by Carl Alves
Andy advanced. “You’re the one who’s been terrorizing this little girl?”
Behind him, Kate was saying something, but his focus was on the purple demon who was so gaunt it looked like a strong wind could blow him away.
Kra-lex grinned. “Do you like my work? I was hoping you would appear.”
This didn’t add up. Kra-lex should be terrified of him, not invite a confrontation. The last time they had met in the spirit world, he had run away like a scared dog when he saw Andy. Where did this newfound courage come from?
“You killed Father Christopher. He was a friend of mine.”
Kra-lex tilted his head and did a theatrical twirl. “Such a shame. Remind me to mourn for him.”
Andy gritted his teeth. “I’m going to put a world of hurt on you like you never felt before.”
Kra-lex rubbed his hands with thin, long fingers. “I’ve experienced much worse. If you only knew.”
Andy couldn’t get over this pathetic little demon’s brashness. There was only one thing to do—inflict serious damage on Kra-lex. With a little luck, he might just be able to permanently erase the demon from existence so he couldn’t inflict any more harm on good people like Kate and Father Christopher.
Andy held Kate’s hands. “Please turn away. I’m going to kill the bad guy.” He turned to face Kra-lex.
In the background Kate yelled, “He’s not the b-“
Andy tuned her out, fixing his attention on the demon. He charged, expecting Kra-lex to take evasive action, but the demon just stood there. Andy grabbed his bony neck. He squeezed it hard and punched the back of Kra-lex’s head. The demon cried out, but Andy showed no mercy. After punching him repeatedly, he choked the demon with both hands. Kra-lex gasped for breath after Andy let go of him. He probably couldn’t kill the demon by asphyxiation since they weren’t built like humans, and even if he could, that would not have been a violent enough death.
Andy dragged the demon by the bony spine that protruded from his back. It reminded him of a stegosaurus. Kra-lex howled as he led him to a large outcropping of semi-molten rock. To the left, just at the surface, blue-black lava flowed.
The demon cried out, “Just kill me.” He wasn’t defiant any more.
“You’re not getting off so easy. I told you I was going to hurt you.”
Using both hands, Andy grabbed him by the top of his head and hurled him into the rock. Kra-lex’s back and shoulders crashed into it. He slumped to the ground and whimpered like a beaten dog.
Andy bent down and ripped out one of the bony extrusions from his spine, causing Kra-lex to wail. “You killed someone I cared about and now you’re going to pay. This is for Father Christopher.”
He picked the demon up by his legs and swung him against the rock. A loud crack echoed. He then dunked Kra-lex’s head into a nearby stream of lava. It wasn’t infernally hot, but it still would hurt like a bitch.
The demon’s dark skin was now ashen. He babbled something incoherent.
Andy squeezed his neck. “This is the last time you’re ever going to harm a human.” He picked him up by his legs. “This is for Kate.” He swung Kra-lex like a baseball bat. A sick thud sounded when the demon hit the rock. His face, shoulders and neck were horribly misshapen. He once more dunked the demon’s head into the lava.
Kra-lex screamed after his head rose above the surface. Andy’s anger simmered when he remembered Kate’s reaction when he first saw her. He squeezed the demon’s skull. “And this is for Holly. She’s the most perfect woman I’ve ever met, and you caused her so much suffering, you filthy, disgusting creep.”
He lifted the demon and swung him against the rock. After Kra-lex dropped to the ground, Andy wanted to dunk his head into the lava once more, but there was no point. He was dead.
Andy took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off his brow. He felt no satisfaction after killing Kra-lex. It had been too easy. He looked around, a frown forming on his face. Kra-lex’s death had not changed the environment. It was still the blazing inferno it had been when he first arrived. After he killed the demon, the entire landscape should have changed instantaneously. That was how it always worked. He clenched his fists, dispelling any notions of the way things were supposed to be, since around here nothing was normal.
He walked toward Kate. The girl had a blank stare on her pale face.
“I, um, got rid of the demon.”
She shook her head and closed her eyes. “He was the nice one.”
Andy nearly stopped breathing. “The nice one? There’s more than one?”
Kate nodded. “He talked to me and got me stuff. The other ones are real mean.”
Others, as in plural? There was more than one demon infesting this girl’s soul? How was that possible? Not for the first time, he wondered what the hell was going on here.
Chapter X
The possibility of multiple demons inhabiting a person’s soul made Andy shiver. If they could combine forces against him, then even with his considerable skills, he might not be able to defeat them.
“Kate, I need your help. Where are the other bad guys?”
She shook her head. A fresh batch of tears streamed down her pretty face. “You can’t help me. No one can.”
Andy shook his head. “That’s not true. I’m getting you out of here. I just have to find the monsters that did this to you. Where are they?”
She pointed behind him.
Andy turned and froze. “What the…”
The unholy trio of Asmodeus, Malachai, and Baphomet ambled in his direction as if savoring the moment. Each demon was formidable, but together…Andy shuddered. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get his mind to grasp how this could have happened. Best not to think about how they joined forces in Kate’s soul. The only thing he could do was get her out of here.
He grabbed her shoulders. “Kate, stay here. I need to, um, fight these monsters. Just, like, don’t go anywhere.”
His hands shook. He tried to steady them. For the first time, he experienced real fear in the world of the soul.
He clenched his hands into fists. Get a grip, man. You can do this. He couldn’t take on all three at the same time. They would run through him. He had to take them on individually.
With the major demons closing in on him, he turned and ran, briefly looking back. Malachai was right behind him. Baphomet lagged further behind, and Asmodeus was out of sight. After gaining separation, he stopped.
Just behind him, Malachai also stopped. His wide smile highlighted his distinguished features. The major demon normally had a human appearance except for his curved tail and long dagger-like fingers. Most demons looked anything but human, but if Malachai put on a suit, stuffed in his tail, and got a serious manicure, he could pass for a corporate executive.
Instead of engaging in hand-to-hand combat, the demon shot blasts of green energy at him.
Andy waved his hands rapidly in a circular motion, creating a swirl of dark mist in front of him that encompassed his entire body. When the green bolts came near, the mist absorbed them, diffusing their energy and creating a shield. Andy dropped the shield and shot his own blasts of blue ice from his fingertips, generating this attack almost effortlessly.
Most of what Andy could do in the world of the soul, he had discovered through trial and error. If he concentrated hard enough, he could generate weapons, both physical ones with tangible weight and size, and other ones, like these blue ice bolts. He had been in real jams before and had created new weapons of devastating force to bail him out on the fly. Now they were part of his arsenal, making him the biggest dog in the yard.
Malachai scrambled out of the way. Large craters stood in his wake from Andy’s blasts. The demon jumped high atop a perch and motioned with his fingers for Andy to come after him.
Andy would have taken up his invitation under normal circumstances, but he recognized it for what it was, a ploy to divert his attention. He had to keep in mind at all times that he was fighting three foes.
He looked up at Baphomet. The demon was at least eight feet tall with enormous girth. His strength matched his size, as Andy well knew from the time Baphomet had captured him in a bear hug and nearly squeezed the life out of him. Spikes jutted out of his dark green skin. His torso was as thick as a tree trunk. Warts covered his face and his pointy nose. He had a bony crest on his head. To make matters worse, the demon had an awful stench as if he hadn’t bathed in eight centuries.
When the demon hefted his axe overhead and went for a second swipe, Andy dove out of the way. Andy jumped to his feet. Before Baphomet could take his head off with his axe, Andy conjured up a shield. He pictured one he had seen at a Renaissance Faire, and moments later, it appeared in his hand. It was lightweight and not shaped like the one he had thought of, but it would do.
When the demon swung at him, Andy blocked his shot. Baphomet reared back with the axe and brought it down. Andy stepped into it, shield raised, and clanged it against the axe. The recoil sent Baphomet staggering backward. Before the demon could attack again, he swept Baphomet’s legs out from under him with a low kick.
Baphomet gave a resounding yelp when his massive frame fell into a bubbling pit of lava. This was his opportunity to take out his foe.
Before Andy had an opportunity to capitalize on the opening, Malachai charged at him, his face contorted.
Andy backed away from Baphomet. Malachai was the bigger threat at the moment. And where the hell was Asmodeus?
Malachai took two long strides forward, curled up, and lunged at Andy. His entire body twirled liked the blades of a windmill in a storm as he rotated in mid-air. Andy couldn’t react in time, and Malachai rammed into him. The impact felt like being smashed by a Mack truck. They collided, lifting Andy off his feet. He could hear nothing but a loud buzzing sound, and everything went black. When his vision returned, he found himself plunging into a large ditch.
Andy knew he took the worst of the fall, because he hurt like hell, and Malachai was back on his feet in a matter of moments. Andy gasped for breath. His insides felt like they had been torn by a meat grinder. Everything was spinning. He closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them again, things would settle down. No such luck. The world still spun out of control around him.
Malachai grabbed his throat and squeezed. The son of a bitch was going to choke him to death. Andy took a few seconds to gather his strength and went for the most obvious target he could think of, ramming his foot into the demon’s groin. It was an easy target since his genitalia was oversized and hanging out.
Malachai let go of him and gasped. The demon’s vanity and penchant for nakedness got the best of him this time.
Andy kneed his head for good measure.
Feeling claustrophobic, he wanted out of this pit. He used handholds encrusted into the dirt and rock to lift himself. Glancing back at Malachai, who was beginning to stir, he reached the top of the pit, slung his legs over and crawled out of it.
His eyes went wide at the sight of Baphomet poised in front of him with his massive axe. Baphomet swung with vicious intent, a blow that would have sliced him in half if not for his keen reflexes. Before Baphomet could swing again, Andy lowered his shoulder and rammed into the demon. This loosened Baphomet’s grip on the weapon, and it fell to the ground. Before Andy could seize an advantage, the demon got on top of him and wrapped his arms around Andy’s torso. The demon tightened his grip, crushing his ribcage and back.
Andy got to his feet and tried to suck in air, but it was a precious commodity, one the demon’s vise-grip prevented him from attaining. He tried to power his way out, but the demon was all gristled muscle, and Andy was in a poor position to get leverage.
As with Malachai, he went for the most obvious target, this time Baphomet’s large, pointy nose. Andy brought his head forward full force. Baphomet winced but did not loosen his grip, so he once more crashed his forehead into the bridge of the demon’s nose. Green blood shot from it, and this time the demon’s hands loosened.
He wriggled his arms free, which had been pinned behind his back. He raised both arms and smashed them across the side of Baphomet’s head. The demon let go and staggered back. A roundhouse kick sent Baphomet to the ground.
Andy groaned at the sound of movement behind him. He turned and faced Malachai, who was crawling out of the pit. The unholy trio came at him in waves, never relenting. And there was still Asmodeus out there, no doubt lurking to attack him at the most inopportune moment.
He took a deep breath and charged at Malachai, spearing the demon. Malachai flew back and landed inches from the pit he had just crawled out from. Andy punched him three times and then shoved his body back toward the pit. Malachai fought back, clawing the dirt.
He felt a powerful thud against his back as if he had just been hit by a sledgehammer. He fell on top of Malachai, and they both tumbled into the pit. Dazed, he looked up with one eye open. Looming above him was Baphomet’s ugly snarl. The demon reached down, picked him up with one hand and flung him. Andy soared through the air and landed in a vat of lava.
The pain jarred Andy from his haze. He screamed and scrambled out of there. His clothes were shredded. His flesh had ugly bruises and welts. His skin blistered and oozed.
Baphomet came forward. Andy wanted to run, but the pain was unbearable. He couldn’t think, let alone come up with a reasonable defense. He had always considered himself invincible down here. Now he was starting to doubt that.
Baphomet held his axe with both hands. He had a triumphant smile, like the outcome of this battle was a foregone conclusion.
Andy shook his head. It wouldn’t be so easy. He needed a weapon, something close range. He concentrated on the image of a sword, something light and compact, something that would be effective against Baphomet’s ponderous axe. A short sword that blazed with a brilliant blue crystalline structure emerged in his hands.
He twirled the blade like a master swordsmen. He had never had any weapons or fighting training in this world or the next one. He didn’t need them. His fighting skills here were innate. There was so much of this place he didn’t understand and probably never would, but when it came to fighting demons, he didn’t care how he obtained these skills, he was just glad to have them.
Baphomet advanced on him. Andy used speed and finesse to deftly move out of the blade’s path. When he found an opening, he landed a well-placed blow to the demon’s side that knocked him off his feet and had him screaming with bloody rage.
Andy twisted forward, ready to finish the job when a sharp stabbing pain seared through the back of his leg. He groaned and reached back, only to find a spear firmly implanted in his calf.
He dropped his sword. Writhing in pain, he reached back and tore out the spear, removing a chunk of flesh with it.
He looked up and spotted Malachai’s grinning face as he strolled forward.
By the time Andy rose, hobbling on one leg, Malachai stood to his left. To his right Baphomet loomed, axe in hand.
Malachai called out, “Your time is done here, Andy Lorenzo. You have been a thorn in our sides for too long. We are here to rid the world of your unwelcome presence.”
Andy felt weary, wanting to curl up into a ball and give up, but he had to save poor Kate. She deserved a better existence than the one these demons gave her. He thought of Holly with her pleading blue eyes, looking at Andy as if he was her only hope. What choice did he have?
Andy grabbed the sword, swinging it from side to side, trying to keep both foes away. He charged at Malachai, who now possessed a golden staff. Using his staff, the demon defended his initial thrusts. Andy spun away and slashed at the oncoming Baphomet, who narrowly avoided the blow.
On the other side, Malachai attacked with his staff. Andy used his sword to fend off the blows and tore open the demon’s
face with an upward thrust from his sword. Black blood flowed from Malachai’s cheeks and nose.
Sensing Baphomet’s axe coming at him, he raised his sword and clanged it against the hilt of the axe. They stood at a stalemate. Although Baphomet was certainly powerful, Andy was even stronger. He forced Baphomet backward. Just as he was about to pull out his sword and attack the demon, what felt like an onrushing bull smashed him from behind.
A sudden burst of nausea gripped him, and he vomited on a pool of molten rock. He glanced up to find Asmodeus hovering above him, wearing a sick and twisted grin. The third demon finally decided to join the fight when Andy was ripe for the picking.
Asmodeus lifted him off the ground. “You’re not so tough now, Andy Lorenzo. Your days of harming our kind have come to an end. Justice will be served.”
He drew from his reserve of energy and brought his knee upward into Asmodeus’s abdomen. The demon staggered back, and Andy delivered a right cross that knocked him off his feet.
This solved nothing, as Asmodeus got right back up. Baphomet and Malachai joined him. Fighting a growing sense of panic, he turned and ran, but did not go far, as he crashed into what felt like a stone wall.
This was no wall, but a demon even more imposing than Baphomet. He had to be at least ten feet tall and as wide as an Escalade. Overcome by a mixture of fear and awe, Andy trembled. This demon exuded power. Asmodeus, Malachai, and Baphomet were all major demons, but he had no doubt that they bowed to this one.
Andy cowered when he took a good look at the demon’s face. He was sure he had never seen him before, but he looked intimately familiar all the same.
Andy wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. The unholy trio blocked his path.
The big demon stepped toward him. “At long last we meet, Andy. I wished the circumstances could be better. I can’t tell you how you have so thoroughly disappointed me.”
What the hell was he talking about? Andy expected the demon to attack him, not give him a verbal bashing.