by Billy Wong
Despite their grave situation, his friend exhaled with apparent relief that he had recovered his senses and wouldn't be going insane just yet. "Right."
Before they could get far from the restaurant, a figure reached out from an alley and grabbed Henry's arm. It was a small cloaked person with a horribly burned face, female in shape and somewhat familiar... "Blackbird?"
"Shhh, not so loud. Come on in here and we'll talk."
He followed her into the passage. "What are you still doing in the city, it's not safe! Have you been hanging around here since the restaurant was attacked? And you're hurt so bad..."
Her peeling lips bent up in a smile. "It isn't that serious. Burns just look terrible, but I was in worse shape after Andrew shot me up. Not safe for who? I've killed hundreds of church knights while waiting for you, since I knew you'd show up sooner or later."
"Hundreds in that condition..." Andrew whispered. "No wonder everybody is too scared to go outside—you're even more of a monster than we knew." He clapped her shoulder, then brushed it apologetically when she winced. "Glad the monster is on our side, though."
"You guys need to stop calling me that, it's getting rude. I'm a girl."
Henry gave her a questioning look. "Why are you running around killing people, why didn't you just wait for us at the meeting place with the others?"
"I remember you all telling me where it is, but don't actually recall the location."
He supposed that was understandable given she hadn't been with them long and her brain might not perfectly function. "And you couldn't track them down?"
Her expression grew bashful. "It's harder in the city. Their trails mingled with a lot of others."
"Well now that we're here, we'll take you to it."
They made their way to a small warehouse on the edge of town that Pete had bought in a friend's name, where they'd planned to meet up in the event they ever had to flee the restaurant. Henry wondered as he knocked on the door who he would see inside. Please let it be everyone but Pete, or even including him somehow... The portal opened a crack and they stepped in one by one. He spotted stocky bearded Ronald who had unlocked the door with broadsword in his other hand, Kara who now lowered her twin light axes, and huddled on the floor behind them, Nicole and Georgie.
"Thank—whoever protected you!" Kara said, throwing her arms around Andrew. "Geez, she looks messed up."
Blackbird turned away. "Don't tell me I'm ugly..."
"You're not." Henry embraced her. "They're proud wounds, and I'm sure they'll heal fine."
"Is Pete really dead?" Ronald asked. "What about everyone else?"
"We don't know-"
Blackbird cut in. "Him and the others are dead. Pretty sure Grendel did it." Henry wished she hadn't said it so loudly, as right away Georgie burst into tears and Nicole held him close.
"That piece of shit! We should've let you hunt him down and kill him back then." But even if she had, somebody else would probably have done the deed... the church as a whole should be their target.
They shared their accounts of what happened. Though they'd been forced to leave many behind, Ronald and Kara had taken with them some of the artifacts they deemed might be more important from the vault, along with Clayton's holy spear. As for how the church had finally managed to get to them after so long...
Kara averted her gaze. "I think it might be my fault. Right after I found that minor artifact, they came knocking... it was probably a trap and I led them right to us."
"Don't blame yourself," Andrew said. "Even if you hadn't been there, me and Henry or Ronald would go after the artifact, and the exact same thing would have happened."
"But it was so easy to find... I feel like maybe I should've been more wary or something."
Blackbird hugged her, making her recoil a bit at the proximity of that well cooked face. But she soon straightened and accepted fully the comforting gesture. "Nobody is perfect, we're all human. Even if you really made a mistake, which I'm not sure you did, it's nothing we'd hold against you."
"Maybe you're right, it wasn't that suspicious... What do we do now?" Kara asked.
Henry set aside his anger to focus on the first priority. "We have to get Nicole and Georgie to safety. It's too suspicious for us to move in a big group, so since you're the best warrior here besides Blackbird, Ronald you get them out of the city. Cathy's place in Methidge should be safe for now. Take the artifacts also. You should go with them too, Kara."
"No, I want to go with you! I know Andrew will be staying with you and Blackbird, and I don't want to be separated from him now."
He looked at his friend. He knew Kara should have as much a right to decide her own fate as anyone, but... To his surprise, but not displeasure, Andrew said, "Let her come. She's no worse a fighter than me, so if we're around to guard each other, maybe that'll take some of the pressure off Big Sister." Blackbird laughed.
When she and Ronald had packed, Nicole said, "I hope you all take good care of yourselves." With a slight hint of sarcasm Henry doubted its intended recipient picked up on, she added, "After all, wouldn't want my son not to be able to see his hero again."
Georgie hugged Blackbird's leg, sniffing. "Please kill all the bad guys for Dad."
"What the little guy said," Ronald agreed with a wink.
"So four of us against the church now, huh?" Kara mused after they'd left. "What should we do next?"
Despite his hunger for revenge, Henry still wanted to learn about the angels' origins. Besides, more knowledge definitely could help. "I say we go back to the mountain and dig Rodrick up. With a close examination, maybe we can find out more about his ilk."
"That might not be the best idea," Blackbird said.
"Why?"
"One of the angels I fought had the same powers Rodrick did and said he 'inherited' them from him. I'm thinking if that's so, those powers won't be on him anymore."
"So what do we do?" Kara asked. "And it doesn't sound good if they can transfer the abilities of slain angels to new ones..."
Andrew proposed, "Maybe we should still check Rodrick's body. Even if the powers are gone, there might be something changed about it that gives us a clue."
Henry shook his head. "If it's a physical thing that granted the powers, they probably removed it to give to his successor. And if it's actually an intangible force residing within them, then 'inheriting' it must involve it passing from one body to another."
"So then..?"
Blackbird put hands on her hips. "So then we find us an angel, and ask."
"Ask?" Kara said confusedly.
Henry knew what she'd meant. "We'll beat them within an inch of their life and make them tell." He turned to Blackbird. "Since you're hurt though, maybe we should hide out for a while until you're well?"
"I could probably still beat some of them now. Rodrick was for sure the toughest one I fought. But if it'd make you feel better, we can wait until I look a little more presentable."
He couldn't help a smile at that. They stood around quietly, then Andrew said, "I have an idea. Blackbird, you're okay to travel, right?"
Henry wanted to protest, but she said, "That's fine. Where do you want to go, assuming it doesn't include killing angels?"
"I've been wanting to confront the man who murdered my sister—I doubt he's become an angel, since he wasn't one of the church's best warriors. I want to find out the real reason he killed her, and I don't need you to fight him for me... at least, I think I'm ready for him now."
"He could have improved since then," Kara pointed out. "But if that's the case, then I'll help you."
"So Blackbird will get to tag along and watch for once?" Henry asked. "Are you sure the opposition will be light enough for that, and do you even know where to find this man."
"I've been keeping tabs on him." Andrew's words surprised Henry, as even he hadn't known this about his friend. "He watches over a small holy site south and far to the east of here no one visits anymore—ironically, the very one where he
killed her. There shouldn't be more than three guards in all."
"So without Blackbird's help, the odds would be even."
"I'll still help if needed. Handling some average guards won't take much effort from me even if I'm a little crispy. Besides, I might be better by then if it's 'far' east."
"How far is far?" Henry asked.
"About three weeks' walk."
"That's a pretty long way. At least Blackbird should have a good amount of time to heal before going back to fighting angels."
"Should take a little less than three weeks," she said. "We're all young healthy people, we should be able to hustle."
He couldn't resist patting her head in admiration. "Nice circlet, by the way."
She took on a sad look. "I wear it in memory of Uncle Pete." He hugged her, and they held each other for a bit.
They exited the city two at a time to reduce suspicion. As Blackbird's injuries might be too conspicuous, Henry decided to buy a cart and have her hide under the bottom. To his relief it worked, and they left Septapolis behind them for now.
#
Grendel knelt before the Archcardinal underneath the golden domed ceiling of the grand chapel, covered in frescoes of His blessed one renewing the earth, healing the sick, and smiting the enemies of good. His face hurt so bad it seemed like it was going to fall off and the rest of him didn't feel great either, so he struggled to maintain a respectful posture. The old man looked odd as always in person, broad-shouldered of frame yet thin beyond how one would imagine a wielder of near infinite resources should be. His commanding presence, however, could not be denied as it seemed to weigh down the air like water.
"You have failed again," Demetrious said. "How do you think should I punish you?"
"Your Holiness, I understand I did not complete my primary objective. But I killed the leader of that rebellious group and several others, scattered the rest and captured a number of artifacts. Shouldn't that mitigate my failure?"
"Allowing the spear to remain in hands other than our own risks people figuring things out with it. And, did you not see three of our angels killed over the course of your endeavor, two of whom's power is lost forever?"
"How is that my fault? I do not even have authority over them, and they are the ones who fought and lost!"
Demetrious slammed the butt of his purple scepter on the floor, and the ringing sent a chill through Grendel. "Yet you are the one who live. Did you just stand by and watch while your brothers died, or did you run?"
He bowed his head in shame. "I... I could not have stood against that monster."
"Do not despair. You will be rewarded."
"Rewarded?" he asked, looking up in surprise.
"You will become an angel." But the darkness in Demetrious' gaze remained withering, and Grendel's blood ran cold.
"An angel? Do you really mean..."
"The angel of death, to be precise. You will lose your humanity and forget everything you know, to be replaced by the singular focus needed to be a pure guided instrument of destruction."
The words slowly sank in. "No, wait! You can't do this, I'm a human being—is this really God's way?"
"What are you babbling about, Grendel? You are a middle aged warrior with no family and no prospects for advancement at this point. Who else would be more perfect to make this sacrifice to rid the church of its nemesis the Blackbird?"
He clasped his hands together pleadingly, not caring about the tears that streamed from his eyes. "Please, no, please... let me try one more time as a man, I swear I won't fail again."
The Archcardinal brought his scepter down again, the gong a death knell for him. "The decision is final."
Panicking, Grendel tried to stand and run. Behind him, one of Demetrious' towering personal guards moved. Something heavy and hard slammed into his skull; light exploded through his vision, then everything went dark.
#
"You guys all have really good stamina," Kara said two and a half weeks later while they hiked over steep hills towards the shrine built around a holy spring. The sky was orange above them with the coming of sunset, but they seemed poised to arrive before night fell. "My feet hurt."
"You're fine, Kara," Andrew replied exasperatedly, "we're just about there anyway."
"Yeah, but we still have the return trip to make."
Clearing a hilltop, they came into view of the shrine at the bottom of the next hill. It didn't look like much, resembling a stone door frame built into the hillside, but Andrew froze and stared. Everyone else stood there, sympathetic but at a loss how to help. Finally, Henry said, "Stay strong. The answers you've wanted for years will soon be yours." But he couldn't help wondering, if Andrew finally grasped his goal, would he have any motivation to go on after?
Suddenly, Blackbird jumped in front of them. Henry didn't know what was going until she swung her sword, he heard wood snap and a broken arrow dropped to the grass. "Archer!" she said, pointing her blade at a man on another hill who now put a horn to his lips and blew. She picked up a rock and threw, cleanly striking the forehead of the target hundreds of feet away and dropping him.
"You could have let me use my bow," Henry said in a voice that came out unintendedly meek.
"But then we wouldn't be able to keep him alive in case Andrew changes his mind. They may be of the church, but they are just lowly guards."
Seconds later, two armored men ran out of the shrine. They glanced around, spotted the group and then the downed lookout. They backed up towards the door while Andrew and Kara charged downhill after them. "You!" Andrew snarled at one, but the burly warrior didn't seem to recognize him and stared in confusion.
"Think we should let the youngsters handle this one?" Henry asked as their friends chased the men into the hill.
Blackbird looked sidelong at him. "Did you forget you're twenty-four and I'm younger than them?"
He had already started down. "It was a joke... although, my joints are beginning to feel old from the lack of downtime."
"That's all of us, Henry."
"Even you?"
"Well, for me it's more always being wounded and having to travel while wounded. I deal with it though." Hearing that pain and the endless struggles wore on her too, he didn't feel good. They were practically using her as a living weapon... but without her, they wouldn't stand much of a chance against the church. He swore then that if they both survived, he'd take good care of her no matter how much she didn't need it.
They quickly caught up to Andrew and Kara where they dueled with the two guards halfway down the passage to the spring. The latter battered away at the non-sister killer's shield in an effort to get through his guard. Henry stepped around to his side and hit him in the back of the head with the flat of his blade.
"That was abrupt and unnecessary," Kara said after watching her opponent collapse unconscious.
"Maybe, but I don't want to risk you any more than we have to. That goes for everybody."
Seeing he was greatly outnumbered—and looking with particular trepidation at Blackbird—the remaining man paused in attacking Andrew, though he kept his sword up. "What are you doing, why are you doing this? This is a holy place!"
"You don't remember, Colt?" Andrew asked. Henry had never been scared of his friend before, but the intensity in his barely controlled voice was such that he felt intimidated now. "You murdered my sister."
"What? I've never murdered a woman... wait, I know you! You must be Eileen's kid brother... damn, it's been so long."
His knuckles went white around his hilt. "So you admit you killed her?"
Colt exhaled. "I thought you'd grow up someday, you stupid kid. But no, after all this time you can't understand your own sister's heart. Yes, I killed her. It was only because she couldn't do it herself. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold her head under the water, so she asked me to do it for her."
"No, that can't be true! Eileen was a brave, strong person—even if she found the spring couldn't heal her wound, she would've fought
to survive on her own. Why don't you stop lying and tell me the truth?"
"That was the truth. Taking my life won't change it at all."
Andrew lunged at him, but Kara stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Wait. I mean, we can always kill him later, but let's ask the right questions first." After a few seconds of awkward silence, she added, "I'm waiting for you to ask them."
"Why would she want to die?" he finally asked. "It doesn't make any sense!"
Colt seemed to ponder what—or how much—he should say. "Some people have a vision when they enter that pool, and your sister was one of them. What she saw made her want to go to God. That's what happened."
"A vision? What vision? Do you know what she saw?"
"I can't tell you."
Andrew glared into his eyes. "Can't, or won't?"
"I don't know what she saw. But she knew what she wanted." The man paused. "Maybe those higher in the church know."
Henry knew he was withholding something from them, but what he'd said felt like truth. "What are we going to do, Andrew? Do you still want to kill him?"
He yelled and raised his sword, but instead of going through with it stopped and stood staring at Colt. "You bastard," he finally breathed, "I've hated you for years. But I... believe you. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I tried. You ran away, remember?"
"Do you really not know what she saw? Don't you have any idea?" Colt didn't answer.
Kara squeezed his shoulder. "He probably has an idea. But I don't think he knows for sure."
After looking for a few more seconds at Colt, Andrew turned away. "We won't kill you. Let's go." He started to walk and the others followed.
Blackbird said, "We can make him talk."
"I'm sure you could. But what good is hearing baseless speculation if he doesn't actually know? We'll get the real answers we need from the assholes who run the church."
Henry would have been curious to hear the man's theory himself, but he respected his friend's decision with a smile. After learning he didn't desire vengeance against Colt as much as he'd thought, Andrew might as well as redirect that motivation somewhere else.