The Dragon Witch

by Drako

  “Morons.” Brandon took the head off of a nearby demon. “What kind of soldiers are you?”

  Victoria came down beside him. “They’ll get past this shortly. Keeping killing them.”

  Phil launched himself over their heads, tackling several demons to the ground and using his teeth to rip their throats out. Victoria charged after him, her eyes searching for her target. She found Balthas just rising to his feet from the blow from Ares. The quaking ground was further disorienting him and Victoria used it to her advantage, once again flipping high into the air before landing on top of him. Before she could deliver the finishing blow, blasts from the battling gods collided and she went flying across the arena, along with everyone else. Phil and several rogue wolves yelped as they struck the wall and sank to the floor. Brandon also hit the wall and sank to the ground. For the moment, the world went black for all as the gods continued to fight, their power beginning to destroy the coliseum.

  Thirty Four

  Demun had been laying in his bed, his mind searching for his brother. When Brandon blacked out, his eyes snapped open and he sat up.

  To hell with this. I’m not sitting on the sidelines and letting my brother die alone, he thought.

  He stood up and opened the door to his room, preparing to find his grandfather, only to find Adonis there, getting ready to knock on the door.

  “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

  “I know what’s happening to Brandon too. I sent Phil with him, and you’re the only one that can take me there,” Adonis answered.

  “Are you fucking stupid?! There’s no way I’m taking you into the first battle of a war! You can’t defend yourself against the things that are there and I can’t be distracted by defending you.”

  “I don’t need you to defend me. I just need to get there.”

  Demun scowled. “Why? What good could you possibly do them?”

  “Do you really have time to question me on this?!” Adonis snapped. “Just take me with you, damn it!”

  “If you die, I’m coming to Hades, dragging your soul back to your body and putting it back in just to kill you again for causing my brother pain.” Demun grabbed his arm. “Keep in mind that by bringing you in, I could lose my brother forever, so stay alive.”

  “You and your brother will be fine, believe me.”

  Demun scowled and flames sprang up around them before they vanished.

  Brandon, Phil, and Victoria hadn’t remained down more than a minute before they gathered their wits and stood up again. Brandon had a nasty cut on his forehead from rubble falling on him while he was down. Phil, still in wolf form, was panting and moving slower. Victoria’s coat had several tears, so she shrugged out of it. The ground was still quaking as Ares and Lucifer fought, now out of their sight.

  “This sucks,” Brandon muttered.

  “Some backup would be nice,” Victoria commented.

  “I can help with that.” Flames burst up and Demun appeared within them with Adonis at his side.

  Phil transformed back to his normal form with a scowl. “Adonis, what the hell are you doing here?!”

  “Doing what I have to do,” Adonis answered cryptically.

  “What the hell do you mean, what you have to do?!” Phil demanded.

  Victoria looked fairly grave. “You’re here in the midst of the people that are hunting you. The warlock that ordered you captured is only a few yards away, gathering himself to attack. What could you possibly have to do here?”

  Brandon stepped forward, his emotions unreadable. He stood before Adonis and looked down into his eyes.

  “Your thoughts are blocked from me, which means whatever you have planned is something I won’t like,” he said quietly.

  “You can’t really stop it now,” Adonis told him.

  “Want to bet on that?”

  “What are you going to do? You can’t leave here until you achieve your goal. You’re stuck with me here now.”

  “You’re a distraction we really don’t need here.” Brandon turned to his brother. “Why did you bring him here?!”

  Demun shrugged. “He asked me to and one way or another he was going to get here.”

  “Don’t jump on him. He did what I asked,” Adonis told Brandon.

  Brandon rounded on him. “And why did you ask?! Do you just like distracting me? Do you want to distract him?” He pointed at Phil as he asked the last question. “You being here could get us killed, because no matter what you say, we’re going to try to defend you. And in case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a whole fucking army here!”

  “Get the hell over it, I’m here now and there’s nothing you can do about it!” Adonis yelled.

  Brandon actually growled at him. “You are really testing my patience, human.” As he spoke, Id’s voice merged with his again.

  Demun placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. “Either way, we could die here. Did it occur to you that he didn’t want you to die here alone? Maybe if you and Phil have to die here, he intends to follow. Or maybe the gods gave him a purpose we don’t know about.”

  Brandon brushed him off and turned away. “Fuck him, and the gods that sent him here. I’m not dying here, but so help me he’s going to wish he was dead when I get the hell out of here.” He began to walk away, a strange golden light being emitted from his sword as he held it in his right hand.

  “What are you doing?!” Demun called after him.

  Brandon made no response but continued to walk forward, towards the demons.

  “Has he finally gone off the deep end?” Phil asked.

  “No, look at his sword.” Victoria narrowed her eyes. “That light is energy, and there’s a lot of it being concentrated. We should be prepared to enter the fray after he unleashes it.”

  The horde had clearly regained their wits and were now advancing towards Brandon. Brandon raised the sword and bade a single slash in their direction. A tidal wave of pure golden energy shot out, destroying the ground along the way as it went into the horde of demons and wolves. The energy engulfed the larger part of them, their bodies burned away into nothing more than dust that formed a cloud over the area. Afterwards, Brandon dropped to one knee, sticking the blade of his sword in the ground to remain up. The others sprang forward, but before they could reach him, Brandon was sent flying backwards. He hit the ground several yards away and hissed in pain. Balthas stood where Brandon had been before, a scowl on his face.

  “That was most irritating to block.” He brushed the dust off of his clothes. “And you have killed most of my army.”

  Victoria snorted. “You know, I’m going to cut your throat and watch you bleed out, you pompous ass. And then, I’ll make a trip to Tartarus just to do it again. I think I’ll even request that I get to venture there every day for eternity just to slit your throat and watch you bleed out and die again.”

  “Only in your dreams, you brat.”

  “Brat? Really? I’m so much older than you it’s not even funny but I’m the brat. You know, I’m going to start beating you now. I’m not sure when I’ll stop.”

  Before Balthas could open his mouth to speak, Victoria was in front of him and punched him in the face. As he stumbled backwards, she hit him again. After a few more, she hit him in the chest hard enough to send him flying back into a wall. Raising her hand, the strange violet light surrounded it and shot towards him. Balthas held up a hand and the light hit a barrier that bounced it back at her. Victoria flipped high up and the beam hit the ground instead. She came down in front of Balthas and delivered a roundhouse kick to the head, knocking him off his feet several yards away. Surprisingly, Balthas had some skill and flipped to his feet, conjuring a sword as he did so. Not only that, he conjured a portal through which more demons came.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Phil muttered.

  Brandon stood up. “Son of a bitch.”

  Demun’s spear appeared in his hand. “How bad off are you two?”

  Brandon shrugged out of his t
attered coat. “I’ll be fine. Phil?”

  “I’ll live,” Phil replied, moving in front of Adonis.

  “So, how the hell are we supposed to kill those things while guarding Adonis?” Demun asked.

  Bright light flashed in the sky and Ares came hurtling to earth. The ground shook as he landed and he pushed himself up, wiping blood from his lip. He looked over and spotted the new horde of demons.

  “How like Lucifer to cheat again.” Ares waved his hand and his army appeared behind the boys. “Lead the way, boys. I’ve got more ass to kick.”

  With that, he shot up high into the sky after Lucifer. Brandon looked to the soldiers that had been conjured. He gestured to some of them to come over.

  “This human is to be protected at all costs. He dies, your fucking soul is mine. Clear?”

  The soldiers nodded and formed a circle around Adonis. Brandon turned to the rest and raised his sword, pointing it towards the demon horde. The soldiers charged in to attack, with the twins and Phil leading the way. Phil transformed into wolf form and they met the horde head on. The sound of metal on metal rang loud as the two sides clashed. Brandon and Demun cut a bloody path through the demons as they fought side by side. They didn’t care what they cut, but each slash of Brandon’s sword or Demun’s spear were fatal or crippling blows. As he had before, Phil used his teeth and claws to tear down his opponents. Before long, the three were covered in black demon blood, but the numbers seemed to be growing and therefore they kept fighting.

  Victoria, meanwhile, was engaged in a deadly duel with Balthas. Unlike most warlocks she’d encountered, he could do more than cast spells. He was a warrior, and he knew his way around a sword. Metal clanged and silver flashed as they fought, neither able to gain an advantage. Finally, Victoria saw an opening and kicked him in the chest, making the warlock stumble backwards. He regained his footing in time to catch her with a backhand, which she returned in kind and then swung her sword to take his head. He recovered quickly and parried her strike, but just that little loss of balance allowed her to kick him in the stomach. As she raised her sword to strike, he pulled a dagger and cut her across her hip. Victoria cursed under her breath in pain and barely backed out of the way of stab from the warlock. She backflipped and shot off a beam of violet light that struck Balthas in the chest. He hit the ground and Victoria leapt up, sword poised to strike. He clapped his hands and his body dissolved into the sand, so her sword struck only the ground.

  “Shit!” she swore as she looked around.

  Sand burst up like a geyser a few feet from her and she jumped backwards. Knowing it was a distraction, she turned and leapt back again, but was still caught by a slash from Balthas’ sword across her back. She felt the blood begin to flow, but there was no time to worry about it now. She raised her sword to block his next attack and shoved him back before blasting him again. He crashed into a demon behind him and then shoved the demon violently once he was upright again. He muttered a spell as he held up his hand and a funnel of wind shot towards Victoria, striking her in the chest before totally surrounding her. It lifted her up off her feet and gradually grew into a much larger tornado which stayed in place. She was hidden from view on the inside and the howl of the wind was deafening.

  “Now that should take care of her for a few minutes.” Balthas surveyed the battlefield, his eyes locking on Adonis and the warriors fighting demons surrounding him. “Well, today must be my lucky day.”

  Moving his hand towards them, the tornado followed suit. He directed it to the warriors surrounding Adonis, though he left Adonis himself where he was. Adonis’ face paled as suddenly Balthas appeared in front of him.

  “And here I thought the all-powerful Jarel would keep you from me forever.” Balthas smiled, malicious intent in his eyes. “And now you’re practically gift wrapped.”

  “You won’t succeed,” Adonis told him confidently.

  “Succeed in killing you? Oh yes, yes I will. Your death means entrance into the world of man for my god. I will most definitely succeed.”

  “No, I meant you won’t succeed in ruling the world as his servant. You’re going to die, and he’s not nearly as powerful as he thinks.” Adonis looked him in the eyes and a strange light emanated from him. “You can do what you wish, but in the end, it will lead to Lucifer’s downfall.”

  Balthas backhanded him, knocking him to the ground. “You try my patience, boy. Inside you is the power of the goddess Verlaine, and the keys to the realm of earth.”

  “I’m well aware of what I am and what has to happen here.” Adonis kicked him in the groin and then the jaw as he doubled over in shocked pain. “But I never said I’d make it easy for you.” He jumped up and ran in the direction of the closest soldier he saw.

  Thirty Five

  Brandon and Demun were exhausted. They stood at the top of the coliseum during a brief respite.

  “When does it end?” Brandon asked quietly.

  “I don’t see an end to the horde.” Demun closed his eyes. “I’m sorry for this.”

  “For what?”

  Demun opened his eyes to look at him. “For bringing Adonis here and for not being able to save you.”

  “This is not your fault. And we will not die here.”

  “We’re not gods. We can’t fight forever. And Ares is fighting for his life against Lucifer. We’ve taken a lot of hits. Even now you’re bleeding in six different places. I’ve got a deep gash on the back of my right thigh and one in my side. How can we possibly survive?”

  Brandon gazed out over the coliseum. “If Victoria kills Balthas, the portals will close. We just have to last until then.”

  Demun sighed. “Then we’ll keep fighting. But whatever happens, remember that I love you.”

  “And I love you. Now let’s move.”

  Victoria was still trapped in the whirlwind, and it was seriously pissing her off. Now that she could think clearly, she racked her brain for a spell to use. And finally, she found one. Extending her arms in both directions, she stopped turning in the wind. Violet colored light surrounded her and as such she could be seen through the swirling wind. She muttered a few words and the cloud vanished, dropping her and the other warriors to the ground. She landed on her feet and looked to the warriors, who were grumbling about the landing.

  “If you value your lives, you’d better find that human boy and keep him safe,” she ordered.

  The warriors scrambled to their feet and ran off to find Adonis. Meanwhile, Victoria needed to find Balthas. She scanned the battlefield but saw no sign of him. As she looked up, she saw Ares tackle Lucifer and the two came crashing to the ground. Ares stood up and kicked Lucifer in the chest, sending him flying into another wall, which crumbled on impact.

  “Ares, you have to close those portals or this will be a losing battle,” Victoria told him.

  Ares looked at her, currently bleeding from a gash on his head and his lip. “I’m a bit busy at the moment. Lucifer isn’t exactly a weakling god, you know.”

  “Switch up then. I’ll take him on long enough for you to close those portals.”

  Ares frowned. “No offense, but I don’t think you can handle him.”

  “We don’t have a choice. I’ll stall long enough for you to close those portals and save my nephews. They’re injured, and your army has taken a massive hit too.”

  Ares sighed. “Fine, but if you get in trouble I’m pulling you out of there and taking him on myself, portals be damned.”

  Victoria smirked. “I’ll be fine. Now go!”

  Ares vanished and Victoria looked to Lucifer, who was now standing up. She dashed forward and jumped up to dropkick the dark god in the chest. Hitting the ground, she sprang back up and dashed forward again. Lucifer was staggering and she caught him with three quick punches that kept him off balance. Needing to keep him dazed, she followed with a spinning back kick that knocked him to the ground. Lucifer cursed as he hit the ground but spun and kicked her feet from under her. Victoria caught herself on one a
rm and swung her foot around to kick him in the head. Lucifer cursed again as his head met the wall again. Victoria sprang back to her feet, already rattling off a spell. A massive wave of sand rose up and crashed into Lucifer. Victoria was forced to dive to the side as a bolt of lightning shot out of the sand. She rolled to her feet, only to find Lucifer standing in front of her. He caught her by the hair and in turn she kicked him in the stomach several times and then again in the jaw. Jumping up, she wrapped her legs around his arm and took him to the ground in a cross armbar, easily dislocating his elbow. She released him and quickly got back to her feet, and once again found Lucifer already on his feet.

  “What do you hope to accomplish by fighting me here?” he asked her. “I’m a god. The damage you inflict on me won’t last.”

  “It just feels good to know that no matter how fast you heal, I’m kicking your ass,” Victoria responded.