by Brian Rella
The ground wobbled under her feet as she brushed at the liquid, and fell to her knees under the pounding, frigid wind from the open mouth of the cave. Confused, leaning against the wall, she stared at the moist puncture on her arm. His kiss.
She heard the screech of a creature from her dreams and jerked her head toward the mouth of the cave. Am I in the Second Death? She dragged herself along the wall of the cave, her nails catching and breaking on the jagged rock. She finally reached a large boulder at the entrance and, squinting against the howling gales, she expected to see the forever-setting, red-orange sun of the Second Death, but in its place the gibbous moon gazed back at her.
What is this? What is happening to me? Where am I?
The roar of monsters echoed into the cave. She glanced down to the valley below, squinting to glimpse where the sounds rising from the valley were coming from. Her sight, enhanced from Nalsuu’s blood and training, picked up strange shapes moving toward her. Matted metal? Machines? Tanks and trucks?
Overhead, the thunderous boom of a jet rumbled fragments of rock loose from the roof of the cave, sending pebbles raining down on her head. Caught between reality and the Realm of the Second Death, the disconnection from Nalsuu too abrupt, too disconcerting, Jessie fought for her bearings, and to make sense of the confusion within her mind. She had not finished with Him. She had wanted more. And they had interrupted her. Damn them. Damn them all!
The rage at having been cut off from her communion with Nalsuu burned through the confusion and the here and now came into focus. His ominous voice echoed through her mind with the last thing He had said to her before releasing her from His embrace. Kill them all!
Adrenaline surged through her veins as she stood at the mouth of the cave. The woozy, confused feelings faded, burning in the cauldron of fury in her belly. She glanced over the edge of the entrance to her abode, seeking a target for her fury. In the gray light, a glint of metal caught her eye in the tree line. Beyond the lava-rock field, and at the base of the mountain, behemoths of military machines wound their way through the colonies of evergreen trees in the forest surrounding the extinct volcano where she had been hiding since her last battle with the Watchers in Illinois.
The muzzle from one of the metallic beasts flashed. A second later, the report followed. A shell slammed into the side of the mountain beneath her, close enough to shake the ground under her feet.
More shots from the line of manmade monsters echoed through the canyon below. The cave vibrated with the concussions of the heavy artillery.
Jessie scowled and snarled, “Pasmet!” His steps sent tremors through the ground as he weaved his way through the catacombs of the extinct volcano to her side.
“Ful’ghgta! Rah’fghla. Sjftar agj’kelft Arraziel!” she growled. From the corner of her eye, the shadows of the cave crawled along the walls and floor, smoking and smoldering, forming an inferno by her side as the fiery demon was conjured.
Pasmet’s breath fell in icy gusts on top of her head. She glanced up at him. His head bobbed above her in anticipation, his jade eyes gleaming in the darkness. Arraziel stomped and snorted, his muscles bulging with tension.
“Kill them,” she snarled, motioning to the army below.
Pasmet roared, his beard of tentacles quivering under his chin, and he wobbled to the cave entrance. Extending his wings with an audible flap, he launched himself from the mouth of the high cave, momentarily dropping out of view, and then lofting into the air, gliding toward the approaching enemy.
Arraziel bounded on his wide hooves to the edge of the cave. He gazed at the approaching machines, seeking a target. He crouched, and gracefully flung himself from the lip of the cave to the battlefield. A villainous line curled up the side of Jessie’s face and she repeated the words of her King in a guttural tone. “Kill them all!” she shouted, her voice vibrating with the booming bass of Nalsuu over the valley below.
Her eyes flared with a piercing shade of violet, and the energy of her King swelled within her. She extended her hands, aiming at the first tank in the column. Through a blur of rage and evil, Jessie unleashed a blast of pure dark energy from her fingers into the field below. Her now jet-black hair flowed behind her, caught in the wake of her rage and the gusting wind. Her hands recoiled, readying for the next wave of energy, building, frothing at her fingertips. She released it upon them, with sadistic vengeance. A primal scream from the well of her soul echoed throughout the valley, sending chills down the spines of those in the path of her attack.
The extinct volcano shook with the impact of tank shells as the battle forged on. Above, sonic booms from fighter jets split the air with deafening thunder. Jessie squinted into the night sky, seeing the fiery trail of multiple rockets approaching. She raised her hands and released her dark energy at them, destroying them in mid-air.
A jet passed in front of the moon, curving around the horizon and approaching for another run at Jessie. A shadow slithered through the air, its body a faded jade-green, temporarily eclipsing the moon. Kill them, Pasmet!
As if the beast heard her command, Pasmet’s shadowy form closed on one of the attacking jets. A plume of verdant ice erupted from his maw, striking the jet in midair. Encased in ice, the plane tumbled to the ground, shattering into thousands of ice-shards the forest floor.
Jessie cackled at the destruction, smug with the power at her command, and returned her focus to the battle below, seeking more soldiers to destroy. The shouts of men echoed between the reports of machine guns. Muzzles flashed wildly across the terrain as the black-and-red-smoldering figure of Arraziel rampaged through the attacking army, destroying their weapons and killing them with prejudice.
“You fools! Your guns are no match for the army of the Fallen!”
A blast of energy crashed into the top of the cave above her. She fell to the ground, stunned. That was no simple gun.
She withdrew into the cave, dragging herself along the ground. Reaching out with her new powers, she saw with Pasmet’s eyes a Watcher racing up the steep slope of the peak. Nalsuu’s voice entered her thoughts:
Believe in the power you have, Jessie. Draw him in and kill him.
She glanced at her tingling hands that glowed violet with His dark power. She was just as powerful as a Watcher now. She was not a girl trapped in a woman’s body, weak and feeble. She had the power of the Leech of the Aeons, the King of the Fallen. She was the Queen of the Fallen.
Jessie scrambled to her feet. Bullets ricocheted off the outside of the cave. The ground shook beneath her as the army of men fired their weapons at her. Another blast of energy smashed into the boulder in front of the cave. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder, running for the back of the cave.
Fury fueled her as she retreated into the catacombs of the peak. She cast a spell for light and ran back through the tunnels formed by the lava and magma paths of years ago. Glossy black rock reflected the light back at her. She hoped the Watcher would follow.
She stumbled, tripping over something long and hard. Glancing down as she regained her balance, she saw bones. Human bones. Pasmet’s meals. She had found the final resting place of the campers and hikers he fed on. The perfect place to end the life of this Watcher.
The faint echo of breath came to her ears. Good. The Watcher follows me. She spun her head around, looking for a place to hide. More explosions, muffled by the web of tunnels she had come through, pierced the depths of the peak. She spied a rock formation at the back of the cave and another way out behind it. Perfect. She would make her stand here against whomever was coming for her. She extinguished her light and waited. Only one of them would be leaving alive.
Cocking her ear to the air, she listened intently for any sound of the approaching Watcher. A boot pressed softly into the dirt floor. She heard his heart beating. She felt the small changes in the air on her skin and smelled his feral scent as he approached.
She closed her eyes. Come, bastard. Come to me. His steps were gentle, his breathing c
ontrolled. She could smell the testosterone on him, the leather he wore, and the gunsmoke on his clothes.
She stayed perfectly still behind the rock formation, knowing that if she could sense his movements, he could sense hers as well. She controlled her breathing and slowed her heart. She was calm and aware, allowing him to get close enough to attack.
The explosions outside the cave died down. There were fewer shouts and she could sense from Arraziel and Pasmet that they had destroyed most of the army. She felt the rumble of the remaining forces in retreat.
So, it’s just us, then, Watcher.
A pebble shifted in the sand just out of range from her. Jessie readied herself to attack.
Another few steps and you are mine.
As if her thoughts had beckoned him, the Watcher stepped once, twice—
Jessie darted from her hiding spot, focused on the exposed Watcher, and unleashed several blasts of dark energy at him.
The first blast struck the Watcher by surprise, sending him sprawling backward in the air and smashing him into the wall of the cave.
Destroy him, Jessie! Nalsuu commanded.
Yes, my King.
Jessie ran forward at the Watcher, her face contorted in a snarl. She felt the blast, the heat against her face, and the smell of burning hair before she knew what was happening.
Jessie was thrown back against the wall with a grunt. Bones cracked in her chest, and her breathing became laborious, yet she scrambled to her feet and ran.
She weaved in and out of the corridors of the cave, now trying to escape him. The hard landing of one of her warriors at the mouth of the cave gave her hope and she leaned into her run, biting back the pain. Left, right, left, she weaved in and out of the tunnels, hearing the steps of the Watcher right behind her.
One more turn and she was at the backside of the cave. She flew through the opening and leaped to where the fiery shadow of Arraziel quickly approached. Reaching her, he stood between her and the tunnels from where she came.
Pasmet landed behind them and dropped his head. The green glow from his skin ignited the room in iridescence. He bowed his head, aiming for the tunnel where Jessie had just come from. She turned and had enough time to glimpse her pursuer. A tall black man appeared for a brief second before Pasmet let loose a powerful gush of his icy breath. The Watcher raised his hands in defense, but it was too late—he was entombed in an icy grave. Pasmet layered the ice over him, the crackling sound of freezing stone echoing in the cave.
Jessie cackled and threw her head back. Arraziel picked up a giant boulder and launched it at the icy wall in front of them. It smashed into the block of ice and shattered it into thousands of pieces.
The Watcher lay on the ground, stunned. A blue energy shield faded as he propped himself up on his elbow. The shield he had cast had saved him.
Jessie’s growl echoed through the cave. “Finish him!”
Arraziel snorted and bounded toward the Watcher. The Watcher got to his knees as Arraziel launched himself through the air at him.
A red staff formed in the Watcher’s hand. He side-stepped Arraziel’s attack, and slashed at the demon. Arraziel roared as he landed on his shoulder.
The Watcher looked from Arraziel to Jessie to Pasmet, trepidation on his face, and fled back the way he came.
“After him!” Jessie boomed at Arraziel and Pasmet.
Pasmet lowered his neck and Arraziel climbed on top of him. Arraziel snorted fire as Pasmet leaped from the mouth of the cave into the air, trying to head the Watcher off at the other side of the peak.
Jessie sat on the floor, the glow of the ice from Pasmet’s breath illuminating the room. She pulled the Book of Arraziel from her backpack and turned to the map at the back.
My King, show me the symbol of Dalkhu.
She felt Nalsuu’s consciousness move to the fore of her mind, and her vision darkened as her eyes scanned the page and fell on the symbol of Dalkhu. As Nalsuu withdrew and her own consciousness came back, she frowned.
Arraziel and Pasmet were on the page, close together. Not far from them, the symbol of Dalkhu was sitting still. It was on what looked like an enormous river.
I am so close.
Nalsuu’s deep voice echoed in her ears. You have done well, Jessie. Kill the Watcher, and Pasmet will take you to the place where Dalkhu resides.
Yes, my King.
Pasmet returned and landed with a thud at the mouth of the cave. Jessie moved to him as Arraziel drained the life from one of the soldiers and tossed his dead body over the cliff.
“Where is the Watcher?”
“Gone,” Arraziel replied.
“Find him—and make sure all the others are dead, Arraziel,” she commanded, and Arraziel leaped once more into the night.
Jessie climbed atop Pasmet and leaned into him, passing the place on the map to his consciousness. Pasmet roared and hobbled to the mouth of the cave, crouched low, and launched himself into the night sky with a giant flap of his wings. The crisp night air caught Jessie’s singed hair and she squinted into the wind as they flew. The cries of Arraziel’s victims reached her ears as he fed on the remaining soldiers’ life force, searching for the Watcher.
She winced clutching her chest. Fighting to stay conscious, she clung to Pasmet. Thank you, my King.
25
BOOK OF RAZMUS
Chapter 4: 1-2
And through the night the creature that was once Kuriel walked the desert in search of the souls of man.
And he did come upon the tribe of humans.
And his wickedness descended upon them.
And his presence trapped them in their bodies.
And his breath did remove their souls in a cloud of red.
And he did devour their light.
26
KURIEL
5873 B.C.
Mesopotamia
Kuriel stood at the outskirts of the encampment, listening to the sounds of the sleeping tribe. Their heavy breaths, full of life, scented the air, enticing him to dine on their soul-light. He knew what a new soul would do for him. He knew like the rain knew to fall from the sky. A new soul would bring him power, bring life back to his skin, and kill the craving inside that ached and was spreading though him, consuming his thoughts. He paused, inhaling deeply, savoring the sweetness of their souls, and the knowledge that he would be fulfilled by the light of His humans.
He came upon a lone man, sleeping peacefully under the stars at the outskirts of the tribe. A wolf-grin spread across his muzzle as he approached him. In the radius of his presence, the man became affected by his energy. It overpowered the man, causing paralysis. He stepped silently to the human, and heard the man’s breath catch and his heart slow. He leaned over the man and let the sweetness of his soul’s aroma rise gently into his nostrils. A deep, gravelly sound escaped Kuriel’s chest, and a thin froth formed at his mouth, dripped from his lower lip, and splattered on the man’s shoulder.
The man’s eyes opened, and he gazed upon the horror above him. Paralyzed, able only to take shallow breaths, and trapped in his body, his mind screamed at the demon before his eyes.
Kuriel tapped his wolf-bone staff on the ground and his eyes glowed like red stars. His snout opened wide, and an iridescent red vapor flowed from his mouth, swirling in front of him, and descended on the terrified man. It slithered around him, like a vibrant snaking fog, and settled over his prone body, enveloping him in the deadly breath. The man scratched at his chest as he inhaled the venomous murk. His body convulsed, and then, in a steady stream, he exhaled a thick crimson fog, heavy and swollen with his spirit, like the smoke from a thousand fires. The soul of the man floated back to Kuriel, entering through his watering snout.
Kuriel’s body tensed, his muscles bulging with the infusion of fresh soul. His back straightened, and his eyes beamed with a fiery redness as the man’s spirit was absorbed. A toothy grin spread across his mouth, and the visceral ecstasy of a human soul flooded his essence.
Kuriel slid
into euphoria, alive again, entranced by the injection of life, and the feeling of fullness. Gravelly breaths in and out of Kuriel’s lungs broke the silence of the night, but the satiety did not last.
Too soon, the ache returned, a small pin-prick that disrupted his euphoria at first, but then it grew and riled Kuriel, and soon he was no longer fulfilled with the soul-light-sweetness of the man, and instead a fiery anger grew in him. He wanted more, needed more, of the human life-force to quench his thirst for the light.
His twisted mind saw the many souls glowing in the encampment. Want and greed and the ache bloated his crooked thoughts. He pointed his snout toward the scents of the sleeping tribe, corrupted by the hunger that stabbed at him. More…More…The emptiness cut him like daggers, digging through his flesh from the inside out. He yearned to be full again.
He stood, his decaying flesh returning as the vibrancy of the soul-light left him. A sweat broke out on his skin, and his gray-black brawn glistened in the moonlight. He stepped forward, the ache rising with every passing second. Rabid froth fell from his mouth with every lumbering step. The light of the souls from the tribe flickered on the horizon and he quickened his steps.
In Kuriel’s wake, his victim lay paralyzed on the ground, still alive, but without his soul. The man rose slowly, first to his hands and knees, and then to his feet, where he swooned with the new sensation that coursed through him.
He was changed. He was…empty.
His skin was white and translucent, and glowed in the moonlight. His eyes were deep black orbs, the irises blocking out the white. The man felt strange; hollow. Empty… There was nothing inside him of any moral consequence. His ability to reason was still present, but the thoughts that flowed through him were crazed and perverted. Something was missing, something that was needed to guide his thoughts and actions, something that had kept him in the light of the Creator. But there was no light now. It had been taken from him, and he saw only in shadows of gray and black.