He was upon Atticus before he could even blink, stabbing him in the shoulder of the already bleeding arm. The blade came protruding through the back. Atticus bellowed in agony.
“When you reach the void, deliver Lucia a message for me will you please?” he pulled the sword free and with a speed that Atticus couldn’t predict Christos struck again, this time around impaling Atticus in the stomach.
“Tell her I will find a way to bring her back to me,” Christos said. He watched his brother fall to his knees. Christos raised his sword ready to deliver the killing blow.
But there was a lag in his movement as if there was a glitch in his brain.
He looked about the surroundings confusingly. The locals were no longer fleeing, many of them had already cleared out; but a few remained watching as the brothers squared off.
Atticus took this opportunity to get to his feet and distance himself from his brother.
Christos dashed forward giving Atticus only moments to prepare. Their swords gleamed as they collided. Atticus knew that only one of them would walk away from this. His brother’s sword was already stained with his blood showing his intent to kill. He had to stay focused and show the same determination. He had to push aside the fact his opponent was his little brother. Images of them growing up together, smiling and happy flashed through his mind.
Atticus shuffled to the side, awaiting another attack.
We used to be a family.
Christos charged with savage aggression while wearing a blank expression.
You, Tira, Kade...Lucia...I loved you all.
Atticus dodged to the side in one fluid motion.
But you turned Kade into a monster, had Tira banished, and killed Lucia.
Christos swiveled in his direction; his vacant eyes were void of emotion and making his facial expression unreadable.
But I can’t put the blame entirely on you.
Christos thrust his sword forward, only to be met by Atticus’s blade. Both weapons met in the air with a resounding clang.
I know an inevitable death awaits me.
Atticus swung his sword in retaliation.
But not tonight...not until I get those kids home...I won’t let them end up like us...brother.
He could barely move his injured arm without wincing and due to blood loss from his multiple wounds, fatigue and weakness was beginning to set in. Yet he pushed on; he couldn’t allow himself to die.
Not yet.
Christos reared up for an attack and as he swung his sword, Atticus screamed, “Lucia was also in love with you.”
The sudden outburst triggered Christos to stopped mid-swing, and he stared curiously at Atticus, “really?”
“NO!” Atticus retorted apologetically.
His sword then ran through Christos’s armor making a sickening squish as the tip of the blade met flesh.
“Oh,” Christos said nonchalantly.
Atticus felt tears streaming down his face as he pushed the sword deeper and deeper.
Christos grimaced as Atticus thrust the sword further, until the steel came protruding from his back. A mixture of guttural chokes and breaths escaped Christos’s lips.
Atticus could no longer hold back; he bawled and pulled the blade out of his dying brother. A stream of blood gushed out in all directions, some even hitting him. Christos sunk to his knees, staring into his brother’s eyes with a vacant expression.
Atticus looked away.
“Y-you shouldn’t mourn me; b-brother...I’m going to be with her now,” Christos said with a smile. It wasn’t a smile that was forced, but a smile of pure joy.
His skin turned grey and began to crack like tree bark, before disintegrating into ash and a pile of armor. A glowing ball of light hovered in the wake of the remains.
Atticus reached for the ball of light. His fingers grazed the soul, feeling the warmth from it spread throughout his body with a sense of freedom. Then it hurtled off.
“Goodbye Maxi.”
THE CROWD FLOODED THE wide avenue, in an unsynchronized fashion. Their incoherent steps moved them like a clumsy multi-headed beast, jostling into one another, occasionally snapping and threatening to come to blows. But despite the minor altercations, the boulevard had an unusual calm as if unaware of the chaos several blocks over.
Brianna grabbed hold of Ethan and veered off into an alley.
“How did we lose sight of them?” Ethan said panicky. The acoustic of the pathway made his voice sound way too loud for comfort.
“Because for someone with long legs you’re incredibly slow,” Brianna answered with such anger that it even surprised her. Yet her aggravation continued to pour out as she pointed her wand at Ethan. “And because I stayed with you, so you wouldn’t get left behind.”
A mixture of hurt and bewilderment developed on Ethan’s face.
She sighed and lowered her wand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take my frustration out on you.”
Ethan’s eyes fell to the ground. “I understand. You’re worried about your brothers.”
Brianna nodded. “And you and Kori as well. All of this must be a lot to take in.”
Ethan scoffed. “You mean the constant danger we’ve been in and finding out creatures I thought only existed in horror and fantasies actually do exist...No I’m used to it,” he said sarcastically.
“I can only imagine,” Brianna said softly. “I grew up in this life and wished I could change...” her voice tapered off as she surveyed the alley. “Do you hear that?”
Ethan strained his ears in hopes to catch a whisper of what Brianna was hearing. Then what sounded like some type of celebration echoed from the opposite end of the passage. Confused, Ethan and Brianna inched towards the loud exit and into a plaza. It was a festival of lights, along the lively lane shone hundreds of lamps illuminating with their flickering candles. The lights were casting every color by the tinted panes and Brianna couldn’t help but be reminded of candy. It was as if the court was iced by an experienced baker. Everywhere people were dressed in strange vibrant clothes matching the multitude of lights. The crowd was delighted, singing songs that seemed to be specifically designed for the intoxicated and joyful. As the atmosphere grew with ecstasy, the heavy night air was punctuated by whoops and hollers.
“They sound a lot friendlier than the previous boulevards we’ve passed through...maybe someone here can point us in the right direction of the cathedral,” Ethan said finding himself bobbing along with the wave of songs.
Brianna looked awkward for a moment. “Hopefully we can find someone who’s actually sober.”
A flash of lightning cut crazy zigzags into the smoky sky, each of them revealing stationary airships hidden within the fog. Next, they heard thunder rolling overhead. Its untamed power reverberating across the city, before the lightning flashed once more and pushed its inverted limbs to the plaza’s center. A couple of seconds passed, then the loud boom of the thunderstruck erupted. The force of the impact sent civilians near the point of collision flying in all directions. A windstorm as strong as an F1 tornado blew throughout the square knocking down lights, decorations and sending debris into bystander’s faces. When the smoke and wind died away, two assailants stood amidst the impact zone.
One wore a sinister grin and glared at the crowd with a look of deranged emotions. The other had a more sophisticated look about him. The chaos was immediate, and the once happy atmosphere transformed into terror. The crowd ran carelessly to the only exit, fighting one another to squeeze through. Some stayed to fight, but Malek laid waste to them within a matter of seconds. In return, everyone lost all courage and fled.
“Did that satisfy your bloodlust?” Gaspard asked frostily.
Malek shrugged, “it’ll do for now.”
Despite the limited escape routes, it didn’t take long for the plaza to become clear of the partygoers. Brianna alternated the aim of her wand between Malek and Gaspard as they walked circles around her and Ethan.
“Where are the other three?”
Gaspard asked in a chillingly calm voice. When Brianna didn’t answer he turned to Malek. “Go find them.”
Malek pouted. “I wanted to be the one to kill the witch.”
Gaspard sighed with annoyance. “Go.”
Malek bowed in an over-exaggerated fashion and scaled a wall of a nearby building. Once on the roof, he bounded from top to top until he was out of sight.
Without hesitation Brianna whispered a chant, and Gaspard was quickly met with the ground underneath his feet gaping open with a tremendous blare, and something huge loomed over him, before crashing on his head like a tidal wave. A moment later the ground was back to normal, but Gaspard was gone. Brianna grabbed hold of Ethan’s hand and they ran. The once crowded avenue was now eerily deserted.
Brianna released Ethan’s hand and signaled for him to keep moving. The next street over was the same. Quiet and derelict, their rapid footfalls were loud and echoed for what felt like forever. The further they ran, the more an overwhelming sense of uncertainty washed over them. As if to conform to their ambiguity, the ground began to quake. Gaspard erupted from the asphalt sending rocky debris flying everywhere.
“I’ll admit that was quite unpleasant,” he snarled while making an attempt to dust off dirt from his clothing.
“Yeah...?” Brianna retorted as she raised her wand. “I hope this hurts even worst.”
She released a bolt of concussive force from her wand. Near invisible except for the rippling effect it left behind as it tore through the air; Gaspard was clueless until he was struck. Blasting a hole into his chest, blood pooled inside his mouth as chunks of flesh and clothing was ripped away, exposing a beating heart.
Gaspard dropped to his knees wailing in pain. “I hate witches!”
He stared at the ground with his mouth agape and eyes wide. Ethan looked from Gaspard’s exposed heart to Brianna. He tried to speak but only a raspy gasp of bewilderment escaped.
She too was staring at the beating organ. He could tell her gears to her train of thought were in motion, he hoped whatever she was thinking was enough to keep Gaspard down for good.
“His heart,” she said abruptly. “We have to kill it before his wounds heal.”
Ethan nodded while asking, “will it kill him too?”
Brianna kept her eyes on the heart. “No but without it, he’ll be forced to convert into his demon form.”
Ethan scratched the back of his head. “Will it make him weak?”
Brianna laughed nervously, “no, in fact, it will make him significantly stronger.”
“Then how will that help our situation!” Ethan shouted flailing his arms above his head.
“Demons can’t exist outside of hell while in their true form,” she looked towards Ethan. “That’s why they need the hearts of humans. It keeps them anchored to whatever realm they’re in and allows them to disguise themselves as humans. But demons without a heart will eventually turn into a weak worm that can easily be picked off.”
Ethan laughed mockingly, “and how are we going to kill the heart?”
Brianna glared at Gaspard. He was still on his knees staring off into space dazedly.
“Leave him to me,” she said. “You, keep yourself alive.”
As if he was aware of their plan, they heard a sigh from Gaspard and he slowly got to his feet. The look on his face suggested that he had regained his composure, but the intensity of his eyes portrayed burning animosity. Gaspard pulled his gloves from his hands and tucked them into his pocket.
“I want to taste the fear from you both as I rip out your throats.” His voice was non-threatening, but his demeanor screamed homicidal maniac.
Brianna twirled her wand in between her fingers like a baton allowing it to transmute into a dagger.
“Only the weak make idle threats,” Brianna retorted.
Gaspard dashed forwarded and Brianna felt sharp pain striking her abdomen. She pushed through the discomfort and saw the second blow coming for her face. Brianna ducked low, sidestepped and then retaliated with her own punch. She never punched anyone before, even when sparring with her brothers, they always pulled their attacks. But she was incredibly surprised at the results when her fist connected with Gaspard’s jaw. Pain buzzed up to her arm, but Gaspard stunned looked made up for the sting. She didn’t admire her handy work for too long. With the dagger raised above her head, she went for the kill.
Gaspard smirked, bringing up his hands to block the attack. The blade sunk into his palm squirting blood onto him. With his uninjured hand, he smacked Brianna, but before she could hit the ground, he delivered a swift kick to her stomach, which sent her tumbling several inches away. Listening to Brianna gasping for breath, he made his way towards her and raised his foot over her head.
An involuntary gasp escaped from Ethan, catching Gaspard’s attention. He turned to face him.
“Oh, you didn’t run away...or soil your pants,” he said pulling the dagger free from his palm. He tossed the weapon towards Ethan. He glared at the dagger after it landed near his feet. “Go on pick it up...I’ll give you a fair chance to strike me.” He stretched out his arms. “Come to me.”
Ethan paused for a moment indecision crossing his face.
Gaspard’s smug smile dropped and was replaced with a look of boredom. “It’s a shame really,” he said turning towards Brianna once again. “Shouldn’t you be trying to protect her?”
The words hit like a gut punch.
Here I am again, standing on the sidelines looking like a coward.
His cheeks flushed red as grief washed over him.
Ethan stood staring at the back of Gaspard, repeatedly kicking Brianna. Her screams of agony made his insides quiver, but he couldn’t shake the sting of Gaspard’s words.
What would I have done if that was Kori lying there?
Then he felt it.
Valor.
Though it was only in an instant; only a flash, but it was all the encouragement he needed.
Ethan dove for the dagger then made a beeline towards Gaspard screaming what he thought was a note-worthy battle cry.
Gaspard swirled, laughing smugly.
He pointed at Ethan and his fingertip glowed orange. First Ethan heard a high-pitched whine, buzzing inside his ears. Next, he felt an invisible force ramming into him like a tackle from a football player. Ethan hit the ground with the back of his head striking the tarmac. He fought to stay conscious as the dizziness became worse.
“Pathetic,” Gaspard said.
Ethan rolled over onto his stomach. His head was pounding and all he wanted to do was lay there and nap. But he had to battle through the pain.
It’s not ok for me to die.
Not here.
Ethan pushed himself to his knees. He caressed the back of his head, surprised it wasn’t split open. However, there was a good-sized knot.
Behind him, he heard slow-moving footsteps closing in. Ethan reached over and scooped up the dagger before springing to his feet. Although wobbly at first, he caught his balance and stood ready. Gaspard came to a halt an inch away.
“You mortals and your determination are commendable,” Gaspard said with a slight bow. “But it’s annoying the hell out of me.”
“Leave her alone,” Ethan ordered. He eyed Gaspard’s chest wound as it gradually continued to seal. He glanced beyond the demon and saw Brianna sluggishly climbing to her feet.
Good, she’s still alive.
“Oh my, your delicious fear is contaminated with a douse of bravery...” Gaspard said with a look of disgust. “Let’s beat that courage out of you.”
His weirdly calm voice chilled Ethan. But regardless of Gaspard’s sinister characteristics, Ethan charged.
“You mortals will never learn,” Gaspard said pointing at Ethan once again.
As Ethan closed in on him, Gaspard felt the ground coil up around his ankles and held him in place.
His eyes widen. “What the hell?”
Looking over his shoulder he saw Brianna swaying her arms and
hands if she was performing a ritual dance.
“Damn you,” Gaspard screamed. “Release me now you vile witch.”
He tried to break free, but tentacles made from rock and dirt wrapped around his arms, waist, and neck imprisoning his range of motion.
“I’m not the one you should be worried about,” Brianna snapped.
Hearing rapid footsteps approaching, Gaspard turned as Ethan rammed the dagger into his exposed beating heart.
“You doomed this entire city,” Gaspard said with a horrid expression. His restraints crumbled into a pile of dirt and he stumbled backward as Ethan pulled the dagger free. The heart pumped one last time before it was reduced to ashes.
“There was a reason why I was always calm and collect,” Gaspard said as Brianna and Ethan regroup. “It was to keep him at bay...but the two of you...” he tapered off as his words were replaced by hysterical laughter. “I’m the monster from your Nightmares...” he said weakly.
Gaspard released a wheezing breath; fell to his knees and his pigmentation converted to the color of ash.
Ethan handed Brianna the dagger. “Is he dying?”
Once in her hands, the bladed weapon transformed back into her wand. “No, he’s converting.”
Ethan was about to take a few steps towards the falling demon when Brianna took hold of his hand. “Don’t go near him,” she warned harshly.
Gaspard’s body trembled violently taking the form of an enormous man with the head and shoulders of a bull that had five ravenous eyes. Next, a scythe-like tail erupted from Gaspard’s lower back and he plummeted to all fours screeching uncontrollably. His body still trembling and increasing in size, unearthly wings extended themselves fully. Visible bones and ripped membranes stretched upward as if it was ready to take flight.
The creature roared and got to its feet.
“You didn’t mention he was going to grow to the size of a skyscraper,” Ethan said as he and Brianna took several steps back.
Brianna didn’t reply, Gaspard’s magnificent new size had her at a loss for words.
LAMENT OF PURGATORY (ASHWOOD CHRONICLES #1) Page 27