Pug saw Kaspar a short distance away, but he was blocked by a half dozen demons. A particularly brutish one, with a head something like a rhinoceros and two large curving horns coming out of his shoulders sweeping upward, lowered his head, hefted a massive sword, and charged. Pug shouted, “Get back!” to those soldiers nearby and sent a pulse of force at the creature.

Pug was trying his best to stun or disable the demons without killing them, but it was not going well. Several of the monsters were so hearty that nothing short of a killing blow seemed to slow them down, let alone stop them.

Pug reached Kaspar and said, “We need to withdraw.”

“Why?” said the General, his sword actually smoking from the black demon blood on it. He had a nasty gash on his right cheek, but ignored it. “We’ve taken command of the field, have them surrounded, and are forcing them into a knot. We can cut them down from the edges and should have them all dead within a half hour!”

“Because in about ten minutes, each death here will cause that thing”—he pointed to the green column—“to bring a Demon King in and he, I feel safe to say, will have to be put down by magic that will level this entire structure. Nothing within a quarter mile of this place is likely to survive.”

“Withdraw!” shouted Kaspar, not waiting to hear any more. He had known Pug long enough never to doubt him in matters pertaining to magic. Zane, one of his key captains and a foster grandson of Pug, hurried over and looked as if he was about to question the order. Like Kaspar, he saw the human forces as having the upper hand.

“Get them south of here! We don’t want to be trapped on those bloody switchbacks! I want everyone at least a quarter mile away in the next six minutes!”

Zane knew better than to question an order like that, and began shouting the command, ordering it relayed to the other commands. The order was quickly passed and the soldiers confronting the demons launched a fierce assault for thirty seconds while those behind turned and began a hasty retreat.

Kaspar said, “This is where I’d normally use archers, but as I didn’t bring any…”

Pug said, “I understand.” He raised his hand and launched a red ball of light straight up. It was a signal every magician at that struggle had been prepared to see, though not if they saw the struggle as going well. Still, it was an order to cover an orderly retreat.