Venom of the Gods

by Sebastian Chase

  "I am here to kill Samael, not cure you." Thinking of Samael reminded me to look over my shoulder. He and his demon concubine were dusting off while gazing at the blue sphere, completely unaware that I was a hundred feet behind and to the left of them. I looked back at Henri.

  "No. You are no match for him right now," he said.

  "That's what your wife said also, but I have other plans. My daughter's life depends on…"

  "Hathor? She is here?" he whispered anxiously out loud, eyes skirting around searching. I glanced at Samael hoping he hadn't heard. Deep in conversation with Karen, it appeared he was still oblivious to us.

  Turning back to Henri, I formulated thoughts into mental words hoping he would follow suit once again: "You claim to be god-like, but you don't know where your wife is?"

  His eyes refocused on mine, his former confidence replaced by nervousness. "She…she has a power over me, and does things that I cannot foresee," he said, reverting to telepathy once again.

  "Because of her venom," I stated.

  "Yes. She was not supposed to do that."

  "But it was okay for you to feed me her venom in your potion?"

  "She insisted, and out of love for her, I agreed."

  "It wasn't love, I hate to tell you. Why would you give her such power?"

  "In the beginning, I gave those I trusted great powers to help me keep control. I trusted you with hardened fangs and claws. I trusted my wife with venom that enabled her to gain control over a rogue for me."

  "But then she went rogue," I said.

  "Yes. A foolish mistake on my part."

  "It appears Samael has emulated the ability to harden his claws. He sliced my skin open with them."

  "He has somehow found a way to extract this component from the DNA in my venom and amplified it with human blood, but it will kill him eventually," he said, becoming less nervous now that the conversation turned away from his wife.

  "Kill him?"

  "It is like a drug that temporarily increases his strength and speed, but like a drug, he will crash when it wears off."

  "Both Samael and Hathor are bent on world domination, and they want some aspect of you to help them with that. He wants your venom; she wants you as a powerful figurehead. For all we know, they're working together. I'm sorry Ra, but…" Distracted, my brain stopped midsentence as behind the old pastor on the small two-lane road adjacent to the Druid-inspired landmark, a black hearse topped the rise and pulled over. Seeing my eyes stray from him, Henri turned around. We both watched as the car door opened and Hathor-Elizabeth-Monique stepped out. Even though she was over half-a-mile distant, she appeared to be looking directly at us. Worse, her influence crashed into me like a tsunami.

  "I must destroy your body so they can't use you," I finished the mental message, feeling invisible strings tugging gently at my heart, refuting the notion of hurting Ra. Henri whipped around, his own heartstrings apparently being yanked as if he were a trophy fish on a gung-ho angler's line.

  "I am afraid that is not the plan, Michael," he said, once again reverting to spoken words. I cringed, started to remind him of the need for quiet, but found it was too late.

  "I would love to know the plan," Samael said, standing a few feet behind me. He must have approached at high speed when the hearse distracted us, because Karen was still scrambling to catch up. Surrounded on all sides, it appeared that I was without allies.

  After a moment of intense silence, Karen came to a halt by Samael, licking her lips like a dog that had stumbled upon fallen prey. Dangling from her hand, the briefcase, and from within it the electronic chime of an incoming call sounded. It softly signaled the potential arrival of the end of the world.

  Chapter 44

  As I eyed the briefcase attached to Karen's wrist, I felt Ra probing my mind, perhaps preparing a mental onslaught that would send me to my knees at the command of Hathor. In desperation, I mentally relayed the implications of the ringing briefcase to him with a flood of emotions. I hoped Hathor would get the message that she would be the ruler of a dead world if we allowed Samael to answer the phone. With relief, I watched Henri's gaze swing slowly from me to Karen. The phone rang again, urging nuclear Armageddon on insistently, and then I felt the initial surge of Hathor's influence vanish from my head.

  "Right when things were getting interesting!" Samael yelled in sarcastic amusement. "Bear with me a moment, gentlemen, while I get this."

  Karen lifted the case and placed her thumbprint on a small electronic pad that would open it. At the same time, Henri raised his hand as he had done to rescue the floating workers, and the case began to collapse in upon itself with a loud metallic crunching sound. Both Samael and Karen looked at it with nothing short of astonishment. With one final hard crunch, the ringing from the crushed briefcase ceased. Samael looked hard at Henri.

  "You must be the one that saved the construction workers," he stated. "Very impressive."

  Samael's hand darted forward towards Henri's throat, and then was back at his side just as quickly. With such a display of speed, I knew he was on the venom-enhanced blood.

  "I hope you find my own feat just as impressive," Samael said.

  Blood started trickling out of the throat of the human body Ra occupied. The man who had been Henri held a shocked expression on his face, as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep somewhere far different than he had went to bed in. His fearful eyes rolled around in confusion and a second later, his head teetered over and fell to the ground, followed unceremoniously by his headless corpse. Inside my mind, I heard a distant scream filled with despair. Within the blue sphere, the deformed creature twitched with a hard spasm and then was still once again.

  "What have you done, Samael?" I yelled.

  "I heard you tell this man that we must destroy his body, so I merely assisted you." He smiled.

  I rushed forward to grab his own vulnerable throat, but his hand came up and caught my wrist before I succeeded. He twisted, and within my arm, I heard the sound of bone snapping. "I suggest you tame your emotions," he said before releasing me. I stumbled back; my broken arm already well into the process of healing, but it would be useless for several minutes.

  "Do you know who that was?" I asked.

  "Judging by his powers, I would say a minion of our illustrious leader over there." He indicated to the Eye.

  "Not a minion, but Ra himself occupied that body," I said.

  "Interesting. Well, if that is the best he can do, then our victory is assured."

  Karen released the useless briefcase from her arm, threw it to the ground, and then looked at me. "We have won, Michael," she said, stepping forward. "We have Ra and the power of his venom." Her pale face came close, her blood-filled eyes piercing. "Join us. We would be good together," she whispered into my ear. Her lips touched my cheek, promising what could be.

  "Ra will snap your neck like the little mouse you are," I said, causing primeval fear to dart across her eyes. I could tell that this was the last place on Earth she wanted to be, but she wasn't about to miss her chance at a power grab.

  "Not to worry, my dear, Michael will join us," Samael interjected. "His daughter's eyes depend on it." He turned to me. "Although I will still torture whoever it was that betrayed me and set you free, it is actually good that you are here. To save your precious child, I have a task for you. I will release her the minute you are successful. Get the venom out of that diseased creature. Go and milk your master to save your daughter."

  "I can't," I stated. "He's starved and will attack whoever gets close." I knew I had to stall and buy time for both my daughter's rescue and for the venom-enhanced blood coursing through Samael's veins to wear off—at least I hoped it would wear off soon because until that happened, I would be unable to destroy him.

  "Nonsense," Samael said. "A great warrior such as you should have no problem subduing that wasted piece of flesh. Come. I have much to do and time is short."

  As I followed Karen and Samael to the edge of the pit,
I listened for Ra inside my head, but it was deathly quiet. Hoping for some kind of assistance, I mentally called out to him, but received only silence in return. Upon the small hill, the black hearse still rested, a lone figure standing next to it observing, waiting to use the victor any way she could.

  "I will take care of that witch in due time," Samael said, following my gaze.

  We stopped at the edge of the pit, the floating Eye just twenty feet away. For the first time I noticed it pulsed with something like a heartbeat, and made a soft sizzling sound similar to the electrical hum that large overhead power lines emitted. I flexed my arm, and was glad to see that it had fully healed.

  "How do you get in?" Karen asked Samael, referring to the glowing orb.

  "We will leave that up to Michael to figure out." Samael looked behind me, his face turning impatient. "What is it now?"

  I turned around and was surprised to see the soldier that had remained with the helicopter running towards us. He almost bowled me over as we came face to face, and instantly I recognized the glowing deep blue of Ra in his eyes. With all of the construction workers gone in fear, Ra had still managed to find another host to occupy. The man winked and smiled.

  "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with the helicopter?" Samael demanded from behind me.

  "Be ready," the soldier said quietly to me, being careful that Samael could not see his face.

  "I asked you a question!" Samael stepped around me and grabbed the man briskly by the front of his uniform. "What is wrong with your eyes?" he asked suspiciously.

  A crackling hum emancipated from the soldier as he brought his hands up to Samael's chest. A brilliant flash of light discharged from his palms followed by a loud pop that sent Samael flying back several feet. The humiliated vampire landed roughly on his butt, still glaring angrily at the possessed soldier.

  "You caught me off-guard when you killed Henri, but it will not happen again," the soldier-Ra said to Samael. "He was a good man. You will pay dearly for taking his life and all others you have destroyed." He turned to me. "Stay out of the Eye. Your life depends on it, which is why I am doing this. Soon, you must find a way to control the beast that is my body. Once freed, it will hurt you. Do you…"

  "Look out!" I yelled. Samael had gotten off the ground and was rushing towards us with incredible speed. Karen also raised her clawed hand, preparing to take a preliminary swipe at the soldier in hopes of a lucky strike. I threw myself at her, both of us tumbling to the ground. She slashed with her wicked nails, but they barely scraped the surface of my skin. Seeing the lack of results, she resorted to biting with her teeth, which proved to be a mistake as several of them broke. She would heal, but the initial pain threw her off focus. I managed to straddle her while pinning her arms to the ground. She struggled like an alligator being ridden by a lunatic. I stole a glance at where the soldier had been standing, but I didn't see him. Karen took advantage of my distraction and snapped her bloodied jaws once again at my nose. Tired of her nuisance, I sank my fangs deep into her neck and let my venom flow.

  "Oh yes, Michael! Oh yes! Oh, oh…" She faded away into pleasurable moans. I withdrew my fangs and spat the disgusting taste of her putrid blood into the dirt.

  "You taste as bad as you look right now," I said, and then jumped to my feet, leaving her moaning in venom-induced pleasure in the midst of a battlefield.

  "Release me!" Samael yelled. I turned around and saw that he was frozen like an iconic Greek statue of a man running in place.

  The soldier that Ra controlled held his machinegun to Samael's head, shaking with emotion. To Samael he yelled, "You aberration, spawn of Hell, I should have aborted you into the abyss of damnation! I would give my life just to take yours!"

  Knowing that the human body he occupied and the gun that he held could not hurt Samael, Ra threw the weapon to the ground and took off into the air. Using his metaphysical energy to levitate, he flew straight for the glowing sphere. At the same time, the energy holding Samael in place released its grip, causing him to fall to the ground. He wasted no time in grabbing the machine gun, rolling over, and shooting at the flying soldier. Hot casings shot out of the gun as bullets whizzed into the air with a deafening roar. It looked as if several found their mark when the soldier's body lurched and became slack, but his forward momentum still carried him directly into the Eye of Ra.

  If the soldier wasn't already dead, his impact against the circular wall of the sphere had to have knocked what life remained out of him. He hit with a sickening crunch and stuck to the pulsating orb like an insect on a windshield. The translucent-blue surface of the giant bubble started to churn with mad swirls, and then absorbed the soldier through its walls. He fell at the feet of the suspended creature inside. In less time than it takes to blink, the creature snapped out of its catatonic sleep, ripped itself free, and tore into the poor fellow with insatiable hunger. Ra had found a way to awaken himself.

  Chapter 45

  "Arschloch!" Samael cursed in German. Even he seemed stunned by the brutality of the creature. After draining what it could from the soldier's neck, it began to dismantle the man, sucking out every morsel of nourishment. As it did this, small patches of its rotten black flesh turned pinkish-tan, appearing to come alive again. Once satisfied that it had thoroughly depleted its victim; the creature turned its eyes upon us. To my dismay, the eyes were not the blue of Ra's, but they were black, the deepest black I had ever seen.

  "I will catch you back in the States. Get his venom and my deal still stands," Samael said, preparing to fly away. I grabbed his arm just as he left the ground, forcing him back down.

  "No! We have to fight this thing," I said. "If we work together, we can defeat it. If we do nothing, then your reign is over, as is our lives. Look at it! It will devour the planet!"

  "Exactly, starting with us if we stick around. The virus has destroyed most of its brain, which is the one thing of ours that cannot heal by itself. We're dead if we stay here."

  The creature appeared to be searching for a way out of the sphere, looking at us every few seconds as if ensuring that we hadn't left yet.

  "Samael, I know you only operate with your own interests at heart; I promise you that ridding the world of that monster is in your interest."

  "I am hurt, Michael. Believe it or not, I consider the human race precious, which is why I only trust myself to lead them. This is not all about my interests alone."

  "You have a funny way of showing your love to those you consider precious."

  "What can I say? I am a strict father. Kids need that, you know," he said, as if we were discussing children while sitting on a playground bench.

  "Sometimes children need protection, too. Will you help me?" I asked. He looked at the floating sphere, considering his options. The demon inside the orb was now slamming its fists into the walls, and looked to be howling in rage, although we couldn't hear it through the strange blue force field that encircled the machine.

  "It looks like it might not be in issue. I don't think it can get out," Samael said.

  In frustration, the creature stopped and leaned heavily against the curved wall, eyeing us with obvious hatred. Dark swirls of blue started to creep up on the outside of where the creature leaned and then, almost comically, Ra's demonic body slipped through and fell into the pit below.

  "Shit!" I yelled. "Are you with me or not?"

  "Goddamn it! With you, but when this is over you agree to my rule. Understand?"

  "Sure. Whatever it takes," I conceded, doubting we would survive.

  "I suggest you get to the helicopter and get yourself a dose of enhanced blood from the girl there," he said.

  "No thanks. Not my style, besides I heard there were side effects."

  "Nonsense, but suit yourself."

  Before we could formulate a move that didn't involve feasting on a teenage girl, the creature jumped out of the pit and landed ten feet away from us. It roared louder than a lion, and in the silence that followed, it tilted its
head side to side curiously observing us.

  "Ra? It's me, Michael. Remember?" I asked, hoping to touch Ra's essence trapped deep in the damaged creature's mind. The monster responded by smacking its lipless mouth together, venom dripping from its long fangs, bloodstained from the recent gorging. It towered almost seven feet, and flexed its long clawed fingers as if preparing for a fight.

  "We should separate," Samael said, already taking slow sidesteps away from me. The creature watched him suspiciously.

  "Ra, please," I pleaded.

  The monster leaned its head sideways, perhaps thinking, if it still had that capacity. For a brief moment, I could see pinpoints of the purest blue appear in its dark eyes, but as quickly as the blue appeared, so too did it vanish.

  "Ra!" it cried with an animal-like snarl, raising long arms over its head. Then, it lunged for Samael, moving so fast that I lost track of it. If the creature had chosen to go for me, I surely would have been mauled to death, but since Samael was enhanced, he managed to leap out of harm's way before suffering injury. From his trajectory, Samael appeared to be heading for the helicopter. I expected Ra to follow him, but another target caught the monster's attention.

  Karen had managed to stand. Still dazed and confused from my venom, she stumbled slowly towards the helicopter as well, her back to the beast that eyed her. It was upon her so fast that I doubt she had time to register what happened. I watched as Ra buried his saber-toothed fangs into her neck, deposited his venom, and began to suck like a starving baby. More worried about him gaining even more strength than out of concern for Karen, I knew I had to distract the creature before it drained her.

  I jumped the twenty-foot span that separated us and landed on the monster's bent over back. So focused was it on the feast, it didn't appear to notice me. As Ra fed, his black and somewhat slimy flesh began to erupt with more patches of peach-colored skin—human skin by all appearances. I slid off the creature and, standing behind it, raised my claws high. I brought them down hard towards its back, but upon impact, several of my fingers broke. I blocked the pain, crying out in despair while thinking my attack was futile, but on awkwardly bent fingers, the claws held and sank into his armor-like skin. Ra had instilled extra strength in my claws, never suspecting that I would use them on him. The creature howled as I forced my damaged fingers down its back, slicing him open, revealing rotten flesh beneath.