Crimson Knight (Crimson Series Book 0)

by K. L. O Johnson

  The mortuss charged at me and I side-stepped spinning the pummel of my sword in hand, the blade struck the back of its head and I punched the next one with my free hand. I leaped and double kicked one on approach. On and on it went. I blocked, assaulted, dodged and decapitated my foes. My breathing was easy as it always was and to my surprise I learnt I was quicker and stronger. My forearms were heavy, once I was free of enemies I inspected it and learned there was a layer of armour. Several ancient characters were inscribed on the outside and I regarded the rest of my body. I was cladded in armour from head to toe with a cloak of my own—it must have been the light it must have given me the power I needed. I smiled, I achieved it, even though I knew I barely touched, the true power of the Rusakova clan.

  I felt my lips pull into a sinister smile. The battlefield was mine. To my surprise there was this monster that I confronted before the panther looking monster. He glared and I stood in my trained ready stance. He launched at me and I stepped easily out of the way, I smiled. I saw his movements before he even made them. His face was at first surprised before it morphed into frustration. He charged at me with a black tainted unsheathed sword, it gleamed hauntingly. I avoided the first strike and blocked the second one not easily but close enough with my new forearm bracer. It slid along my armour and I stepped away—there he left himself wide open.

  I deflected his next attack and watched as his blade shimmied beside my cheek, it stung but I knew I’d heal. He smiled. “I wonder what it was that made Ivan so wrought with darkness—then I realised it was you.”

  “Me?” I asked surprised by this new information. “His insanity is his fault!” I growled and blocked the curved blade he had attached to the wire that flowed towards me a spiralling speeds.

  “He tasted you long ago when you were a hatchling and he wanted more.” I felt disgusted by this new information and wished he never told me. I deflected the next attack with my sword and charged at the panther man—he clawed at me and I watched his claws barely missed my nose.

  “Of course, why do you think he’s been chasing you all your life.”—the panther man smiled and I had to ask:

  “What are you?”

  “I’m a Chicabura.” Chicabura? I’ve never heard anything of the sort in my whole life. I wouldn’t doubt his words as he looked rather strange to begin with—half human half panther. I sensed his outlander heritage so I knew he wasn’t a cross-breed. That was a very odd combination human and panther demon. I recall being told there were different levels of demons and different grades of demons—within each level there are grades of three sub levels and each demon need to complete each level to increase its power. This was the same for all Resoncretalians who were the original descendants of demonic heritage.

  As the battle raged on, I held my ground. I refused to be defeated by a panther demon even though he appeared to be a lot more powerful than me. I knew I needed help but I also knew I had to learn quickly and tap into my true potential. It was going to be difficult as I was never good at doing two things at once but I was willing to give it a try. “Here goes!” I chanted and felt my energy converge within the centre of my hands, I thrust them forward and was surprised by the blinding red light that zipped towards the panther. He screamed in pain as black and red electricity marked his body. I watched in shock at the impact it had on him, in moments his skin was ashy as if he’d been over cooked and collapsed on the ground unconscious. I smiled. “Victory is mine.” I chanted.

  I turned my heel and darted towards Ivan. He was near and all I had to do was stop him and his plan to destroy this world’s mortal race. I mean it really wouldn’t be the same without them—it would be rather boring to be honest. They do give a bit of diversity to this universe. I thought with a smile as I dodged, avoided and slipped passed the members of the Dark Cartel as well as the mortuss who threatened to stop me. “Get out of my way!” I shouted and punched the mortuss on approach square in the face and watched as he flew from me and into the abandoned shopping store five hundred metres away knocking down several other mortuss in the process.

  Lightening raged around me as I felt the wind chill against my scales. Something was going to happen and it was going to be destructive—I could feel it. The storm ceased and what was left was puddles of water as I ran. “Cecelia!” I heard Bella call.

  “Move out of my way!” I heard Marcus roar. I glanced to my left then to my right and watched as those two ploughed through numbers and numbers of mortuss. They were quick and powerful.

  “Guys!” I called. I jumped onto the hood of a road train and climbed onto the body before running along the surface of the container. I stopped and watched as they landed on the container I stood on. Their landing was light a reminder of their training, their faces light with relief and excitement.

  “Bring forth marine!” Odette’s voice called out and I watched as a flood of water appeared and wiped out the mortuss and the Dark Cartel that battled each other. I glanced at the source and saw Odette holding her hands out at the other end. Once the water ceased Odette, Daphne and Jorden all of whom were cladded in silver three layered armour. Their silver cloaks flowed behind them—they stood tall and proud. I smiled.

  “Bring forth earth!” Jorden called and I watched as several vines leaped from out of the ground, while others summoned in the air and flew towards the other mortuss that leaped from the buildings on either side of the buildings and onto the street below.

  “I don’t think so!”—I channelled my power and called: “Bring forth inferno!” A large fireball centred between my fingers and I sent it towards the other mortuss and watched as they burnt to a crisp. Several flew from the impact and through the walls of the abandoned building—it was in one blow they were defeated. Odette and the others ran over to us and leaped onto the container we stood on.

  “Well done Cecelia.” Odette boasted. “That’s the way!”

  Marcus smiled, “That’s how you show them!”

  Jorden crossed his arms, “Never back down.” He smiled up at me and I couldn’t help but smile. It really wasn’t the time to have such a conversation but I knew I might as well cherish what time I have with my friends and hope that this will be all over. I felt a familiar connection in the area as I glanced through the distant smoke, I spied a shrouding figure on approach and through the smoke was someone I never realised I missed. Zarlach.

  He was cladded in full body armour, a broadsword shimmed encased upon his back and he scanned the now ruined battlefield. His blood red eyes gazed upon me and I couldn’t help but gasp in surprise at the intensity behind them—I wasn’t too sure if anyone else noticed but there was something different about him. “Hey Zarlach!” Marcus hollered.

  I think I heard Zarlach release a sigh and I couldn’t help but smile. He was safe and alive. I never realised how worried I was . . . until now. “Cecelia. Are you alright?” he asked and I nodded. I felt the electricity in the air and it had nothing to do with what was going on between Zarlach and I even though I had no idea what it was myself.

  I nodded, “I’m okay, a little battered and beaten but okay.”

  He moulded a small smile and I gazed upon the electricity that spouted from the white house. I gasped in horror, whatever was going on was no doubt because of the Codex. “Where’s the empress?” Zarlach asked as he reached for his sword.

  “Here!” a familiar voice called and a nearby wall tumbled down with a mortuss crushing through it. “I’ve had enough of these walking undead to last me an eternity,” she growled. She too was cladded in full three layered body armour. Her silver cloak swayed behind her and her gaze rested upon Zarlach then turned to me. “I thought I told you to remove her.” The empress replied and I felt my body stiffen in fear.

  “I did.” Zarlach replied.

  Bella stepped forward, “Please don’t blame her. It was the humans who didn’t allow us to enter.” The empress seemed deep in thought. I head footfalls and felt strongly demonic and angelic power threading through the air�
��the closer it came, the heavier I felt it press against my lungs. The empress smiled at a rundown alleyway, ruins remained scattered on either side of the divide.

  “I was wondering where you were.” she motioned with a small smile. Out of the darkness gleamed a heavily armoured man. His silver hair tumbled down to his ankles as did his silver cloak. His piercing blue eyes rested on the empress.

  “I was searching for our daughter in this rubble,” he replied.

  “Where were you before? The ship was under attack.” The empress said.

  I watched in wonder at the armour he held and noticed like four markings across his features. A seven-point star sat upon his forehead between his bangs and I glanced at the empress. “I was tossed into Paranella.” he grumbled and I watched as his silver brows furrowed into a frown. “Ivan that snake.”

  The empress walked over to him and gently said, “Well, either way, I’m glad you’re alive.” His eyes mildly rested on her. There was a moment silence as everyone gazed upon the sight of a slither of romance there was within this pit of destruction. “However, I’m concerned.”

  “Agreed.” The emperor replied.

  I wondered what they had meant, my thoughts were made clear by Zarlach’s next words, “He must have her.” I felt my blood drain from my face. Ivan had Kal!

  “I don’t understand.” I managed. “Why does Ivan have Kal? What could he possibly want with her?” Everyone’s eyes rested upon me and I had a strong feeling that I was missing something very important.

  “The Codex needs to be activated by that of ascending descent.” The emperor spoke.

  “I still don’t get it.”

  Zarlach spoke, “He means you need the blood of an angel to activate the power of the Codex.” It clicked. The Nefaliem were the closest descendants to angels next to the Nephilim. So Kalverya was taken once again but how? The first time was when they pre-halted her torpor condition from activating, the second time? I glanced at the electricity and wondered if that had anything to do with Kal and if so we needed to act and fast.

  “She could be in real trouble.”

  The empress spoke, “I know. That’s why we need to move quickly.” I heard a thundering sound and it wasn’t from the weather. I glanced over my shoulder and watched as Markonis swatted away the enemy. There were several more earth deities that fought with us.

  “Earth deities?” Zarlach mumbled. “The Codex must have woken them.”

  We turned from Markonis and the other deities before bolting down the road and towards the white house. We had to get to her and once we did we had to guarantee she was alright along with warranting the Codex was no longer in Ivan’s grasp, how that was going to occur I had no idea but all I knew was that he needed to be stopped. The ground began to rise and I watched as Jorden, Marcus and Bella leaped onto the stones, I followed after, feeling Zarlach not too far behind me and after him.

  Leaping from stone to stone towards the white house, I could sense something was building up. We were a good three hundred kilometres away and I knew that as we approached, more and more mortuss were lining up it was like the closer we got to the white house the more and more mortuss there were. The Dark Cartel continued to outnumber us. As we leaped from earth to earth. Above I watched as flocks and flocks of demon bats soared high overhead. The emperor, empress and Zarlach continued to fight the mortuss and the United Council but it seemed like a breeze to them. “Bella! The flock!” I called as I watched them fly from the clouds above and away from the white house.

  “They’re heading for the humans!” she cried.

  “Bella! Jorden! Marcus!” the emperor called. “We’ll take out the flock. Cecelia and Zarlach, go and find my daughter.” He crouched on airborne stone, as did the empress, the two leaped high into the air as did my friends before soaring high into the sky. I regarded Zarlach with a concerned gaze even though I had no idea why I was concerned—I didn’t know if it was because of my friends or it was because I was left alone with a man that did weird things to my stomach. “Cecelia!” he yelled and I took in the sight of a cylinder hollow concrete that flowed towards me. I hoped and ran along inside the cylinder. I flipped forward and landed on stable earth. Zarlach nodded and we chased after Ivan.

  We were closer now but I watched as the Krasnopresnenskaya embankment water floated in the air while the house itself was twisted and distorted. Lightening bounced in the air towards the clouds and fanned out white several sections of earth remained hovering over the mostly stable earth. I glanced upon the roof of the while house and saw a blaring light. It must have been him. It must have been Ivan at the source. I glanced over at Zarlach and watched as his sword summoned on his back, he pulled out his broadsword that I noticed was also engraved in an ancient language. It seemed to almost glow a bright white under the thundering sky. I felt my back hum and felt my power. It was my sword—it thirsted for Ivan’s blood and it was going to get it.

  We wandered down the pavement and I glanced around me aware something was in the air. Zarlach must have sensed it too. I regarded the sight of a child in the distance, she held a teddy bear so she mustn’t have been no older than five. Her blond tresses fell in smoothing blinds down to her waist and oddly enough her white knee length dress remained pure white. She cried and I couldn’t help but walk over to her. “My mommy. I can’t find my mommy.” she breathed in a crackling voice.

  “We can take you to her.” I offered, aware I couldn’t leave her hear alone when the world has gone to hell. I glanced over at Zarlach and watched as he turned his back on us. He was keeping guard and a look out. I smiled at the gesture.

  “Could you please?” she sniffed. I nodded, happy to help. She held out her hand and I took it.

  “Let’s go check over—” My arm refused to follow. I glanced over at the girl and watched as it turned from a little girl to a little devil. I gasped and it screeched, holding my hand vastly in place. I heard Zarlach call out to me but felt the calmness in the centre of a power wave.

  “Vampieruz!” it called.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  The White House

  The girl gave off an overbearing shock wave. It was so powerful that my feet began to move on their own and I was certain I would be lifted off the ground, at any moment. “Hang on!” Zarlach called. That was no problem—the little devil held her ashy fingers wrapped firmly around my tender wrist. I was afraid she’d break it.

  “Surprised?” she taunted. “We Resoncretalian demons are much more powerful than your average demon. So yes we are strong as you and much stronger.” Her fangs extended and she bared them. “I think I’m hungry,” she teased, her laughter bubbling all around her. “I want a Vampieruz for dinner!” She pulled me closer to her as my feet were moved from the ground. I screamed. She was going to bite me! Her flattened teeth formed into sharp razors. I didn’t want that sensation again! Memories of my skin in shock as Ivan’s teeth bit into me reined, I was terrified as I remembered the pain—it was like it replayed over and over again, in my mind.

  “Zarlach!” I shrieked. I reached out to him and watched as a large stone looking demon stood over him and plucked him off the ground. I was scared. Frightened beyond comprehension but I wasn’t too sure if it was for Zarlach or if it was for me. He didn’t respond. He didn’t move. He just let the stone monster hold him high into the air.

  “Pathetic and you call yourself a knight,” the muscular monster boomed.

  “Zarlach!” I screamed as I watched the stone demon’s arm transformed into a stiletto.

  “You know what the strangest part is?” the little girl asked, “No matter how strong you think your scales are. Ours are stronger.” I watched in horror as the demon plunged his arm through Zarlach’s stomach and the next thing I heard was my ear-piecing screams. The demons laughed and the girl bit into my arm. The pain was excruciating as I remembered. I tried to push her away but to no avail. I didn’t care I was being bit into—I cared that Zarlach wasn’t moving. The monster dropped him onto the
ground and sauntered over to me.

  “Can I have some?” he asked. The girl smiled up at him with a bloody mouth and handed my arm to him.

  “Sure but wouldn’t it be better from the throat—that way she can’t scream.” The demon girl taunted.

  “You’re an evil little monster.” I managed through sobs.

  “I know.” She smiled.

  I glared, how can a child be so twisted? Where were her parents? “Hey Nabba, where’s mother?” The giant stone demon glanced down at who I assumed was his sister. She glared.

  “Don’t say my name in front of the enemy!” she barked, her human pale features pruning bright red. Her brown human eyes also turned a piercing red.

  “Sorry. I didn’t know I had to Nabba.” The stone monster’s head turned from me to her and I watched as his stone features morphed into fleshy skin. He had chalky pale skin and dark hair. His red eyes graced his sister’s sincerely.

  “You did it again!” she howled. If I weren’t in so much pain, I would have found this sibling interaction humorous. I felt heat Faction in the centre of my hand and not before long, red lights shone and I twisted my hand around, so that my palm faced the child’s features. It became a blinding light and I released my energy—away she flew. I brought up my leg and smashed the brother in the face, he twisted around in the air and flew towards his sister. He glared over at me and I stumbled away before running towards Zarlach. He couldn’t be dead. I wouldn’t allow him to die. I glanced at him and saw his body was still there. The energy wave ceased and water that I smashed into, pooled around my feet, crashing to the ground. They exploded onto the ground when I passed through them—streaking me in water droplets. I wouldn’t be surprised it was floating everywhere.