Chapter 36
Let’s play
“Argh,” Raijin shouted as he pushed against a piece of wall that was being bombarded from above.
“Come on monster, Submit,” Slo shouted from overhead. The orange light filled the night as he attacked. He spun midair slamming his foot into the wall with enough force to make it crack. “Stop hiding!”
Raijin cursed, as he gritted his teeth. The few who’d safely hidden behind him were halted from trying to run away.
He braced himself as the Surrem drew back.
Seeing his chance, he used all his strength to launch that piece of wall high into the air.
Just in time to catch the Surrem’s widened gaze in shock, drawing back his arm he made a fist and launched it through the air slamming it into the face of the Surrem, he heard the sound of breaking bones and flesh, he pushed as hard as he could.
The Surrem flew back, slamming into a building across the street.
“Shit, these guys are persistent,” Castian shouted, smoothly moving to the side as he escaped another lunge. His familiar, transformed and restructured above him turning into two cats. He twirled his cane in his hand, as he drew his hat up, he shouted. “Go!”
The two large metallic cats shot out, attacking Lrik.
Tightening his hold of his cane he brought it down hard against the ground, watching as spikes exploded from the ground aiming for the creature. The Surrem’s body lurched as three of the spikes reached their mark.
Tossing up his cane, Castian manipulated the spikes to turn midair and aim down. The spikes fell stabbing The Surrem through the back.
The Surrem hit the ground, his body completely riddled with iron spikes.
“Now, stay down,” Castian growled, turning in time to slip into the shadows when another Surrem attempted to attack him from behind.
“Dammit.” He reemerged near Raijin. “This is getting to be a bit much, don’t you think Ogre?”
Raijin had already lost his jacket and removed his mask. His skin was bright red, and eyes were burning with a murderous light. “I agree.”
Just as he said this, a body slammed into the ground next to him. Roni coughed, pushing up from the ditch the force of his body hitting the asphalt created. He groaned. “Damn, they’re strong.”
The sound of wrenching metal left Castian cursing. “Please, tell me that’s not the bug I just pinned.”
They watched as the Surrem pulled the iron spikes from its body before standing tall and releasing a loud roar.
Then it turned its enraged glowing eyes upon them again.
“The Council has agreed to send some help our way,” Tiller said, coming from behind them. “But only if we agree to handle these ones alone.”
“That’s what you’ve been doing this entire time?” Castian nearly screeched in disbelief. “Having a fucking meeting.”
Tiller shrugged. “I needed to make sure we’re not blamed for the destruction.”
“I hate you,” Castian shouted as he lifted his cane in time to deflect a corner of a building that was tossed in their direction. “So, what’s the plan, we obviously can't injure them until we have the weapons from Alek’s kids.”
“We’ll help.”
The four men, including Roni, all looked up to find The Unseelie standing in front of them.
Jion glanced over his shoulder with a dangerous grin. “The Witch demanded we do something.”
“You don’t have to tell them everything,” Lyon said as he moved forward, his grey-colored ponytail swinging.
Jion pouted. “But it’s fun, they would be dead without us.” He pulled something from his back as he whined. He spun it in his hands; it was a pure thin spiked Staff. Only the tip was purple. “I’ve been dying to try this since I stole it from that Vampire’s home.”
He stopped in front of Slo, and grinned, flashing his iron teeth. “Promise me a good time.”
Slo laughed hearing this, his orange eyes bright. “I promise you death,” he said, punctuating this by cracking his fingers as he moved forward.
With a low crouch, he launched himself at The Unseelie with a roar. “Die!”
Jion spun his staff turning counterclockwise to where Slo ran at him. He tossed the staff up, and he jumped, rising above the staff, and as he came back down, he kicked out. His foot landed on the back of the staff.
Slo’s eyes widened as he felt the staff piercing through his heart; his body hit the ground hard.
Jion stood with one foot atop the staff end, and his other leg was bent at the knee while he lifted his hands in the Kung-fu stance of a crane.
He looked down at Slo who didn’t move an inch. “That’s it?”
The four men who’d watched were shocked, their silence only broken by the siren that sounded all around them. They watched as Jion leaped off and jerked the staff out of Slo’s back. He clicked his tongue, “Well that was boring.”
Lyon traded places with him, his Kamas in hand, the curved blades looking dangerous in his hands. He turned to face Lrik who’d watched from a distance, he pointed at him. “Are you coming?”
Lrik looked at Slo’s dead body, looking up he frowned. “The wind has changed.”
Lyon followed his gaze, noticed the color of the sky shift. He squinted. “Then we will postpone this fight.” He turned away from Lrik and made his way toward Raijin and the others.
“Y-you’re not going to kill him?” Castian demanded.
Lyon hooked his Kamas on his hip. “Something worse is occurring, the Veil is shattering.”
Tiller and the others exchanged a look before they looked up. All their expressions became alarmed when they saw the trace of shattering. “Someone has opened a gate, but it’s not stable, and something is tainting the wind. It would be prudent to go and see what it is.”
With that, the Unseelie disappeared as well as the Surrem.
Raijin, and the others looked around the area where they’d been. The pure destruction they’d created in a few seconds was mind boggling. The first to recover was Roni.
“I’m guessing that is where we should go.” He pointed at where there was a spiraling cyclone overhead.
Tiller nodded. “Let’s go.”
The four of them quickly found a transport circle inside of The Council building and left.
OYE
“Oye, back up,” Sabina shouted just as she grabbed a pipe from the ground and threw it at three slime creatures who’d come up behind her.
Oye twirled her Scythe on the edge of her fingers.
Turning, she cut across her body. Cutting the slime in half, they hissed as they disappeared.
She whistled as her scythe changed to a ring sword spinning it around her wrist as she slid across the ground she tossed it, guiding it so it ran through the crowd cutting any slime it encountered before it circled back.
Catching it midair, she snapped it down, so it turned into a rapier.
She glared at the ever-growing numbers of slime creatures. “This is starting to get annoying.”
“Tell me about it,” Sabina shouted, running up the body of one. Wrapping her legs around its neck. she threw herself back, using her body to sling the creature away. She landed. Rising, she walked to Oye’s side. “Where is our back up?”
“Cousin, have you not noticed the other chaos going on?” Oye said. exasperated. When Sabina went into berserk mode, she paid little attention to anything else but the battle.
“Hmm, you have a point,” Sabina said as she dodged another pair of slimy hands.
“Let’s just make sure we’re not dragged to Hell for now,” Oye said as she ran forward.
“I can do that,” Sabina said cheerfully.
LANIAS
Lanias was focused on reaching the center of the cyclone.
Alek cut the way, as she shielded him.
With her hand in his, Lanias gave him a clear shot and gritted her teeth as he swung her forward. Releasing her magic, she lashed it out like a whip taking heads of the weird creatures as she went.
Landing, she didn’t stop her movement and ran forward.
Alek followed right behind her, covering her back as if they’d done this together a thousand times.
“Lanias,” he shouted in alarm.
She dropped into a split. He jumped over her, cutting down another slime.
Grabbing her hand, he pulled her up. Together they continued to cut a path.
Lanias could feel the pulse growing stronger as she got closer. “Alek, throw me again!”
He looked back at her, “What?”
She tugged at his hand.
“Throw me,” she shouted. “I have a plan.”
He dropped his sword, returning to her side he lifted her. And with his Vampire strength he spun before launching her toward the center.
Lanias flew, and she pushed her magic outward.
The black whips turned orange at the tips as she spread her hands wide forming a barrier as she flew towards the center.
A green light hit her covering her entire body. Lanias strained as she felt her lower body push up from the force coming out of the open gate.
“Shit.” Straining, she pushed her magic down, her hands pressing her barrier forward. “Go down,” she shouted as the force of the corrupt gate fought against her will.
Her lock magic fell into the black pit below, and a soundless boom told her she’d succeeded.
As she was blown once again into the air.
“We need to stop meeting like this,” Alek teased, catching her before she was completely blown away. The pulsing from below had stopped, and the black slime began to fade.
“Well done.”
Lanias relaxed.
“Gotcha.”
Lanias’ eyes widened as she saw Zaharis appear from a slit in the sky behind Alek. His claws out and target clear. She used her magic to supplement her strength, forcing Alek to turn midair.
Lanias felt a pain exploding in her chest.
Alek stared in stunned silence at the clawed hand that pierced Lanias’ chest, and the warm blood that hit his face. Her eyes were wide, the purple dulling to black. Her body swayed.
Zaharis jerked his hand back. Her body lurched as her lashes fluttered before her eyes closed as she fell forward.
Alek caught her body just as they hit the ground. He couldn’t hear or see anything except to feel her cold body lying in his arms. He stared ahead; he didn’t move an inch. His mind lost all ability to comprehend this reality of her dead body in his arms.
“I want you too.”