his face before running itself over his injured shoulder. Demonic saliva glistened as the organ passed over the wound and Erich hissed at the violation.

  His wound closed, disappearing like it had never been and leaving behind… something. It felt like the darkness from the monster’s claws but it was different. The sensation wasn’t damaging or harming Erich but it also wasn’t dissipating like the monster’s miasma. Instead it lurked, waiting.

  Wyannix released him, letting Erich drop, coughing and sputtering for breath, to the cavern floor. It turned and stomped away from him, pausing only as it reached the edge of the cave.

  “Your name remains your own for now,” it called back, its voice singsong and sweet, taunting, “but you bear my mark Erich. The two of us are connected. No matter the distance, this one can talk with you. One day, you will need the power that Wyannix can offer. Then, you will give your name freely.”

  It disappeared into hell’s red light, leaving Erich gasping on his hands and knees in the empty cave.