Ffion: Spirit of the Five Stones

by Paul Simpson

Chapter 15

  Falling to earth

  The four of them began to climb to their feet, shaking off the impact that had thrown them several feet away. All around the Imps shielded their eyes from the light and began to scurry and run away to the cover of the darkness. The Reapers had the opposite reaction as they seemed to pay reverence to the light and bowed, moving toward it, then took flight up the beam in a flurry of beating wings.

  Ffion stepped forward, cautious of the new being. “So who or what are you then. The others didn’t seem to be fond of staying around.”

  With all the other creatures finally gone the light of the pillar began to fade and before them, with huge wings outstretched upward, stood an Angel. The wings lowered and folded behind the figure standing eight-feet tall before them. Ffion looked at the long blond haired Angel with its striking Icy blue eyes from head to foot.

  The Angel wore what resembled a wrap-around sleeveless jacket, thick like an armour, that fastened down from the right shoulder with a decorative pattern of sun beams, skulls, scythes and clouds all the way down a thick leather styled seam. This was fastened down by a thick belt with a buckle that crossed over the Angel's chest and under the arm, fastened by a golden piece of armour over its right shoulder. Under the long jacket came pteruges from a decorative belt, not dissimilar to a Roman warriors belt, and fasteners that hung down to cover by the knees. Its trousers and boots were white with golden leg and foot guards attached to them. On either arm was golden forearm bracer armour, again with a matching decorative pattern except the left arm had what looked like a shield which matched a second half attached to the arm below the shoulder. It was strange that this caught her eye the most as both parts looked like they would fit together to make a shield if the Angel bent its arm. This, like the rest of the armour, was decorated in similar matching patterns.

  “So, who are you?” asked Ffion as John and George stood guarding Jodie.

  The tall angel smiled down at her. “You make all this mess and you don’t even know who you’re dealing with. Very well, I will introduce myself. I am Jacob. I rule the Reapers and make it my job to preserve and protect the souls of those who are passing over.”

  Ffion started getting angry at what Jacob had said “YOU sent those things? You’re the one in charge? Why can’t you just leave us ALONE? Since I got back here yesterday all we seem to have done is fight one side or another. What’s wrong with you all?”

  Jacob's expression didn’t change although his tone of voice was much more threatening. “You pathetic little fools. You’ll fight but you have no idea why and what you actually possess, where your power originates. You think yourself witches but you are far greater than that, that is why the Imps are drawn in their masses, a prize as rich as the one trapped in the stones has never happened before, matched if not even greater is your own little witch. If they were to take just one of your souls for their own it would tip the balance of the battle as we constantly fight to protect humans’ souls. So, I am forced to come here as I require all your souls where they will be safe and can do no harm. All I require from you to keep the world safe is for you three to die.”

  Ffion stepped closer in defiance to the angel. “Why are we so special? You speak of our power being great but it came from the ember in old Jack's pumpkin. What’s it to you.”

  The angel shook his finger at Ffion. “Tut tut little witch, did you never work out or even wonder where the ember's power came from? Very well, I shall tell you the truth before I take you. The power you think of as magic that your mother absorbed that day at the facility, the very power you were born with that runs through every part of your body and soul, when you held your father's axe, because he still has his soul that energy was able to pass into you because of your link to him so you can weild the Reapers' powers and weapons, even have his abilities such as the Dark Light visions.”

  Ffion looked back, none the wiser, as Jacob continued. The Angel drew close to Ffion. “Your power that once came from the ember shard your mother broke was from the first to fall from grace. You met him as a ghost in an attic, made a deal with him, didn’t you? Your mother also met him, and this time he went by the name of Hobs. To my brothers and sisters he was the Archangel known as the Morning Star. To this world he is known as Lucifer. You, my dear, were born with the powers of an Angel.”

  Ffion stood gobsmacked, almost winded at the revelation. It certainly wasn’t the first reason that would come to her about why she could do all these things. Jacob continued talking, unaware of her reaction.

  “Do you now understand why you but not your father could pass through the portal? You have the same powers as the Fallen One, your father’s power is banished from that realm, like all of us, so we cannot enter, just as Lucifer cannot pass through our doorways.”

  Ffion listened carefully to what was being said to her but had a thought of her own.

  “But as a Witch, Angels don’t exist.”

  Jacob managed to smile at the remark. “We are part of each person’s belief. We are just called by other names. Everything is linked, it's up to you how you make the connections. Just as humans all speak a different language, how you see us and what you call us are different but it all means the same.”

  Ffion was still a little gobsmacked, as were the others, especially George, who stood with his mouth open in disbelief, which looked rather odd if not funny, given the fact he was a cat.

  “Why us? What makes us so special?” asked Ffion still trying to take everything in. “If the Reapers came here to do the same thing as you, what do the Imps have to gain from us?”

  Jacob continued. “Your mother only wields his power and your father has recently been born to the Reapers in the lower ranks of the Seraphim Order known as the Powers. Your father does still possess his soul as he is not a true Power, but his soul makes him independent and stronger than the others.

  We Powers are the guardians of the boarders between Earth and the other side. We constantly watch for any threat or attack that might threaten us while we patrol the gateways, ensuring the mortal world's recently-departed souls reach safety. The shafts of light, the Jacob's ladders as you humans call them, are the doorways opening. If the Imps were to get their hands on enough souls or even just your mother's or father's soul they would be able to reach our world, an enemy at the gate.

  Your mother already created a problem back at the facility. You think all those souls went unnoticed? Why do you think the feeders are so strong now from when you first met them back in the library? I lost Reapers during the mad fight to contain the situation and keep your beloved humanity safe. But worse could happen should they obtain your soul and the power that resides in it. They would break through the barriers without challenge. Now imagine what they would do to all the souls that reside there, how powerful it would make them. They would return to this world unstoppable and all life on Earth would be for their taking.

  That is why you will come with me. When a true Angel dies we have no soul to consume, nothing to give them the upper hand. A human soul has great energy and power yet people lack the ability to use it, unlike the Imps who can consume its power for their use. But because you, Ffion, have a soul and were born with our gifts, you can tap into a potential beyond any ability in heaven, earth or hell. It also makes you the perfect key for anything looking to break through the wall that separates the three realms.

  And this is why you all must now die, so I can take you to the other side where the Imps, or anything else, cannot use your gifts against us."

  Ffion stood defiant, her father and George by her side to back her up. “You want us? Come and get us. We aren’t going down without a fight. I’m betting it’s these powers that allowed us to kill the other Reapers and if Reapers are your basic class Angel, I’m betting we can hurt you too.”

  Jacob was amused that she wanted to fight, and laughed “You have no chance against my power. It would take more than you have to defeat me.”

  Ffion smiled as
she powered up ready for a fight. “I thought you said my power came from an Archangel. Correct me if I’m wrong but Lucifer was from the top elite, so doesn’t my power outrank you in pecking order? If that’s true then my father’s axe is going to sting a little as well.”

  “Very well,” bellowed Jacob, who was not convinced of her claims, "If it’s a fight you wish for, so be it." He spread his angelic wings out as wide as they would reach, each six feet in length to either side of his shoulders. At full stretch he lifted them straight up above him as they locked into position, with each razor-thin feather pulled in tight to the next to form a serrated edge, like a feathered saw along each arm. The wings slowly lowered down the back of Jacob, whereupon what looked like a halo rose up from behind his back over his head.

  “This is how your race sees us, as divine, yet those like myself are warriors here to defend your souls. Your writings describe us how you wish to remember us but the truth is always different. Our wings are for more than flight. They are our weapons and the halo you perceive is the handle.” Lifting his arms, Jacob reached behind his head and grabbed the halo-formed handle of the angelic broad sword. The wings detached together as he drew the sword ready for battle. The handle was of a circular shape which extended into two separate straightened wing arms just apart from each other into a point, the compressed feathers formed each side of the blade, razor sharp and harder than diamond. Jacob stood ready.

  “When you’re ready to amuse me witch, you may attack,” he joked, confident of his own superiority.

  Ffion walked to the side and picked up a scythe from a fallen Reaper. As she rose to her feet she gave the weapon a gentle spin around her body, weighing up the weapon and how it felt in her hands. With the handle now firmly held, it was Ffion who struck first, sending the blade swinging toward Jacob who raised his sword to deflect. With a spin, he came back with a blow of his own which she blocked, but caused her to stagger to keep her balance from the impact.

  “Stronger than I thought! OK then,” she murmured and winked over to her father to join in.

  Again Ffion went into attack and the duo exchanged blows. Jacob seemed calm as he parried each swish of the scythe with ease, all the while Ffion was working up a sweat as she made each impact as hard as she could to try and shake his confidence.

  “You’re wasting time, witch. You cannot possibly stand a chance against me,” exclaimed Jacob.

  The comment made Ffion fight all the more. Through all the attacks Ffion had positioned Jacob to where she wanted him and as she screamed, charging toward him, it was John who now joined his daughter's side in the battle. With a flying swift kick to Jacob's back, he unbalanced the Angel, who stumbled forward straight into Ffion’s blow with the top of the scythe smashing him in the face. Dizzy from the impact he quickly moved away in time to miss the returning swish of the blade which scraped across his armour.

  Jacob was shocked as he reached up to his face and brushed away blood from a cut on his cheek. Ffion smiled as she powered up the scythe with energy. Waving it around her body in a fluid motion the scythe lit up in the darkness with an orange glow. With a fast spin she went in again, but this time Jacob was now on the defensive as the attack came from two directions. John's axe glowed blue as with each swipe a blade of energy burst from the handle, impacting upon Jacob's side. From the front Ffion kept Jacob busy so he could do little to counter her father’s attacks.

  Little by little they wore the eight-foot tall Angel down to its knees. Jumping through the air over his head, twisting, ducking, diving, they gave everything they had into bringing him down. Jacob seemed to struggle to comprehend that he could be bested in battle by a 1,000 humans, never mind just two, regardless of their power.

  For the first time in centuries, he began to feel emotion. Anger swelled inside him as raw energy began to crackle and spark around his body. Ffion and John became hesitant and backed away a little as Jacob swung his sword back over his head and onto his back. With a burst of power he jumped to his feet in a spin. His wings spread out around him as the energy that had accumulated burst outward from his body, striking Ffion and John and knocking them several feet through the air as they came down with a bump. The energy that hit them crackled through their bodies, causing them to writhe in the pain of an electrical shock.

  With a flap of wings Jacob landed gently and slowly walked over to Ffion. Folding his wings down, he grabbed the halo handle of the sword and held its blade toward her.

  “So, dear Witch, you put up a good battle but in the end you're no match for me.” He grabbed the sword handle with both hands and raised the weapon high, ready to bring it down upon her.

  “And so, little Witch, this ends. I’ll save you the pain of losing your parents all over again and take your life first.”

  As the events unfolded no-one had noticed that the spell had completed and Jodie was fully human again. With a shimmer of glittering magic over her body she could once again feel what it was to be alive again. There was no time to waste. Seeing Ffion was in trouble, Jodie ran over to the standing stones and began to dig at the centre.

  “GEORGE, COME HELP ME,” she yelled and her fingers dug deep into the ground.

  George ran over and helped scratch at the loose ground where she was. “What are we doing?” he asked, slightly puzzled by the situation.

  With a dull thud Jodie had found what she was looking for and searched for an edge to a buried box. Her fingers gripped tight against the side as she pulled hard to get the box free. It began to rip and a large corner chunk came off in her hand. Jodie quickly reached in the box and searched around to get a grip on its contents.

  As Jodie looked over to see Jacob raise his sword over her daughter, she pulled hard at the box and pulled out the MP412 Rex Revolver, the very same one from the facility, the one she had taken back in time and also used as her soul anchor which she had buried after defeating Jack. With a steady aim and even quicker reactions, Jodie pulled the trigger and send out a blast of power which struck Jacob, along with two more blasts, in the upper back, knocking him over onto the floor close to Ffion.

  Jacob looked up and saw Jodie taking aim for another volley of shots. With speed, he raced over to her with his first blow knocking the weapon from her hand as another blast shot out into the sky. Then with a second hit across her face he knocked her to the floor.

  From the floor, Jodie rubbed her face “Wow, I forgot how painful being real really is.” She looked up at the approaching figure. Jacob once again took his sword from his back but this time aimed it toward Jodie.

  Jacob stood over Jodie as if to tease Ffion as she watched. “And now, Witch, I will take what I originally came for,” he said with an almost pleasant attitude toward her. “I’ve had, as you say, a change of heart, so I will take your mother's soul first and then I’ll take your fathers so you can relive their loss over again as penitence for daring to oppose me.”

  The anger in Ffion grew and her power began to build, cancelling out the electrical shock that still crackled from her skin.

  “I’ll never lose them again. I WON'T LET YOU TAKE THEM FROM ME AGAIN!” she screamed as she rose from the ground, charged and glowing with power.

  Ffion started to levitate toward Jacob, who watched in slight horror at what he considered an abomination approaching him. It was a short-lived sight as Ffion dropped to the floor in agony, clenching at her chest. The pain had returned but this was greater than any of the others and she let out a deafening scream, awaking her father from his unconscious state from the fight. She shut her eyes tight as the pain churned within her to breaking point, until as suddenly as it started, it stopped. An eerie silence followed and Ffion straightened upright as she kneeled on the floor and spread her arms out as if unable to control her action but gracefully moving, accepting what was happening. A light in her chest formed beneath her skin, an orange glow like the ember from Jack's pumpkin shone brightly and spread to the left of her body. Next a blue light came, the same tha
t she had seen when she first carved John's axe handle with power. This glow formed next to the orange in her chest and spread to the right of her body. The power moved to her fingertips and into her head before fading as Ffion lowered her arms and opened her eyes. The deep green colour of her eyes seemed to shimmer slightly as the colours began to alter. Her eyes opened wide as the irises changed colour, the left eye turned gold, while the right turned ice blue. Her hair was now also a brilliant pure white that glowed in the night air from the raw energy running through her. Blinking as she came to her senses, Ffion climbed to her feet and stared at Jacob.

  Jacob's expression changed. “No, it can’t be, I can feel your presence, your power, but that would mean you're... changed.”

  Ffion smiled. “My power was increased with Jacks ember and the energy from my father's axe was the missing part to opening who I was, who I now am. Seems your last jolt turned the key and powered me up. I guess that puts us on a more level playing field?”

  She bent over to pick up a scythe in each hand and held them together. With her new power and her soul command, the weapons began to take on a different form. The light grew from within the handles and slowly faded as its new form was revealed. In Ffion's grasp was now an angelic battle axe, one side was made from feathers the same as Jacob's sword, the other was spiky with sharp edges resembling something not unlike an outstretched bat wing. The two sides of the axe blades joined together as separate parts as the handles twisted around each other to form the main halo shaped grip each seemed to be composed of metal and riveted together in a steam punk design, a half circle cog protruding from the hilt of each handle's pommel end.

  Ffion held the axe with both hands and twisted the entwined handles apart, an "angel's" feathered axe wing now in her right hand and a demon's bat axe wing in her left. Giving them a spin to taunt her target she started again to advance upon Jacob

  “One last time angel, GET AWAY FROM HER!” She swung both blades as Jacob moved to block her first blow. They stared at each other over their locked sparking blades briefly before pushing away and standing ready to fight. The night's air was still as the two angels paused their battle to see what the other would do first. Ffion's face was of rage, chomping at the bit ready to defend her family to the last breath. Jacob's expression gave nothing away but beneath his calm demeanour he had become worried at the prospect of being matched in strength and ability.

  With a flash of energy Ffion's first axe flew toward him and he reeled from the power as flashes of energy illuminated the night sky and the ground around them. In came the second axe as Ffion turned 360 degrees for a low strike. Jacob jumped out of the to avoid losing a leg from the blow. Jacob's broad sword cut swiftly through the air, leaving a trail of energy in its wake as Ffion now dodged the swing of the sword with a backflip as she raised back from the ground with both axes crossing each other. This caused the tip of each blades energy to burn its mark across Jacob's chest in an X.

  Jacob reeled from taking a hit. Nothing had ever challenged him before and come so close to deeply wounding him. With anger beginning to seep into him he scowled at Ffion. “I'm going to enjoy destroying you witch. I'll wipe your stain from our line and restore the order of our ways.”

  Ffion was eager to reply. “Yeah well I’m a witch with angelic powers, get over it because I'm here to stay. All you have to do is leave us alone, give me my mother back and we can all live happily together, you in your clouds and us on the ground, leaving each other alone. So what do you say?”

  Jacob replied with an overhead swing of his sword, which Ffion blocked with both axes crossed over her head, causing another explosion of sparks and light.

  “I'll take it... you're... rejecting my... offer then?” joked Ffion with a strained voice, pushing away the sword's blade.

  The pace began to quicken as Jacob attacked again. Blow after blow sparked and fizzed in the dark of the midsummer's night as the pair fought each other, one believing they could protect the earth's souls by taking two of them, the other fighting to save the two people she had once thought lost. John and George watched on helpless to do anything other than stand guard over the weakened Jodie, should any Reaper or Feeder try its luck in trying to take her under the cover of the ensuing battle.

  Both Ffion and Jacob pulled away from the fight to catch breath, Jacob more so, tiring from the battle. Ffion smiled and stood upright as the ground at her feet began to glow as energy fed into her. Jacob looked confused as Ffion smiled back.

  "What, surprised?" she asked, as the light dimmed. "I'm human with powers, that's what makes me a witch and this area is lay line central. I've got all the power I need right beneath my feet."

  Jacob's frustration grew even more so. "Very well, witch, let's see how well you cope in the air." He raised his sword and placed it over his head onto his back again. The sword unfolded, and as the halo lowered down his wings opened up. With a blast of air from the flap of his mighty wings he rose into the air, beckoning Ffion to follow him as he continued higher.

  Ffion looked up at him, wondering what to do. Did she possess the same ability of flight? Unsure of her actions she rejoined the two axe halves together and by the halo handle lifted them over her head onto her back, just as Jacob had done with the sword. The axe locked either side of her spine and a strange sensation filled her back as the halo fused into it and lowered into her body under the skin. As that happened the two axes rose up and spread out, forming her new wings, one angelic and the other demonic in their appearance, just like the axes had been except now they were flapping on her back, much to her delight and wonder.

  George had been watching what had happened. “Wow, Ffion, you’re like a big bird.”

  John looked down at him in disapproval. “That is my daughter you speak of, show some manners.”

  George just shrugged. “What? I like birds and she's looking quite tasty. I can’t help it, it’s a wing thing. You’re not a cat, you don't understand.”

  Jodie rose to her feet only to stagger and be caught by John. “You always we're my knight in shining armour.” she smiled and looked over to Ffion.

  “Ffion, take this,” shouted Jodie and with all of her strength she threw the revolver over to her.

  Ffion caught it and smiled. “Thanks, I remember this, but it’s going to need a bit more oomph if it’s going to help.” And with an infusion of her powers the gun began to change its form.

  The revolver changed shape in her hand as the butt of the handle covered over in brass. The hammer morphed into an old flint arm, a gold bracket formed around and under the barrel and around the top was mounted a bracket with what looked to be an old brass Victorian telescope for a weapon sight. Finally around the trigger the metal formed into the shape of a cog along with some of the parts looking more like copper and brass in their colouring.

  Ffion was impressed, her powers had evolved. She examined the revolver in her hand, admiring the newly-formed weapon. She gave a flap of her new wings with a slight disbelief they were actually real.

  Ffion stood ready, preparing for her first winged flight.

  “OK, here goes nothing, Time to catch myself an Angel.”

  With a blast of air she lifted into the sky, revolver in hand, in pursuit of Jacob. Flying up high through the clouds Ffion hovered as she began to search for a clue to Jacob's hiding place. From behind, the beating of large wings through the air could be heard as Jacob began to dive toward Ffion. With speed and precision he impacted against her knocking her uncontrollably from the sky and into a free fall.

  With a struggle to stop her descent, Ffion did all she could to gain control back to a hover as she passed back through the cloud cover. Stopping to look around once again there came the beating of the wings but this time she was ready and raised the enhanced revolver and fired.

  A huge blast ripped from the barrel, lighting up the clouds as it passed toward Jacob, hitting him squarely in the chest and backward through the air. It was his turn to
take a tumble as he righted himself and looked around for Ffion, who had disappeared. Wasting no time he flew back up into the clouds in search of her, where the battle began to sound like a thunder storm from the ground below. Jodie and the others stared up into the sky as the gun blasts illuminated the cloud cover like lightning while the blow of fists upon fists echoed out in thunderous blasts.

  High above, Ffion and Jacob continued the fight as she fired the gun and Jacob weaved gracefully between the shots, getting closer to strike out at her. Ffion blocked each blow with a boom of energy. She began to dive toward the earth with Jacob chasing behind, passing below the cloud cover and into the village. Barely a few metres from the ground, she weaved through the buildings, trying to lose her pursuer and gain the upper hand.

  As she grabbed at a lamppost to make a tight turn she lost sight of Jacob and began to look around for him. From the side, he blindsided her with a blow, knocking the pair of them into and through the village hall roof. With a tumble Ffion jumped to her feet and launched herself at Jacob with a blow to his stomach. She then flew at him, punching him through the church’s stone wall and out the other side, causing the main part of the building to collapse as they traded more blows, the power of some causing windows to shatter. Ffion fired several gun blasts at Jacob to slow him down as she ascended high into the sky at speed. Jacob began to speed after her but had already lost sight as he passed through the clouds again. The full moon greeted him now, adding its glow to the clouds beneath his feet.

  For a moment there was silence as he pondered what her next move might be. From behind him Ffion slowly and silently rose out of the clouds and lifted the revolver to his head. Jacob had already sensed her and quickly turned to strike, catching her with an uppercut before she could fire, knocking her higher into the sky. She rolled with the blow as the power of Jacob's hit took her higher. At the apex of the blow's momentum Ffion folded back her wings as the halo handle rose up behind her head and grabbed the axes as she dropped into a freefall. Gaining full velocity she quickly smiled, readying her weapons to strike.

  Jacob's expression turned from glee to horror as he looked up, unable to move in time as the pair collided in an explosion of energy. From below on the ground the entire cloud cover was seen to light up as the shape of a fallen angel dropped from the sky, followed by a wing, chopped clean off from Ffion’s axe blades. Ffion fell from the sky, replacing her weapons to her back as her wings extended to stop her decent. As she watched the defeated Jacob fall, she drew the revolver and charged it up to a new level of power she had never reached before. Pulling the trigger the burst of raw energy pushed away the cloud cover as a pillar of light from the shot travelled straight toward Jacob, hitting him squarely in the chest. He hit the ground so hard in the centre of the village the shockwave caused the earth to shake beneath him, crumbling the nearby buildings to piles of rubble.

  As the dust settled Ffion landed by his side. Looking down upon his broken body she raised the gun again, pointing it at him. Jacob gave a weary smile as he tried his best to climb slowly up to his feet again.

  “Any last words, Angel!” she asked with hatred, wiping the blood, sweat and dirt from her lip.

  Jacob struggled to stay standing as the blood still poured from his lost wing, his breathing was shallow and slow. “Why?” was his only question, whispered on the exhale of his breath.

  Ffion walked closer to him to whisper in his ear. “I know you meant to do right. We’re not the bad guys but I won’t let you take my family away from me again.”

  Ffion stepped away as Jacob fell to his knees. “Now father” she said. Behind Jacob, John stood ready to strike. Raising his axe high, he brought down the fatal blow.

  John and Ffion stood over the dead body of Jacob. From the side of them Jodie and George approached to join them at their side. “Wow, looks like road kill, but bigger,” said George as he broke the awkward silence.

  “George!” said Ffion in slight disapproval.

  “WHAT? It does, with the wings and bits everywhere.”

  As the four of them stood over the body of the Angel it began to glow and break down, crumbling into a pile of glitter, clothes, body and all. With a gentle swirl and pillar of growing light, the glittering dust twisted around and raised itself up into a vortex. The four watched on, not knowing what to do or how to react, just staring at the beautiful growing column of swirling glittering light before them. With small movements the light seemed to move toward each of its onlookers, inspecting them one at a time until it reached John. With a sudden jolt the spinning vortex of glittering light fired toward John and covered his entire body, making him take a step backward in the shock of the situation.

  The light began to slowly fade as it was absorbed into his body and clothes. John’s robes changed shape and colour as they were transformed into the new outfit that would show his new rank among the Reapers, as their leader. His clothes now had the decorative pattern and silver armour upon his shoulder, forearms and legs similar to Jacob’s. Parts of his jacket were now white in colour and he could feel his folded wings had grown in size and strength.

  John inspected his new look as his family looked on, everyone amazed at what had happened. Jodie came over to him and gave him a hug as Ffion smiled at the pair.

  “Not to burst the 'YAY we WON bubble' but we’re still not alone," said George, his ears twitching as the noises around them grew closer.

  With weapons in hand, John, Jodie and Ffion stood ready, with Jodie once again holding the revolver. Back to back they stood with George at the centre listening for movement.

  “Over there,” he pointed with his large claws at the ready. From the forest's edge came movement as a dozen imps that had been waiting for their time to strike scurried out to charge. As they readied themselves to fight the Imps, a dull glow came from John's arm and shoulder armour, which began to pulse in brightness. This threw the family’s concentration off a little as John's armour was new to him and it was unknown what might cause it to do such a thing. The Imps seemed a little wary of it too but it wasn’t enough to put them off their prey as they began to edge forward, assessing the situation for attack. John stood down from the attack position and stood upright as if listening carefully. “Do you hear that?” he asked the others.

  Ffion and the others could hear nothing and were slightly worried about his reaction to the impending attack. “It’s a voice,” he said.

  “Well, dad, don’t mean to worry you but could you give it an answer so we can sort out what’s in front of us?” asked George.

  “Hold on it's telling me something,” replied John as he concentrated on the whispers he could hear. “Everyone, weapons at ease. I think I know what to do,” he said.

  “I hope so father as it’s not the best time to be guessing!” said Ffion. She watched the Imps growing impatient as they hissed, drool falling from their jaws, ready to bite.

  John stepped forward and raised his left arm as he bent his elbow, curling his hand to his shoulder. The two shield parts that Jacob wore on his forearm and shoulder were also on John, and they came together to form a circular shield that locked into place, still aglow. Then raising his axe handle in the right hand, he hit the shield with it, letting out a loud, resonating thud from the impact. Then silence. Even the Imps were thrown by John’s actions. From above the four of them there suddenly came the glow of light and the beating of wings as eight Reapers dropped to the floor, surrounding them. The Reapers stood tall and to attention if not also slightly confused as they looked to each other to where Jacob had gone and who had summoned them.

  John looked around him at the Reapers and pointed at the Imps before him. The Reapers bowed their heads to John in recognition of his leadership and turned to the Imps to attack. With a charge of blades and swish of claws the fight was over, with the Reapers victorious, who returned to John and kneeled before him.

  “Our lord, your presence is needed on the other side where we dwell. You must come wit
h us,” said one of the Reapers.

  John looked over to Jodie, Ffion and George. “I think I’d better go and see what I need to do, but I will be back again soon.” And he smiled as he opened his arms wide to hold his family one more time. “It’s good to be back home, to be a family again.”

  The Reapers rose to their feet. “Your daughter is also welcome to accompany you if she so wishes?”

  Ffion smiled but shook her head. “Thanks but I’ll pass, I’m needed here for now so… maybe next time?”

  John gave one last squeeze and backed away, kneeling as he did to give George a quick fuss, scratching behind his ear. “Watch over them for me George, I’m counting on you,” he asked. George nodded in response.

  Standing ready with the other Reapers, John stretched out his new wings and with a blast of air they flew into the brightening sky and disappeared in a flash of brilliant bright lights.