Screams in the mountains part 2

As dawn approached, they packed their sparse belongings and set out once again. Their journey down the mountain was cautious and steady. As they descended, the landscape gradually changed, becoming less rocky and more wooded. They were ascending on the other side of the mountains. 

"We are getting close to the cities," Suomi said," I feel strong divine winds."

"Which way should we head?" Rufus asked. 

Suomiplucked her kantele, to sense the divine winds closer, but as she was taking in the divine winds, she suddenly felt sick and cold. She fell onto her knees. 

"What is this disgusting aura," she said and Rufus looked worried. 

Then a deafening scream was heard. It grew louder and the divine winds of pandora grew. Rufus quickly ducked and pushed Suomi down, and Amala crouched as well. 

The night screamer had found them and slashed so hard, that many trees were cut down. 

Amala shot many stone arrows at the demon who was unfazed. Rufus then flew and pushed the demon away. 

"Get out of here!" Rufus yelled, "I hold it off."

Rufus, wielding his divine spheres, clashed with the night screamer, a battle of raw power and agility unfolding. The night screamer, with its unnatural speed and ferocity, was a formidable opponent, but Rufus met its attacks with equal force, his divine essence manifesting in brilliant flares as he fought.

The forest around them became a chaotic battleground, with trees being uprooted and the ground shaking under the impact of their combat. Rufus, realizing that a prolonged fight would only tire him out, decided to employ a different tactic.

He started to lead the night screamer away from Suomi and Amala's path, darting through the trees, using his agility to his advantage. The night screamer, driven by its relentless fury, pursued him, its screeches echoing through the forest.

Amala started to run towards Rufus, but Suomi yelled," Amala, follow me." as she was running up to a high cliff. 

"You want me to leave Rufus to die....." Amala yelled.

"No, I need you to help me save him."

Amala, still hesitant but trusting Suomi's judgment, followed her up the cliff. They reached a vantage point, overlooking the tumultuous battle between Rufus and the night screamer. From this height, they could see Rufus deftly maneuvering around the creature, leading it further away from their location.

"Give me five of your stone arrows," Suomi said.

Amala created them, not knowing what Suomi had planned. She then carved symbols, and divine texts, similar to the ones inside the stone hut. 

Amala watched as Suomi worked swiftly, her hands moving with precision as she carved intricate symbols and divine texts onto the arrows. The air around them seemed to shimmer with energy, the power of the texts infusing the arrows with a radiant glow.

"What are you doing?" Amala asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I'm imbuing these arrows with the same divine texts, aka instructions, from the hut," Suomi explained, her voice steady despite her evident exhaustion.

"What will it do?" Amala asked.

.....Not sure, but it's our best chance to save Rufus and distract the demon long enough."

"If we can't kill the night screamer, we can at least try to bind it, or weaken it enough for Rufus to finish it off."

Amala nodded, understanding the plan. She watched as Suomi completed the last arrow and then turned her attention back to the battle below. Rufus was still evading and countering the night screamer's ferocious attacks, but it was clear that he was tiring.

"Ready?" Suomi asked, handing the enchanted arrows back to Amala," We need the demon to fly high above, and then you shoot these arrows around the demon."

Amala took the enchanted arrows, them feeling normal, just with some scriptures. "Understood," she replied, her eyes fixed on the chaotic battle below.

"RUFUS!" Suomi yelled and got his intentions ", Fly high above to the clouds!"

"What..." he said.

"JUST DO IT!" Amala yelled. 

Rufus pushed himself, propelling upwards towards the clouds with incredible speed, drawing the night screamer after him. The sky darkened as they ascended, the clouds swirling around them in a tumultuous dance.

From their vantage point, Amala and Suomi watched as Rufus disappeared into the clouds, the night screamer close behind. The sounds of their battle echoed faintly, muffled by the dense cloud cover.

As they reached the clouds, Rufus summoned a huge divine sphere and unleashed it causing a massive explosion and as the air itself was destroyed, a large suction was created, creating friction between the clouds. 

The demon was a bit fazed, but unharmed, but saw that Rufus was now heading down. 

Amala then raised her bow, her muscles tense as she aimed towards the clouds. One by one, she released the arrows, their glowing trails cutting through the sky. Each arrow, imbued with divine texts, vanished into the clouds.

They surrounded the demon, from five sides and lightning struck them, chaining them together.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a series of brilliant flashes illuminated the clouds, each followed by a muffled explosion. The divine texts were activating, creating a barrier around the night screamer, trapping it.

The same type of force field was created around the demon, that was around the hut. The arrows kept the monster inside, and the more the demon struggled, the smaller the force field got. 

Trapped within the shrinking barrier of light, the night screamer roared in rage and desperation. Each attempt to escape only hastened the contraction of the force field, binding the demon tighter. The glowing texts on the arrows pulsed with divine energy, reinforcing the barrier with each of the creature's assaults.

The barrier, with the demon inside, started to fall. As it hit the ground the barrier shrunk so small, that it crushed the demon inside it, until it shattered like glass, killing the demon as well. 

With the night screamer finally defeated, the forest fell into a deep silence, a stark contrast to the chaos that had just ensued.

Rufus summoned his wings back and walked toward Amala and Suomi. 

"I thought I'd be a goner," Rufus said, "How did you know that would happen?"

"We didn't," the two girls said at the same time and smiled. 

They gathered themselves, taking a moment to rest and regroup after the intense ordeal. Rufus's eyes lingered on the shattered remnants of the barrier, a symbol of their victory against overwhelming odds.

"So, what now?" Amala asked, her eyes scanning their surroundings. "We're still a long way from Samderqand, and the Scethians could still be on our trail."

Rufus nodded in agreement. "We'll have to keep moving."

Suomi, who had been quiet then spoke up. "The divine winds tell that there are large settlements nearby. Only a day walk away."

"Could it be Samderqand?" Rufus asked.

Suomi took her kantele and played a tune. She used sorcery to sense deeper the divine winds. She searched for divinity around a large area, but as she was sensing, she felt immense power. War and power itself. 

"No," Suomi said and stopped playing, "It's not Samderqand that is close by."

"How do you know?" Amala asked. 

"Because I sensed a god in another direction. A god ready for war," she said. 

~~

In Samderqand, a palpable tension gripped the air as the massive Osman horde made its presence known. The gathering was monumental, with numerous tribes converging from across the expansive steppes. Among them, a sea of Scethian sassans, warriors from far-flung lands, swelled the ranks.

Amidst this bustling assembly, a corpulent Scethian sassan, Gerd, perched atop a cart drawn by two sturdy kevahs, remarked sardonically, "Ah, the big bad wolf has made its grand entrance. Finally, you made it here Gasg."

The large Khagan of the Osman tribe greeted him with a mix of surprise and respect, "Gerd... I hadn't expected to see you here."

Gerd, his large frame imposing even in his seated position, replied with a blend of pride and irritation, "Of course, I would come. Our god has called us, and the fate of our very heaven hangs in the balance. What a fortune, to be alive in such times! To be among the warriors destined to fight in a war that will either reshape or end Scethian culture." His boastful tone faltered as he added, "Though it pains me to leave my lands, now vulnerable to the ravages of the Khelians..."

"The Khelians?" the Khagan echoed, a note of concern in his voice.

"Yes, they've begun their march from the north."

"And the Khezar? Will they not halt their advance?"

Gasg's expression turned grim, "You haven't heard then... Atil has fallen, burned to the ground by the Khelian onslaught. All are dead, including the Khagan himself..."

A heavy silence fell between them, broken only by Gerd's resonant voice. "I've heard whispers," he began cautiously, "questions about why Arslan didn't intervene to stop the Khelians' rampage."

Gasg sighed deeply, his gaze distant. "The Khezars might have prayed to Arslan for an easier life, but perhaps it would have been wiser to pray for the strength to defend themselves..."

Their conversation was abruptly overshadowed by the appearance of a colossal figure in the sky. A gigantic Simurgh, dwarfing those of its kind, cast a vast shadow over the assembled masses, atop this magnificent creature perched a figure of awe-inspiring stature – a warrior, a deity, Arslan, the god himself.