“Get up.”
It sounded like a voice, but that wasn’t possible. This far down the only thing he could hear was the beating of his heart, and it had been growing weaker for a while now. He couldn’t shake it though; he could’ve sworn he had heard it. The currents pulled at him again and the thought was forced out of his mind. The water was cold. But it felt calming somehow. He relaxed once again, letting the flow take him far away. This was how it was supposed to be, this was right where he belonged, and this was right where he would stay.
“John!”
His eyes suddenly flew open. The salty water burned them, but he didn’t care. He could see the light above. She was there, above the waves; he needed to get to that light. He swam hard, forcing himself up. The current pulled against him, trying to keep him down, but it couldn’t hold him. He hadn’t made a promise, he wasn’t sure what the next day was going to bring, but he knew that he needed to be by her side. He wasn’t there right now and she needed him; he heard it in her voice. His arms, his chest, his eyes, it all burned as he swam as hard as he could. He gasped for air but was met with nothing but cold water in his lungs. The surface was so far away. He was drowning. He lashed out, trying desperately to get to the light. He wasn’t going to make it. Suddenly, a hand reached down into the waters above him. He took hold of it.
John snapped forward and brought his hands to his face. A cold sweat covered his body from head to toe as his heart pounded away inside his chest. His mind was a blur as he struggled to put everything back together. Slowly, it all started coming back to him and he remembered everything. His hands darted to his stomach and he pulled them away slowly, surprised to find that no blood covered them. His clothes were clean, save for the sweat stains along his collar. The last thing he remembered was the mortal wound he had suffered. He’d been impaled by his own sword by a demon far his superior, yet here he was, completely whole. He looked around slowly, taking in his surroundings. It was a familiar sight. The floor was white and so was the sky. It stretched on for as far as he could see.
“It’s about damn time you woke up.” A voice called out from somewhere.
John followed the voice around behind him, standing there was a man he’d seen before. He had short blond hair that stood on its own accord and light blue eyes. They were extremely expressive, looking both dulled from a tired life but also concerned of an imminent threat. He wore a pair of faded camouflage pants and a tattered sleeveless shirt that felt like it was decades out of its time.
“Come on, get up.” The man ordered as he bent forward and held his hand down.
“Yeah.”
With his help, John picked himself up off of the floor. The sudden sensation of standing was slightly disorienting and he staggered a bit before gaining his footing. John’s body was stiff, as if he had been sitting still for ages. He stretched his limbs before looking at the man in front of him. Slowly his mind began to work; he’d seen this man before, a long, long time ago.
“I… I know you.”
“That you do.” The man agreed. “Name’s Isaac. I was Aerin’s Slayer just before you.”
“Isaac.” John remembered. He could see the visions playing out inside his mind. The man before him was a spitting image of the one he had seen in Aerin’s memories. He looked the same, all the way down to the light colored hair on his forearms, though something seemed off. “How?”
“How?” Isaac repeated John’s question with a raised eyebrow.
“In Aerin’s memories, I…” He paused. “You’re supposed to be dead.”
“That’s right.” Isaac nodded, agreeing with a slight smile. “I am dead, much like you.”
John wasn’t sure how exactly to take that; and for that matter, he was still confused how he was carrying on a conversation with a dead man, an actual dead man.
“Okay, I can see you’re a little confused.” Isaac held up his hands. “Let me alleviate some of that for you. When I died, a bit of my experience and personality were saved within Aerin, to be overwritten onto you. Same thing happened to the Slayer before me, and the one before him. It’s how we learn to fight.”
“So all this time…”
“You thought you were just a natural, didn’t you?” A smile slowly crept up on Isaac’s face as he spoke.
“Yeah, I did, actually.” John said in defense. From what he could tell, this was definitely Isaac.
“Don’t worry. We’re only here to show you the way. Every time you swing that sword, it’s all you.”
His words set John at ease again. This was definitely Isaac, somehow. Even from the short time John had spent with him within Aerin’s memories, this man was unmistakable. No one else could be so sarcastic, yet so empowering in such a short time.
“So you’re a remnant from the original Isaac, and I learned to fight from you?”
“That’s right. You learned from me, every Slayer before me, and Aerin. I’d wager that’s how you’ve gotten so accustomed to magic, even though you’ve been using it for just a few days now.” Isaac smiled.
“Right. So what does this all mean? Why are you telling me this?”
“I’m telling you this because it’s important. You’ve got the legacy of a dozen Slayers at your back, John.” Isaac stated proudly. “Every one of us was different, but there was a bond we all shared that was greater than any experience battle could ever bring us. Do you know what that is?”
“Aerin.” John answered with confidence.
“Now you’re getting it.” Isaac smiled. “Dozens of us have proudly stood beside her throughout the years, and every single one of us gave our lives when we had to.” Isaac paused for a moment before continuing. “You sacrificed yourself so that she could get away; it was the right thing to do.” He patted John’s shoulder and nodded. “But you aren’t done yet. Aerin is still in danger.”
“I… I know.” John broke away from Isaac’s gaze and looked off into the distance. "I know she's in trouble. I know she needs my help." John looked back up at Isaac with a hint of desperation. "But what can I do? I’m almost dead..."
“John, you’ve been dead for a long time now, and that hasn’t slowed you down.” Isaac’s mood suddenly brightened as he spoke.
“You’re not wrong….” John agreed with a slight smile before his mind returned to the issue at hand. “But I’m literally bleeding out as we speak.”
“You’ve been dealt a pretty bad hand.” Isaac observed as he turned his gaze toward the void around them. “There isn’t much time, but there is a way.”
“How?” John asked.
“With this.”
Isaac raised his right hand up to John. He held something that twirled on the end of a metal chain. John inched forward to get a better look, though he had a feeling he already knew what it was. It was a necklace, from the looks of it, one that gave off the most familiar feeling he’d ever felt. At the end of the chain was a small wooden cross, no bigger than a quarter. It was brown and the wood was soft and worn from years of use. John knew what this was, and knew exactly why Isaac held it.
"That’s…" John looked up slowly from his necklace to face Isaac.
“You got it.” Isaac smiled. “This is the proof of the pact between Aerin and yourself.” He lifted the small cross into the air and watched it spin back and forth. “She told you this was the source of your power, right?”
“Yeah.” John agreed, unsure where the conversation was heading. A bit of anxiety was welling up inside of his chest.
“That’s what she told me too, but when I died I discovered the truth.” He stopped for a moment to let his words sink in. “Now, she doesn’t know this, because she’s just repeating what she’s been told. But this, this isn’t the source of your powers.” Isaac shook his head as he spoke. “No, your powers come from within; it only took Aerin to unlock them.”
“From within..?” John glanced down to himself, unsure of Isaac’s statement. How could powers like this have come from him in the first place? He was just
human before, after all. But the more he dwelled on it, the more it started to make sense. He looked up slowly, a new question forming in his mind. “So what is that, then?”
“This…” Isaac smiled at the thought of what he was about to reveal. There was an odd irony to it. “This necklace is an inhibitor.”
"An... inhibitor?" John parroted as he attempted to understand. "You mean... it's holding me back?"
"Exactly. It's a failsafe designed to keep our powers in check." Isaac closed his eyes and let out a short laugh before staring into the distance away from John. "Would’ve been handy to know back then… ” He shook his head, as if to dispel that line of thinking before handing the necklace to John. "If you're going to save her, you're gonna need all of your powers at full strength."
"So then." John took hold of the necklace and clenched it in his hand. He stared down at the small piece of jewelry in awe and disbelief. "This..."
"Needs to be destroyed." Isaac finished the statement with a stern look. He crossed his arms and sighed heavily at the thought.
“But if I do that…” John thought aloud.
“The pact between you and Aerin will be severed; and with that, the tether keeping you alive goes as well.” Isaac explained as he furrowed his brow. “The tradeoff is that you’ll have powers like you wouldn’t believe; but I’m not entirely sure how long you’ll have once you release, so whatever you do… do it fast.”
“Right.” John turned the cross over and over in the palm of his hand as he spoke. The anxiety that had been welling up inside of him finally spilled out. "When I do this, what if I screw it up? What if I don't know what to do?"
"Hey!" Isaac suddenly uncrossed his arms and punched John square in the shoulder. The action was enough to knock John out of the daze he had managed to put himself into. "Listen to me; you've got the experience of a dozen Slayers at your back. No matter what happens, we won’t let you down. So don’t you dare let her down either.”
"You’re… You’re right." John agreed with a renewed confidence. Isaac's words had managed to clear out what little doubt he had. John reached forward and gripped Isaac's left arm tightly. "Thank you."
"No problem, it's what I'm here for.” Isaac said before slapping John on the shoulder. “Now get out there and save her, for all of us."
"Right." John turned away from the Slayer. "I'm going then."
“Good. And don’t bother coming back here, John.” Isaac commanded. “You won’t get another chance.”
Slowly Isaac’s voice faded away into the distance behind John as the world around him started to fade. "I won’t.” John answered to himself. The void began to crack and shatter. The pieces broke apart, leaving John alone once more. He fell to his knees as a terrible pain suddenly shot through him. His hands darted up to the black blade in his stomach as he let out a scream.
“I… I won’t...” John grit his teeth tightly as he nearly snarled through the pain. He summoned every last ounce of energy he had left to move his left hand up to his chest. It found the necklace around his neck and wrapped around it tightly. With a tug, the chain came loose and the necklace pulled free. He stared down at his hand, the metal chain dangling from the wooden cross he held in his grip.
“I… won’t..!”
He strained as hard as he could until the small wooden cross shattered in his left hand. It was as if a dam had burst deep inside of his soul, releasing a torrent of power that flooded into every corner of his being. He let the ashes fall between his fingertips before gripping the hilt with his left hand and squeezing until his knuckles whitened. With a renewed strength within him, he pulled hard on the sword until it started to budge.
“I… won’t… let you!” John shouted. He could feel the power raging around inside of his body. His hair stood on end again as flames began to lick up around him. Suddenly the sword came loose and he tore it from his stomach. Blood shot out from the wound as he let out a pain filled roar. “I won’t let you take her from me!”
Aerin held her eyes shut as tight as she could. She tried to back away, but her body wouldn’t move. It was held in place by a thousand hands around her, all slowly pulling her towards the abyss that waited within Legion. She could hear voices, too many to count, all calling out to her, beckoning her welcome. Aerin could feel the darkness around her, pulling her down. It caressed her face gently, moving towards her eyes. She could feel it trying to pry her eyelids open. She didn’t want to see what was just ahead, the darkness of her eyelids was enough. She thrashed about, freeing her arms in order to cover her face. It felt as though she were underwater. The pressure around her was too great now; the surface was out of reach. Slowly, as hope dwindled like a waning flame, she began to resign herself to her fate
Suddenly she felt something; a new sensation, one far different from the agony that surrounded her. She could feel John’s spirit as it resonated within her soul. It was a feeling she’d felt every time John had transformed. Hope filled her heart again at the warmth she felt, but it didn’t last long. The feeling grew weaker until it was no more. John was gone. She could feel her heart break again and tears filled her eyes, forcing her to blink. Her eyes opened, something she had been desperately avoiding. She was surprised to find no black mass around her, no hands reaching out for her, dragging her down into the depths of an arch Demon. The only thing before her was Legion; he stood just a foot away from her, his hand held open towards her face. He stared past her, towards the center of the city. Something had caught the monster’s attention and drawn it away from Aerin. She turned slightly, looking back towards where she had left John to see what could be so important. When she did she was blinded
A massive pillar of fire rose up into the sky from somewhere in the center of Station. It was a tall plume of flames that billowed out into the night in all directions. Aerin blinked her eyes rapidly in an attempt to regain her eyesight. Her actions proved worthwhile and she was treated to a terrible display of devastation. The flames branched out around the main pillar in an inferno that consumed all it touched. Aerin's mind raced back to a similar situation nearly one hundred years in the past. She quickly scrambled away from Legion and slapped her hands together before slamming them into the ground. The sound caught Legion's attention and just as he turned to see what it was, a barrier enveloped Aerin completely.
A shockwave blasted outward from the pillar of fire. Flames raced through the city streets, blowing out any windows that still remained. The fires melted billboards, tore paint from cars, and caused the lamp posts to bend over backwards from the extreme heat and pressure. It burned through the city as if it were simply made of paper. The wall of destruction moved out in all directions faster than Legion could react. It slammed into the street he and Aerin were on with a devastating force. From the safety of her barrier Aerin watched as what was once a city was reduced to molten slabs of metal and rock. Unlike Aerin, Legion took the full force of the blast. She watched the flames wash over his body, melting away layers of skin. It burned the demon almost to his core, destroying all the flesh that was facing the fire and leaving nothing but bones held precariously together by fried tendons.
As the flames around them dwindled, Aerin could see another figure in the cloud of smoke. It hadn't been there moments before, seemingly appearing as the wall of fire passed them by. She rubbed her eyes, unsure if what she saw as an illusion. A man approached slowly as the smoke cleared. He was clad in a long brown duster that came to somewhere around his shins. On his hips, two sheaths hung from a pair of belts that held the duster tight around his waist. The sleeves were rolled up revealing a pair of muscular arms with hands covered in two light grey gloves. On his chest, beneath the duster, a leather cuirass could be seen. As he walked, the man’s hair swayed in the wind behind him. It was long, coming somewhere between his shoulder blades. It was spiked and held suspended as if electrified. Of all the man’s features, his eyes were the most striking. Aerin could see them through the smoke, bright red. They shined an almost other
worldly aura. She’d never seen anything like them. She stared up in awe at the man as the smoke around him cleared. She knew this man, well in fact. This was her Slayer.
John approached slowly and inspected Legion’s burnt corpse. The demon eyed him with the one good eye he had left with a fettered rage. The charred mass attempted to make a move toward John, but it simply translated into an awkward stagger coupled with a raspy growl. John turned his attention away towards something more important. He faced Aerin and began to walk slowly towards her. His movements didn’t seem to factor in the barrier that stood in his way. Aerin’s hands were still pressed against the cold concrete and she watched as the barrier in front of John seemed to break apart. The magical wall lost its cohesion and folded back as if it were a curtain opening for him. Aerin was at a loss for words, her mind a total mix of confusion as John kneeled down and scooped her up into his arms. He stood, holding Aerin, and turned toward Legion once more. The tendrils had already gone to work repairing the demon's broken form and Aerin could feel John's grip on her tighten as Legion slowly reached toward them both.
In an instant, Aerin found herself somewhere else. She blinked quickly in confusion as she took in her surroundings. The towering buildings of downtown Station loomed in the distance, no longer directly overhead. She was on the outskirts of town, but had felt no passage of time, no motion at all. As John sat her down gently on top of an air conditioning unit, she slowly realized where she was. She remembered the concrete rooftop overlooking the streets below, the trains off in the distance, and Station standing like a gem against the mountains behind it. This was a place she had called home for a brief time. It was John’s apartment. After setting her down he turned to walk away. Aerin reached out toward him, trying to make him stop, desperately trying to form words out of the questions that filled her head.
"John..!"
A single word was all she could manage, but it had been enough to stop John in his tracks. He paused for a moment before looking over his shoulder to her.
Slayer: A Demon Hunter's Tale Page 51