by James Somers
However, I remained keenly aware that, at any moment, some killing machine would come for me. The more I thought about it, the more terrified for the children I became. The thought of my daughter in the clutches of one of those vicious mermaids turned my stomach.
After nearly one hour of roaming through the forest, I paused on a branch nearly thirty feet off of the ground. I scanned the trees and the ground around me. Nothing. I was beginning to feel almost disappointed by the serenity of my journey. Where were the abominable creatures of this realm?
I only heard a whisper of wind before the arrow struck me in my left thigh. Pain shot through my leg and up my spine. Immediately, I moved up higher into the tree, using those strong arms to propel me, despite my wound. I hadn’t seen anyone below, but they had clearly spotted me.
Every branch and leaf brushing the arrow, forced me to cringe at the pain. I knew already that I wouldn’t make it very far like this. I gritted my teeth and pulled the arrow out of my leg. It didn’t bleed as badly as it could have. Apparently, it had missed my important arteries.
I now heard strange sounds coming from the forest floor below. Clicks and grunts and the sounds of horses. Suddenly, the odd communication stopped and a hail of arrows pierced the canopy.
I hid behind the trunk of the tree. Arrows sank into it, as well as branches all around me. Many more flew on, hitting only the leaves.
Turning, I saw a creature similar to a drawing I had seen in a book of mythology. The beast had the lower body of a horse and the upper body of a man. However, its face was a mixture of horse and man. A long jaw and equine ears mingled with a man’s nose and eyes.
He drew back on his bow and let loose as quick as a heartbeat. I leaped away from the tree just before the arrow struck where I had been sitting. Falling through the branches of an adjacent tree, I reached for any purchase I could find. My big orangutan hands finally caught hold on a sturdy branch. I swung up to another and back behind the trunk as more arrows flew past.
Below me, the cacophony of hoof beats was multiplying fast. When one found me, they all came to take their shot. I needed some way out. My tree defense wasn’t going to work for long. They could surround me below and fire up into the trees all day, if they liked. Someone would hit me before long.
Communicating was unlikely to be effective. I considered fighting, but I’d be facing a great many foes firing arrows with uncanny accuracy. Still, my extension could protect me. The only question, could I get to the other side of this floating island in order to get to the next level down and closer to this dragon I’d been warned about.
I was forced to give up my animal form to use the extension. Unfortunately, both of these drew so much strength that I couldn’t easily maintain them together. In orangutan form, I leaped from the tree, coming down in the middle of the forest.
Half of the things towering over me were tree trunks. The other half were these centaurs, bows ready and releasing in my direction. I became human again and extended my shield just in time to repel a slew of arrows. Instinctively, I cringed at the attack, even though I was perfectly safe for now.
My leg was still aching, and I began to feel light-headed. I stumbled after a moment. The centaurs stopped shooting at me. I looked up at them. They were studying me.
My woozy feeling grew worse now. Instinctively, I looked down at my leg. My minor blood loss had abated. This shouldn’t have affected me this way.
I realized, to my horror, that their arrows had been poisoned. Either I was going to die, or I would be unconscious within minutes. At that point, my extension would fall and then I would be dead.
Several of the centaurs smiled at me, elbowing one another. They had realized what was happening. They knew they only need wait and I would soon be completely defenseless.
I was now forced to do something I didn’t want to do. I slowly lay down on the ground, seeming to fight it the best I could. In reality, this wasn’t far from the truth. Whatever toxin coated their arrows was working hard at driving me into unconsciousness.
As my strength faltered and my head hit the ground, I drew my extension shield back into myself. As expected the centaurs did not shoot me. Why bother? I was defenseless. Those closest to me moved in to collect their prize. As planned, I waited until the first hand touched me. My extension shield exploded outward, smashing into the centaurs full force.
The closest beasts were thrust back upon the others. As for me, I transformed into a peregrine falcon for speed, shooting up and out. The smallish raptor tore through the trees, zigzagging the best I could.
The centaurs recovered themselves fairly quickly, galloping behind me, curses flying in whatever language they spoke. Arrows soon followed, darting through the trees after me. However, I had a good head start now. My erratic course made me nearly impossible to hit. I just had to reach the other side of the island and get down to the next.
I faltered, not for the first time, as the world continued to spin around me. My flight pattern wasn’t helping either. Still, I pushed on, leaving the centaurs steadily behind me. My body was growing numb.
Finally seeing sunlight ahead, I gave it my last ounce of strength, fighting unconsciousness to the best of my ability. The edge of the island fell away. There was no river, no waterfall—only a tangled mass of vines cascading down from the realm of the centaurs toward another floating island completely obscured by heavy fog.
My strength failed completely, as I passed over open sky. Unable to maintain my transformation, my body reverted back to its true human form. I was falling and didn’t even have the presence of mind left to be afraid for my life. I started to whisper a prayer, but numbing darkness swept over me first.
Rivalry
Black sat within the private apartment that had been given unto Ishbe, his host, within the Lycan city of Tidus. Fortunately, no one had informed the servants that he had revealed himself as one of the Fallen while at Greystone. He had not made his way around to see anyone of importance in the city, least of all Laish or Redclaw. And one could easily wander around the royal palace without seeing the same person twice—more so, if you were an angel.
A plate of roasted beef sat upon the table before him. A pitcher of wine sat beside it, as well as a goblet filled to the half. Black forked a large bite of beef, dipped into the gravy and then shoved it into his mouth.
“There is something to be said for inhabiting a human body,” Black said. “You can really savor the cuisine. They truly have excellent chefs here at the palace.”
Lucifer leaned against the wall shrouded in shadow. He had only just arrived and had not announced his presence. His eyes did not leave Black, sitting at his little table with its silk tablecloth and silver cutlery. Black had not bothered to look at him.
“I guessed you would be here lounging about,” Lucifer said.
“Lounging can be quite enjoyable when you have a human host,” Black said, smiling. “Oh, dear, you seem to be missing yours.”
Lucifer did not move. He did not reply.
Black shoved another forkful of beef into his mouth, chewing slowly, deliberately making the most of his meal for his brother’s sake. “Stabbed in the chest by a mortal boy, wasn’t it?” he asked over his chewing.
“The same boy who cast you into Tartarus,” Lucifer replied. “Enjoy your host while you can. When it expires, you’ll be drawn back to your prison.”
Black pushed his plate away, leaning back in his chair. He patted his lean belly, exhaling with deep satisfaction. When he looked up at Lucifer, Black was grinning from ear to ear.
“Are you smiling because you think you’ve beaten me?” Lucifer asked.
“I’m smiling because I now have the upper hand,” Black replied merrily. “And because there is nothing you can do about it.”
“You think so?”
“I know so,” Black answered. “No angel can enter the Underworld.”
“I don’t have to,” Lucifer countered. “The abominations will stop them.”
“Then reveal it,” Lucifer said. “What is it you are after?”
“Revenge,” Black said. “Your plans have failed—I like that. If Brody and his children are killed by the abominations—good. If they survive to release the cherubim, then the entire Descendant civilization will be undone on the spiritual plane—even better. You see, brother, it’s a win-win situation for me no matter what happens.”
“And, in the meantime, you have this mortal host to enjoy,” Lucifer added.
Black raised his goblet in a toast. “Here, here!”
Lucifer took his turn at grinning now. “I won’t sit back, you know?”
Black finished his toast and drank long before setting the cup down again. “I’m sure you won’t,” he admitted. “But this cannot be undone. Either way, I win. So, by all means, try. It’s all the better for me, knowing that you’re giving it your all.”
He finished his thought with a wink.
Lucifer straightened indignantly and then vanished.
Black went to the balcony of his apartment, able to catch the last rays of a twilight sun before it disappeared behind the mountains. He inhaled deeply and smiled. “Ah, it’s good to be Black.”
Southresh paced back and forth at the base of the dome of Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. He sneered every now and then as he passed by reliefs of the saints rendered in stone. Upon his fortieth pass, the angel saw whom he had been waiting for. Lucifer stood, stoically overlooking the bustling city below. Though he was magnificent to behold in true form, none of the mortals below were aware of his presence.
“Master,” Southresh said, rushing to his side. “Any news?”
Lucifer almost had the urge to laugh. Southresh, rebel that he was, could certainly switch his lapdog approach on and off at a moment’s notice when it suited him, as it did now. He left him standing and waiting for an answer for a moment before bothering to reply.
Finally, he said, “Black is out for revenge. He seems to care little for the specifics—only that he causes some level of destruction upon your progeny and the others with him.”
“Is that not a good thing for us?” Southresh asked. “I’ve already destroyed Oliver James. Why not allow him to destroy the boy?”
“It’s not the boy that concerns me,” Lucifer said. “I would have killed him myself if he weren’t protected. It’s the collateral damage he may cause that disturbs me. The spiritual realm could be devastated by this sloppiness on Black’s part. Yet, it is valuable to us still.”
“If the Descendants are destroyed then at least we are rid of them,” Southresh said. “They’ve long outlived their usefulness anyway. They rebel against us, just as they always have. An experiment run amok. A bad investment.”
“Pieces on the board can always serve a purpose,” Lucifer said, correcting him. “Subtlety is the name of our game. One only needs the finesse to properly manipulate the players in order to achieve great results.”
Southresh stood by, puzzling, the analogy seemingly lost on him.
Lucifer regarded him disdainfully. “Still, I wouldn’t expect you to appreciate my methods,” he said. “Black is cutting the playing field in half with such tactics.”
“At any rate, the boy still has to get through the abominations,” Southresh noted. “Chaos elementals can be particularly nasty to deal with. Cuddly and destructive.”
“My only concern is that the Almighty will protect him on his way,” Lucifer said. “So far, the boy has managed to foul both Black’s and my own plans.”
“I would have expected nothing less from one of my offspring,” Southresh said, musing.
Lucifer glared at his sibling without honoring the statement with a reply.
“Still,” Southresh continued, “Donatus and Laish are well acquainted with the nature of the Underworld. They would have warned him not to kill the dragon.”
“True,” Lucifer said. “Yet, Black believes that they will somehow feel it necessary to do so. The only reason he suspects them not doing it, is if they die on their way instead.”
“He must have arranged some story that would lead them to think killing the dragon is necessary,” Southresh said.
“He sent the children to unlock the Underworld after he brought the keystone down,” Lucifer said.
“He gloated often to Anubis and me about his proximity to the royal brats,” Southresh said. “They practically used him as their nursemaid, training the boy and such. He loved how the boy called him Master—all of it right under everyone’s noses.”
Lucifer grinned. “That’s how he did it,” he realized. “He told the children some lie to have them running into the Underworld alone to kill the dragon. Brody would try to stop them from getting killed, as well as hoping to keep them from killing the beast and releasing the cherubim upon the spiritual plane.”
“Sounds plausible,” Southresh said. “But we still can’t do anything about it. If the boy succeeds in stopping the children, then the cherubim will remain trapped. You said that Black didn’t care if they killed the dragon or not.”
“And I should believe him?” Lucifer asked.
“Well, no, but Black has no more control over the situation than we do,” Southresh pointed out. “No angel can enter the Underworld. Maybe, he just wants us to overanalyze the situation.
Lucifer straightened. “Plausible,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, my servant is still too young and inexperienced to send.”
“Servant?” Southresh asked. “You’ve got another already? But Grayson Stone has only been dead ten years.”
Lucifer grinned. “Dear brother, I never put all of my eggs into one basket.”
“Who is he?”
“Neither do I put any real trust in my brothers,” Lucifer added. “Play you cards right and you might last long enough to become a part of my future plans. But now is not the time.”
“Then do we do anything?”
Lucifer stared out over London, musing. “The mortal world is changing very fast. New technologies springing up all of the time. The humans are not many years from becoming a very real threat to our progeny. When that time arrives, they’ll want to remain hidden in their realms on the spiritual plane. Perhaps, they might be more controllable if they were forced into the human world.”
Southresh stood waiting. “So, in the meantime—?”
“For now, we do nothing,” Lucifer said. “We wait and see what comes of this. Black believes he has undone me. Let him believe what he wants. However, this may all work in our favor, after all. A little time will certainly tell.”
Elementals
Cole and Sadie maintained their wolf animal forms, even after the snow had stopped falling. They blended well with the white landscape and remained virtually invisible. However, after more than a half hour of walking, there seemed to be no end in sight. Rolling hills of white and a sparse forest of burnt trees was all they could see.
“Wait a minute,” Sadie said, sniffing the air for scents. “We’re not alone.”
Cole had paused beside her, frozen in the snow like a statue. “What is it?” he whispered.
Sadie sniffed again. “Rabbits, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Look,” Cole said. “I see some of them over there by the trees—little white cottontails.”
“They’re so cute,” Sadie said.
“Do you think they’re frightened of us?” Cole asked.
“You’re right,” Sadie said. She reverted back to her human form immediately.
Cole did the same. Within seconds the rabbits responded, hopping here and there, coming ever nearer. Cole and Sadie smiled at one another, kneeling down as the rabbits got closer.
“I’ll bet these guys get eaten by whatever monsters live in this place,” Cole said.
“Ah, I wish we could take them with us,
” Sadie cooed.
One of the rabbits came within inches of Cole’s outstretched hand. Timid, it paused uncertainly before finally hopping into his lap. A sheet of clear ice washed over Cole’s body. The rabbit leaped away as he fell backward encased in a frozen block.
Sadie screamed, still uncertain as to what had happened. White rabbits were all around them now. Where had they all come from? She danced away as one of them hopped toward her.
There was no other enemy in sight. Nothing, not even a scent. Only the rabbits. They were so precious and wanted to be near her, to touch her. Now that Cole was trapped in ice, they were only interested in her.
Sadie leaped over a dozen, trying to stay away from them. She pulled out Malak-esh, but she didn’t think she could slaughter the little creatures. They seemed to bear no malice, only a touch that would freeze her, if she dared to let them near.
She pointed the blade at them, turning all around to try and keep them at bay. However, the rabbits continued to hop hopefully toward her, wiggling their pink noses and soft ears. They appeared to have no concept that she was waving a deadly weapon at them.
Sadie somersaulted over several more, keeping her feet off of the ground. They came after her, multiplying exponentially. It was as if the very snow was birthing them.
She let Malak-esh return to the ether. She became a wolf again, hoping this form might scare them away. Cole had not moved from the place where he was frozen in a block of ice. Sadie knew that he might soon perish if she did not free him. His oxygen would run out quickly.
A rabbit appeared under her feet. Sadie stumbled and fell. She hit white powder that flew up around her in a cloud. For several moments, she dared not to even breathe. The snow settled on the ground again, revealing white rabbits all around her. She inhaled as they all leaped upon her at once.
I woke to an inverted world. My arms and legs were practically numb. I looked around and quickly realized that I was hanging upside down. During my freefall from the floating island realm of the centaurs, I had become entangled within a meshwork of vines growing down toward the next level.