by RJ Seymour
"What…What is this?" Dale asked, lifting the blade to his face.
Untouched blue steel stretched out before him, hammered to perfection the knife was no longer a simple dagger, but the pristine blade of a sword with etchings of a language he could not read.
"Where did you get that?"
He could hear her voice, it was distant and had no effect as his eyes were drawn to the light that pulsed from within the power of his weapon.
"I said, where did you get that?"
Dale felt the strong hands as they gripped the front of his shirt and forcibly lifted him from the ground. He could see her face reflected in the light, but her beauty was no match for the grace of the shining white light. It warmed him down to his core, a feeling he had not known in all of his life.
"Give me that!" She shouted as she wrenched the blade from Dale's hand.
An explosion ripped the space between them as Dale tumbled toward the black pool. Cool water filled his boots as he pulled himself free from the watery embrace, mud and seaweed dripping from his shirt. His angel rested against the forest barrier, the soil and bushes blown to the side where her body collided with the wall. Remaining on the ground was his father's dagger, silent and untouched, the silvery blade had fallen where they once stood.
"Are you OK?" Dale asked as he made his way over, the sight of where she had cracked three of the trees more concerning then his father's blade.
"Yeah I'm OK you oaf, do you know what that thing is?"
Dale turned back to the knife on the ground, his angel wiping away the leaves and twigs from her armor.
"No, should I?"
"If I'm correct, and my aching shoulder tells me I am, where I am from they call it the ‘Right Hand.'"
"The ‘Right Hand' of what?"
Dale felt the tremors down at his feet as the small rocks rattled against the soles of his boots. The second tremor was stronger as it shook the ground at their feet, strong enough that she grabbed his shoulder to help stabilize them both.
"Use your imagination, genius. The one thing I know is, wherever that thing goes, trouble follows."
The stars above them blacked out as a boiling mass of dark clouds rolled over the wooden walls. Water began to boil as the hydra climbed higher above the pool, its venomous teeth bared and its limbs coiled back as the third tremor dropped both of them to their knees.
"Do you know how to fight?"
Dale couldn't answer before the gnarled barricade that separated them from the demons exploded.
* * *
"Run!"
Dale heard the angel scream before she evaporated into a ball of light and steamrolled into the darkness that fell over the opening in the wall. Wood logs and splinters littered the ground around him, the gap between their oasis and the world of the forest now gone as the hole was large enough to roll in an old Chevy truck.
Fear pushed him back as he stumbled to get to his feet. Fire lanced through his legs as he watched the arms of the hydra shoot out into the forest and coil around the shadows. Yelps of pain and damnation echoed into the night as the thorns bit into their targets.
The light and the sea creature were not enough. Demons poured in like a tsunami, their black mass a tidal wave of fear, and their evil magic leaving them featureless as the white light of his angel sparked and bounced from demon to demon.
Crawling backward, Dale could feel the stones in the dirt scratching at his skin. The creatures hadn't spotted him yet as the hydra and angel fought valiantly, though the certainty that they would find him cemented his feet to the ground.
"Get out of here while you still can!" Her voice echoed in his mind.
Water splashed on his back as dark masses fell into the pool. The bodies of demons floated by, torn and silent as the hydra bit one in half and shook its remains before throwing it back to the forest. Ghostly figures crawling on all fours climbed the serpent's body, scales and thorns falling as the beasts shredded its skin in any attempt to bring the defender down.
Dale could feel the beat of his heart as the blood pounded in his ears. Fear washed down his spine, the sensation leaving his limbs numb as he struggled to find the strength to move. Shouts and shrieks filled the night as rain started to trickle around the forest alcove.
In only a few moments, the sprinkle of water opened the heavens above as the rain began to fall in sheets and lightening streaked across the sky. Droplets trickled down Dale's face as he watched his angel's light continue to bounce through the darkness, its movements hard to watch, but the screams of her victims rang loud and clear.
He wanted to help; he wanted so badly to protect her as his dreams had told him to. What could he do? The evil that leaked from the demons was an ooze that covered him like a skin, its fear sinking deep into his soul as he could only watch in horror.
"Ah!"
Her voice crackled in his mind as her light tumbled across the opening and stopped with a thump against the tree line across from him. Cracks zigzagged their way up the wall as he watched her figure pull itself together from the light, her power struggling to continue the fight as she sprawled on the ground.
Blood covered her armor, black and oily as it stained her chest. Crimson red trickled down her forehead as he watched her face wince in pain as she pushed herself to her knees, the howls of darkness closing tightly around her. A large groan vibrated over the storm as he watched her regain her footing, the light of her power hesitating as her body started to transform.
Thrashing in the water behind him, Dale turned only a moment before that shredded corpse of a demon, bloody snout, and fire red eyes splattered at his feet.
"Oh my god!" Dale cowered as his legs kicked into drive and thrusted him backward.
Demon blood, salty and rank with iron covered his face as he stumbled onto his back. With a roll to the side, Dale felt his hand grip onto something that his mind had lost sight of, but the feeling of warmth flooded his soul the moment his skin made contact.
Light erupted through the forest as the shadows retreated in his vision. The cloud of evil disappeared as Dale's eyes widened to what he could see. Men, or what could once be called men, ran on all four limbs as they surrounded his angel. Their bodies were starved, the joints enlarged and grotesque from their transformation, but the dark power within them ate at their souls. Their red eyes burned as the demonic need for power consumed everything around them.
His angel continued to fight. He could see her graceful form tear into her enemies, her blade slicing through the demons like a hot knife through butter, but he could see her strength failing. Claws had torn her silk dress as dark stains wrapped themselves around her like the hands of a lover. There was no fear in her eyes as she pushed deeper into the enemy, her determination was unending as the odds against her were too high for victory.
With a squeeze of the blade's handle, Dale pushed himself to his knees as he felt the presence behind him. Magic pricked the skin on his back, the tiny hands of the devil searching for a weakness it could use to take him. The demon sniffed the fear that cloaked Dale like an aura; it inched its way closer as the pounding of Dale's heart throbbed in his head.
Biting down on his lip, Dale spun and swung the weapon out in front of him like a shield as he fell backward. The demon reacted to the quick movement, clawed hands extended, Dale could see the transformed man's jaws open, and pointed teeth dripping with venom as it lunged forward.
Black magic exploded in front of Dale's face as the demon became a pile of ash at the moment his blade made contact with its body. Flakes of burning embers floated to the ground, the essence of the evil magic dissipated as he pushed himself off of his back.
Seated, he watched as the fighting that surrounded his angel slowed. Those closest to her continued to fight, lunging themselves through the opening and into the whirlwind that was her blade, hoping to take her down with numbers more than skill or weapons. Those furthest away had sensed the change the same moment Dale and the hydra that remained floating in the
water did. They turned away from the threat that the angel imposed, allowing their attention to draw to him.
Dale could see the fire in their eyes. They looked at him, and he could feel their magic probe deep into his body where the seed of fear had sprouted. His weapon shook in his hands as he forced himself to his feet. Holding the weapon, he held the blade toward them. He didn't understand what it could do, or even how to use it, but the demons hesitated as they approached him.
Step by step they inched closer. Dark claws dug into the earth as they approached. Their elongated snouts lifted in the air as they inhaled the essence of the magic that Dale held in his hands. He could see the saliva dripping from their jowls as they grew nearer. Six demons spread as they approached, each snapping their jaws as they remained far enough away to avoid the sword, but close enough he could feel their teeth tearing at his skin already.
Sweat ran down Dale's hands. He wanted to be sick. Blood covered him, and the stench of death filled the air. His knees were weak as he took another step backward; he didn't know how to fight, but he knew he couldn't allow them behind him. With each step, he tried to turn away from the pool of water where the hydra remained. If he fell, they would be on him. His throat was dry as the aches of his burning heart throbbed through his shoulders and down to the hands that gripped his father's gift.
"Ah!" Dale shrieked.
Pain scorched up his ankle as it turned sideways and tumbled him backward. The heel of his boot snagged on the vines that crafted his angel's tree stump seat and dropped him down, his back hitting the soft branches that created the backrest. All six of the demons growled excitedly, their eyes burning bright as they dug their claws deep and bunched their muscles to attack.
Swiftly, the line of demons swept to the side in a howl of anger as Learnie's arm wrapped around the first and dragged it across the ground and took the other five with it. All six tumbled together and crashed into the outer wall, yelps of pain rang out as the poison set in, but the evil would not be contained. Racing to their feet, five of the six climbed back to their feet and charged toward the pool of water. Their fight with Dale was forgotten, their anger and lust for blood turned toward the creature that had tattered their bodies with barbs and poisons that tore down to their bones.
Inching through the shadows, Dale watched as the darkness struggled with the light of his vision. He could see the carnage that laid around his angel, her form surrounded by the torn bodies of countless enemies that continued to stream from the forest. The Hydra, his male form hidden by his magic, struggled as the five demons danced around, their claws and fangs wearing the man and his serpent limbs down as blood and pieces of body floated across the water.
Dale let the tip of his father's sword touch the ground as he leaned against the trunk of the Oak tree that provided shade for his angel's bed. The only exit laid before him, filled with the bodies of a hundred dead demons and it only lead him deeper into the darkness that awaited them all.
Fatigue cramped his muscles, he couldn't move, he didn't want to move. Just yesterday his biggest worry was if there would be enough rain to grow anything but thistle in his village's garden. Now, he couldn't think of his life past the next few moments. His angel couldn't lose. She had been protecting his people for over ten years if his dreams had been true, but now he could see no way out. She was alone, and he was of no help. She would fight for them, and watching as the blood of another demon splattered across the stained skin of her face, he knew she would die for them. But what could he do? He was only a young man, holding a blade he didn't even know how to use.
Squeezing onto the weapon's handle, he looked to the sky above. He watched the rain fall in gray droplets as another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky and slammed into a tree on the outside of the wooden barrier.
"Father, whoever you are, give me the strength to help. I do not have her courage or her magic, but do not let her die this night," Dale pleaded into the night. "Give me some way to help her, do not let us die out here in the dark."
Dale cringed as the taste of demon blood raced over the tip of his tongue. Iron and foulness choked at his throat, his stomach curling as the taste lingered in his mouth. The fighting was endless, the mass of darkness overwhelming the powerful light that filled his vision. He could feel the tears burn at the edges of his eyes as he fought the urge to crawl into a hole and hide. Maybe they wouldn't find him, maybe this was all a dream.
A nightmare, he could live with that. He'd wake up in the morning and thank the heaven's it was all over. The sword rattled in his hands as his legs struggled to keep him up. This night would be so much better if it were all in his imagination.
Dale squeezed his eyes as his heart skipped a beat. Thunder rumbled through the forest as the endless wave of demons parted, and the light of his angel remained. He could see her figure waver, the power of her light fading as she struggled to stand, her dress ripped to pieces, and her body covered in the gore of her enemies and her injuries. Moans echoed into the night as the man who was the hydra collapsed onto his knees, the bodies of demons scattered around him in the pool of water.
Steps. Colossal steps sent tiny earthquakes through the forest as a darkness approached from the forest. Dale's new vision could not pierce the veil as the monster approached. The skeletons of Mother Nature's beauty only reached the chest of the enemy. It walked like a man, its shoulders hunched and layered with muscles. He could not see the head in the dark clouds above, but the red fire that ignited within its eyes shined like beacons into the night.
Lesser demons shrieked as it stood behind the wooden barrier. Sounds of fear and excitement raced through the night as the nightmare stood waiting as his angel remained resolute in her resolve. Dale couldn't breathe, his mind a blank slate as he stared at the thing that awaited them. It was death in physical form. No power, no angel could fight this creature. He fell to his knees as the tears rained from his eyes.
What could they do? Why did it have to be him?
He wanted to call out to her, scream her name before it was all over. But he didn't even know what it was. She was a mystery, a secret that would avoid him until the moment he died. His lips moved, and his lungs burned, but nothing came out as the darkness exploded around him.
* * *
"Why have you come here?" Her voice struggled with disbelief.
Dale could hear his angel, but his world was a dark void.
"It was you all along; everyone died because of you."
Who was she talking with? Dale struggled to move as pain wracked his entire body. He brought his hand to his face but could no longer see. He could feel his toes wiggle and both arms move, but the fear he was blind hit him like a speeding car.
The darkness. The evil had taken his sight.
"We trusted you!"
Her screams sliced into his eardrums as he rolled to his side. Coughing forced its way out as his eyes opened, and the shadows pushed back. He wasn't blind, but the smell of ash and dust filled his lungs.
"I should have killed you when I had the chance," her voice was trembling on the edge of fear and madness.
"Put all of this behind you, join me and we can rule this world together," a male voice, deep and throaty answered.
Dale could feel his breathing struggle as he pushed himself to his knees. Dark soot rained from the sky as small fires burned throughout the forest clearing. The wall that had separated them all was shattered, broken limbs of trees smoked and lay scattered, the fog of destruction thick with despair.
"Rule this world?" Her words could not contain the madness. "He'll never let someone like you rule. You aren't strong enough to take his place, none of us are."
Dale pushed himself to his feet; he had rolled behind his angel's hammock when the explosion had rocked the earth. With his shoulder pressed against the remains of the Oak tree, he used its faltering strength to keep himself upright, and squinted into the darkness.
Too much stood between them and him, they were dark silhoue
ttes, faded in the smoke that choked him every time he breathed.
"Do not mock me, I come to give you this choice freely." The demon's voice grew deeper with anger that rumbled with the threat. "The others were not as lucky as you are. Some I did not give a choice, some I did. They all chose wrong, and now you are the last of them. Do you want to perish like the rest?"
Dread washed over Dale as his knees buckled. He was going to kill her. His angel was going to die here and now, and then who would protect him, or his family. With a wobbly step, Dale inched his way forward through the shadows. Fires crackled behind him as he crouched to keep himself hidden. He didn't know what he would do, but he couldn't sit and wait.
With a step around the hollowed trunk of the tree, Dale could see a little more of what awaited him. His angel stood resolute, her light pulsing as she remained near what had been the barrier that kept the demons at bay. Blood covered her armor and matted her light hair to her head. Her shoulders were back; her chin pointed high though even from a distance of a few dozen yards he could see the freshness of the wounds that marked her body.
"I'll give you one more moment to choose, sister."
Dale's heart stopped with his breathing. Standing in front of her was the giant who had destroyed the wall and the demons that had breached it. His head was near the clouds; his wide shoulders tilted forward as he gazed upon the angel that was no higher than his ankle.
With a hesitant step back, Dale felt his foot press down on something in the darkness. It wasn't a piece of burnt wood, nor was it the dry grass that had burned in the explosion. It was hard, and it resisted as it sank into the ground. With a turn to the side, Dale reached down and grabbed the object from behind the tree. It was his father's dagger, hidden from where it fell when he had toppled over the bed.
Light burst into his vision as the fires and smoke cleared away the moment he took hold of the weapon. The oasis was silent, the pool of dark water calm as the old man was nowhere in sight. His angel's powers pulsed in his vision as he turned toward her and the demon. She was once again in her silk dress, torn and bloody, she looked no better as the blood of her enemies mixed with the life that slowly drained from her.