by Andy Nadir
“This one has the word fire on it.”
Leah nodded. “Ten plague demons.”
The man tilted his head. “Excuse me?”
“We have a different system of currency. We do not charge money. We want to help fight the plague demons, but the Guardians don’t want us out there yet. So, to buy from us you have to kill plague demons and bring their bodies to us.”
The man nodded. “A noble enough cause. I will do as you ask.” He placed the knife on the counter.
“Please keep that on hold for me. I will return tomorrow with your dead demons.”
“Can we have a name to hold it under?” Leah asked.
The man grinned, showing off spiked teeth. “Baal.”
He disappeared just as quickly as he had come.
Logan gulped. “G…guys. My ability tells me that Ball was the general of Hell’s armies. We just sold a dagger to a Demon Lord.”
Chapter Seventeen
Alyosha burst out laughing. “We never seem to lay low, do we?”
Connor groaned. “I hope he doesn’t bring us a bunch of live plague demons.”
“He cannot. The portal will not allow anyone with ill intent through it.” Logan said.
Leah took out a piece of brown wrapping paper and tried to wrap the dagger.
“Give that to me!” Logan snatched the weapon and paper from her.
He quickly wrapped the paper around it, and wrote “Baal” on it with a sharpie.
“Where did you get that?” Leah asked.
“Front desk.”
“I am going to my room. You can handle any more visitors?” Alyosha asked.
Leah nodded, and he headed out of the store.
Chuck was already in the room, waiting with the two special figurines.
“They’re enchanted.” He said.
Alyosha grinned.
“Perfect.”
He pulled the whole drawer of figurines out. It seemed to keep going until he had pulled it to the other end of the room.
Figurines were stacked on top of each other, probably a few hundred total. Alyosha noticed a few different figurines as well. They were bulkier and shorter than the others, and each carried a huge axe.
The draw next to it opened to reveal an equal amount of little one man jets.
“These jets took me almost a day to figure out. I was lucky that I convinced Logan that I wanted to learn about them. I got floor plans like that.”
Chuck nodded. “Ok. Can you activate them?”
Alyosha nodded. “Take down my window.”
Chuck pressed the emergency release buttons in the window, and it fell backwards. He grabbed it before it hit the ground. He pulled it inside.
“Ok.”
Alyosha gripped his staff tightly with his hands, and brought it down on the ground.
He felt the power rush out of him and into the staff’s crystal. It pulsated with Skyfire.
A massive ball of Skyfire roared out of the staff, and hovered above the room. Alyosha brought it slamming down into all the figurines and jets, and it was instantly absorbed.
Sweat dripped down his brow.
“When I blow on them, I think I will faint. Give me five minutes, and I will be fine again. Do not say anything during that time.”
He took a deep breath, and exhaled over the figurines. A rush of power left him instantly, and he fell back against the wall.
He gasped for breath, and put a hand over his heart.
“Next time, I do one at a time.” He wheezed.
“Look at me.” Alyosha commanded.
All their heads swiveled towards him.
“We are going to war. Demons are taking over earth. You were all once citizens of earth, and she needs you now. It is time to repay her. Kill the demons outside this island!”
The little army roared in agreement.
“LK will lead you. Good luck to all!”
LK and his dragon perched on the window. “Get in your jets! We engage the devils now!” He cried, and led a roaring brigade of little fighters out of the island.
“I made two special ones for us. They both have more armor and Skyfire, and will replenish themselves on their own. They do not have anything controlling them, so we must do it on our own. I called no spirit into them. Any of the others can be controlled as well, but they are much weaker.”
Left on his table were two special figures standing at attention and two jets.
Alyosha quickly wrote a note saying they would be back soon and left it on his table. He released his staff, and it disappeared.
“Touch your figurine, and you will enter it. If it is killed, you will come back here. The demons cannot kill us, but we can be hurt. All things will be left in that body though. So, you can feel pain, but if you die there, you come back here.”
Alyosha tapped a finger against the figure, and there was a rush of power as he felt himself slam into the little metal centurion.
His fake staff shattered, revealing a small version of his real one.
He pressed the extrusion, and the blade flicked out. “See? Just needed Skyfire.”
He rapped it on the table. “Chuck?”
The figurine with two massive guns over his back nodded to him. “I have two rapid fire guns over my shoulder and a bazooka tube over my head. What could go wrong?” Chuck quipped.
Alyosha climbed into his Jet. “Let’s go catch up to the other fighters!”
The controls were simple. A steering wheel and throttle.
He pushed the throttle, and blasted through the open window.
Chuck was close behind him.
They flew over the island, and then turned towards the coast. They saw the other fighters zooming over the town, looking for a target. They accelerated, and entered the cloud of jets.
“Demons spotted northwest! Advance!” A voice said.
The whole cloud turned lightly to their left, and began to lower. Alyosha and Chuck followed them.
“Snake! I feel tingly!” Chuck yelled.
“That must be your enchantment! We will take full size when we get near zombies! Here we go!”
There was a blast as all the soldiers turned to the size of a human. Snake landed on his feet. “Allright men, listen up! Group up behind Chuck, myself, or one of the commanders! Then advance and kill all the plague demons!”
About fifty soldiers walked up behind him.
“Good luck, Snake.”
“You too, Tank.”
Chuck snorted. “Tank?”
“Yep. You have two guns and a missile launcher. Definitely a tank.”
Alyosha could almost see Chuck roll his eyes. “Lets get em!”
Alyosha summoned his staff, and slammed it on the ground. The blade snapped out. “Let’s go!”
They charged towards the middle of the city.
Alyosha paused at a grocery store. He turned in, and several of his troops followed him while the others waited outside.
He saw a zombie, and swung the scythe at it. It split it apart, and Skyfire ate the rest of the beast up.
“Bring this place to the ground!” Alyosha roared.
He lobbed a ball of Skyfire at the back wall, melting it away. There was chaos as plague demons came out from everywhere and soldiers opened fire.
An arrow whizzed past him and took down a zombie about to sneak up on him.
He focused his power into the staff, and a hand made of Skyfire blasted from the ground and smashed several demons.
The fighting was brutal but swift. Dozens of demons lay dead on the ground. His entire platoon hadn’t taken a single loss.
“Good work! Retrievers, take these bodies back to Base.”
Several buglike creations flew down and grabbed the bodies before flying away.
“What are these bug things? I don’t remember making them?” Chuck asked through his enchanted mic.
“Last minute addition. Remember that little enchanter guy I had you make? He enchanted them
.”
“Oh.”
When the bugs had cleared the battlefield off, they continued through the city destroying demons.
Alyosha and his troops reached a residential area and slowed down.
“Don’t hurt any humans!” He called to them.
He strode into the first house, and melted two zombies in it. “Men! I believe the demons are attracted by noise! Make as much noise as you can!”
There was an earthshattering blast from a mile or two away.
“Snake, what the hell does this bazooka shoot?”
“Ah, you used it. You’re getting a party soon. Get ready!”
Alyosha slammed his staff into the ground a few times, sending up thunderclaps.
Plague demons emerged from all around, and the soldiers attacked again.
This attack was stronger than the last, and Alyosha heard several constructs explode when they were destroyed.
He hurled a ball of Skyfire into a nearby demon and slashed another into two pieces.
The skirmishes continued for the rest of the day, and well into the night.
“Battalions, meet up! Come to the bank.” Alyosha called into his headset.
A few minutes later, the remaining soldiers marshalled around the bank. They were missing about fifty men, and about ten times that had been “killed”.
A dead demon stirred, and rubbed his head. He sat up, and screamed. Alyosha knelt next to him. “Do not worry. The devils are dead.”
The man gibbered for a minute, but stopped when he realized he was safe. “Go in the bank.” Alyosha said.
The man nodded, and ran inside.
“Tank! Our weapons are Skyfire, and I was hoping they would purify any turned humans. I was correct in that assumption. If you see any humans, send them to the bank. The carriers are taking the bodies of the demons to the island to get their possessions. All other bodies are still alive. Send out scout parties to retrieve humans. Go!”
About ten troops ran up to Alyosha. “We will scout for humans. The rest of the Snakes will stay at the bank and protect it. You might want to return to your land until later on. We will protect your vessel.”
Snake would have raised his eyebrow if he had one. “Thank you.”
“Tank! Enter the bank and depower. We can return later.”
Alyosha willed himself back in his room, and he reappeared.
“Whew. That was…exiting!” Chuck said.
Alyosha nodded in agreement. The soldiers will destroy the demons. I can no longer call them nezhit, or undead anymore, can I?”
Chuck shrugged. “They still look like zombies.”
“Do you think the others noticed we were gone?” Alyosha asked.
Chuck shrugged. “I don’t think so. They probably had their hands full with the shop. I’m heading to bed, I’m exhausted.”
Alyosha nodded. “I am as well.”
**********
The rest of the day passed quickly. There were a few more customers, but none as dangerous as Baal.
Right as Logan was about to turn the portal off for the day, a plague demon tumbled through the portal. A rush of corpses fell out of the portal. It continued for almost a minute before Baal stepped out of the portal. The smell of brimstone filled the air.
“I’m glad we made the shop so big.” Leah muttered.
A grin was plastered on his face. “If you count, you will find exactly fifty corpses here. I found ten too easy to kill, and I needed to spend my energy on something. Hopefully, I can cash these in for credit for a more…expensive item later.”
Connor closed his eyes and concentrated. The corpses climbed to their hands and knees, and crawled out of the shop. They collapsed in the field around them.
Baal raised his eyebrows. “You have a Necromancer in your group?”
Connor shook his head. “No, I controlled the water inside them.”
Ball nodded in respect to Connor. “Not an easy task. I wish to speak with one of your group. I have a special request for him.”
Abby frowned. “Who?”
“I want to speak with the one called Snake.” He replied.
“What business do you have with him?” Leah asked.
“His abilities are something unheard of. I witnessed them firsthand when he and his men destroyed about five hundred plague demons about an hour ago.” His eyes glinted with desire.
“Are you sure it was him? He has been in his room all day.” Logan said.
“Humor me.”
Logan shrugged. “Abby, could you go get him?”
Abby nodded, and her sword rushed off her back and towards the hotel.
Chapter Eighteen
Baal leaned against a wall. “So, you are the group that everyone is so roused up about. I think I can see why. Teenagers with two adults. And you wield more power than half the geezers in the Guardians council. But why would the councils of Heaven and Hell care? Your power does not even hold a candle to them. Why indeed…”
Leah shrugged. “We’re just unusual.”
Baal smirked. “Nobody is unusual. There are normal people. They don’t stand out, and they have no meaning. Cannon fodder. Then there are special people. Outcasts from the normal ones not because of fault of their own, but because they are more. Humans hate what is better than them. What you are good at, someone is better. You are never the best. That doesn’t change the normal people from hating those who are better than them though. You are not normal, I am sure of that. But, what are you?”
Logan shrugged. “There are only two options. Process of elimination.”
Baal grinned. “No, there is a third type. There are Dead people as well. And they just don’t matter.”
Abby returned with Alyosha trailing at her heels.
“What do you want?” He asked.
Baal nodded slightly to Leah, Logan, and Connor, and turned to Alyosha.
“You killed five hundred demons earlier today.” He stated.
Alyosha nodded. “Do you have a problem with that?”
Baal shook his head. “No. They were not under my command. I want to know how a single mortal did that.”
“No offense, but your demons are really, really stupid. You make a lot of noise and ambush them.”
Baal nodded. “True. But they would tear a human to pieces. A single human stands no chance against one, much less five hundred. Even a council member would have trouble doing so.”
“Well, I had help.”
“Oh? Who helped you, Snake?” Baal asked.
“One of this group.”
“Ah, the other enchanter.” Baal said.
Alyosha nodded.
“That is still nowhere near enough to kill that many demons.”
“I had a little help from others as well.” Alyosha said.
“Who else helped you?” Baal asked eagerly.
“Oh, a few hundred constructs made from Malice and Skyfire.”
Baal glared at him. “You mock me. That is unwise, mortal.”
Alyosha rolled his eyes. “I have no reason to lie. Come see for yourself.”
Baal followed him out the front door, and Alyosha pointed at the roof of the store where the lanky construct was perched.
“That is one of them.”
Baal stared at the thing, and nodded. He headed back inside and Alyosha followed him.
“How much would it cost to have you make me a sword?” He asked Alyosha
“We have many daggers here.” Alyosha waved around the shop.
Baal glared at him. “You know what I speak of. One made with your power.”
Alyosha frowned. “You would not be able to use it.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
Alyosha summoned his staff, and tossed it to Baal.
Baal lightly grabbed it, and yelled in pain as it began to burn him. He dropped the weapon, and Alyosha caught it.
Baal looked at his hands. “What is that?”
“A staff made from Malice and Skyfire.”
/> “How can you hold it?”
Alyosha showed him his power absorbing glove.
“This absorbs the power of the staff and allows me to hold it.”
“How much for a glove and a sword?” Baal prodded.
“One thousand plague demons.” Alyosha said firmly.
Baal nodded. “Deal. I will return at exactly noon tomorrow. Have your water controller ready to take them somewhere. They will have a few hours of a body left on them.”
Alyosha nodded, and Baal disappeared.
“What’s this about killing five hundred zombies without us?” Leah spun towards Alyosha.
“You were busy.” Alyosha tried.
Leah frowned at him.
“Abby, get him.”
He yelped, and sprinted away as Abby charged him. Leah and the others laughed and followed.
He led them out to the field, and spun.
“I do not want to play now. Let me sleep.”
Leah smirked. “This is what you get for going without us!”
He turned and ran again, sending bolts of Skyfire at them.
“Don’t worry! Those can’t hurt anyone innocent!” Logan yelled, and ran right through a ball of it.
“Leave me alone!” Alyosha yelled.
“Never!” Abby called back.
“Protect me!” He roared.
There was a loud crash as a large hammer spun through a window and slammed into the ground in front of Abby.
She couldn’t stop fast enough, and tripped over it.
She rolled, and stood shakily. “What was that?”
A blacksmith jumped out of the window, and landed next to his hammer. He picked it up and stood in front of Alyosha.
Alyosha grinned from behind it. “I want to sleep. Go away.”
Leah shifted and attacked the blacksmith.
“Not until we get you!”
The blacksmith swung its hammer down, and Leah absorbed the hit. “Hah! Tough skin, sucker!”
Abby ran past the blacksmith towards Alyosha.
“I am starting to think you are wanting to really hurt me!” He yelled.
“I can’t promise that we won’t!” Leah replied.
He summoned a ball of Malice.
“Stay back.”
Abby smirked. “You wouldn’t throw that at me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I promise not to permanently injure you?” She asked sweetly.
“I don’t.” A harsh voice whispered.
A long arm snapped around, and sent Abby flying.
It strode forward, and slammed its hands down where she was.
She rolled out of the blow. “I thought this thing was dead! Connor, help me!”
“I don’t have any water!” He yelled.
Alyosha chuckled. “Promise not to maim me. Funny.”