LAMENT OF PURGATORY (ASHWOOD CHRONICLES #1)

by Brandon Chandler

  LUCIA STARED LONGINGLY out the window of her chambers. Below her window the monstrous Kade patrolled back and forth like an overprotective guard dog. That only meant Christos was somewhere nearby. She frowned at the thought of the priest. Ever since Christos had her confined to the bedroom, she felt as if the window was her only connection to the outside world. Without it, the room was a tomb, it was already as quiet as a mausoleum. She began to hum staring out at the vast landscape. The tune was soothing and as beautiful as she was.

  Behind her, Lucia heard the door opening. She ignored her guest, already knowing who it was.

  “That’s a beautiful melody. I wish I could bottle it.”

  Christos stood in the doorway, staring at the lovely sight awaiting him. There stood Lucia. Her soft ivory shoulders were exposed, and fiery-red curls fell to her back. He especially liked her flawless skin and how carefully her lips were tinted red. When Lucia looked back at him, his body quaked, as her eyes shone brightly like the twin moons. He licked his lips admiring her form-fitting dress of lacey periwinkle.

  Christos closed the bedroom door and plopped himself onto the thick sofa.

  “Come, join me,” he said patting the cushion next to him.

  “I don’t understand why I couldn’t have my old room,” Lucia said snootily. She walked away from the window and bypassed the sofa.

  Christos watched with an offended expression as she sat across from him on the king-size bed. “I couldn’t bear the thought of you sleeping in a room you shared with my brother.”

  Lucia released a cruel mocking laugh. “You and I are never going to happen boo.”

  Christos sprung from the sofa as if he was going to pounce on Lucia. She even flinched. The high priest wore an expression of unusual calm. He rubbed his clean-shaven face as he made his way over to the window where Lucia stood previously.

  “Why do you play games with my heart,” he said. There was a hint of sadness in his voice. “I mean it’s obvious you have some type of feelings for me...otherwise why do you always run to me when things with Atticus go badly.”

  Lucia smiled. “Because Maxi, you were always a good listener and gave good advice. you were my best friend.”

  Christos turned away from the window with the appearance of someone who was suffering from a plethora of painful emotions. “For years all I ever wanted from you was your love. I used to feel quivers of affection even if my thoughts turned your way for a second. And the thought of you alone was enough to conjure a smile upon my face...I would have done anything you asked...given you whatever you desired.” As he spoke the hurt on his face slowly shifted towards anger. “Now it all makes sense,” he whispered staring at the floor. “Everything from joining my side, turning on my brother and surrendering to me in the forest, it was all about protecting him.”

  Lucia slowly got to her feet. “Maxi you need to calm down.”

  He glared at her with an obsessive glower. “My name is Christos, High Priest of Purgatory.”

  He flicked his wrist and a dagger sprung from his sleeve, Christos caught the weapon by the hilt and then dove at Lucia. Surprised by his sudden turn for violence Lucia stared in disbelief as the blade impaled her stomach.

  She screamed vociferously staring wide-eyed into her attacker’s face.

  With the dagger still in her, Christos brought the blade up to Lucia’s skull as if he was pushing a lever upward. He laughed wildly while releasing his weapon. Lucia fell backward onto the bed. Although lifeless her eyes remained open, staring up at the ceiling. Christos’s insane laughter ended abruptly when the door to the room burst inward. He turned to see Atticus with his sword drawn standing in the doorway.

  The brothers locked eyes.

  “Where is...” Atticus’s voice trailed off spotting the dagger in Christos’s hand. His eyes ventured towards the bed and screams of unlimited sorrow spewed from him. Lucia’s body glowed blue melting away into tiny balls of light.

  “Lulu...” Atticus whispered in disbelief.

  Then with a sense of horror, he screamed, “Lucia!”

  Out the corner of his eyes, Christos saw the flashing of the lights. He swirled to his right watching them fade through the ceiling. Christos dropped to his knees, the frenzy of his insanity evaporated, and a rain of regret washed over him. “What have I done!” he screamed in between sobs.

  Christos peeped towards Atticus who was still staring at the area where Lucia once laid in a stupor.

  “Blood or not you’re a dead man Maxwell,” Atticus’s voice was low and full of calmed rage.

  Christos wiped away a few lingering tears. “Despite this, I can’t allow you to kill me,” he said in a raspy voice. “There is something I must do first.” Christos got to his feet, “you didn’t deserve her.” He looked over his shoulder at the window.

  Atticus followed his gaze. “Don’t you dare think about escaping.”

  Christos smirked. “I’m not, but an old friend wants to say hello...” Atticus’s eyes narrowed as he heard an all too familiar roar. “Rip him apart Kade.”

  Plaster dust fluttered and the floor shook as a massive bulk bulldozed through the wall.

  Through the thick dust a hulking silhouette towered over Atticus with its tree trunk fist risen.

  He swore under his breath as the beast punched him straight across the room. His body slammed into the opposite wall. The mixture of weight, momentum, and power behind the punch was far too much for it to withstand, and Atticus crashed through it like the barrier wasn’t there, rolling into the hallway.

  IN A LARGE BEDROOM, Brianna sat with her back against the headboard with her head resting on her knees while she hugged herself. She imagined that several inner-city apartments could fit into this one bedroom. Everything in it was in the most immaculate shape, yet there was a sense of age, that everything in the chamber was older than she was.

  Ethan walked over to the window and pushed aside the thick curtain. He had no idea what time of night it was, but the twin moons hung high, painting the heavens magnificent shades of purple.

  Outside the door, both teens could hear several guards talking raucously. Ethan looked from the window and Brianna lifted her head as the door opened inward. Two guardsmen walked inside. Ethan imagined them snarling underneath their helmets. One of the soldiers called them to follow while the other raised his rifle, alternating his aim between Ethan and Brianna.

  “We have strict orders to relocate you to the dungeon.”

  Brianna’s eyes widened, her heart pounding. “Why,” she shouted unable to mask the panic in her voice.

  Ethan glanced at Brianna with concern, “we can’t go back there.”

  She sighed forcing down her dread. “Claude Ostium Ventum.”

  The bedroom door slammed shut with tremendous force. One guard spun around to see who could have closed it, but only saw empty space.

  Next Brianna’s voice echoed around the room, “Da Mihi Anima Tua”

  When the guard rotated to face the front, he found himself staring down the barrel of his partner’s gun.

  “What the hell are you- ‘

  The shot rang about the room like thunder, and the soldier fell backward while a ball of light flew upward from his body.

  Ethan watched in disbelief as a heap of armor dropped to the floor. His eyes darted towards Brianna. She sat in her same position with a finger gun aimed in the direction of the fallen guardsmen. She then placed her pretend gun underneath her chin. With a lifeless expression, the remaining guard mirrored her action with his very real rifle.

  Brianna mimicked the act of pulling the trigger.

  Ethan looked away as the soldier followed suit.

  Like his partner, the deceased soldier fell backward, but before his body could hit the floor it was reduced to a collection of armor, leaving behind a ball of energy. It hovered for a split second then skyrocketed, phasing through the ceiling like an apparition.

  “Did you use a mimic spell without your wand?” a male’s voice sai
d. “When did you become such a daredevil?”

  Brianna’s eyes reverted to neon green. She massaged the sides of her head and looked towards the exit. Dominic stood halfway into the room.

  After wiping away leaking blood from her nose she sprung from the bed and threw her arms around him.

  “You must have been really scared, if you used that kind of magic.”

  Brianna nodded as she pulled away. “You don’t want to go to the dungeon.”

  Dominic reached into his pocket and pulled out Brianna’s wand, “try keeping better track of this thing.”

  Brianna joyfully took her weapon of choice, but her smile dropped. “Where are the others?”

  “Hayden and Kori are safe,” Dominic answered. “Atticus actually wants me to lead you to them while he rescues Lucia.”

  Brianna sensed the urgency in his voice and agreed with a nod. Ethan thrust his hand towards Dominic, initiating a handshake. “Thanks.”

  Dominic laughed mockingly and slapped the hand away.

  Once in the hallway, the entire structure shivered as they heard an immense crash from somewhere on the floor. Before anyone could gander on what was happening, Kade along with Atticus blasted through the wall separating a bedroom and the foyer. Atticus was the first to spot the confused teens and the first to his feet.

  “Run!” he screamed as the wall he came crashing through collapsed.

  He quickly ushered them along. Clearly too wide and tall for the corridor, Kade dropped to all fours and thundered after the escapees. Without looking back, Dominic heard the beast bulldozing through walls with its enormous shoulders as it hastily gained on them. Shuffling through his pockets, he pulled free a fist-sized crystal.

  “Where did he get that from?” Atticus shouted.

  Dominic didn’t provide an answer but did a U-turn and pitched the gem towards Kade. He summoned Jezebel took aim and fired.

  “What a cleverly stupid kid you are,” Atticus whispered.

  The discharge from the handgun struck the crystal while it was still airborne, and the effects were immediate. The crystal disappeared in a huge blooming sphere of fire, spitting waves of flames in every direction, and every window on the second story blew out in a blinding flash. All around him was silence, or so Atticus thought. Then when his ears began to ring, he figured out that he’d been temporarily deafened. Atticus rolled over onto his back and saw a stream of fire rushing above as if he was underwater. He rose to his knees in disbelief. To his right, he saw that Ethan was ducked low as if he was in a tornado drill. Then there was Dominic at his left staring in amazement at Brianna. She stood at their forefront with her wand raised high above her head protruding a bubble of energy around them. Without it, he figured they would have been incinerated by the tidal wave of flames.

  Atticus smirked, “little witch, you are a badass.”

  Then the floor buckled and caved from beneath them.

  Chapter-Thirty-Seven

  When he came to, Atticus saw that the fire had spread with ease. Black smoke billowed down the stairs and from the hole he had fallen from. The elaborate first floor had turned into a maze of flames and the sound of his choking comrades awakened him to alertness. He steadily got to his feet using his sword as a cane.

  “Atticus!” Brianna shouted in between coughs. “Where do we go now?”

  The walls shook around them, releasing clouds of sawdust, while spider-web cracks formed in the marble foundation.

  “To the tunnel,” Dominic said tersely.

  Atticus nodded.

  Before their feet could take another step, the foundation shook around them as if something heavy and massive had fallen from above.

  “You gotta be kidding me!” Dominic shouted as he and the others beheld the horrid site of Kade.

  Brianna gasped at what she could only describe as a monster that been severely burned, for Kade had no skin on his face or torso, missing ears and lips that looked as they been bitten off. The non-existence of eyelids gave his eyes a popping look as if they swiveled in their sockets. He shuffled towards them making low growling moans. Dominic and Brianna got into their ready stances.

  Atticus smiled fondly placing a hand on either of their shoulders. “Leave the big guy to me...Dominic, take them back to the hideout.”

  They didn’t argue, perceiving the alarm in Atticus’s eyes, which his voice and face hid.

  Along with Ethan they turned and fled.

  The monstrosity attempted to give chase, but-

  “Kade!” Atticus screamed, stopping the beast in his tracks. “We don’t have to do this.”

  Kade paced back and forth grunting.

  “You can beat whatever control Maxi has over you. I know you can.”

  “GeT oUt of mY Way,” Kade bellowed. “I dOn’t waNt to hUrt You.” His words were choppy and drawn out.

  Atticus only had seconds to blink in surprise before a claw like hand nearly beheaded him. He shouted obscenities, casting himself aside.

  Kade charged like an enraged bull.

  Atticus smoothly sidestepped while whipping his blade across Kade’s stomach.

  Though the laceration wasn’t deep, blood still managed to seep through.

  “You do remember any wound caused by this sword won’t heal?” Atticus asked. “So, can we please stop fighting?” he felt the intense heat threating to turn him into a rotisserie. “I know you hate me for leaving you behind, but we thought you were dead!” Atticus shouted over the roaring fire. “And I know you’re sired to Maxi.”

  Kade and Atticus circled each other. “But he stripped away everything that made you who you are.”

  Kade eyed Atticus as if his primal instinct had curved. Then he saw it. The remorse his old friend felt ran deeper than any wound he could ever receive. Atticus’s eyes always betrayed what his face tried to hide. Kade saw the fear, and loneliness.

  “You were my friend...my best friend,” Atticus continued. “I should have been a better one to all of you...It may not mean much... but I’m sorry.”

  Kade snarled while keeping eye contact. “EnD mY LifE.” His words fell from his mouth in a mixture of grunts and howls. “PLeAse AtticUs, KiLl Me.”

  He stared dumbfounded at his friend. “I’m sure we can find a way to fix this.”

  “No, YOu MuST Do It noW, bEfoRe I BEcoMe tHat bEAst AgaIN,” Kade thundered. He shook his head grunting, as his feral nature fought to regain control. Then without a warning, he charged Atticus.

  “Kade, don’t make me do this,” Atticus shouted.

  However, the beast kept coming, prompting Atticus to hurdle himself into the air. While airborne he somersaulted over Kade’s head, landing on his knees. Kade came to a halt, spun around and dropped into a sumo stance. The behemoth was upon Atticus in a matter of seconds, but he was ready. Gripping his sword with both hands he evaded the charge, by executing a corkscrew flip. And as gravity took its toll on his body, Atticus brought the sword down onto Kade’s neck. It sliced through Kade with a revolting clunk, and his head rolled across the floor while his body fell to its knees. He began to glow an amber color as his body disintegrated into thousands of tiny golden spheres of light. Atticus watched the tiny dots float heavenward like fireflies.

  A moan to his left caught his attention. Looking in that direction he spotted the head of Kade. It was slowly disintegrating.

  “I never once blamed you for my death, nor for this,” Kade said weakly. “Goodbye, my friend.” With that Kade dissolved into nothingness.

  Atticus dropped his weapon. He felt a sensation that hurt more than physical pain; the realization and weight of reality crashed down on him. His emotions raged war with his mind triggering his body to quiver and his breathing to increase...And then he screamed. He screamed uncontrollably...

  “WE SHOULDN’T HAVE LEFT him,” Ethan ranted.

  “I’m sure he’s capable of handling himself.” Dominic retorted.

  Brianna’s wand shone its brightness around the dark underground bunker as s
he used it as a flashlight, until she came to the stairwell leading to its exit. Dominic took center stage and recited the phrase he heard Atticus used earlier.

  Though not immediate, the muffled sound of the hatch sliding open echoed.

  On the surface, a ghastly orange grin awaited them. Unfettered flames tore through the verdant estate, licking and lapping at the groves, twisting and swaying in a dance without rhythm. Several soldiers and other house servants were scattering about screaming. Brianna couldn’t tell if they were retreating or going to help with the fire, but one thing she knew for certain, the personnel were too panicked to notice her and the others. Ethan turned; the blazing fire that consumed the manor flickered, as dark clouds billowed above him. Crashes, along with agonizing screams and cries could be heard in the distance.

  “All of this happened from one exploding crystal?” Dominic said in amazement.

  “We don’t have time to admire your handy work,” Atticus’s teetering voice said as he climbed from the bunker.

  “You made it,” Brianna said thankfully. She shone the light from her wand across Atticus’s face. “Have you been crying?”

  With a sniffle Atticus shook his head. “The others are this way,” he walked past the teens taking the lead.

  Due to the chaos, on the way back, they didn’t bother taking stealthy precautions. Instead, the group tried to avoid being burned alive. They raced against the scorching flames, in hopes to reach the storage before the fire did.

  Up ahead, Brianna saw an abandoned barn. Rotting wooden barrels were littered around the entrances. Tall weeds grew between the stones and the fence was almost falling over. Standing a few feet in front of the barn was two shadowy figures. “Is that them?”

  Atticus grimaced. “Yes, but why are they standing out in the open like that.”

  Before he could receive an answer, lightning struck. With a blinding flash, it slammed into the gap that was separating his group from Hayden and Kori.