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a dark malignancy against the pristine white. And from that hole dropped more
demons creatures of every description, with the heads of animals, with flaming
eyes, with wings of bats and insects and great scavenging birds. These demons
joined the choir and the rift opened farther, sucking more and more of the
spawn of the Twisting Nether into the cold northern air.
Aegwynn paid the chanters and reinforcements no mind, but rather coolly
concentrated on those dropping on her from above.
She passed her hand, palm up. Half of those that flew were turned to glass,
and all of them were knocked from the sky. Those that had been turned to
crystal shattered where they struck with discordant chords. Those that were
still living landed with a heavy thump, and rose again, their ichor-splattered
weapons drawn. There were ten left.
Aegwynn placed her left fist against her upright right palm, and four of the
survivors melted, their ruddy flesh melting off the bones as they slumped into
the snow banks. They screamed until their decaying
throats filled with their own desiccated flesh. There were six left.
Aegwynn clutched at the air and three more demons exploded as their interiors
turned into insects and ripped them from the inside out. They didn t even have
time to scream as their forms were replaced by swarms of gnats, bees, and
wasps, which boiled out toward the forests. There were three left.
Aegwynn pulled her hands apart and a demon had its arms and legs ripped from
its torso by invisible hands. Two left. Aegwynn raised two fingers and a demon
turned to sand, its dying curse lost on the chill breeze.
One left. It was the largest, the leader, the bellower of orders. At close
range Khadgar could see that its bare chest was a pattern of scars, and one
eye socket was empty. The other burned with hate.
It did not attack. Neither did Aegwynn. Instead they stopped, frozen for a
moment, while the valley beneath them filled with demons.
Finally the great behemoth of a demon snarled. His voice was clear but distant
to Khadgar s ears.
You are a fool, Guardian of Tirisfal, it said, wrapping its lips around the
uncomfortable human language.
Aegwynn let out a laugh, as sharp and as thin as a glass dagger. Am I,
foulspawn? I came here to spoil your dragon hunt. It seems that I have
succeeded.
You are an overconfident fool, slurred the demon. While you have been
fighting only a few, my brothers in sorcery have brought in others. A legion
of others. Every incubus and petty demon, every nightmare and shadow-hound,
every dark lord and captain of the Burning Legion. All have come here while
you have fought these few.
I know, said Aegwynn, calmly.
Youknow? bellowed the demon with a throaty laugh. You know that you are
alone in the wilderness, with every demon raised against you. Youknow?
I know, said Aegwynn, and there was smile in the voice. I know you would
bring as many of your allies as possible. A Guardian would be too great a
target for you to resist.
You know? shouted the demon again. And you came anyway, alone, to this
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forsaken place?
I know, said Aegwynn. But I never said I was alone.
Aegwynn snapped her fingers and the sky suddenly darkened, as if a great flock
of birds had been disturbed, and blocked the sun.
Except they were not birds. They were dragons. More dragons than Khadgar even
imagined existing.
They hovered in place on their great wings, waiting for the Guardian s signal.
Foulspawn of the Burning Legion, said Aegwynn. It is you that are the
fool.
The demonic leader let out a cry and raised its blood-spattered sword. Aegwynn
was too quick for it, and raised a hand, three fingers outstretched. The
foulspawn s scar-ridden chest evaporated, leaving only
a cloud of bloody motes. His brawny arms fell away to each side, its abandoned
legs folded and it collapsed, and its head, registering nothing so much as a
look of shocked surprise, fell into the melting snow and was lost.
That was the signal for the dragons, for as one they turned on the collected
horde of summoned demons.
The great flying creatures swooped down from all sides, and flame sprung from
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