by Jacob Spadt
Teeth began to grind. With all my remaining strength, both blades thrust out in front. Darkness fell. For a split second, the thought of death felt close again and peace was there. I felt strangely tranquil. It was not my day to die. There were too many things to do and thousands of more daemons to kill. A vision of home appeared in my mind for a moment, and I wondered if my parents had any idea what I was doing.
Light appeared slowly in the distance. It was as if the gates of heaven were parting to allow my admittance. My senses returned. I wrenched and twisted my blades in deeper. The fluids flushed as if it was swallowing steel. The light got brighter.
I closed my eyes. Intense wind surrounded me. My steel bit deeply before impact tore them from my grip. I had just lost both of my swords.
The end must be near.
My eyes opened just in time to see the ground rushing up at me. “Oh, you have got to be kidding!” I said before impact...covered in daemon saliva. The image of a giant spit wad came to mind. I lay there on the ground, afraid to move from the pain, my skin frozen and split in places from its breath. The blurry face of Malnuras leaned over my still form.
He smiled. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
I winced. We both laughed. It hurt to laugh because the skin on my face was splitting. I fought to regain my feet but stood teetering.
“It is dead, go get your swords!” he said, walking away.
"I am Tathlyn...my Teacher." My bow almost took me to the ground again. His answer surprised me.
"I know."
VII
The Big Picture
“It is not the destination that matters but the journey.”
I loved that quote because of the infinite wisdom; it was so basic but powerful. When Master returned to me, I was happy to see him. Malnuras nodded to him as he walked into camp with his armor glowing bright in the morning sun. I bowed.
“It is time,” he said, turning and leaving as abruptly as he arrived. A portal was waiting just outside camp. We left and travelled to a city in the wilds. Upon setting up camp, he turned to me and said one word: “Attack.” We sparred for days, only stopping to eat and rest. The fights were brutal, and he cut me often. He did not wear his armor so my blades found flesh often as well. From me, he received only scratches, as my control was precise. He was not so kind in return. The battle must have been poetic to behold. Several onlookers passed by and watched for a time. They kept silent as to not distract, but we both knew they were there. I could feel them.
I was like a contest of wills…which I lost.
He took me to the edge of the town to a market place to buy food. We sat down off in the corner outside. He was good at dramatic pauses, making me wonder what he was about to say. We ate a modest meal and discussed many things. The food was superb and made of some local game that did not seem like it should be edible, but it was rather tasty. It did not taste like chicken. We ate some local fruit that was overly sweet, but the sugar rush it gave was amazing.
He began to speak and I listened intently.
“Since the dawn of mankind, the daemons have been trying to form permanent gates from a dimension you might refer to as Heaven. There is more than one habitable planet in the universe. Yet Lucifer has his eyes set on earth. Perhaps it is because this is where he first made contact with mankind as their creator. We really do not know his reasons.”
"God chose to make many races, but humans were special. He placed humans on this planet so that your souls might learn what he could not teach…something that only experience can provide. He gave men the basic knowledge they needed to create tribal societies. As mankind reproduced, God sent down new souls from his kingdom to fill the newborn."
“For many thousands of years your race flourished. Small tribes came and went due to sickness or war. People died and returned to the creator with tales and stories of the lessons they had learned. But man was slowly influenced by an outside force and through his own actions was not able to return to God’s plane of existence because of sin."
"Evil began to creep into man’s heart from the moment he came down. Yet they continued to come. During this process, a great deception took place. Lucifer is actually a deity but of lesser power, for he rules the daemon horde. He amassed enough power that he was able to infiltrate the maker’s realm in the disguise of an angel created to serve. It was his presence in the heavens, which caused man to doubt and falter. His power was also strong enough that he was able to cloak his identity, from God and many others. For thousands of years he hid and watched, and manipulated man. Man’s evil grew and Lucifer must have been overjoyed to see the reaction to his presence."
“Fascinated with the corruption that mankind had suffered due to his influence, Lucifer decided to try to find a way to bridge the gap that spanned the two planes of existence. Many more millennium went by. God had made a pact with his creations after he had to destroy many of them with a great flood. If mankind were to follow God’s example of living, they would be able to return. The pact required a blood sacrifice to be made for any and all wrongdoings perpetrated against God’s will.”
"Lucifer saw this as a weakness on God’s behalf and was trying to find a way to exploit it. In his excitement, he began turning other servants of God against their master. Large meetings soon began to take place and a wave of dissent swept through the heavens."
"God found out about the plot. He learned the true identify of this corruptor and realized it had been Lucifer’s doing that had affected his children on Earth. God banished him from the heavens, but not before Lucifer had amassed a sizable following. Armed with what he had learned so far, he watched and waited.”
"Eventually, God created a copy of himself to be his son whom he would rule the heavens with and allowed his consciousness to move freely between them. As he watched the beginning of new civilizations unfold, he realized that he would need to save his people from themselves. The previous arrangement was not efficient. He sent himself in the form of his son to the planet to be a sacrifice so the way home would be locked open for those that chose to return. Man had become something beyond his control. The free will he gave them became their undoing. As soon as the event unfolded, man was free and simply had to choose to follow the creator’s teachings.”
"Lucifer simply watched from afar..." I interjected
“You may know this story from your bible. That is man’s version of the account, however different it may be. Lucifer saw that blood mixed with magic, or the arcane, could open portals on a more permanent basis. His minions slay themselves for his glory. Sometimes they get enough blood and magic going in the right place to open a portal, which is how they enter. However, this is a small part of whatever his plan is. His main goal now was to harvest as many souls as he could and enslave them to serve him. Even if he never fully succeeds in flooding your plane with his minions, he seems to have some sort of satisfaction at one or more of his minions, even if it is only a handful, running around wreaking havoc amongst the populace. For anyone slain on your plane by one of his minions, he still gains power from it."
"In the beginning, it started small at first. One or two creatures would slip through; killing all crossed its path until God sent an angel to hunt them down. Soon the crossovers became too numerous or the numbers were too great for your average angel too handle. He created a special being. You know it as the Sasquatch. Magical in nature, they have the ability to cloak themselves to avoid detection. They are immortal in the sense that they do not die of natural causes, but they can die in battle. This is usually the case; they fall in combat.”
“They also have the ability to mask the daemons as they exit, so the fights were usually undetected by the human eye. Large magnetic disturbances and geological events are some of the results of the energy displacements. Sometimes the weather changes in certain ways, like the rain suddenly turning to hail or a small whirlwind of air forms; you call them dust devils. The irony on that was not lost since it was masking a daemon. Electron
ic devices also may fail, creating a gremlin like effect. It’s funny that Gremlins do exist, but they do not affect electronics."
After listening for some time, I spoke. “I don’t see anything that would pass for technology up here Master. How do you know about it?” He simply gave me a look and I closed my mouth. I may be a tough fighter but he was still my master and I tried to be respectful always to him. He continued.
“When the larger deluges take place a volcanic eruption often accompanies the rift due to the tremendous force that involved in the fabric of space being torn as well as the magic needed to mask the effect. These battles last for days, sometimes weeks where the Defender must close the portal and hunt all the creatures that have skipped by. Along with the daemons and the physical repercussions comes the nature of evil in its purest form."
“This is displayed when someone who is mentally healthy suddenly breaks from his normal behavior and goes on a killing spree. The evil can affect anyone anywhere, not just near the rift. It literally ripples outward. Soon you will be able to see this and be able to track it back to its origin and close the portal. Whilst doing this task you will have to fight any daemons coming through and any still guarding the rift. Unless the event is apocalyptic in nature, no more than a dozen or so come through at a time, but they do not all stick around, and the hunt begins. They attempt reconnaissance too.”
"The problem is sometimes many small portals opening all over the world and it can take time to find them. The Sasquatches can feel the portals and find them quicker sometimes before they open because the process to open is a slow one. The connecting bridge roots in this world like an anchor. As the energy builds, the perverted aspect of its creation is what will draw you to it...just like the current Defender."
"In the western part of the continent you lived on, where all the volcanoes are, is the hotspot of the planet. The other is on the other side of the ocean that your continent shares. The mountains next to that ocean are also problematic; although, it pales in comparison to the region you are from."
"Originally there was several. Only God knows the number he created. As the millennia crept by, only one survived. He is now a shadow of his former self as the years of battle have depleted him. So the need for a new plan has been in the inception phase for years."
“The last major rift caused a small volcanic eruption in the Cascade Mountains. The Sasquatch was responsible for closing it. This final act has left him weak, weak to the point he no longer knows when he has cloaked himself or not, without serious meditation. That is why you saw him that day. That is why both of you saw him. Now that you passed the test and accepted to replace him, you are no longer a threat to him. The driver of the car perished. Your friend, however, hunts the Defender and every day he comes a little closer to being able to see him at will. His hatred and lack of understanding have made him dangerous. You may have to intervene if the situation becomes critical. The Defender is the last of his kind. You may have to deal with your friend. It is for the greater good, although any ideas you might have will be given serious consideration."
“You have been given the same abilities as the Sasquatch. Runes that will allow you to detect these openings in the fabric that separates the two realities will develop and grow stronger in time. Hunting daemons through many means of detection after you close the portals will be your second priority. When you find a portal, open or not, you will be able to cloak the daemons as they come through. This is an area effect, and covers a very large area. Your weapons, as you know, can come to you at will so you will not have to worry about being armed. Most of these daemons you could kill with your bear hands if you needed to. The ability to mask yourself will also be at your disposal soon. If a daemon leaves the area, and finds people, it will be bad.”
“A portal may not be open when you arrive, so cloak yourself, and then watch the area and wait. It may take hours for them to form, but when you get an urge to go somewhere that you cannot control, it is a portal forming. You will be able to teleport there. The rune attunes to the fabric or veil that separates the realities, if that destabilizes, you will know. If there is more than one, it will take you to the one that is farther along in its failing. The horde knows that the Defender always shows up so they have been working on ways to hide the energy transfer that creates the tear until the last possible moment. You may find yourself in the middle of a battle where people will die. They also can hide themselves from you to some small measure. It will take time for you learn their tricks.”
“When will I get this rune?”
“In time. Do not be overwhelmed my pupil. The Sasquatch chose well when he saw the tenderness in your eyes. He told me he had never seen such compassion. He is tired and is looking forward to spending time with his maker as he has been performing this duty for several millennia and is the last survivor of his kind.”
“Who is his maker?” I asked.
Silence.
Mathias quit speaking. I sat there in shock. Hearing the full truth about what I was to become had a certain weight to it. I swallowed hard and tried to think about my responsibility to the people on Earth. I was to be the first of my kind. However, the most serious trials still lay ahead. Failure was not an option, but I was not the one making the rules. Lucifer’s influence was out there. I could feel its tug on me even from here.
“So how did the daemons get here, Master?”
“They invaded so quickly that God had to defend the city. That is the main reason why he cannot save mankind on Earth, and protect the souls in Heaven at the same time. Lucifer is after the souls as much as he is after getting to Earth to kill and consume human souls. He is still assaults Heaven forcing God is doing nothing else but focusing on its defense. Lucifer will never get through as long as God is there maintaining it.”
Another long pause.
“In fact, he waited until God was watching his son crucified for the sins of the world. He struck at that moment. The people of earth think God turned his back on Jesus because of all the sin that was upon him. The truth is, the horde broke through into Heaven, and all he could do was wrap his arms around the city. Because Jesus is part of God, God was weakened, at that moment…To have part of him destroyed meant for a fraction of a second, he was incomplete.”
“With the sudden insurgent of daemons, the balance of the realm of heaven taxed God so greatly that his power level dropped severely. He may be complete, but the presence of such an enormous horde means that all he can do is shield Heaven. Helping those on Earth or answering prayers is nothing compared to what it used to be.”
“It is amazing, Master, that God has been able to protect Heaven even with the realm under siege.” He took a draw off his water. A distant look fell upon his. A great sadness washed over his countenance.
“I will tell you more about that later,” he said.
“Is there something on Earth that will allow Lucifer to breach Heaven’s defenses,” I asked, thinking aloud.
We sat in silence.
My training felt like it was approaching a milestone. The studies had been grueling as the classroom was a battlefield. Mathias returned to his duties. It was not so much a goodbye, but “good luck” that he said to me after returning me to the camp. I stood there pondering things and finally went to the fire pit to pull up and study my favorite Samurai. Malnuras looked up from his book, gave me a nod, and returned to his studies. The evening passed in silence.
I reflected on my path ahead. My skills grew beyond what Master taught me. I found the ability to leap into a fight from a great distance to be an awesome tactical advantage. They never saw me coming. Mathias could do this too.
My swordsmanship surpassed any warrior from history. I used to think Master held back to avoid hurting me, but after much observation, I realized mine barely surpassed his. It was not an obvious difference. He was just as fast but still stronger. But my ability to foresee moves gave me an edge. Sparring became a flurry of deadly, complex moves. I used two weapons, whe
reas he used a sword and shield.
My swords were amazing and to say they were an extension was an understatement. Earning a sword is an honor. To receive two of them means my esteem had to be as that of the generals. I imagined somewhere there was a forge with a smith hard at work making weapons. With the intensity of the assault on Heaven, the situation of defending God’s kingdom took top priority. Sasquatch did not need swords. He had claws that were enchanted. However, my weapons could envelope in flames at a thought and that did a lot of damage to daemons. My swords grew in strength. Mathias told me that my swords together rivaled his. I playfully disagreed that they were better because I had two of them and he cuffed me. I did not have the heart to tell him I saw it coming, but I think he knew I let him do it.
Even though runes covered my skin, I could still take damage but it was hard to get something past me now. If a daemon managed to hurt me, I could heal, but at the cost of tremendous amounts of energy. This was not a reason to be foolish. My lessons reminded to be wise every day.
Teacher told me after I returned and asked about it, that my teleportation rune would form when it was time, on its own. Yesterday, I received a special adaptation rune. My own experiences and development could influence and trigger future runes as needed. So after the teleportation rune, which he explained was waiting for him to train me, came in, that the rest would be unique to my needs.
My training did not currently allow armor. This had taught me how to move and not rely on something absorbing the hits that got through my shield. I learned to do things that many of the other warriors in history could not do. Acrobatics, like many of the swash bucklers used, added an element that helped me master placement during fights and allowed me to redeploy to another location quickly. There were hints that something else would happen to me later.