by Eric Vall
As it flew through the air, I tried to command the metal weapon to reform itself into my warhammer.
“It’s … ” Deja trembled, “I-I think he’s … Your five o’clock!”
Tenebris appeared just as the metal weapon returned to me. Then I expanded the size of the warhammer’s head, spun around, and slammed the weapon into Tenebris’ chest as hard as I could.
His entire breastplate dented inward with the blow, and the Shadow King let out a yowl of agony as he flew back and crashed into the wall of the alleyway. More importantly, my makeshift toxic darts weren’t visible any more.
They were inside Tenebris’ chest.
The Shadow King collapsed on his ass and began to gurgle as he grabbed frantically at his breastplate.
“You … ” he gasped as white foam dripped down his armor, “you’re no savior.”
“I know.” I nodded as I watched Tenebris begin to spasm. “I’m a fucking Demon King.”
The gurgling noises became louder and more harrowed, and it now looked like Tenebris was spitting up gallons of the foamy substance. His body was jerking around like it was being jolted by electricity, and then dark, black blood began to mix in with the foamy substance as it ran down his body.
Zilla sauntered over to Tenebris, bent down, and then turned his head with her hands.
“Sic semper tyrannis,” Zilla growled at the dying despot.
Tenebris tried to say something, but all that came out was a few sprays of bloody foam. Finally, his body went limp.
Tenebris, the Shadow King, was dead.
Chapter 12
I summoned silver Hellfire back into my hand, aimed at Tenebris’ dead body, and then recalled the lethal darts I’d riddled him with. They all came out with a wet “shlock” and floated ominously in front of my face. Then I closed my eyes as I tried to reassemble them into the Unhallowed Sword.
I tried to remember all of the weapon’s intricate carvings … its universally unmatched craftsmanship … everything that made it the only sword of its kind in the universe.
When I finally opened my eyes, I saw the metal had materialized itself into a black sword.
But it wasn’t the Unhallowed Sword.
The blade was longer and thinner than I remembered it being, and it now lacked any of the detailed Inferoglyph carvings.
I sighed as I snatched the sword out of the sky with my free hand and twirled it around. Even the crossguard and handle felt off when I held them in my hand, which threw off the entire weight of the weapon. I sighed once more as I sheathed it back onto my belt. Then I turned my warhammer back into its silver ball and put it right next to the sword.
“It’s alright, Jacob,” Deja reassured me, “I’m sure the sword will work just as well.”
“I’m not sure if I can ever get it back to the way it used to be, but hey, we are alive and that douchebag is dead.”
“I’d say it’s a noble sacrifice,” Zilla noted as she stood up. “My people and I thank you.”
The Shadow Queen held up her foot, placed it against the head of Tenebris’ corpse, and then nonchalantly kicked it down to the ground.
“Do we need to get you to a healer?” I asked and pointed at the wound on her arm.
“Speak for yourself,” Zilla nodded toward my injured leg, “I’m surprised you can even still walk right now.”
“I’m running on pure adrenaline,” I admitted, “and believe it or not, this isn’t even close to the worst wound I’ve ever received.”
Unfortunately, that adrenaline was running out right now, and I could feel the harsh throbbing returning to my leg. I grimaced as I hobbled back toward the door of the Playhouse.
“Where are you going?” Zilla questioned. “We need to get you medical attention!”
“I want to see how the rest of the group is doing,” I replied, “friends first, medical attention later.”
I limped through the entrance of the Playhouse as quickly as I could, until I finally reached the stage where the ground team had engaged the guards.
There was only one of the shadowy soldiers left, and he was doing his damndest to stay alive. He rolled out of the way of Todd’s fireballs and Tris’ bullets, sprung to his feet, and parried both Ira’s morning star and Eclipse’s naginata at the same time. Then he spun around, threw out his leg, and knocked Blagdan and Vidia to the ground with a roundhouse kick.
He jumped back, and I saw he was breathing like an Olympic runner after the forty-meter dash. The guard had put up a noble fight, but he wasn’t going to last much longer.
“Your king is dead,” I announced, and the whole room looked over at me in shock. “You’ve fought bravely, but it’s over. Give yourself up right now, and I will let you live.”
“Likely story,” the guard muttered as he tightened his grip on his weapon, “you think Queen Zilla is going to let any of Tenebris’ men survive?”
“I am the Savior of her people,” I explained, “if I wish for you to live, then she will listen to me.”
“Dude, come on,” Tris huffed and blew a bit of stray hair out of her face, “don’t we all wanna just put down our weapons and relax? Because I’m totally over this fight.”
The guard looked around at my friends as he mulled over my offer. Then he tossed his weapon to the ground, got down on his knees, and held up his hands in surrender.
“Smart choice, bro,” Todd heckled from above, “I wouldn’t wanna get my ass kicked by an imp, either.”
“I’ll have my people take him to the dungeon,” Zilla noted as she entered the room. “As much as I’d love to wipe out any and all of Tenebris’ loyalists, I’ll follow the wishes of our Savior. Blagdan?”
The Shadow Person general walked over to the guard, produced some sort of magical device that looked like a pair of handcuffs, and then locked them around his opponent’s wrists.
The pain in my leg was really starting to get to me now. My muscles were contracting around the wound as I tried to straighten my body out, and it felt like my entire leg was frozen and on fire at the same time.
“Not to be impatient,” I grumbled as I limped over to Zilla, “but should we head back to the base? I’m sure it’s gonna take some time before all of Tenebris’ loyalists calm down and accept that he’s gone.”
“Nah, bro,” Todd dismissed, “haven’t you ever seen Return of the Jedi? Once you kill the leader, it’s all over. Everything goes back to the way it was before they took over, and everybody lives happily ever after.”
“That’s not how it works at all,” Blagdan explained, “there are still a few dozen more guards out there who don’t even know Tenebris is dead yet, and there are going to be many Caliginis who will think this is just some trick by their king to test their loyalty. Our work is far from over, my imp friend … It’s just beginning.”
“Who ya gonna believe, Jakey?” Todd scoffed. “Some dude who’s been locked up in a hidey-hole fighting in a resistance for hundreds of years, or George freaking Lucas?”
“That Lucas guy,” Tris piped up, “I definitely like his ending better. Way less work.”
“I think I’ll go with him,” I admitted and pointed at Blagdan.
“I have failed you, Jakey,” Todd sighed in a British accent, “I have failed you.”
I laughed at the imp’s joke and then suddenly found myself feeling light-headed. I stumbled for a few steps as my vision began to go white, and then collapsed down to my knees.
“Jacob!” Invidia gasped as she ran over and knelt down at my side. “You’re hurt!”
“I’ll be fine,” I promised, “I just need a healer. That’s all. That Shadow Bastard out there got me in the damn leg.”
“We can arrange that,” Zilla agreed, “Blagdan, take them all back to our headquarters. Throw that traitorous piece of trash in the dungeon, and then get Jacob to a proper healer.”
“What about you, my Queen?” Blagdan questioned. “Aren’t you coming with us?”
Zilla smiled at her general and then
shook her head.
“Are you kidding?” she mused. “You just said we have lots of more work to do. That’s why I told a small band of the Shining Alliance to meet me just outside the gates of the Dark Castle. We’re going to clear out the rest of Tenebris’ grunts, and then I can once again sit on my rightful throne.”
“I’m tellin’ ya,” Todd interjected, “there’s not gonna be anyone there. They’re all gonna high-tail it out of there once they hear their leader’s gone.”
“We shall see, my friend,” Zilla sighed. “I hope you are correct, but I’m not going to hold my breath. Now, if you’ll excuse me … I have a castle to reclaim.”
“Godspeed, my queen.” Blagdan bowed.
“And thank you, Jacob Ralston,” the Shadow Woman said with a nod. “If it wasn’t for you and your Demon Lords, we never could have defeated this tyrant.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” I chuckled through gritted teeth. “Now, uh, about that healer … ”
Zilla simply shook her head, turned away, and then gave Blagdan some sort of signal as she walked back through the exit.
“Come on, let’s get you back,” the general said as he bent down, placed my arm around his shoulder, and then lifted me back to my feet.
Invidia took my other arm, and then my two allies began to help me toward the front exit of the Playhouse.
“What about this jabroni?” Todd questioned as he slapped the guard playfully on the helmet.
“I trust one of you can handle taking him back with us,” Blagdan grumbled, “just make sure you keep him bound and in your sight at all times.”
“I’m on it!” Ira cackled as she ran over to the guard. “Deja, can I borrow your weapon?”
“Sure … ” Deja answered, and then she summoned her spear and chain into her hand.
The tan succubus tossed the weapon over to Ira, who shuddered as she caught it and then dashed over to the guard.
Ira tied the chain around his already-handcuffed hands, yanked them tight, and then let out a whimper of glee.
“This is gonna be funnnnn,” she nearly moaned. “I haven’t had anyone in chains in forever.”
“We’re just taking him back to the headquarters,” Eclipse reminded her sister.
“I know, I know,” Ira sighed. “Don’t worry, nowadays I save all my fun times for Jacob. And sometimes my other half. Now, come on, slave!”
Ira gave the chain a hard tug, and the guard fell down onto his hands and knees. He grumbled as he stood back up, and then Ira yanked again to get him to start walking.
“I worry about her sometimes.” Inpulsa shuddered.
“Eh, don’t worry about it too much, Pikachu,” Todd chuckled. “At least Crazy Eyes is pretty upfront about her weird fetishes. Now, Elvira and Lizbeth, on the other hand … they’re the ones you gotta watch out for. Chicks who’re all quiet and grumpy and stoic are usually the ones who’re the freaks in bed. Ain’t that right, Jakey?”
“No comment,” I grumbled and rolled my eyes.
“You know we’re right here, right?” Vidia mumbled under her breath. “Eclipse and I can hear everything you’re saying.”
The succubi, Todd, Blagdan, and I made our way out the main exit of the playhouse and back into the town square of Umbra. Then my already weakened heart seemed to skip a beat.
Before us were hundreds of Shadow People, and they all stared at us silently, with their glowing red eyes narrowed in anticipation.
“Well, this is awkward,” Todd chuckled as he slowly slid behind Inpulsa’s leg.
“It’s alright,” Blagdan announced, “Tenebris is dead. The people of Umbra are now free, thanks to this Nephilim right here.”
There were whispers throughout the crowd, but none of the Shadow People broke their gaze.
“It’s true,” I said weakly as we walked forward, “the tyrant is dead. The Caliginis are now back under the rule of their rightful and true queen, Zilla.”
The tension in the air seemed to disappear when I name-dropped the Shadow Queen, and finally, a lone cheer rose up from the crowd. It was immediately followed by a slew of happy whistles and clapping hands that grew into a joyous roar.
“Make way for our savior!” somebody called out, and then the large crowd split down the middle to allow us to pass.
“All hail the savior!” another voice cheered as we passed by.
“Is that an imp?” another one gasped. “And succubi?”
“The Nephilim Champion!” a voice whistled.
“They love us,” Todd fake cried, “they really love us!”
We passed through the cheering mob and then slowly made our way back to the headquarters. Finally, after about ten more minutes of walking, I began to feel dizzy.
“G-Guys?” I asked as my leg went limp underneath me. “I’m starting to feel a little … “
“Shhhh!” Invidia warned. “Save your energy, Jacob.”
“Can one of you fly him back?” Blagdan asked abruptly. “I’m afraid he might be losing blood too fast, and I don’t know if we’ll make it back in time if we keep going like this.”
“On it,” Invidia blurted, and then I saw a flash purple out of the corner of my eyes.
“I wish somebody would carry me,” Tris joked to lighten the mood.
Suddenly, Invidia’s hands were underneath my armpits, and I was lifted up into the air. I watched as the dark, glowing city of Umbra passed by in a flash, and then my vision started to go dark.
The last thing I remembered was Vidia begging me to stay awake and to “hold on.”
But I couldn’t.
The world went dark.
“Is he going to be alright?” I heard the deep voice of Inpulsa ask.
“His vitals are stable,” a mystery voice explained, “and the Mysticberry paste I spread across his leg seems to have clotted his blood and stopped the spread of infection … I’m sure he’ll be back on his feet in no time.”
I slowly opened my eyes to see a plain black ceiling. I assumed I was back in the Shining Alliance headquarters, but it was really hard to tell.
Everything in Umbra was made out of the same black materials, after all.
I sat up leisurely and was greeted by the hopeful faces of my Demon Lords. Inpulsa was standing next to a Shadow Person who I assumed she was just talking with, but Eclipse, Ira, Vidia, Tris, and Todd were all huddled around my bed.
“He’s awake!” Eclipse gasped.
Suddenly, Tris wrapped her arms around me intensely and gave me a peck on the cheek.
“That was a really long nap, Jacob,” the Sister of Sloth chuckled, “like, I’m totally jealous. But not about the whole ‘sword through the leg’ thing. You can definitely keep that.”
“Good to see you, too,” I mused. “What the fuck happened?”
“You passed out from all the blood loss,” Vidia explained. “Luckily we were close to this place, so I got you inside, and this healer worked his magic.”
“Your wounds healed quite quickly,” the Shadow Person nodded, “but then you slept for hours. You’ve earned it, Savior.”
“Please don’t call me that.” I shook my head. “I hate getting called shit like that. Just ‘King Ralston’ is fine.”
“Then I will leave you with your friends, King Ralston,” the Shadow Person replied, “but know that when you are ready, our Queen wishes to speak with you.”
The healer gave me a soft smile before he floated through the threshold of the door.
“Uh-oh, Jakey,” Todd snickered, “you know what that means … ”
The imp held up his left hand in an “o” shape and held up his right with an extended index finger. Then he pushed the index finger through the hole repeatedly as he waggled his eyebrows and made soft “slurping” sounds.
“That’s not what she wants.” I rolled my eyes. “Besides, the Caliginis are asexual, remember?”
“Hey, the Toddster doesn’t judge,” Todd shrugged, “I’m just speaking from previous experience.”
“Or maybe there’s a ceremony or something, now that you’re their savior and all,” Deja added.
“Again,” Todd reiterated, “based on my experiences with these sorta things, that will probably involve laying some shadow pipe.”
“Fucking hell.” I facepalmed at the imp’s words. “There isn’t going to be any banging, Todd.”
“Alrighhhhhttt,” the imp said as he held up his hands in defeat. “If you say so.”
As I stood up out of the bed, I realized I was wearing nothing but a pair of old trousers and my undershirt. My armor and weapons were nowhere to be found.
“Uh, where’s all my stuff?” I questioned aloud. “Please tell me they didn’t toss it all out.”
“Don’t be silly,” Eclipse spoke up. “Your armor and weapons were pretty badly damaged from your fight with Tenebris, so the Caliginis took it to see if it could possibly be fixed.”
“I don’t think the Unhallowed Sword is getting back to its old self,” I sighed and slumped my shoulders. “Oh, well, at least it’ll still function as a sword, and it was sacrificed for a good cause.”
“Can’t you just have Ariel look at it when we get back to the Fourth Circle?” Inpulsa questioned. “I’d wager she could fix it.”
“She certainly could!” Ira added. “That spunky little redhead has fixed a bunch of my broken toys, and she always does a spectacular job.”
“Wait, which one are we talking about?” Todd scratched his head. “Firecracker? Strawberry Shortcake? Little Mermaid? Scully? I’m starting to get ‘em all confused.”
“Now Todd,” Ira placed her hands on her hips, “why would Superbia or Gula or Lilith have anything to do with fixing weapons?”
“I dunno,” the imp shrugged, “I’ve noticed your girls’ ‘thing’ sometimes jumps around, depending on the adventure we’re on. I was just making sure.”
“I’ll have Ariel look at it,” I agreed, “but I dunno if even she can fix such an ancient, intricate piece. But for now … I’ve got a Shadow Queen to speak to.”