by Matthew Buza
The large beast lowered himself. Isaac turned and saw Buer in all his brilliance. A lion's face melted into a long mane that covered his body. Matted hair bunched under his chin and hung thick with dirt and fibers. A long scar stretched down his face splitting his cheek in two. Isaac could see his thin arms tucked up under his body. The fingers twirled clumps of mane that collected across his chest.
“And the necromancer?”
“Still looking for his apprentice,” Aamon said jokingly.
“A poacher, huh? Taking babes from their moms. You are such a naughty boy.” Buer laughed sending ripples through his gold mane.
With tears in his eyes Isaac shifted the bead in his mouth. He looked up at Buer. “Say hello to my seraphim.”
He closed his eyes and bit down. His rear tooth broke sending a hot wave of pain shooting through his jaw. He cried out as bits of tooth dribbled into the sand. A small rock fell into the sand, covered in blood and spit.
Buer stepped forward and looked down at Isaac, as a line of blood trickled down his lip. “Your seraphim? Where?” Buer looked around the beach. “He's not coming here for you. Don't you realize that! You are just an expendable cog in their wheel of control. They are users. They take pieces of flesh like yourself and they use them, and when you are done paying the debt, they will have you thrown down here for us to play with?”
Isaac leaned over and feigned a cough. He quickly scanned the drying vomit. Perched next to a small pile of foam was the bead. At its center was a thin blue light that swirled inside.
Buer laughed. “This apprentice has some fire in him. They all do when they are new. How long have you been with your necromancer? A year?”
Isaac slowly crawled towards the bead. He fought the pain in his mouth and the aching soreness over his body. His voice was weak. “A month or so.”
“A month or so? Oh my, we do have a young one here.”
Isaac could smell the hot breath again on his back. Buer placed a free hoof down on Isaac's back and a sharp stinging pain shot through his body. Isaac could see the bead was just inches from his mouth. He dug into the sand with his face pulling the white grains closer to his body. The bead perched on the edge and slowly rolled down. Isaac buried his head in the sand and felt with his tongue. He found the bead. It was warm and smooth. He shifted it to his back molar and bit down. He felt the bead pop and release a warm blue liquid that quickly filled his mouth. His head lifted and spat out the fluorescent fluid onto the white sand. His lips were blue and he smiled.
Aamon could see that he cracked the bead. A warmth came over him and his heart raced. The black smoke stopped flowing from his face leaving behind a satin exterior that was smooth as a still lake. He smiled knowing that Jalon would soon be here.
Buer's hoof released and Isaac rolled to his back spitting out the last of the liquid. He felt a rumbling in the sand and he looked past Buer's confused face. Above the mountain, a dim light shone through the thick clouds. Something broke through. The meteor screamed through the air leaving a trail of fire and smoke behind. The object bent around the mountain and turned towards the beach.
Isaac saw Aamon digging his hooves into the sand.
“What is going on?” Buer cried out.
“I believe the seraphim is here.”
“On my mountain. The whore is coming?”
Aamon didn't answer as the fireball impacted the beach in front of them sending a cloud of smoke and sand high into the air.
The Seraphim
Aamon and Buer were focused on the impact site, which gave Isaac the opportunity to crawl away from the fire pit. He shuffled past a pile of chewed ribs bones stacked around the fire’s edge.
He peered around the fire and saw Aamon and Buer slowly approaching the impact site. Through the fading dust, a tall shadow stepped out of the crater. A pair of wings dropped off his body and slowly unfolded. They bent and a sharp pulse of air sent the dust cloud away. Isaac could see Jalon’s face. He wore a scowl and his fists were tight as he stared Aamon down.
“You scum.” Isaac could hear the hate in his voice.
“I've waited a long time for this,” Aamon said, circling around Jalon’s flank.
“Aamon, it has been a long time since that barn. I'll never forget your cries for mercy. What has it been? Two hundred years?” His wings tucked back like a dragon ready to strike.
“I was handicapped then, but now I'm here.”
Jalon chuckled. “You think this place means anything to me? I only need a word from my master and a torrent of seraphims would rain down on you. I would leave this place breathless. You and your lot would be cast into the fire where you belong.” He looked over Aamon's shoulder and a tinge of fear came across his face. “Buer? Is that you old friend?”
“I am he. It's good to see you Jalon. We don't see the alter whores of that bastard very often.”
“I wasn't aware you would be here. Come to watch or partake?”
“Jalon, I am well fed and rested, but I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to taste seraphim blood.”
“You called me here?”
Buer turned to see Isaac hiding behind the fire. “No, it looks like we were going to feast on one of your minions, but he seemed to have a trick up his sleeve.”
Jalon rolled his head and saw Isaac. His face flushed red with anger and mouthed, Lazarus. “What are you doing Isaac? Answer me.”
Isaac was frozen in fear. He shot a glance at the rock outcropping but he couldn't see Lazarus anywhere.
“You didn't know?” Aamon said. “I've been enjoying his warm body for weeks now. A nice little carrier.”
“Isaac? Since when?”
“Oh, I found him a few weeks ago, slipped in and made myself at home. He's a good little apprentice doing your bidding. Is he paying off that laughable debt?”
“Since when have you been interested in the craft?” Jalon said.
“Craft? Is that what you call it now? Makes it sound interesting and important.”
Jalon watched Buer and Aamon as they shifted slowly in the sand. Their feet slid through taking a wide arc to avoid the reach of his wings.
“How long did they put you out Aamon? What one hundred years?” Jalon said goading the demon.
“Almost two hundred. I have you to thank for that.”
“She was just a child.” Jalon licked his dry lips.
“She was my ticket out. Instead, I spent an eternity waiting, biding my time before I was let loose again. I never forgot you Jalon. You've always been on my mind. I've told myself, one day, I'll see the lovely Jalon again and pay him my respects.”
The last word left his lips and he dropped to his knees, scooping a handful of sand and sending it towards Jalon’s face. It spread through the air and Aamon breathed out a cloud of black ash. It ignited a fireball that struck Jalon, engulfing his chest in an inferno. Jalon flung back through the air and crashed hard into the sand, his wings splayed across the ground.
Isaac sensed his opportunity and sprinted towards the rock outcropping. He made it to the lava rock as another explosion engulfed Jalon just over his shoulder. He rounded the rock to find Lazarus consumed by the battle on the beach.
Isaac tore into Lazarus. “You fucking asshole.”
“You're alive, now stop complaining.”
“We need to get the fuck out of here,” cried Isaac.
“No, not yet.” He pulled out a long blade that was hidden in his boot. The blade bent in an arc and was covered with crosses etched along the top and Latin lettering covering the small hilt.
“What do you mean? We need to leave!”
Another explosion rocked the beach. Isaac looked over the edge to see a blue fireball lifting high into the sky. Sand rained down all around them.
“Are we going to help?” Isaac said.
“It’s not our fight.”
“I don't understand! You gave me that bead and that brought him here.”
“I need something before we can go.”
“What in the world can that be?”
Lazarus paused and looked down at the blade. His face was slack and showed little emotion. His voice was calm. “I need a lock of Buer's hair.”
Isaac bent down and pressed against Lazarus’s shoulder. His voice was angry and he whispered into his ear. “Go. Fuck. Yourself.”
Lazarus winced. “I'm getting out of here and I can’t get out unless I have that. I'm not going to be a necromancer anymore.”
“But, you are close to the end? The debt?”
“They were never going to let me pay off the debt. There's a reason my séances have been getting more dangerous. It started when I lost Nathaniel and since then it's been one fuck up after another. Each time I barely make it. The one at the lab, where you saved me? Yeah, I think that was the one, but it didn't happen. Someone’s thumb is on the scale and I’m getting screwed. I was never supposed to last this long.”
“This was the plan all along?”
Lazarus dipped his head. “I needed to follow Aamon to this point and the only way he would get here, to Buer, was if he had something to share. I couldn’t get here alone and I didn’t know the way. I needed him to get us here and I knew dangling Jalon in front of his eyes would distract him from us. His hatred would consume him and he would betray Buer, just to get another shot at Jalon. I was there when Jalon banished him into the abyss. Isaac, I’m sorry for all of this, but it was my only path. It was that or damnation. I chose to be selfish and I used you to do that.”
It was quiet and the two men stared at each other. Another explosion rocked the beach and sent them reeling for cover. Isaac peered over the edge to see Jalon hovering above Aamon. He struck the demon in the chest sending him flying back. Long dripping strands of black ashen tar flew through the air before he crashed into the white sand.
Jalon dropped to the ground and stared face to face with Buer, his wings open and ready to strike. Buer moved in a circle, his legs pounding the sand in a pinwheel motion. He covered the ground with impressive speed before turning into Jalon. Buer's arms unfurled for the first time and his razor-sharp claws dug into Jalon's shoulders tearing his flesh and leaving deep gashes across his skin. Jalon grasped his chest as white blood oozed through his fingertips. Buer continued to circle Jalon like a predator hunting a wounded animal. His legs popped and he jumped into the air and struck Jalon in the face. Both bodies fell into a heap in the white sand. Arms, hooves, and wings mixed sending sand flying through the air. Buer gained the advantage and straddled Jalon. His claws ripped and tore the Seraphim as a flash of white light exploded between them.
Isaac and Lazarus shielded their faces. They looked back to the beach and saw Jalon's body lying still. A second later a crash hit the rock face in front of them. The beach fell silent. The still air was charged and popped with a boiling static. Lazarus crawled around the rock and saw the silky brown mane of Buer, his face buried in the sand. There was a low growling breath, but Buer remained still.
Lazarus scrambled back and picked up the blade that had fallen on the ground. He carefully rounded the rock and reached out and cut a lock of hair from Buer's mane. The tips of the hair oozed a dark brown liquid that quickly dried.
Lazarus scrambled back to the rock and reached into his jacket. He pulled out a small locket and crammed the hair into the small space. He closed the locket and placed the chain around his neck. He jammed the rest of the hair into his pocket and put the knife away.
“Is that it?” Isaac asked.
“We need to go, fast!”
“Where?”
Lazarus pointed to the mountaintop. “To the top.”
“What about the boat and the cave?”
“Isaac, you either follow me or you die. The choice is yours.”
There was a low growl from over the rock and sand began to slide out the edge of the rock face.
“Fine, fine, let’s go,” Isaac said.
Pebbles dropped down over the rock and a long tendril of dark brown blood fell to the ground. The two men looked up and stared into the face of Buer. His teeth ground in anger.
“I knew I smelled a savage.” He climbed to the top of the rock. “I will enjoy this.”
Isaac swept the ground and sent sand flying into Buer's face. The brown mane danced in pain as he screamed swiping at his eyes. Before Buer could lunge at Lazarus his body was flung across the beach. Jalon stared down, white blood smeared across his chest and face. There was a primal anger burning in his eyes and his wings danced sending pulses of wind against the men.
“Lazarus! You’re a traitor! You will answer for this.”
From over Jalon's shoulder was the sound of an approaching stampede. Jalon quickly turned and broke out over the sand to meet the charging Buer. Isaac stood in awe as the angel's wings opened and framed Buer's cartwheeling charge. The two impacted and sent a shock wave of sand flying into the air. The dust and debris hid the frothing battle as wings and claws dug deep.
Lazarus turned and grabbed the dumbfounded Isaac by his shirt. They sprinted toward the base of the mountain. Behind them, screams from Buer and Jalon filled the landscape as the two figures rolled and fought their battle in the bleach-white sand.
The Summit
Isaac and Lazarus had been climbing for nearly ten minutes when they reached a short ledge and paused.
Lazarus stepped up to the edge of the vista. “God that is a sight.”
“What's happening down there?” Isaac breathed heavily.
“They are still fighting, but they all look tired.”
“Aamon is still in it?” Isaac said.
“Yeah, so is Buer. Jalon looks hurt. He's stumbling around.”
“What happens if he dies?”
“Then you don't have to deal with him ever again.” He sounded almost happy to hear the words.
“Why is that a good thing?” asked Isaac.
“Jalon uses us, well, me. I am just a cog in their plan. One that is expendable.” He sat down on the edge and rubbed his forehead. “I know they would never let me make it to the end.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I have a different debt owed to them. I upset their plan when I was a teenager. I was young and killed someone by accident. He slid off me and fell off a bridge into a gorge. Jalon found me a day later and I was pulled into the order. I was an apprentice for a short time before Jalon finished my training. I never intended to do it, it was an accident, but they don't care about that. They see the black and white of it.”
Isaac was quiet, it was the first time he felt that Lazarus was actually telling him the truth.
“But if it’s their plan how did you disrupt it? I don't understand.”
“They have a plan, but it's like putting pieces down on a board and those pieces are then free to interact. There's always a chance that something can foul it up. In my case it was dramatic.”
“Who was it?”
“The guy that died was meaningless, who he was going to become is what mattered.”
Isaac stared blankly into Lazarus's eyes.
“He was to be the first President of France.”
“But who took his place?”
“It opened the door for Napoleon, and it didn't go well. I was a few years into my training and Jalon said as much to me. For a few months I didn't see him and when I did he was cold. I asked him why and he pulled out a small paper and pointed to the name Napoleon. I knew then it was serious. I spent years trying to figure out what would happen to me. I ascertained that it would be early death and a failure to fulfill the debt. But in this case, I don't have a golden ticket like you.”
“That means damnation?”
“You got it. But you are not supposed to know that. You go about your business thinking that you are paying off the debt, but they are just using you. It's anecdotal, but I spoke with dozens of necromancers around the world and they all said that the debtors die early.”
“That's why we are…” Isaac couldn't finish the state
ment.
“I'm sorry I dragged you into this, but you don't face the same gauntlet that I do. I had given up on getting out, but after the incident with Zinn, you had been pegged. It was an opportunity for me and I took it.”
“Do you mean since that night with Zinn in the cell, everything has been planned?”
Lazarus nodded. “Chess pieces on a board.”
“Are you telling me that I was…you mean…what about my professor, what about the director?”
“I know them both. I had had my eye on Zinn for years. I just needed a possession of someone and the opportunity to come here.”
“What about the shop, the spell shop?”
“Yeah, I'm sorry about all that.”
“You piece of shit! You fucking piece of shit, you used me! For what? Just to get out of your own shit hole?”
“Kid, you are still stuck in the material world, you have a way out, that's what matters. You still get your life and it’ll be a long and fulfilling one at that.”
“You are a sick fuck. You think this is some gift to me. You really think that, don't you?”
“Listen in some ways it is, but I get it. I've been there. When I was pulled in I was barely seventeen.”
“I don't care about that. In fact, I really don't care about you. I just want to get the hell out of here. I want to get back.”
Isaac stared up at the mountain. The slope bent to a shallow grade that finished at the summit. Winding around the mountain like a thin black snake was a narrow staircase that disappeared past the edge.
“We're going to the top? That's the way out right?” He pointed to the mountaintop. Lazarus nodded. “Then what are we waiting for? I don't want to spend any more time than I have to.”
They started up the hill when a piercing scream came from the beach below. Lazarus leaned in and saw Aamon behind Jalon driving something through his back. Jalon's wings flapped wildly and then fell limp. His body slumped to the ground and his bright skin faded to a dull gray. Buer walked up to the body and kneeled down. His face buried into Jalon's abdomen, his teeth ripping and tearing through the seraphim. He leaned back, his face warm as white blood cascaded dripped off his mane.