The vicious legion came at them two at a time, sometimes more. The guardians and humans fought with righteous fever, but there was organization to the chaos.
Guardians along the edges of the lines worked in groups of four, disallowing any enemy to flank them at the back. These groups moved in a perfect dance, complimenting each other’s efforts, and at first, none could disrupt the fierce tactics they used.
Within the groups of four, each wielded a different weapon. Swords, war hammers, and celestial whips of light were the most common chosen for this fighting style.
One would parry, one would faint, setting the attack for the person next to them to swoop in and strike hard with hammer or sword. Whips flew out with extended reach to strike any that tried to escape doom by believing a wide berth would save them from the fury of dancing steel. Often the celestial whips reached up, flying skyward to strike the demons strong enough to leap above their companions. Striking whips found easy purchase among those brave enough to try and threw them aside while light burned the evil beings upon contact.
The rhythmic movements were timed to perfection and obviously well practiced. Any hesitation from any one of the four would bring disastrous results. Any who could witness the dance understood quickly that to be in such a group would require the utmost trust.
The middle lines progressed with a tight wedge gaining minuscule bits of ground. Using strength, will, magic, and might, the guardians forming the divine army proved to be a formidable force.
Shields sung with chimes and bongs as claws, steel, and even bodies struck out against them. Spears and swords shining with miraculous light slashed and ripped any who met the front line.
From the back lines, arrows soared with musical twangs over newly found allies. The shafts rained down from the sky to pierce the soulless fighters against them. Every arrow found a target, as the hoard was so thick about them it would have been impossible to miss.
Wind stirred, sand swirled, magical energy crackled and fractured the atmosphere as many, including Cynda and Tracy, tapped into their conserved powers to aide in the battle between good and evil.
Despite the incredible loss of numbers in those first moments of battle. Despite the screeching and wailing cries of pain, the plague of monsters came on with an insatiable lust for death.
The grey filmy powder covered the blood, the blood covered the sand, and the earth absorbed the scar of battle as the grains were sifted with the stamping feet of the next in line to die.
If anyone there had stopped even for a minute to consider the black sea of creatures pressing across the rippled dunes to reach them, their courage surely would have faltered.
Chapter 39
Appearing on the east side of the battle lines with their blinking sorcerer, Cade and Jarrett assessed the shape of the field with experienced eyes. The Brotherhood members there listened to the twin’s final instructions with absolute trust, and the group readied to keep pressure on the edge to prevent any demon groups from sneaking around and flanking the others.
Minutes later, the depraved creatures came over the east side of the dunes as Cade and Jarrett suspected they would.
It was a force of fifty against hundreds. Everyone knew what it meant. Still, they planted their feet and took up fighting stances. Winged monsters flew overhead and swooped in to grab defenders. The Guardians answered back, engaging them in aerial combat that kept them at bay.
Carefully placed in the middle of the chaos, Bellig watched it all, absorbing every negative emotion and sound. These sounds, this environment, was where he felt most at home. Raised as a Viking, and once the Guardian of Strength, war was what he understood. Now, having turned away from the path of the guardians, such things succored him like mother's milk. The smell, the screams, the sight of glinting metal and the song of slicing, clashing weapons soothed him like a lullaby would an infant.
This was power, he thought, as he reveled in it. He mentally called out to the phase demons in his employ and made his way through the chaos with clear intent. For him, might ruled. Not the inconsequential hope that had been shoved down his throat those centuries he’d been a Guardian. Hope was only what was left when you lost power. Hope was nothing to him but a crutch for those too stupid and prideful to bow to the true strength that would save them.
Scanning the masses, he saw Collett in her shining armor on the east side. Even now, after all this time and after the many rejections, the sight of her twisted inside him. His lust was a weakness. He understood that, but he didn’t care either. His blackened heart still gravitated to her.
Compelling in every way, especially in battle, it was impossible to shut out his desire. She had bested him last time, and in a twisted, dark way, he both loathed and respected her for it. But she must fall again for him to accomplish his goals, even if her fall was merely temporary.
Understanding, the two of them could not destroy each other, gave Bellig confidence. He suspected that no Guardian here could actually end him, they could only hinder him with pain and pain was an old friend. Like the demons he enslaved, no mortal wound could defeat him. Even Collett had overcome her apparent death. Not bothering to understand the complexities of that rule, the idea of his immortality pumped through him, exciting him. I’m unstoppable, he thought. Bellig drew his sword and sought out his next victim.
He wanted her lover to die first. He wanted Collett to see it, to feel the agony of it twisting in her. His singular thought focused on the fact that the cursed lycan could not come back from death as Collett had. For too long had Cade interfered where he should not, and for too long the cursed lycan had been allowed to draw breath.
Turning from the sight of Collett, Bellig sighted the brothers decimating his ranks. Grinning wickedly and reveling in the thrill of the challenge, he called to his generals with his mind, Concentrate on the east side, split the wolves apart.
Bellig waded through the melee. His steady hand raised the blood-red sword of death, slicing at a man’s back as he crossed the field, intent on his vulnerable target.
His intent shifted when a hot blast of power struck him in the back. Bellig turned to meet the attacker with malice and promised pain shining in his eyes, but he refocused when he recognized the aggressor and spat on the ground in disgust. Haki raised his flaming sword in challenge and unfurled his own wings. The pure white feathers snapped as he rose a foot from the ground and invited Bellig to follow with an upraised brow. Willing to adapt to circumstance and eager to put the mighty Haki in his place, Bellig moved forward and rose to that challenge.
He attacked, flying at his old mentor with lightning speed. His blade sung as it struck a golden shield; a shield that had not been there a second ago.
The Faction’s demonic army besieged the east side of their line as instructed, cutting off their path to Bellig. They came by the hundreds, pressing the lines of The Brotherhood faster than they could recover. Good men with demon heritage fought against the wicked bloodline of their ancestors. Any who fell were dragged out of harm's way by their companions to receive aide. The black tide was great, but so was the spirit and determination of the defenders. With the help of the divine warriors, the line held.
Cade and Jarrett understood the goal of the deployed force quickly enough, but there was little they could do to stop it. The brothers felled the fiends two at a time, but four more would come at them over the ash and bodies of their comrades.
Cade beheaded a greater demon, and at the same time Jarrett cut through two half-demons with one swing. But the gap between them was growing, and the swarm was forcing them into a perilous dilemma as demons came at them from all sides now.
It was in those perilous moments that new allies appeared from a magical doorway, with Collett leading the charge. Whirling about in a deadly dance with sword and shield, she decimated the gap between the twins, and with the help from familiar friends kept it that way.
As they came together in a group, Delphene rushed to Jarrett’s side. With a winni
ng grin and a wink, she said, “You didn’t think I was going to let you have all the fun, did you? By my count, you’re still down by two.”
“Well then,” he replied, swinging his sword and taking another creature to ash. “That makes me up at least eight now.”
“Not for long, mon'ami,” she promised.
Among the new recruits, Ashley and another healer named Henry immediately rushed to the back of the group to help the growing number of wounded in relative safety while Nate stayed close enough to keep any demons from coming close.
When Collett managed to reach them, she met Cade’s eyes. “You have to go. Haki’s keeping him occupied, but we can’t hold off this group indefinitely!”
She shifted and parried a strike coming for her on the left. Cade stepped away from her and gutted the creature coming at her right. Whirling, he stabbed a leech as it went for his brother’s blind spot.
Collett hurried to his side again. “Bellig knows it. He wants to keep you apart, don’t let him. The two of you have to get to him! The Guardians will help clear the way.”
Cade and Jarrett both hesitated.
“Go!” she insisted, pushing them and turning away to fight again.
Over on the west end of the ranks, Rederrick called out directions. Behind that line, Tracy, Cynda, and a few other witches chanted, casting magic against the beings intent on destroying them. James and Jonah held the middle, staying close and allowing casters the precious time they needed for each spell to take effect. Fire engulfed the enemy ranks, five deep and three across, when Tracy released her latest attack. The creatures shrieked and stumbled about in panic as the smoke and smell of burned skin was pulled into the vortex of wind surrounding the melee.
A few rows back and higher up on the dune, with a clear line of sight, Cody and a few others with less hand to hand skill, lobbed ranged attacks at the enemy lines. Using grenade launchers procured from the base in Texas, they kept the back line of demons from advancing too quickly and kept them from condensing. A few Guardians with bows joined them and helped bolster their defense. The night sky was alight with bursts and flashes of magical lights and fires from Guardians, witches, and sorcerers.
The two flying combatants flipped and turned, engaging in aerial combat for several minutes. Bellig spun and locked Haki’s sword against his own. Using his shoulder, he forced Haki back to the earth. Haki countered with the weight of his shield, and for a time they were locked together above the chaos and the screams of the dying.
“Did you come for a lesson in humility, Teacher?” Bellig sneered, bearing down against the leader.
“I came to ensure justice and to aid those who trust in me,” he replied and disappeared, only to reappear on Bellig’s other side.
Used to his tricks, Bellig shifted quickly and only felt the dull ache as Haki’s weapon glanced off his armored shoulder. He brushed the minor hit aside, and gripping his vile weapon in two hands, came back viciously. Up, down, slash, block. They were matched evenly, or so it would look to any who could see through the speed and agility of their attacks.
Needing an advantage, Bellig slowly maneuvered Haki close to the ground again. A leech demon leapt up and anchored itself to Haki’s back and pulled him back to the ground. Bellig grinned cruelly and came in harder, forcing his opponent to ignore the rending claws as they tore through armor, wing, and flesh.
The warm blood trickled down his spine. He ignored the enemy behind him as he focused on blocking blow after blow from the enemy before him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw more of the creatures coming. When he readied himself to shift away, a bright light flashed as Ramee came to his aide. The clinging leech and his approaching companions crumbled to dust, freeing him of any further burdens.
Haki dropped to one knee and bent back as a sword sliced the air where his throat had been. In retaliation, he slashed out at Bellig’s legs.
Bellig dodged, but not quickly enough. The tip of the divine sword ripped through armor and flesh on his right thigh. He twisted about, ignoring the strike and came around fully from the opposite direction only to meet the resistance of a silvery sword again.
Hatred spread across Bellig’s features. “Why are you here?” he grunted.
“In asking that, you reveal your ignorance,” Haki replied as his shining blade scraped against the bloody red one.
Both released the hold, drawing back to strike again. The song of battle rang and vibrated down their arms. They danced about with the grace that came from centuries of experience. Bellig roared, “You cannot kill me!”
“No, I cannot,” Haki conceded as he shield bashed Bellig’s head, driving him back with the force of it.
Stepping away, Bellig wiped the facial wound and spat the blood to the ground. “What could you hope to gain? Do you hope to wound me as Collett did and buy yourselves time? If so, you are a fool! I will keep coming back to finish what I started. Do you intend to fight like this for eternity?”
“I need not kill you. I need not even defeat you, that is not my purpose,” Haki answered, taking a heaving breath during the respite.
Ignoring the answer because it made no sense, Bellig growled in frustration and attacked again. Something about the way Haki battled him, as if he was holding back, flitted through his mind, but believing he was stronger, the idea did not take root.
With The Opposer's gift of dark power I am greater, he reminded himself. He wanted nothing more than to smother the light that emanated from this first chosen guardian. “What is your purpose, Mighty Justice, other than to be a slave to the Creator’s whimsy?” he asked between gritted teeth as they locked together once more.
“My purpose has never changed,” Haki answered, then disappeared and reappeared again. “I offer hope to those who have none.”
His muscles bunched in fury, hating the game of tricks. It was cowardly, Bellig reminded himself while repressing the rage. Arrogantly turning his head and keeping his back to Haki, he readied himself to counter the next impending strike. “Hope for what? There is nothing left to hope for here. I will have that tree, and when I destroy it, I will decimate their pitiful army. Their limited knowledge will fade. Mankind will flock to me seeking direction. I will truly be Strength!”
“No, Bellig, you are the thing you fear most, you are weak! It was your fear that weakened you.” Bellig’s jaw twitched, his eyes darted to the right. Haki reacted swiftly. Sweeping out with his sword, he whipped his weapon through the air and decapitated the demon making its way to him. “You never did pay attention to your lessons. It is hope and faith that makes me strong.”
This time Bellig did turn to face Haki, and using one hand, gestured to the battle raging around them. “Where do you see hope, old man? Blood covers the ground, and your forces dwindle. There is only death here.”
As if on cue, the battle suddenly turned. The fight was tiring and there was no relief for The Brotherhood because fresh demons were in ample supply. The phase demons had finally come to his metal call, and they threw spears and rocks. A man fell before their eyes as five creatures of various origin swarmed in, overpowering him quickly.
Saddened by the sight, but faithful till the end, Haki looked away and met the former Viking’s greyed eyes. “There is hope behind you.” Saluting with his sword, he lifted his majestic white wings and took to the sky.
Bellig knew he’d been set up before he even turned. He finally understood Haki had been holding back. He must have used the distraction of their fight to keep him from noticing the demons failing to separate the brothers. Without turning his body, he craned his head to see them standing together amid the utter chaos, and decided it didn't matter. With a millennium of wars behind him, Bellig believed they were nothing to his skill, and he was strong enough to take them both. A couple of half-cursed creatures with no self-control could not hold against his power.
His wings lifted him, his body twisted around, and his arms fell down in a speeding strike strong enough to cleave a man in half.
/> The edge of his steel was stopped short and sparks flew as enchanted blades met. On instinct, the brothers had lifted their blades simultaneously, catching the pulsing red weapon in the V of their defense.
Bellig met Cade’s eyes, saw the determination in them, and for a tenth of a second he wondered if he had underestimated them.
Chapter 40
Everyone was tiring when the first phase demons appeared. The shadow creatures announced their presence in the worst possible way. The risk of possession was unnecessary. Bellig had prepared the perfect tools for them to use. With their energy, it was easy enough for the vile spirits to throw
The front lines had been broken by some archdemons, and seeing the breach, Rederrick ran down its length to help bolster and direct those giving ground. Delphene was there moments later, and Cody rushed over to help.
It was during these desperate moments that Tracy, heard a strange thwack! Next to her, Cynda jerked as something flew through the front soldiers protecting the spell casters and impaled her.
On the other side of the field Ashley, connected to her mother by blood, felt the pain of the impact and stumbled backward, screaming. Nate caught his only love in his arms while terror for her consumed his heart.
Tracy glanced back. Horror gripped her when she realized a spear had gone through her mother's stomach and embedded in the ground behind her, leaving Cynda upright at a grotesque angle.
“Nooo!” Tracy screamed. “Jonah, help me! James! Somebody help me!”
Tracy ran the short distance between them and tried to keep her mother upright with trembling hands. “Don’t move, shhhh, it’s okay.” Her mother reached for Tracy’s face. “No, Mom. Stop. Don’t move you’ll make it worse. Ashley! Dad! Somebody! Anybody!
The Truth of Victory: A Powers of Influence Novel Page 36