Enclave

by Brandon Varnell

  The sound of shuffling feet behind Christian alerted him to someone’s presence. They were small feet, dainty even, the person not weighing more than maybe one-hundred pounds. That was Lilith. If the movement of her feet didn’t tell him this, then the scent of vanilla and strawberries did. Not a threat.

  The person moving behind her, with a repugnant scent and large, clomping feet, was another matter entirely.

  Christian spun around. A current of air, sharp and swift, alerted him to an attack on his left. He raised Michael, blocking the attack and swatting the rusty iron sword away. Then he lashed out with Rafael, slicing through pliant flesh, muscle, and bone, causing a head to go flying off a goblin’s body. At the same time that Rafael was taking off a goblin’s head, Christian sheathed Michael and pulled out Gabriel. He pointed the gun over Lilith’s left shoulder and fired exactly one shot. A gout of blood erupted from the goblin’s forehead. Its body jerked back, and it fell to the ground, dead.

  Wide blue eyes were seen for only a fraction of a second, long enough for him to holster his gun, unsheathe his blade, and spin around again. A grunt from his left caused him to bring Michael up at an angle. The weapon, an ax, ground against the polished Oricalchum surface and slid off in a hiss of sparks. Christian spun the blade around before thrusting the weapon into a thick green chest, while at the same time bringing up Rafael and using it to divest an attacking goblin of its dagger, along with the hand that came with it.

  While a loud, blood-curdling scream erupted from the goblin now missing its hand, Christian yanked Michael from his slain foe, allowing the beast’s body to topple onto its back. He spun, then, 360 degrees. White silver flashed as he swung his blade, cleaving through the screaming goblin’s chest like it was a stick of butter. Low, pained gurgling emitted from its mouth, but it was already dying, choking on the blood welling up in its lungs.

  More sounds occurred. The clanging of metal. The thunderclaps of gunfire. Screams and squeals and yells, battle cries that rang out only to be silenced the next moment.

  The air around him shifted. Sharp whistling made his left ear twitch.

  He moved to the left, his feet shuffling as he glided across the blood slicked floor. The attack missed and Christian consequently also ended up moving Lilith out of the way of an attack aimed at her from their right. As the weapon to the left, a club, rushed through the now empty airspace to crack against the floor, Christian stomped on the heavy wooden object. The goblin grunted, and tried to pull the weapon back, but goblins were not all that strong physically speaking. The club didn’t budge and inch.

  Not wanting to let this goblin attack again, Christian removed the hand holding the club with a quick swipe of a black blade. Before the monster who was now missing a hand even had time to scream, Christian struck it in the throat with the pommel of Rafael, causing it to choke. He then shifted to the left, stepping into the goblin’s guard. It didn’t do anything to stop him, busy as it was freaking out, and Christian was more than able to move behind it and, almost gently, guide it into the piercing thrust of a goblin that had been attacking him and Lilith on their left.

  As the goblin died, its eyes wide as it released one last shuddering breath, Christian kicked it in the back, sending it flying straight into the goblin that had killed it. The two went down in a heap of limbs

  Christian didn’t pay attention.

  He was already moving on.

  Not much time had passed, relatively speaking, before Christian began to realize how difficult fighting and protecting someone at the same time truly was. His mind had become split two-ways. One part was forced to actively keep track of Lilith, the rustle of her movement, the sound of her footsteps, the scent of her natural aroma. The other was trying to work on autopilot, cataloging the sights, sounds, and feel of battle. However, with Christian primarily focusing on Lilith and her safety, it was only natural that he would screw up eventually.

  The screw up came when Christian was forced to step backwards to avoid having his face carved in by a large, jagged looking knife. He only took a single step back, but that minuscule maneuver caused him to bump into the corpse of a goblin, one that he had coincidentally slain just moments ago. The back of his left heel hit the body, causing Christian to lose his balance and take a nasty spill to the ground.

  Someone shouted his name, a long, loud, drawn out scream. Feminine. Lilith. Christian looked up, just in time to see an ax descending for his head.

  There were certain points in a person’s life when they looked back on all the things they had done, all they had accomplished, and they asked themselves, have I done anything worthwhile? What have I accomplished?

  Christian did not do that. He did not think about his accomplishments, nor ask himself if he had done anything worthwhile with his life. No. All of his thoughts were on Lilith.

  Will she be alright?

  The axe was closing in on him.

  She’s out here, on a battle field, with only me to protect her...

  A shrill whistle pierced the air.

  Who will protect her if I die?

  A solid question. One he couldn’t answer.

  It was a good thing he wouldn’t have to.

  Just as the weapon neared his head, about to cleave his skull open, a loud, concussive gunshot rang out, somehow loud enough to be heard over the din of battle. The ax that had been set to embed itself in his head was sent sailing through the air before it somehow ended up stabbing another goblin in the back. The hand that had been holding the ax was no more, just a stump that looked like someone had stuck it in a blender. All the skin around its wrist was in tatters. Blood squirted out intermittently before splashing against the floor. The goblin looked confused for a moment, staring at its hand with undeniable bemusement.

  Another shot rang out. The bullet tore right through the goblin’s torso, blood spraying out of its back like a carnelian waterfall. A large hole the size of a fist opened on the creature’s chest, showing that whatever had just punched through it packed a lot of power. The creature looked up, gurgled, took a single step forward, and then crumble to the floor.

  Christian stood there, staring blankly at the dead goblin. The beast lay there, face down, in a growing pool of blood that was beginning to spread out from underneath its body. He could see the hole in its back where the bullet had exited. The wound wasn’t a clean one. The edges of the skin were ragged and frayed. Chunky strands of muscle fibers had flown out of the wound and lay sprawled against leathery green skin. Christian even thought he saw what appeared to be white bone fragments sticking out its back.

  A second later, Christian was being hauled to his feet by a small hand with a strong grip.

  “Christian, what in the blazes is going on here!?”

  Christian felt like his head was on a swivel as he looked at the voice, his eyes widening as surprise slammed into him. Brown eyes glared at him, surrounded by a head of messy brown I-just-woke-up-and-didn’t-have-time-to-use-a-comb hair. Sharp features appeared even sharper as the harsh light from the bulbs overhead created dark contrasting shadows on her pale face.

  “Catherine?” Christian blinked. Once. “You’re awake!”

  “Obviously,” Catherine snapped, clearly irritated by something. That something became clear as she continued. “Now maybe you could tell me what the hell is going on? I wake up on a strange bed, in a hospital I’ve never seen, guns are firing off, strange creatures are storming the place, and I can’t even find my clothes!”

  It was in that moment that Christian noticed that Catherine was indeed not wearing anything decent, just a white hospital gown that went down to her knees. He also noticed that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipples were poking at the fabric.

  He shook his head.

  “I really don’t think this is the best time. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re under attack.”

  “Yes, but this place has been cleaned out for the most part.” Indeed, Catherine’s words rang true. There were only a few goblins lef
t, maybe two or three, and they were in the process of being killed by Samantha and Sif.

  “That doesn’t mean we’re in the clear yet,” Christian said, shaking his head at her. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know, but only after this enclave is safe.”

  “Fine,” Catherine sighed. “I guess I can wait a while longer.”

  “Thank you.”

  At that instant, a scream tore through the air. Christian and Catherine both whipped their heads to Lilith, who had moved further from Christian during the battle. A goblin was attacking her. They both aimed their guns at the same time, Christian firing a round with Gabriel and Catherine did the same with her gun. The smaller bullet hit first, putting a hole in a goblin’s shoulder. The larger bullet hit second, tearing a large chunk out of the creature’s torso and causing its organs to spill to the floor.

  Christian gaped at the weapon in her hand, a gleaming silver Desert Eagle Mk XIX Hand-Canon. Desert Eagles were what many people considered the pinnacle of high-powered handguns. They weren’t just a large pistol, but a hand howitzer. Powerful didn’t begin to cover it. A single shot from a Desert Eagle could punch a hole in an engine block, never mind shooting a living thing.

  “So you can find your handgun, but you can’t find a pair of clothes to wear?”

  “Bite me,” Catherine snapped. “I woke up just as something big, green, and ugly barged into the hospital and tried to kill the nurse. My gun was more important.”

  “Point.”

  They swiftly moved over to Lilith, who was taking deep, calming breaths.

  “Are you alright?” asked Christian.

  “Yes,” she said, shaking just a bit. “I’m fine.” The shaking stopped. She looked at him with a smile. “I think I’m beginning to get used to this.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good thing.” Christian’s voice was laced with sorrow. When Lilith just frowned at him, he gave her a sad smile. “I wanted to protect you from all this,” he admitted. “I never wanted you to be forced to witness this kind of violence.”

  Lilith’s eyes conveyed to him a sense of gratitude. She took his hand, the one that was now empty of gun or sword and pressed it to her mouth. Her lips were warm, soft, and a little dry, but the contact caused Christian’s body to hum with a pleasant tingle.

  “I know you did,” she said, her voice soft, gentle, and loving. “But Christian, what you’re trying to do is impossible.” When he just frowned at her, Lilith sighed and looked away. “Damien took away much of my innocence when I was younger. I might not have seen a lot of violence, but I did have to watch as my foster mother was killed.”

  “I guess it is kind of a moot point now, especially with everything we’ve already been through.”

  An image of train car after train car filled with blood and chunky pieces of raw meat and liquefied organs filled his mind, of a man ripping off Lilith’s clothes and trying to violate her in ways only the worst kind of rapists would do. Christian had already failed to keep Lilith’s innocence intact. Trying to do so now was futile.

  Was it wrong that he still wanted to protect her? To shield her from the horrors this world had to offer?

  “Christian.”

  Something soft, smooth, and warm touched his cheek. It was a delicate hand, far softer than his own. There were no rough callouses from constantly handling weapons.

  Christian refocused to find Lilith looking at him, her face exhibiting affection.

  “I know you want to protect me,” she told him. “I know that, and I’m happy that you do. It makes me feel special, important. But I also don’t want to be treated like a glass figurine or some porcelain doll. You said it yourself; I’m not a weak little girl.”

  He did indeed say that, back in that police station in Las Vegas. And he meant it. Lilith was strong. Most people would have broken after witnessing the horrors that she had. That she had not stood as a testament to how strong she really was.

  “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

  “I know. You’re a protector. It’s what you do.” Lilith’s smile became slightly amused. “And stop pouting. It might look cute, but it doesn’t suit you.”

  Christian frowned. “I do not pout.” Lilith just continued smiling. “Don’t look at me like that. I don’t pout. I don’t.” When Lilith just continued smiling, Christian began to feel self-conscious. “Do I?”

  “Yes.” Lilith, still smiling, nodded. “Yes, you do.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Samantha Gale watched Christian and Lilith, her fists clenched, her emotions boiling. It hurt. Watching the man she had spent more time with than anyone else in the Executioners act so intimate with another woman hurt a lot.

  She had no idea that seeing how these two acted together would cause her so much pain. Christian acted so differently around Lilith than he had with her, or anyone else, for that matter. The look in his eyes, the expression on his face, the way he touched her and let himself be touched. This was not the Christian she had known so well.

  Did that mean the Christian she knew had just been a shell? Had the real Christian been hiding all this time? Or was this just a new side to him that she had never seen before?

  Or maybe... maybe this new Christian had been created by Lilith. Yes. Perhaps Lilith had used her succubus powers to create this new Christian, one who was subservient to her.

  She would have to be wary around that girl.

  Wanting to distract herself from the two lovebirds as they made eyes at each other, Samantha looked at the woman who had stormed into the room and began blasting goblins apart with her Desert Eagle. Brown hair, brown eyes, sharp features. She was wearing a hospital gown, but that was not what Samantha found herself focusing on.

  She walked over to the woman, the soft footsteps of Sif following behind her.

  “Catherine Siegal, I presume?” Samantha asked, stopping just a few feet from the woman.

  Catherine turned to her, a single eyebrow raised. “Do I know you?”

  “We’ve never met in person. I’m Samantha Gale, former commander of the Executioners western hemisphere in the United States.”

  “I see.” Catherine narrowed her eyes. “You and I will have a lot to talk about when this is over.”

  Samantha frowned but nodded. She didn’t like the look on the other woman’s face. It was reproachful, and it made her feel like this woman had a bone to pick with her.

  “Yes, I imagine so.”

  “We’ll have to do that later, however. Much later, as I’m still waiting for Christian to explain some things to me. And speaking of...”

  Catherine glared over at the Christian and Lilith, who were lost in each other’s eyes, completely ignoring everyone in the room. It was a very good thing that all the goblins in this area had been disposed of, or they would have been gutted before they could say “succubus.”

  “Hey! You two! Lovebirds! Stop making googly eyes and each other! We’ve got to move!”

  Christian and Lilith snapped their gaze away from each other and turned their heads. They blinked, then looked around, finally seeming to remember where they were and what was going on. Catherine sighed. At least they had the decency to look ashamed.

  “Come on, you two! We need to head out! Andy and the others are already moving on!”

  Despite not wanting to, Samantha found herself admiring Catherine’s ability to make herself heard and listened to. As a leader, she knew very well how hard it was to make others listen to her, so she could respect those who had that leadership quality.

  The group made their way out of the entrance room and into the enclave proper. There, the group began to realize just how bad the situation truly was. Goblins were everywhere, crawling along the walkways, bursting into and out of buildings, destroying and killing and shouting. There had to be thousands of them. Up ahead, Samantha could make out the hairy form of the werewolf charging several goblins, that rude succubus who’d tried to kill them earlier, and the other Valkyrie members running behind th
em.

  “We need to get to Clarissa,” Christian said. “That should be our first priority.”

  Samantha had no clue who this Clarissa was, but she assumed her to be the leader of this group of succubi.

  “Shouldn’t our first priority be saving as many people as we can?” asked Lilith.

  “We’ll be able to do that on our way to Clarissa but getting to her is imperative.” While Samantha had no real care whether any of these creatures lived or died, she found herself nodding. If Clarissa was indeed the leader, then her safety would take top priority. “Besides that, we can’t be everywhere at once.”

  Catherine grunted as she held her mini-canon in both hands. “Let’s not waste any more time. Come on.”

  They ran forward, catching up with Andrew, Kaylee, and the other Valkyries. The first building they entered was the cafeteria. The expansive room had seen better days. Most of the tables and chairs had been smashed to pieces, the metal that composed their legs twisted in a sick imitation of organic life. The buffet tables were also broken beyond repair, the frames that made them crushed, as if a giant had stepped on them. A fire had started up near the baking area, where the women in charge of making the cuisine cooked.

  The entire room was also host to one massive brawl. The place was littered with bodies. Succubi and goblins were fighting everywhere. Samantha could see the werewolf tearing goblins apart with large slashes of his claws.

  She frowned. She really needed to ask someone why there was a werewolf in an enclave of succubus.

  Shaking her head, Samantha placed her hand on the hilt of her blade and rushed forward. She reached her first enemy, zipping up to the ugly creature, closing the distance between them at an impressive rate. Her sword was discharged from her sheath, nothing more than a flash of light. She slashed at the creature as she passed, flicked her blade clean of blood, then slid it back into the sheath.