Chapter 11
The mage from the second floor returns to the central space suddenly, having to retreat with teleportation magic away from Aurelius. He claimed enough research on his way, and he knew his orders were to avoid any direct contact with him. The noise from outside the lab catches his attention and he can see that their leader is currently mid combat with a devil, high in the sky.
Presumably it was something that Aurelius himself conjured, so he would need to assist the leader in order to return to their full strength. To that extent he casts a mid tier flight spell on himself and launches off into the sky, sending forth a barrage of spells at the summoned devil.
Far above the lab, Azemir has the lead mage on the complete defensive. His serrated blade is slowly inching its way towards the mages throat as it grinds between two conjured blades that the mage grips tightly.
A beam of energy strikes one of Azemir's barriers and shatters it, causing his attention to shift to the mage approaching from below. Dozens of small arrows made of fire appear around the mage and begin an unrelenting volley upwards into the sky to lock Azemir's attention.
Azemir retaliates by generating a wall of force for the flaming arrows to strike against, which in turn gives the leader an opening to strike with his two blades. Azemir keeps the barrier up with his right arm and parries the strikes from the leader with his sword arm.
As the leader closes the gap, Azemir vanishes from the spot and the barrier goes with it, causing the flame arrows to barrage the leader. From about a hundred feet to their right, Azemir has reappeared and is casting a spell of his own. Motes of darkness begin to gather around him and a cloud pours forth to blacken the sky. Purple electricity arcs through these clouds of darkness, cracking with a sound that only one from hell could dream up.
The leader sacrifices two of his barriers to drop through the storm of fire arrows and near his ally. The second mage dismissing his spell as the cloud of darkness grows above them.
"This will not be good." The mage says, his leader already chanting a spell to withstand the one the devil is conjuring. Quickly, he joins in and the two chant in an ancient language taught to them by the association. This kind of magic is taught specifically to counteract demonic and devilish magic, as both of the mages had it drilled into their head that devil magic is different from the arcane arts that they themselves practice.
Azemir grows the storm to the point that it blots out the sun over the entire mountaintop, after which purple lightning begins to rain down all over the laboratory. With each crack of lightning, wails of the damned follow. Scattered throughout the clouds of darkness are tiny binding circles, drawn and utilized by Azemir to ensure that the high tier spell is cast without interruption.
Far too many bolts to count arc from the clouds above to connect with the pair of mages below. Only the purple lightning strikes are met with a radiantly white barrier that causes the devilish magic to dissipate the moment it touches. Fortunately for Azemir, with each bolt that strikes, the magic supply to the holy barrier diminishes.
Far below, inside the central wing of the first floor, inside the ruined habitat that was the first target for the intruders attack, the third mage reappears from down below. Accompanying him is the barrghest, though it is unconscious and suspended midair inside a shimmering forcecage. Around each of its legs are shackles made of writhing shadow, there are also numerous needles in the creatures hide. The magic from the needles seeping into the barrghest's system and keeping it sedated.
The wails of the damned gather the third mages attention, countless streams of dark purple lightning coming down from a pitch black sky unsettle him. He makes note of the field being generated by his comrades, a spell that they were taught from their time with the association. The Heralds Plea, a spell fueled with divine magic to counteract the effects of devilish or demonic magic. It creates a force to directly oppose the nature of the unholy magic used by demons and devils, and so long as there is mana being provided to the field, it will neutralize any devilish spells cast upon it. The caveat was that it needed a supply of magic equal to or greater than the demonic spells being cast upon it. So that high tier field that the leader and second mage have generated will only last as long as their mana supply. The third mage understands that his presence is needed immediately, if his friends are to make it out of this situation in one piece.
The third mage decides to leave the barrghest suspended midair, above the ruins of the central habitat. This way, even if Aurelius returns, his precious experiment is in the line of effect for the summoned devils barrage of magic.
His next move is to teleport inside the field with his friends, which only works because the three of them have been trained specifically to attune their mana signatures together, which allows them to bypass defensive barriers in place to keep others out. Appearing next to his comrades, he begins chanting as well, and adding his mana supply to the Heralds Plea.
Shortly after the barrghest is suspended inside the central wing, Aurelius crashes through a wall with the jet black golem. He quickly notes what is going on here, spotting his child in the center of the habitat once again.
"Azemir, you have done me well. Keep them occupied while i make my escape." He smiles, ordering the golem forward to retrieve the barrghest.
The twenty foot tall golem steps down from the second story to the first as if it were descending a staircase, and continues to tread over to where the barrghest is caged. Suddenly a concealed mine conjured of pure magic erupts where the golem has just placed its foot. As the smoke clears the golem appears completely undamaged, and continues forward.
Aurelius smiles, knowing just how indestructible his golem is, as another two mines erupts from below and do not hamper the golems movements in the slightest. Soon enough the golem has reaches the forcecage, and Aurelius hops off its shoulders.
"Lets get you out of here." Aurelius says to his friend, and conjurs a high tier antimagic field arounjd himself, immediately dispelling all of the spells that are binding the barrghest. The cage of force shimmers out of existence. Each of the needles of pure magic dissolve away like sand in the wind. The shackles forged of shadow are chased away like the night fleeing from the rising sun. All of which leaves the barrghest to fall into Aurelius's arms. That itself is a rather strange scene, given that the barrghest is nearly twice Aurelius size.
From above, the thrid mage senses his magic dispelled and alerts the other two that Aurelius has appeared down below. Seeing as how they are running low of mana, the all agree of the next set of actions. The three, along with their Herals Plea spell, all vanish. This causes the rain of devilish lightning to fall directly on where Aurelius is standing with the barrghest.
""Cover Us!" Aurelius calls out frantically, sensing the incomming spell from above. The jet black golem leans forward and uses its body as a shield to cover its master. Aurelius swears to himself, but understands that he must take this opportunity to flee. So he does, and teleports away with the Barrghest in hand, or so he tries.
Standing around him are the three mages, each chanting. One is disrupting his escape magic, while the other two are chanting what he identifies to be a high tier curse. The golem might be keeping the storm of darkness at bay, but that also means that it cannot defend its master, and Azemir is too far out to recieve any orders.
"Your arrogance will be your undoing, Aurelius." The Leader communicates between chants. Soon enough, the leader and the second mage finish their chant and send forth a wave of curse magic at Aurelius. He discharges his own counter spell to negate part of the second mages curse, but the curse from the first mage washes over him and Aurelius immediately begins coughing up blood.
Utilizing the momentarly lapse as they have just finished casting a high tier curse, Aurelius withdraws a high tier magic item from his person and shatters it at his feet. A massive force is suddenly unleashed, knocking the mages and even the golem out of the way as a tear in space drops Aurelius and the barrghest somewhere foreign. As soon as the tear had opened, it disappears as well.