by Leo Romero
War swerved back, right as another bolt of lightning shot down from the sky. War grabbed hold of it and slung it at Draxil. The bolt hit the chainsaw blade where it ran down Draxil’s arms, electrifying his body, freezing him. War raced up to Draxil and kicked the chainsaw out of his grip. It flew away out of harm’s reach. War brought back his fist, the air around it shimmering with fury. With a grunt, he slung it forward. An invisible, wind-like force drove through War’s fist and slammed into Draxil, throwing him off his feet. He was flung back like a rag doll where he crashed onto the roof, his limbs sprawling. He was now vulnerable for a KO.
War jumped in to finish him off, the air whirling around both his fists like mini typhoons. Jagelon hopped to his feet and threw out a hand, grabbing hold of War’s shoulder, spinning him his way. The etchings on Jagelon’s forearm ignited fire-orange, and his clenched fist turned as black as coal. He threw that blackened fist at War, smashing him in the side of the head. War reeled. Jagelon swung another punch, his black fist now steaming. War threw up a forearm to block and sent a force-punch back. Jagelon’s head snapped to the side, and he backpedaled. War moved in for the kill.
I shot down, shoulder-barging War in the back, knocking him off course. He rolled his arms like windmills in an attempt to maintain his balance. He almost toppled, but remained upright. He spun on his heels to face me, rage boiling in his eyes.
I landed between him and Jagelon, giving the demon a chance to get to his feet.
War rushed in for me. I threw up my dukes a second too late. War sent me a lightning-fast haymaker. It crunched into my jaw like a sledgehammer, causing my legs to wobble. The world went distant long enough for War to land a couple more punches, hollow thuds ringing in my head. Stars flashed across my vision, blinding me. A colossal force boomed in my head. The world sped by in a whirl. I was taken off my feet, my back crashing onto concrete.
My vision cleared enough for me to witness War descending on me, all brawn and wrath. The air around his plunging fists twisted and whirled.
A black fist saved the day. It crunched into War’s head in a downward descent. Jagelon had leaped over my prone body to strike War with a sucker punch. I crawled back on instinct, watching as Jagelon pounded War with his black fists, driving him back.
I jumped up to my feet to join him. I put my head down, dukes up. I sent War my best left hook, managing to get the asshole on the jaw. He replied with a heavyweight smack to the head, throwing me back. Jagelon returned the gesture with a right hook hammer. War caught the punch on the back of the head, staggering him. I shook off my stars and dived back in, landing a crunching punch to War’s nose. He briskly shook off the pain, blood gushing from his nostrils, and drove a wrecking-ball of a fist to my stomach. Pain exploded in my midriff, doubling me over.
Jagelon landed a solid thump to War’s eye. It immediately swelled and closed up. War wasn’t deterred. He fired a volley of fists at Jagelon like he was the Fist of the North Star. Jagelon caught them full on, the final blow flinging him up and away.
By then, I was back in the game. I soared in with a roaring uppercut, catching War’s jaw, clamping his teeth together. That just made him angrier. He unleashed a reverberating roar and went for me, an enraged beast, his fists bombarding me like rockfall. I got smacked around the head more times than I could count. My vision blurred. Blood flew out of my nose, the coppery taste of it flowing over my tongue. But I held in there, righteous anger and adrenaline driving me.
An intense cry echoed at the back of my hazy mind. Something bundled in, grabbing War’s attention. A boulder-like fist crashed into War’s nose, snapping his head back. I gave my head a brisk shake, my double vision fading. Draxil had rushed in to give me a hand. Jagelon staggered back in. Now all three of us were ready to take on War.
I smiled to myself. We had him.
War stared us all down, his face a battered mess. He pumped up his chest, his muscles flexing. The air around him shimmered with power. He let out a cry, and our own roars joined in. We all dived in as one, War meeting us head on. Fists met flesh in an orgy of fist-fighting fury. War’s fists flew like the wind, his body moving in a mesmerizing dance. He blocked Draxil’s crude thump and whacked him in the jaw. Jagelon swung a black fist. War blocked and jabbed him in the stomach. I flung a kick to his midriff. War caught my foot and flipped me up and away like I weighed nothing.
I hit the roof and watched on as the other two attacked him from the left and right, slinging fists around like punch-drunk boxers. War spun this way and that with the laser focus of a kung-fu master. He was a blur, bopping and weaving with ballerina-like dexterity as he blocked and punched, hitting harder than he got.
Even three of us couldn’t beat him. He was on fire. A dancing, street-fighting machine.
He ducked Jagelon’s weak jab, striking back with a thunderous force-punch to his ribs, snapping them apart. Jagelon wheeled away in agony.
Draxil’s etchings blazed bright as he was about to unleash magic. In response, War’s eye flared with ire. Forks of lighting lit the sky. They rained down on the roof, the world flashing blue and gray. War pumped his fist in the air. A streak of lightning struck it, igniting it blue.
Dark fire burned in Draxil’s palm. War moved like a shadow. He pummeled his lightning-charged fist into Draxil’s face, obliterating it. Draxil’s snout splattered across his face, his left cheekbone caving like a sinkhole. Draxil’s arms flailed wildly, his magic dimming. His head buzzed with lightning, his irises lighting up neon blue. He crashed to the rooftop like a felled tree, totally sparked out.
I watched Draxil go in astonishment. My head snapped toward War. He puffed up his chest and released an almighty roar of victory, the veins in his neck bulging. The asshole was in his element. A straight up fist fight. And he was loving it.
I scrambled to my feet to face him, my limbs weary. He grabbed a bolt of lightning from the air and slung it my way. It hit me in the stomach, the volts spreading across my body like ants, momentarily freezing me. I struggled against it, but I was glued in place. War thudded a sprinting fist into my chest. The force hit me like a runaway train, throwing my whole body back. I jarred into the concrete, the wind bolting from my body. I tried to get back up, but I was rooted. War stomped over to me with intent, head bowed, a snarl contorting his face. He raised his foot, his sole creating a shadow over my eyes. There was only one thing on his mind. My eyes bulged as the foot came down to crush my head.
Something bundled into him, and that foot was flung away. I managed to catch my breath and crane myself up on my elbows. Jagelon was riding Margaroth, and the hellhound had just headbutted War, sending him reeling. War pushed straight back off his knees and roared up to Margaroth. The two squared up. Horseman and hellhound. Margaroth seethed at him.
War punched Margaroth in the face.
Margaroth’s head twitched to the side and snapped back again. War stood his ground. Margaroth curled his lips back in a snarl. He hopped sideways, allowing room for his spike-studded tail to lash out ahead of him. War didn’t have a chance to move. Margaroth’s spikes punched through his ribs, impaling him. War froze in shock, his jaw dropping. He gazed down with disbelieving eyes at the spikes embedded inside him. Blood oozed down his side. He courageously clenched his teeth against the pain, but it was too much to hold in. He released a piercing screech that shook across the sky.
Margaroth pulled his tail away, relieving War of the spikes. War howled and dropped to his knees. Margaroth didn’t give him any respite. He whipped his tail again, the business end colliding into War’s head. The spikes jabbed through his skull, popping out the other side.
War held his gaze on us all. He went to speak. Blood spilled out of his mouth and cascaded off his chin. His eyes rolled up into his head as his body went limp. Margaroth pulled away his tail. War slumped to the concrete and stayed there.
An intense rumble of thunder rocked the air. I stared in astonishment from War’s body to Margaroth. The hellhound faced the sky and
roared.
War was down.
Two horsemen were history. I whipped my head around to face the other two. They were floored, ready to be finished off. My eyes fell on Death. Finally, the old man was stirring. He sat up, rubbing his ancient head.
Jagelon got Margaroth moving. They raced over toward Death, hoping to take him out before he fully recovered. Death looked around him in a daze. He spotted the colossal beast descending on him. His opaque eyes widened.
Margaroth swiped his huge claw toward Death’s head. The old man’s jaw dropped, and he released a big breath.
“Death breath!” Draxil shouted from behind me in alarm.
Margaroth was caught in the path of Death’s breath. He froze mid-attack as if he’d just met a gorgon’s gaze, his claws inches from Death’s face. Jagelon was frozen in time alongside him, his fist raised in the sky, his mouth open in a war cry.
Death rose to his feet, while he continued his breath, his frosty gaze fixed ahead of him. Death breath flowed beyond Margaroth and Jagelon toward me. My eyes widened in fright. I went to fly up when icy wind hit me. My blood ran cold. I was frozen to the spot, my skin turning blue. My legs numbed. A second later, my stomach seized up. My heart rate lowered as that frigid breath crept up toward my chest.
Terror tore my paralyzed mind to shreds. I was being turned to ice.
Chapter 34
Consciousness slipped away as the ice spread up my torso. A terrifying crackling sound rippled up to my neck. My mind started to go blank, black flecks forming in my vision. My mouth popped open, and my tongue froze on that Arctic wind. A couple more seconds and I’d be going back to Hell to be with my mother.
My eyeballs rolled in a last desperate plea. I caught a glimpse of something racing up toward me. Dark fire burned in Draxil’s palm. He threw a blast of fire past me. It met Death’s breath full on. The two energies clashed in a stalemate, the fire flickering upwards against the wall of icy breath. The heat from the fire shimmered over to me, sending the icy grip of death breath retreating. My body was released, and I collapsed back, my mind shaking off the numbness. My heart hammered hard as it struggled to pump warm blood around my body.
I quivered in shock and terror as Draxil stepped ahead of me, engaged in an elemental battle with Death. The two pushed their magic against one another, Draxil growling under the pressure, Death blowing that uber-powerful icy breath with minimal effort. The air between them shimmered, flecks of dark fire rippling up into the sky, tiny chips of ice spraying outward where the two energies met. The roar of flames and the intense huff of Death’s breath echoed through the sky, a steamy scent hitting my nostrils.
I watched them both, my mind in a whirl. I couldn’t get near them; the energy they were releasing had them in a bubble.
The etchings on Draxil’s shoulder and back lit up, and the flames intensified. Death’s breath was pushed back, the flames encroaching dangerously close to him. Death’s chest puffed up in response, the intensity of his breath increasing. A hailstorm of ice erupted from the deadlock as Death’s magic took the advantage. The old man had power that Draxil struggled to contain. Draxil’s hand was quivering, while the old man was calm and controlled. I got the impression he could up his game at any given moment. And that moment was about to arrive.
Death advanced on Draxil, his breath overpowering the demon’s hellfire. Draxil gritted his teeth against the barrage of icy wind, leaning in as far as he could, his hand shaking uncontrollably. Chunks of ice shot outward in a wild storm.
I spun left and right, my mind working like crazy. I needed to do something quick or Death would overpower Draxil. There was nothing in sight.
Draxil yelled in agony. I whipped my head around to meet him. He was on his knees, Death descending on him, a feeble hand held up in protest against the horseman’s superior strength.
I reacted more on instinct than anything else. I got light magic whipped up and swathed my boots in it. I took off with a roar, flying in toward them like a bullet. At the last second, I threw up my legs from beneath me, aimed for the center point between them, and thrust out my glowing feet. Fire and ice burned through my legs for a brief moment before the soles of my boots connected with both Death and Draxil’s heads. A huge pulse of energy blasted me in the opposite direction. I tumbled through the air the way I came, the world a carousel. I landed on my ass, pain jolting up my spine.
Both Death and Draxil were thrown in opposite directions from one another, sprawling across the roof.
I lifted up my woozy head. They lay on the roof in crumpled heaps. Navy-blue remnants of magical energy swirled on the air above them. I rubbed my groggy head, pain humming through me. Draxil twitched and spasmed, while Death gingerly made it up to his knees. He rolled his head in its socket.
All three of us were beaten and battered. With the last of my energy, I dragged myself to my feet. I teetered but held on. My throat was dry, my body ached, but there was still work to do. My eyes fell on Draxil’s chainsaw still chugging on the ground. I staggered over toward it and picked it up. I sucked in a deep breath and turned to face Death, who’d made it to his feet. He wavered, gave his head a brisk shake, and met my stare.
My heart lurched. I was out in the open. I ignored any aches and pains and got up into a limping run, a cry bolting from my mouth.
Death opened his own mouth and drew in a breath. My feet crashed across the roof toward him, pain jolting up my legs. I leaped toward him, thrusting the buzzing chainsaw out ahead of me. A cold blast struck me. My skin pebbled. My blood ran cold, but it was too late. I descended on the old man like an enraged bull, wailing like a banshee.
The chainsaw plunged into his chest, shutting down that Death breath in an instant.
Bone shattered, flesh churned. I pushed hard, exerting all my force on that chainsaw.
I shuddered alongside it as I drove it deeper, white blood spraying out all over me and running down my chest and abs in rivulets. Death waved his arms on the air in a weak protest against the chainsaw teeth eating their way through him. Blood gushed in a continuous spray as I heaved the saw in further, my teeth clenched. Dark magic from the blade spread out across Death’s chest in black veins. I grunted and shoved the chainsaw in some more, and it popped out the back of him, drawing us in closer. He wanted to fall away, but I used the chainsaw blade to hold him upright. We locked eyes, his opaque and rheumy, mine solid-white but burning with righteous anger. I wanted him to see into my soul before he died. Wanted him to see the soul of the one that killed him.
Death let out a final croak, and his body went limp. I yanked the chainsaw out and slung it away. Death dropped to the ground, and I almost joined him. I had my hands on my thighs, my body a wrecked vessel. With groggy eyes, I looked around me. The roof was a bloodbath of carnage. Bodies, bits of bodies, weapons, and bloodstains met me. It was a warzone.
A rough pat on my back made me straighten. I whirled around, my fists up. I mellowed once I saw Draxil’s face, which was now even uglier from the beating he’d taken.
“One more to go,” he said, his eyes fixed on the far end of the roof.
Pestilence lay there, flies buzzing around his body.
“What about them?” I asked, flicking my head toward Margaroth and Jagelon still frozen in place.
Draxil gave me a small shake of his head. “No.” He lowered his eyes. “Too late.” He got dark fire up in his hand and shot a blast on the ground beneath Margaroth. The flames burned for a second, then fizzled away. Margaroth and Jagelon stayed frozen.
Draxil’s face remained stoic. “Let’s finish this, Stone.”
His gaze was fixed on the final horseman opposite us. I nodded in agreement. This had gone far enough. Now it was time to end it. We both advanced on Pestilence, our weary limbs dragging us through the carnage.
We made it halfway when Pestilence rose from the ground. Flies now covered the gaping chainsaw wound on his chest, acting as a temporary stitching. His rotted face trembled with fury, his eyes flush wit
h ire. He glared at us, his lips pulled back in a psychotic grin.
He puffed up his chest and threw his arms out to the sides.
A blanket of flies rushed us from behind. By the time I spun, the world was a dark blizzard. My skin erupted in pinpricks of pain as tiny fangs chewed into me. I flailed my arms in response, getting light magic up in my palm to keep them at bay. I flapped my wings, using them as fans to deter them as I whirled and spun in desperation, the buzz of flies ricocheting around my mind. They hit me in the face, got in my mouth. I spat them out and swatted them away, but I was lost in the haze. I had no clue where Pestilence or Draxil were. For all I knew the horseman could’ve been right behind me, ready to plunge his sword in my back.
I continued to thrash my light-imbued hand around and flap my wings, which was just about keeping them at bay. The buzz in my head was maddening, but I continued to fight my way through the storm. I growled and whipped my body in a circle to shake them off.
I whirled around once more, and the blizzard vanished. My eyelids flew open. The swarm of flies shot off toward the far end of the roof where Pestilence was stood. They gathered behind him, a slick black cloud against the gray sky.
“Stone!”
I whipped my head around. Draxil’s body was smothered in flies. He resembled a beekeeper who’d lathered himself in honey. The goddamn Candyman. The flies had him rooted and were climbing up to his head.
I snapped my own head around the other way. Pestilence was glaring at us, his legion of flies hovering on the air behind him. He stood there, arms outstretched like a conductor, ready to unleash his plague.
“Do something!” Draxil urged as the flies swarmed up to his neck. He struggled against them, but it was futile.
My mind raced. I laid eyes on that giant sheet of buzzing flies behind Pestilence, and I knew I couldn’t survive that for long. Eventually they’d get the better of me. Pestilence gazed at me, a half smile on his face. His plagued army faced me like a legion of death.