by Luis Robles
“Call me Bliss,” Bliss said to no one in particular, still trying to figure out who was Nimbus.
“Daydreaming, I suppose. Leave it up to you to be daydreaming in a time like this,” Pah said as he chuckled under his breath.
Pah was not too far away from the truth, Bliss was in fact absent-minded. But her mind was elsewhere, for her mind was thinking of ways to bring down Gavril with the full force of her magic and make him pay once and for all. Luckily for the world, that innocent child was able to call her thought, and her better judgment kicked in. Little did she know that it was well within her capabilities to cause a great deal of damage to the world and perhaps even destroy it. It was at that time that Bliss became aware of the second rule of magic: The user of magic will always be guided by the origins of its magic. And Bliss’ magic came directly from the purest source there was. That magic would forever guide Bliss in making the right decision ever so softly and without a presence. It was because of that guiding hand that the wind decided to pick up and caress her beautiful violet hair. It was because of that guiding hand that the child decided to look towards Bliss’ hair.
“We will call you Bliss, from now on,” Nimbus said as he rose up on his feet and lowered his wings.
A clear expression of happiness was visible all throughout the Gargoyles and little by little but faster each time, much like rain that begins to pour, all the Gargoyles cheered. After the brief welcoming of Bliss to the Gargoyle family, all Gargoyles returned to their usual duties around the stone village. The only ones that remained were Bliss, Pah, Bramma, and Nimbus.
“Nimbus here is our greatest warrior. He will be the chief of the Gargoyles during this cloud of darkness that we face. I have chosen him over all other Gargoyles because I know he will not fail,” said Bramma as he gestured towards Nimbus.
“You will need to let us know everything you know about this creature of the night that you call Gavril. Ever since Chief Bramma returned from the Place of Lilies, we sent scouts to scour the land in search for information about this Gavril, but we know little about him,” Nimbus said as he got near the group of three.
“As far as I know, Gavril lost all abilities to remain under the sun; he will burn to ashes if he does. Gavril obtained his power by consuming the blood of thousands of Nulians throughout his long life. A fallen star is within him, feeding him, a star that has ties with the dark side of magic. He was human before the thirst for power consumed his sanity. One of my predecessors fought with Gavril early on and lost to his trickery. As of now, we can only guess how much more powerful he has gotten, and the odds are not good for us,” Pah said as he sat down and then sighed a long sigh.
Pah’s sigh made Bliss react by sighing as well. The amount of frustration dealing with Gavril for all those years was clearly visible in Bliss and Pah. There was so much information that they wanted to tell the two Gargoyles. The lives of hundreds of Gargoyles depended on it.
“Here, you’ll see for yourselves,” Bliss said as she closed her eyes and projected in the Gargoyles’ minds all the times they came across the Rot and some of Gavril’s monsters.
After Bliss was done showing all the horrible things Gavril had put them through, the Gargoyles’ faces turned blank, and cold sweat appeared over their bodies. They could not believe that such a monster existed. At that moment, the Gargoyles realized that no matter what they do, or just how much they planned, the outcome would be certain failure. For Gavril was not just a monster, a vampire, a demon, no! Gavril was the soul and full counter of all the magic there was, the pure magic. Gavril was the emissary to the dark side of magic, and he would do anything in his power to bring it and all its power upon them. That much became clear to them. Gargoyles are mortals, after all, and they would stand no chance against Gavril.
Yet the chief of the village vehemently announced, “Let us not lose faith, even when the future is bleak. We must push beyond; we must try to change the trail we are on.” Bramma summoned up every bit of bravery he had left.
Bliss and Pah raised their faces up immediately after hearing Bramma’s chant of hope. Not because they felt inspired to fight on, not because it was the best speech ever made, but because even after Bliss showed the Gargoyles what they were up against, they still had hope. And she knew well that if they had hope, they had everything.
“Brave,” Bliss said in a slight whisper, her eyebrows raised.
“It looks like we might have a chance, after all. I am glad that, out of all places, we ended up amongst Gargoyles’. We have loads of planning to do,” Pah said as he got up on all fours.
“You can count on us to do everything in our power to help,” Bramma said.
“Do you have someone that can take Bliss around the city?” Pah asked, knowing that Bliss was still tense from everything that happened recently.
“Fieera,” Nimbus called to the sky with one hand near his mouth.
“Coming,” a small, barely audible voice said from afar.
A few seconds later, a young winged Gargoyle appeared in front of the group, landing a few steps away from Bliss. She was a young Gargoyle, about the same age as Bliss. She was thin in complexion, her hair was long and of an orange tone, her stance was timid, and her wings looked big for her size.
“Ahhh, Fieera, nice of you to join us. This is Pah, and she is Bliss. I am certain you have heard about them. They will be staying in the stone village for now. Be kind and show Bliss around the village. Take her to the garden, and I’m sure she might be hungry. Pah, Nimbus, and I have some planning to do, and we will be in the main room of the library if you should need us,” Bramma said as he began walking inside the big building.
“But I want to listen and have a say so, too,” Bliss said with her arms crossed and her face scrunched.
“Indeed, you have more say than anyone here, but I want you to unwind and enjoy your time here. I will fill you in with all the details later. Bliss, when the time comes, you know that we are going to need you more than anyone, so we need you to be ready. Plus, did you not argue with me about having friends? Well, there you go,” Pah said as she moved Bliss closer to Fieera with his long tail.
“Come with me, worry about what they have to say later. Not thinking about something for a while will help you make better decisions,” Fieera said as she grabbed Bliss’ hand and began pulling her away awkwardly.
Bliss sighed and walked away with Fieera. This was the first time in her life that she would be away from Pah. He did not worry about Bliss’ safety whatsoever, for he knew that out of everyone in the world, there was no one safer than Bliss. She had turned into a shield against all harm, and anyone near Bliss would be as safe as she was.
Bliss and Fieera went on to explore the stone village, and Pah, Bramma, and Nimbus went on to talk about Gavril and what they could possibly do against the tyrant. As the days went by, Bliss and Fieera became good friends, and for the first time Bliss felt that she was normal. They did ordinary things throughout the day: they visited one of the ponds, grabbed food from the tiny local grills, sometimes they even took naps in the gardens. Bliss was able to forget about Gavril from time to time. At night, she would return with a smile on her face to the small cottage that the Gargoyles provided for them. Pah would already be there, waiting for her and ready to answer any questions she might have about the plans against Gavril, although Bliss rarely asked any. She instead just enjoyed her time that she had with Pah and snuggled up against him to fall asleep. It was quite the opposite for Pah; he spent most of his days in the stone village planning against Gavril, training with the Gargoyles, and showing them how to defeat the Rot. Every day, the main subject of conversation was Gavril. But Pah did not mind this at all; he was content and for the first time in his life he felt that he was doing his job, that the reason he was created for would not be a waste. He knew that he would be able to protect her until the very end, and he had come to terms with that. For in his mind, if there would be only one survivor through the calamity that would fall on
them, that survivor would have to be Bliss; he simply would not have it any other way. But until that moment came where he could not watch over her anymore, he would do anything in his power not to put her to the greatest of all pains—the pain of loss.
The date that Lili spoke of drew nearer. The village of stone began to prepare more and more, and it became harder for Bliss to forget about Gavril.
“From now on, you will spend the days with me. Fieera will go to training with the other winged Gargoyles,” Pah said as Bliss opened her eyes in the morning after a nice, long night of sleep.
“It’s getting closer, isn’t it?” Bliss asked with a frown on her forehead.
“According to Lili’s vision, we have three more days and are considering the earliest possible date being at midnight since Gavril cannot be out in the sun. But let’s not worry about the small things in life. Right now, let’s worry about that garden you were telling me about. And do you know where can I get some fish? I’m starving here, Bliss,” Pah said, ending with a cheerful tone and picking Bliss up with his head and tossing her up to his back.
Bliss chuckled and even smiled as they headed out the door into the stone village.
“Yes, Pah, I know where you can get all the fish you want to eat.”
To Bliss’ surprise, the village was busy in preparation for the anticipated events. However, this did not seem to affect her mood. Spending time with Pah after being apart for so long made Bliss feel good. She felt right at home again.
Bliss and Pah spent the remaining two days by themselves and doing normal things. Gargoyles were becoming busier as the day of Lili’s vision got closer and did not look for Pah to ask any more questions. Pah had instructed them to leave them alone as much as possible for the last few days, and the Gargoyles knew what they were doing. If there was one thing the Gargoyles were good at already, it was defense.
On the third day, Chief Bramma called an immediate stop to all activity against Gavril. He wanted the Gargoyles to enjoy their last possible day on earth as much as they could. He encouraged the Gargoyles to spend time with their families and loved ones, and most of the Gargoyles did.
As the sun began to set on the twentieth day of the third month, Pah began to have a bad feeling. The sky lit up with red as if it was on fire, and there were more clouds than usual that day. The air that circulated throughout the stone village began to feel dry and arid. Even Bliss seemed to notice as she stood up and looked towards the sky. Pah had not revealed any details about the contingency plan against Gavril, and at that moment as she stood up, he felt the need to tell her everything.
“Why now?” Bliss asked as if she knew that something big was about to happen.
“Bliss, we will gather the entire non-warrior Gargoyles here in the garden, providing that Gavril’s army comes directly from the entrance of the stone village. I am sure that he will surround us, he always has, but he also likes to show power, so the main force of the attack will be directly in the entrance, of this I’m sure of. Gargoyles will keep watch for any and all creatures and Rot all throughout the perimeter of the stone village.”
“What will I do?” Bliss asked, already feeling left out the plan.
“I trust that you will do the right thing and that you will do everything in your power to defeat the enemy. You are our best hope, Bliss. However, you need to promise me something.”
“No, I don’t want to promise you anything,” Bliss said with watery eyes, already guessing what Pah had in mind.
“Bliss, I have dedicated my entire life to you. My only calling in life is to see you grow older, Bliss. Please, allow me the pleasure of doing so. I have never asked you for anything, but now I ask you for this,” Pah said with his voice almost broken.
“No, Pah, I can’t, don’t do this to me,” Bliss said as she wiped tears from her eyes.
“As long as I’m breathing, remain away from Gavril. No matter what he says or does, stay away from him. We cannot risk you falling into his hands. Who knows what kind of tricks he will have? Promise me this. Promise,” Pah demanded.
Bliss became stiff with both of her arms at her sides, and her hands rolled up into fists. As she looked down, she said in between her lips, “I promise...”
“Good. I have been meaning to have a piece of Gavril anyway. We will make it out of this, Bliss, and when we are done, we will rid the earth of Gavril,” Pah said with confidence.
“Promise?”
“I promise,” Pah said with a smile.
Pah’s smile immediately reassured Bliss. Out of anyone, she trusted him, and she knew that he would never break a promise.
“I need you to set up a barrier around the garden, just in case any of the Rot gets in,” Pah said.
“How strong do you want me to make it?” Bliss asked with her hands already extended and ready to let her magic out.
“Make it strong; the last thing we need to worry about is the Gargoyles in the garden. You’ll have time to regain your magic.”
“Protect,” Bliss chanted.
Moments later, a violet translucent sphere appeared, covering the entire garden. The barrier was strong—strong enough to fend off a thousand Rot with ease. Bliss made the barrier so that she, Pah, and any Gargoyle could walk in and out of it freely. However, any Rot or creature with evil intent will be incinerated.
“Are you ready?” Pah asked.
Bliss nodded slowly and only once. At that moment, Pah let out a booming howl with all his strength. The howl was deep in pitch and made the village reverberate slightly. Right away, all the Gargoyles came out of their homes, and in a matter of seconds Nimbus was right by Pah’s side, breathing heavily and with a worried look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” Nimbus asked with worry.
“I have a bad feeling about tonight. As of now, we will assume that Gavril is coming.”
Nimbus was confused at Pah’s response, but like a loyal friend, he left at once to prepare the small village for battle.
Just before sundown, as the sun was still visible through the tips of the nearby mountains, the village was ready. One hundred of the bravest Gargoyles were lined up outside the perimeter of the village, each carrying a stone mallet. The mallets were heavy with a hilt of wood and an oddly shaped stone at the end. It was a conical shape with a perfectly round end at the largest side and slightly bended at the thinner end. About one hundred and twenty winged Gargoyles stood firm on top of the stone wall, keeping watch. Each of them carried a belt around their chest that carried nearly forty glass flasks. Each flask contained a mixture of potions that would explode when it would encounter fresh air. Three groups of ten Gargoyles each stood near the entrance, each carrying deadly swords that looked menacing and heavy. The swords were curved outward much like a hook. Scattered throughout the village were single Gargoyle warriors and about fifty of them surrounded the garden, in which every non-fighting Gargoyle sat and kept quiet. Bramma and Nimbus stood at the village’s entrance. Pah sat on top of the wall near the entrance, looking towards the horizon, and as always Bliss was right beside him.
“Can you make their weapons ten times more powerful? We need all the help we can get,” Pah said to Bliss as he continued looking at the horizon.
Bliss extended her index finger and began spinning it in a swirling motion in front of her, thinking carefully of what she was going to enhance in each weapon. Slowly, a violet wisp of smoke began to form in her index finger.
“Enhance,” Bliss chanted.
The violet wisp of smoke went from weapon to weapon, faster each time, enhancing each one of them to their full potential. The mallets became able to accelerate their movements ten times over. The swords grew sharper, able to cut through anything with ease and without ever being dulled. The potions around the winged Gargoyles’ chests became that much more lethal, expanding their destructive reach to a fifteen-meter radius.
“I have enhanced each and every one of your weapons, be aware of their new strengths,” Bliss said with a direct
message to their heads.
Most of the Gargoyles grinned and felt confident that victory was theirs. Bliss’ magic was powerful, and they felt blanketed underneath it. Bliss had no weak points, nor could her magic be exhausted. If there was an absolute power, it was Bliss’ magic. All that Bliss needed to do was control her magic so that her still learning body would not become exhausted from overuse of it. If she was not careful and her body became too frail to take charge of her vast magic during the battle, she could end up destroying everything around her.
As the wind blew across the stone village, an awkward silence swept alongside it. No one knew what to say, or what they were expecting; nothing could be seen or heard for long periods of time and for kilometers across. Everyone watched the sunset, as if that would be the last sunset the Gargoyles would ever see. Tension amongst the Gargoyles grew and the special veins that allowed the Gargoyles to be strong—called Emoree—began to appear. An Emoree was a vein that ran through a Gargoyle’s body. It would be able to carry the force of will, enabling a Gargoyle to grow stronger or more durable whenever necessary. An Emoree would glow orange or vibrant red, depending on the Gargoyle. As the sun set, the Emoree began to appear more and more, usually closest to a Gargoyle’s weapon. Bliss remained calm, breathing a little deeper than usual as she closed her eyes to enjoy the simple feeling of the wind blowing over her face and hair. Pah grew more watchful, peering far across long distances, trying to spot a Rot or any sign of trouble.
“Out of all things that will give them away…” Pah said the minute the sun set.
“What do you see?” Bliss asked calmly, in a way that would not worry the Gargoyles.
“More like what I smell.”
“Where is it coming from?”