"Quick, we have to tell the others! It's Angiolina in that car!" Aaron screams as he runs towards the rooftop's exit. The Blade agent is in perfect shape and dashes ahead. Joseph tries to keep up and notices his master moves in a superhuman speed.
Chapter 22
The Titan
Nathan tries to control the car as well as he can. A feeling of hope hits the Watchdog when he seets the outline of the big Hotel Azzura. Imposing. Old. A survivor of decades. Nathan points to the building, showing Angiolina and his niece their destination. Both hug, happily, finally safe.
Without warning, something from underground lifts the asphault, breaking the concrete like a big spinal chord. The speeding Hummer is thrown to the side, flipping over several times until it stops.
Whatever was trying to emerge from the ground is now visible. The creature gets up, breaking the concrete, aswell as collapsing the underground sewage galleries.
It is some kind of cylindrical greenish worm, but black veins spread around its body.
The titanis being is over twenty yards long, with several anemone-line apendages all around its body. The moth, which opens as if the monster is screaming unto the skies, looks facetes, made of the union of eight tentacles full of sharp fangs.
The worm's howl echoes throughout the city. All of the insane ones who were chasing the car freeze, looking at the titanic worm as if they were mesmerized by its serpentine movements.
Nathan recovers conscience after the crash. His first instinct is to look behind to see if his wards are fine. Angiolina is unconsciout, he can see the wound in her head dripping blood. Raphaella is not in the car. The glass on the girl's side is broken. Nathan, who is also very hurt, releases his seatbelt and checks Angiolina's pulse. She is alive. Before waking her up, he looks for Raphaella, without leaving the car.
The girl's body is thrown among some debris. She must have been thrown outside when the car was flipping over. Nathan's eyes fill with despair when he notices the kid is dead.
Outside, as well, he sees the creature that emerged from the depths of the Earth. Nathan takes a while to get his mind back on track. Angiolina's groans manage to get him out of trance. The Watchdog rushes back to the car and delicately releases her from the seatbelt.
Angiolina opens her eyes slowly. Her face is covered in blood, but even then she finds the strength to ask. "Nathan? What happened?
Nathan stops her from moving and whispers. "We crashed the car on our way here."
Angiolina looks around and almost screams when she sees the monstrous figure that left the depths and transformed the street into an abyss. Angiolina then remember her vision again, the one in which she saw titanic worlds and the greatness of planes. The creature that broke the asphault was the same she had seen consume the lives of many in dark caves. She finally has an idea of how deep is the danger they are in.
The creature utters its howl again. This time the earth shakes, like an earthquake. The glass windows in nearby buildings start shattering, raining like blades. Many insane one are caught by the deadly trap falling from the buildings. One by one they are shredded by the shards.
"I have something to say, but promise you won't scream." Nathan whispers as the shard rain kills the insane ones in the area.
"If it's about Rafaella, I already know, I felt what was going to happen seconds before the car crashed. There is nothing to do, we couldn't stop a flipping car." Angiolina says coldly. She is looking straight at Nathan. It's impressive how Angiolina had shown a different side because of the latest incidents, especially after the Shadow appeared. It's like something cold had awakened inside the Sicilian.
"Do you want to get her? We have to take her body away." Nathan asks, already prepared to leave and fulfil his quest.
"No, it's just a shell. Rafaella is no longer there. I will see her soul soon.' Angiolina says, still coldly, but Nathan notices that at no moment has she looked towards her dead niece's body.
The creature utters another howl and the earth shakes once again. Some moments after the terrible sound, hundreds of shadowy forms emerge from the abyss in the asphault. Crawling, hungry. They are its spawn. In the dark of night, these beings are just shades, indistinct blots scattering across the street.
The worm seems to act like a leader to its cubs. Each of these larvae is three yards long and has a smaller replica of the mother's mouth, made of fangs and tentacles.
The larvae, despite looking slow, move in a surprising speed, searchign the streets for organic material upon which to feed. The bodies of the insane ones that now lie on the streets are the first one to be eaten. The swarm of worms starts scaterring across town.
"We need to get out of here, Angiolina. It won't take long until one of these larvae finds us here." Nathan lets her know as he watches the shadows that crawl through the street.
"let's go."
Nathan opens the door slowly, calmly, to avoid drawing attention. He and Angiolina start walking towards the entrance to Hotel Azzurra's garage, ten yards away from them.
Some moments later, a group of worms feels the steps of their prey and rush towards them, hungering for fresh meat. The five dark larvae slitter across the asphault.
"Go, Angiolina! Leave!" Nathan screams, staying behind and pushing her.
The Sicilian keeps running, in panic, her survival instincts taking over. Shes doesn't want to die. Nathan starts shooting. One of his attackes is hit with the first burst of shots and dies. A stinky and rotten discharge oozes from the bullet wounds in the worm's body.
The remaining larvae surround the Watchdog while Angiolina runs without looking back. He shoots once again.
The agent drops his weapon and loses the range advantage. He falls into a wrestling stance, hands open to cath the enemy attack. The larvae rise as naja snakes, opening their tentacle mouths to feed.
Nathan spins his body around and grabs the first larva to attack him, throwing it far away. The kinetic power he can manipulate allows him to use his adversary's strength against them, increasing his attacks' effectiveness.
The Watchdog is a deadly adversary. The creature slams against a building's wall and the impact is so strong its body splatters, covering the wall with its stinky fluids. Another larva attacks afterwards. This time, it targets the Watchdog's torso.
Nathan can't react as quickly. The leg attacked by the slug last night still aches with burns. The creature seems to avoid Nathan's defense and know his weak spot, as if it had learned from the mistakes. The agent can't avoid it and the blow strikes true.
The tentacles embrace Nathan's torso. He immediately screams in pain, his ribs crushed by the worm's mouth. Nathan is breathless, his lungs are compressed. The larva starts sucking his blood with its tentacle mouth, at the same time as the creature injects a viscous substance that makes the agent sleepy, disabling the Watchdog's strength completely.
The other larva, noticing Nathan has been defeated, charges towards Angiolina. Nathan can't do anything, the suction cups in the worm's mouth dig deep into his skin, forcing him to bend his body in pain.
Nathan groans loudly, trying to warn her of the danger. Angiolina looks behind and sees the threat closing in quickly. She won't make it in time. Noticing there is no way to run, Angiolina, desperate, grabs a plank of wood and turns toward her attacker.
"I'm going down swinging!" She screams.
Nathan feelshis body go numb. He is on the ground, laying like a bug caught by a spider. The larva's poison does not allow him to use any kinetic maneuver. The worm continues drinking the agent's blood. His ribs are compressed tighter and tighter, making it hard to breathe. Nathan doesn't feel pain any more, but he can't fight back. He can listen to the creature start devouring his flesh. He doesn't feel anything. He just hears the noise of being eaten. Sking being ripped. Tendons being broken. And the attacker's frenzy at feeding. Nathan's life finally fades away.
Angiolina is standing with the wood plank, waiting to defend herself from the charge. There is blood running down
her head and she is still dizzy from the car crash. She knows Nathan is dead. This is time in which any human being drifts apart from reality. She can't believe all that is happening. The worm attacks, opening its tentacle fangs. She closes her eyes and drops her wood plank.
She hears the noise of something crashing against metal. Angiolina feels the worm's fluid splash her face, which goes numb immediately. She opens her eyes and sees Yura, who has just split the warm in half with her axe, running towards Nathan. The Ukranian looks at her, eyes red. She is only blood and fury.
Aaron walks past her right side, shirtless. In his hand, his pirate saber. Angiolina sees the warrior's body on fire, blue flames coming from several symbols. Behind him, Joseph, also in training clothes, follows his master.
"Doctor Joseph? Angiolina asks, waking up from the trance as she recognizes one of the doctor from the general hospital, the only one who treated her well during her post-operation period after she had her knee done. Joseph turns to her, recognizing her.
"Angiolina?! Are you okay?" He asks, examining his old patient's wounds.
Noticing Yura's approach, the warm opens its mouth and charger her. She ducks and destroys her enemy with a single precide strike. Nathan's body shows no sign of blood.
Yura gets down and puts one of her fingers in the fallen warrior's brow, whispering the funeral rites of her order.
"Archangel of Death, here lies of the Blade's warriors, my brother. I hereby invoke ancient treaties of my order, so that this soldier is taken safely to the World That Is beyond the Sarkan mountains. Take heed to me, Azrael. Take heed to me and fulfil the deal."
Joseph takes Angiolina inside the garage. She limps. Joseph sits her down and starts examining her.
"You need some stitches. But you'll be okay. Looks like no vitals were hit. We are going to ahve to rely on that, since we have no x-ray."
"I'm alright, doctor, I'm just tired." Agiolina says, trying to get up. She hates feeling helpless and it's not a bump to the head that's goint to keep her down. At least that is under her control. Joseph even tries to hold her but gives up as he says clearly Angiolina's eyes spelling "don't even try".
Aaron gets close to Yura and lays his hand on her shoulder. Thirty yards from where they are, the titanic worm that broke the street in half is coming back for them.
"Come on, sister. He fulfilled his role." Aaron comforts her.
Yura stands up, in silence. Nathan, the Watchdog, got this nickname thanks to her. They were companions in a series of missions in the Middle East and he took it upon himself to take good care of her. Those were hard times for the agent, soon after her initiatio into the order.
The giant worm howls once again, tens of deadly larvae coming from the fissure. Yura looks towards the creature, her eyes red with anger and spite. Aaron stands at her side.
"Do you really want to do this?" Aaron asks, saber in hand.
Yura looks at her partner and smiles. "I think we owe this to Nathan."
Aaron cracks his neck and shoulders, like a boxer before stepping into the ring.
"OK, let's do this! After all, who wants to live forever? May the Blade be ever sharp, sister."
"Gladius!" She answers, eyes locked onto the enemy.
Both warriors charge the giant crature.
"Bukavac! Night hunter and scourge of the Black Sea's cost, I summon the bloody stregnth of your six claws and your hungry fangs. Your hunger is now mine!" As she screams these words towards the creature, Yura's body gorws, her skins turn into red claws, her teeth become sharp fangs and her skin acquires a thicker texture.
Her axe seems to react to its master's emotions and acquires a red tinge, drops of blood dripping from the blade. Yura wanta revenge.
Aaron runs by her side. His saber is now emitting blue flame. Each of the runes in the weapon burns with arcane power. Aaron also wants revenge. But, to him, sending this ancient one back to the depths is more important than revenge. The Blade's veteran agent has always had a very strong sense of responsibility and he knows these anciente creatures should remain buried and forgotten.
Many inside the order try to understand them to achieve power, but not him. Humakind is more important than any frivolous quest por power.
The giant worm, sensing the threat, prepares to attack both agents. It opens its moth and tries to swallow Yura in one go. She jumps sideways, avoiding the blow, which destroys the asphault.
The ground shakes with the impact, lifting a cloud of debris. Aaron takes advantage of the attack his partner dodged and delived a precise blow to one of the tentacles that compose the enemy's mouth.
The creature howls after being hit by the blue flame blade. Yura recovers like a cat and jumps, wielding her axe with both hands. The Ukranian's strike hits the worm cleanly, opening a deep wound. The ancient one lifts its body, in despair, after the attack. Yura drops to the grouns, keeping her cat-like balance. Aaron stands by her side.
They not at each other. Aaron charges in. Yura follows suit, just behind him. The creature notices their approach and opens its mouth, threatening its attackers. Yura's deep cut makes a viscous green fluid gush from the wound.
Aaron is almost at his enemy. The ground is flooded due to sewage and water pipes bursting. The old one opens its tentacle mouth ready to strike Aaron at the correct time. Yura, exactly ten steps away, focused, is counting.
"One, two, three, four..."
The ancient one strikes. This time it drops all of its weight in Aaron's direction. The mouth tentacles open, showing the fang inferno inside. The catastrophe is imminent. Yura keeps running and counting.
Aaron kneels. The worm's moth is a few yards away from its victim, the agent stands firmly.
Yura screams and jumps. "Five!" The Ukranian leaps, stepping on her parner's back with both feet, as he stands up.
The maneuver is successful. Aaron manages to bolster her body, throwing her at the worm's back.
Yura runs along the ancient creature's back. She strikes it's back repeatedly and fiercely. The violence in her attacks is impressive, her screams echo through the street with each strike. The ancient worm howls once more as parts of its body fall to the ground.
As the titan rises, Aaron is in the same kneeling position. This is his moment to act. He strike his saber against the ground. Sparks fly from his blade and the blue flames emerge. Aaron charges towards the creature, which is busy with Yura's savage attack. The Bearer of Rigel's Light hits the center of the ancestral beast's body. As he hits it, the flames in his saber trespass the worm with the cut.
The pain is too much forthe ancient one. The huge worm can't take it any longer and, with a series of jerking movements, tries to slither back into the safe depths of the Earth. A good part of its body and tentacles were cut.
Yura notices the ancient one's intentions and jumps from its body. She rolls on the ground several times to absorb the impact. The ground starts shaking, once more pieces of nearby buildings start to fall. Aaron and Yura run away.
Another strong tremor happens when the ancient one returns to the depths. Its spawn follow him.
Chapter 23
Finally
The agents join Angiolina and Joseph, who still examines his former patient. He knows a blow to the head can cause something serious and worries about not having the perfect tools for the job. He needs to keep an eye on her.
Aaron's back is injured. Yura is limping. She has a sprained ankle and cuts on her legs.
"Sit here, I need to take care of you as well!" Joseph runs to help them.
"We'll be okay, doc." Aaron answers, sitting on the garage floor, overcome by exhaustion.
Yura sits down. She has trouble breathing. Like she had an asthma attack.
"Don't worry, it's just the heat of battle, nothing my gifts can't handle." She stays next to Aaron seeing wounds closing quickly.
"Can you all walk? I can treat your wounds upstairs. At least using water and soap. And Carlyle must be waiting."
Victor Carlyle was
watching the fight from the terrace. His old body was not fit for fighting anymore. He said his goodbyes to Nathan, his brave war companion. He recited, as Yura did, the prayer to the angel of death. The templar is not sad. His bodyguard died the way he wanted to, defending his ideals. That's the rule of the game. An agent of the Blade must be ready to die like a soldier.
He gazes at the sky. It's a cloudless night. And despite all lights in the city being off, no star can be seen. A shroud of dakrness has covered the light of the stars. A feeling of fear, emptiness and oblivion washes over anyone who dares look up. Just a pale moon stands out in the darkness.
The Star Eater Page 11