Chapter 36.

That battle was a massacre. It's the only right word to describe it. The workers were barely armed, untrained and taken by surprise. It was not even a matter of minute until they all laid dead on the grey and red ground, their insides outside and some of their limbs detached. And Nick would not have had it any other way.

As he sprung forward, thrusting all he could with his heavy spear through a Grey Devil's abdomen, he took a look around him. First, he checked on his companions : Enora was fine and dandy, killing as fast as she could towards the mine, while Rose sneaked in her shadow, finishing off the survivors and striking the dazed monsters. Next, he gazed at the incoming reinforcements. Many they were and, the more they left their camp, the more concerned Nick got. Clearly, the trio had underestimated the enemy numbers.

- Quick ! They're coming !, he yelled while sprinting towards the mine tunnel.

He received no answer but did not panic as he knew the others were just next to him. A few seconds later, all the workers were taken care of, and Nick, Rose and Enora were entering the mine path. Said path was around five meters large at its entrance, but it rapidly shrunk as it went. The three took position around the middle of the way, turning back to take a defensive stance.

Just at the moment they did, three projectiles hit them : two in Enora's shield and one in Rose's thigh. The girl cried loudly in a sharp voice, stumbling while clutching her arrow pierced limb. True enough, these monsters possessed bows. Small to medium size bows made of wood and treated bone and leather. The archers stood on the side of their 'army', while the middle advanced at a resolute pace while holding bone spears and leather shields.

- Rose !, shouted Enora.

As she tried to help, Nick stopped her and said :

- Don't turn your back on the archers ! I'll help her while you hold them off a bit.

The woman shook her head vigorously, visibly trying very hard not to panic. Sure that she would not, Nick kneeled beside the wounded and crying girl, assessing her situation : there was a lot of blood dying her pants, making it hard to see anything.

- Rose listen to me !, he said in an authoritative voice. You got to focus on your healing magic. I can't do much right now as the arrow is still in, and I don't know how long it would take to get you back on your feet. You understand ?

- YES !, she cried with a distorted face.

- Come on, missy, stop the bleeding at least !, he ordered.

She showed a very peculiar face, a mix of effort and pain. Seconds passed, and Nick knew those were precious within a fight. He definitely could not leave Enora alone in this mess.

- Look, girl, everything's on you. I have to help Enora right now, so do your best.

And he left her. That was a hard choice, a painful decision that he could not ponder over at the time. "Hopefully I won't regret it …", he thought before focusing on his enemies.

When he got near the tanned warrior, he saw that she had done pretty well until that point : there were four corpses on the ground, either pierced in some way or partially burnt to a crisp. Additionally, multiple Grey Devils had their shields of clothes on fire while gesticulating comically. Many shrill and violent voices were thrown at them, as well as arrows. At least seven of them were stuck in Enora's shield while she tried her best to keep them at bay.

- I'm here, sweetheart !, shouted Nick to make sure she heard him.

She did, only casting a worried look at him before resuming taking care of the pressing matter. The both of them did their best, defending most of the time and hitting hard when an opening appeared. "How many of these little shits are there ? Fifteen ? Twenty ? I can't see beyond the first two lines ! Fuck !", thought the man in an almost panic. Really, it was the first battle looking that desperate. They could not flee, they could not rest. Win or die.

Nick cast a Sunlight Beam, simultaneously depleting half of his light energy and melting a monster's face. It screamed in agony as its brain boiled until just falling on the ground, dead. Enora stomped on the ground and created a large cone of fire when the enemy line got too close, again producing many frightened and pained howls. They did their best.

At some point an arrow grazed Nick's left cheek, leaving a bloody trail in its path. Annoyed by the sudden pain, he just grabbed his knife sheathed on his lower back and threw it towards the culprit. But of course, he missed and hit another monster, not even with the blade as he did not know how to throw knives properly. That fact enraged him even more, pushing him to charge at the nearest Devil, surprising it. The victim had lost its shield a few seconds prior and was only holding a small bone hatchet in its three-fingered hand. In a single swift motion, the man cut both of this creature's hands, grabbed its neck and used it as an improvised shield. His consumption of wild energy was substantial, but his instincts were just a mess at that point, stunning Enora in fear. Was she afraid of his behaviour or of the risks he took ? Nick did not know or care.

Brandishing his living protection, Nick began piercing thoraxes and heads, cutting away what he considered to be an excess of flesh on his enemies. At some point three of them managed to grab his spear and, instead of spending wild magic to retrieve it, he just released his grip and grabbed his hatchet previously hanging at his waist. The combat changed a bit for him at that point, sacrificing range for a more hands-on approach. But, with the strength of a mage, any weapon was deadly.

Also, as he hacked and chopped away, his shield quickly lost its effectiveness and integrity. Realising how many pieces were missing, Nick threw it on the group ahead and retreated towards Enora. His back exploded in pain as he sprinted, making him stumble a bit before Enora placed herself in front of him. Two objects had hit him, one on his left shoulder, and another on his lower back. Yet, as excruciating as it felt, he got back on his feet and prepared himself for the next enemy.