by Andrew Ly
The man was growing paler and shaking as he looked at Nick, pointing behind him and muttering nonsensically. Whatever did this to him broke him beyond mental repair. Nick lifted the man’s shirt to inspect the wound. The Hellbeasts in this area couldn’t have delivered such a clean slash; there would be signs of smaller claw marks or bite wounds. The thing that did this was very precise and had claws that were much larger.
Nick waited with the man for the few minutes he had left to live. Having Hellbeasts so close to their headquarters was a bad sign. Doctor Numerous and Bergice were in Fyria, which meant that they were definitely out of the question. So then, what else could have gotten through?
He stood up, pulled out his communicator, and dialed Matt. He didn’t care if he would get into trouble for leaving, this required immediate answer from someone with more experience. As the communicator rang once, the wall closest to him crashed down. Before he could react, a giant black claw lurched through, grabbed him by the throat and jerked him through to the other side. At some point, Nick dropped his device.
Now in the back alleyway, he came face to face with a large humanoid demon. It pulled him against his nose, mouth inches away. Its foul breath almost made Nick vomit. The creature took a few long sniffs then tossed Nick to the floor.
“I thought I recognized this scent…but this—this cannot be!” the demon exclaimed. “This is the scent of the traitor, Lord Agrian!”
Nick wiped the dirt off his jacket and stood up. The demon was at least twice his size. Its entire body was pitch black, and had a gooey texture, as if it dripping with wet paint. It had two curved horns that protruded out of its head with a menacingly large mouth with rows and rows of razor sharp teeth. Instantly Nick recognized him.
“You must be Astaroth.”
He chuckled. “It seems you’ve stumbled upon our little raid. How long have you known?”
“That depends. How did you manage to break through the Holy Shield?” Nick said.
“A gift from Doctor Numerous.”
“All those people…dead,” Nick muttered.
“Vermin compared to us. What a surprise, I had come to this city under the orders of Doctor Numerous. Little did I know, I would end up meeting the infamous Inferno Bearer. It is high time you’ve rejoined our cause, my lord.”
“If I refuse?” Nick gauged his foe, trying to find any discernible weakness or any advantage he could press.
“The humans pushed us out into the wilderness. They’ve treated us like animals! Twice now we had to suffer the humiliation of being crushed by their kind. It is time we rise again!” Astaroth snarled.
“I am a knight of the Garrison. It is my sworn duty to protect the people of this city.”
“Then the rumors are true, you are no Lord of Rage, but merely a pathetic mortal with his power,” Astaroth said.
“It’s best not insult me, I’m not exactly the most forgiving person. But I’ll take the highroad and let you off easy this time if you give me a clue as to what Doctor Numerous has in store.”
Astaroth laughed. “What makes you think I’ll obey such a demand?”
“This.”
Nick threw a fireball at the behemoth, blasting him backwards. He recoiled in pain. Nick jumped up to strike with a blazed punch only to be caught within one of Astaroth’s tendrils. Some more coiled around his arms and legs, snaring him in place.
“Too easy.” Astaroth laughed. “You are no Inferno Bearer, you are nothing. Now go to the eternal sleep!” he hissed, as he brought down his claws for a full swipe.
Nick ignited his arms, tearing through the tendrils. He flung them off and tackled the dazed Astaroth into the open streets. It’d be easier this way. More room to move.
“For that, I will drink your blood!” Astaroth hissed.
Astaroth wasn’t going down easily. He was already on his feet once more. He anticipated Nick’s plans and outstretched his tendrils into long ropes. The tips shaped themselves into blades. He swung them at Nick, keeping him at bay and forcing him on the defensive.
“You cannot hit me if you cannot reach me!” Astaroth jeered.
With the blades moving so quickly, cutting up chunks of cement, Nick knew they would shred him to pieces. Close combat would be impossible now. However, Astaroth didn’t know he was holding back. Nick summoned a wall of fire from behind the demon. His entire backside caught the force of the blaze and the demon screeched in pain. Astaroth retracted his tendrils in an attempt to extinguish the fire, but it only fanned the flames more brightly. Nick used Astaroth’s distraction to his advantage to move up the side of the building. Then he leapt over Astaroth, stamping him square on the back of the head with both feet. The momentum shoved him forward and slammed his face into the concrete. Nick took this opportunity to send a fiery blow straight through his back, tearing through the soft flesh into the other side. The pain forced him to return to his human form. He was naked, vulnerable like the day he was born.
“It can’t be…” Blood dripped from Astaroth’s lips. “You were supposed to be weak! How could you have beaten me?”
“Easily. Quite easily. Think of it as payback for the old man you murdered.”
“You dare mock me! I am Astaroth the Annihilator!”
Nick stepped hard on the hole in his back. Astaroth screeched in pain. “I disagree. From up here it’s pretty clear you’re dead.”
“You think you’ve won? You have no idea what we have in store for you. Doctor Numerous has a plan and now the Crowned Princes have returned, whether you fools like it or not! This city will be the first sacrificial lamb in the name of all demons!” Astaroth said.
Nick grabbed him by the head, pulling his face from the ground. He stared the demon in the eyes. “Tell me what Doctor Numerous is planning or I swear I’ll—”
“You’ll what, kill me? I’m already dead!” Astaroth laughed.
Nick shook his head. “No, not yet.”
He flipped him over to face him and pummeled him repeatedly in the face and into the ground. Specks of dirt and stone bounced around as he was mashed deeper and deeper. It wasn’t until there was a hole about a foot deep where Astaroth’s head used to be before he stopped.
He reverted back to his full human form and returned to the car, feeling satisfied with his victory. This feeling was short lived when he found that Quinn was gone! The passenger door hung wide open. He looked around in a panic, but before he could imagine all the terrible situations, he found her emerging from one of the abandoned stores.
“Why did you leave? You could have been killed!” Nick said.
“Relax, Emberson. I helped some old folks out of the buildings, there wasn’t any sign of trouble at all,” Quinn said.
“We better leave soon. I’m sure everyone has evacuated by now but at least five Hellbeasts got away.”
“They’re dead,” she said.
“How can you sure?” Nick asked.
“Follow me,” Quinn said.
They walked to the border of the city and forest area where the demons must have broken in. There was a distinguishable break in the shield at this area. Several paw tracks marked the ground. At the entrance there was a pile of five other hounds. “I saw them running this way. I figured they were retreating so I went back to find you. I think someone must be helping us.”
“Glad to know there’s someone else here that isn’t completely helpless,” Nick said. “But what are we going to do about the break? If we leave it, then the demons are just going to keep coming in but I can’t guard this post all day.”
A sound of rustling came from the trees. Quinn grabbed Nick’s hand. “What’s that?”
A figure emerged from the forest shadows. It was Daniel. He was dragging a sword with one hand; he had cuts and bruises across his face and body. His clothes were tattered and torn and he appeared as if he was on the verge of collapsing at any second. What was he doing here? Paul would never let the newest member of their organization travel this far alone.
; “N-Nick…we found you.” A smile of relief broke on his face as he reeled towards them. “Sir Marcus’s sword was stolen.”
Nick caught him just before he dropped to the ground. His breathing was slow and labored. “Daniel what’s wrong?”
“They’re in the Den of Pain,” Daniel murmured. “Hounds took the sword. Garreth…” He passed out cold.
“He’s been poisoned!” Nick revealed the large thorns poking out from his ribcage. He plucked them out and threw them aside. He had dealt with enough cases of poisonings to know one at a glance. “The Dolere Flos did this to him. I’m sure of it.”
“The Dolere Flos?” Quinn said.
“The Dolere Flos are plants that produce toxic thorns and are indigenous to the Den of Pain. It is also the only place where the antidote exists. If the others are inside then they could be seriously hurt,” Nick said.
“Be careful. It won’t help if you get poisoned too,” Quinn said.
“Make sure he doesn’t die until I get back.”
Nick sprinted through the tall brush and followed the trail Daniel’s sword left straight to the entrance of the den. Legends have provided many stories as to how the Den of Pain received its name, but no one truly knows for sure. Some say it was used to be a chamber for gruesome torture. Others believe it was because it was the prime breeding location for demons. Or perhaps it was because of the poisonous plants that thrive in the cold and dark environment. However, one thing was certain—no one who ever ventured inside returned alive.
He peered into the darkness and set his arms ablaze. As much as he disliked how his arms appeared, having portable torches was convenient for traveling. He found a clump of the poisonous plant on the ground near the entrance. They pitched and snapped violently at his presence, trying to prick at his legs to send him into a state similar as Daniel. Luckily, his pants were too thick to puncture. He bent and, avoiding the thorns, ripped out the root and stuffed it into his jacket pocket. Brewing the root into a soup would be able to cure Daniel. The first part was easy enough, but now it was time to find Matt, Paul and for whatever reason, Garreth.
He walked down the main pathway for a while, surprised to see few signs of demonic activity. They must have all been taken care of back in Hyperion. He continued further until the ground felt slightly off, squishy like wet dirt. The faint scent of fertilizer was in the air. Nick knelt and picked up some soft dirt and sniffed it—just as he suspected, it was a type of fertilizer, probably used for growing plants in the dark. It was strange since no farmer would dare grow anything outside the Holy Shield where their crops would be unprotected from demons and the inhospitable environment. Not to mention the fact that, without sunlight, it was impossible to grow anything worthwhile in this dark, dreary place.
Someone shouted Matt’s name. He stood tall and listened. The voice was muffled, but familiar. It had to be Paul. He followed the sound to a small clearing surrounding a small pond. Around it, dozens of dead hounds decorated on the moss covered ground. There were large cuts zigzagged their bodies, Matt and the others must have been able to take care of themselves. However, there was no sign of his friends. Was it just his imagination?
“Hey!”
Nick spun into a combat-ready position only to find himself face to face with a weary looking Paul carrying an unconscious Garreth Graves.
“No need to get startled. It’s me,” Paul said.
“Daniel’s been poisoned. What are you guys doing down here?” Nick said.
“Poisoned? Poor fool.” Paul shook his head. “Garreth had a particularly bad run-in with some Hellbeasts, but he’ll live. It’s quite apparent that his sword skills have taken a drastic decline since his falling out.”
Paul dropped the millionaire owner of Grave Tower on the floor like a sack of potatoes. “As the one in charge, I made the decision to search for you after I found out you removed the tracker from your vehicle. We traced your last known location the other day to your girlfriend’s house and the trail went cold. We were then contacted by the president about the attack in Hyperion. We found the Hellbeasts and trailed them to the break in the Holy Shield, which subsequently led us to this den. Together we investigated and it turns out Astaroth had been living in this cave for a few months. However the demon was nowhere to be found. At the same time we had found Garreth also answered the call to action and we were ambushed,” Paul said. “As you can see, we have it under control. Now answer my question: Why did you leave the Garrison when Peter had explicitly told you to stay in Glenhaven?”
“I needed a break from my solitude. Now where’s Matt?” Nick said.
“He was on the heels of a hound, looking for a chance to redeem his previous failure.” Paul pointed behind at a giant rock that covered another path.
Nick squeezed through the small opening and found Matt on his knees, cursing over a puddle of water. The room was different than the others. There were shovels, buckets and bags and bags of fertilizer. It was like a hidden gardening shed. At the top, a large opening let the sun shine brightly, illuminating the room with natural light.
Matt turned around. His face was dirty and defeated. “They took the sword, Nick. I can’t believe I screwed up so badly. All I had to do was keep it safe, and I messed it up.”
“I’m just glad you’re safe.” Nick could already hear Peter’s gruff voice, chastising them for being so careless.
“I can’t believe I let this happen,” Matt said.
“Tell me everything,” Nick said.
“I dropped it in here. During the scramble I decided it would be better to bring the sword pieces with us rather than leave them to get stolen. Stupid. We followed the trail to the break in the shield and found the den. After we went inside to investigate, we wound up trapped by a legion of Hellbeasts and it gets snatched from me. We kill almost all of them, but the last one managed to escape before I could get it,” Matt said.
“Was there was somebody else in here? Someone human?” Nick said. “I just took care of Astaroth, but could he have broken through by himself? He said it was a ‘gift’ from Doctor Numerous, but the story doesn’t add up.”
Matt shook his head. “No it couldn’t have been Doctor Numerous. I think Astaroth might be working with someone else.”
“Another?”
“I couldn’t get a good look at the guy with all the hounds trying to rip my head off, but there was another man here, and he was carrying a foreign sword, like the Pailean katana Garreth owns,” Matt said.
“Any clues that could give us some idea of what we’re dealing with?” Nick said.
“The only thing I noticed was that he dripping wet.” Matt motioned to the large puddle of water on ground, which had already begun to evaporate.
“A Pailean knight, here? We have to inform Peter or the others if there’s a possibility that this demon uprising affected another Garrison,” Nick said.
Matt’s eyebrows furrowed. “We can’t. The communicator signal was blocked shortly after they entered Fyria. We can’t send or receive calls while they’re inside the city.”
“I don’t like this. It’s like we stumbled upon something big, but we have no idea how to approach it,” Nick said.
“But if that’s the case, are we too early or too late?” Matt said.
There was an eerie silence as they stared at each other. In his quest to get to Fyria he had been blinded by operations within his own neighboring city. Then again, how could anyone have suspected foul play in a peaceful city? This was an unpredictable and highly questionable turn of events. Nick was hit by the sting of regret. Astaroth, the personal bodyguard of Doctor Numerous, had been killed. Their only lead had run dry. Was it possible Numerous had enlisted the help of another fallen knight? But what other knight had the intellect to break down the shield?
“I don’t think we’ll going to find anything else here. Although I did come across some journals Astaroth had kept. Who knows, maybe they contains some answers.
“We should take it back an
d have it analyzed thoroughly before we make our next move. But first we have to get Daniel the antidote.” Nick remembered the roots he pulled earlier.
Matt’s eyes widened. “He was poisoned by the Dolere Flos? How long has it been? We have to go before it’s too late!”
They met with Paul and rushed back to entrance, the whole way Nick’s heart didn’t stop pounding. If Daniel died then it would be his fault. Everything was always his fault. Normally he would have brought the cure back as soon as possible, but this time he neglected to help in favor of finding more Hellbeasts. How could he have been so callous? A friend was dying and he didn’t even think twice. He realized then that Agrian was seeping further and further into him, causing him to become more ruthless and uncaring.
Nick rushed through the trees. His heart stopped when he saw Quinn and Daniel sitting up. He looked to be his same cheerful self.
“Daniel, you’re all right!” Matt exclaimed.
“I don’t know what happened, but I woke up feeling a lot better.” Daniel shrugged. “I swear, for a minute it was as if an angel was looking down upon me.”
“A miracle.” Quinn turned to Nick. “Took you guys long enough. He’s lucky to be alive.”
Paul stepped forward, lugging Garreth in his arms.
“Garreth!” Quinn shouted.
Paul dropped him at her feet. “I’ve already stopped the blood loss and bandaged him where he needed it. All he needs now is rest and he’ll be fine.”
Garreth woke briefly at the sound of the voices and peered into Quinn’s face. “Alyssa, is that you?”
Matt glanced to Nick and then back to her. “Alyssa?”
11. Night Terrors
“Did he just call you Alyssa?” Matt said.
“I heard him say that,” Daniel said.
She turned away in the other direction. Suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place and Nick reached an epiphany.