In the Dark of Night – Part 15
Yesterday, January 14th of 2021, there were almost 4,000 deaths from COVID-19.
We are a year into this pandemic, and the deadliest day was Tuesday. Of this week.
It’s becoming hard to see anything past the innumerable lives ruined by COVID-19 and the failures of our nation over the last 365 days.
I’ve lost 100 pounds over the course of the last two years. Through the small peaks and the many, many valleys of navigating this last year, I still managed to lose 32 pounds.
There’s no point in me even attempting to draw attention to that fact right now. We are all so completely subsumed by the daily heroics that so many of our lives now require that trying to bleat about my weight loss isn’t really in the cards right now.
Eventually, it will make a fantastic story.
When our lives begin to resemble what they once were, and we can once more look to the future to plan things as we once did then it will be my time to shine. And shine I will.
That day is not this day, however. It pains me more than a little to do so, but I must once again swallow my pride and bide my time.
Standing upon the wreckage of so many lives and livelihoods to crow about my accomplishments feels more than a little grotesque to be quite honest with you.
All that having been said, it’s time to focus on the portion of my career that I was losing weight for anyway: Being a fantasy author! I want to feel progress with that side of my life while I let the fields of my weight loss go fallow. To that end, I shall once more tell the tales of my heart without fear.
I like writing here because I can march forward without fear, beating the drums of my advance as loud as I please. Here, I am beholden to nothing and no-one but my own grit and imagination. That freedom is liberating. Even if I should become someone successful in the years to come, I shall keep these pages for myself. I relish the time that I am allowed to spend haunting these halls, summoning whichever monsters happen to tickle my fancy.
Onward!
In the Dark of Night – Part 15
Leaves flew along the road, brushing past the naked skeletal frame of the thrice-crowned disciple of Azazel marching towards me. It stepped across the unconscious form of Anzi as though she were no longer there. I watched the leaves drift by and the advancing demon with mounting horror.
Time. Hadn’t. Stopped.
The demon was here, present in the physical world as it hadn’t been in either of our previous battles. As I studied the white mass of bones, I could see that they were a mishmash of human remains smashed into the approximate shape of the demon’s incorporeal form. A dozen human remains must have been desecrated to form the physical vessel I saw advancing upon me.
A single thought slid home like a knife in the back: This fight was for keeps. Any damage it inflicted would remain even if I won. And, since the demon was trapped within a physical vessel, its only way back home was through me.
I was defenseless; my bat lay against my bed and my nunchucks were in Officer Davis’ clutches.
Three skeletal jaws opened in a soundless roar, then three sets of horns lowered as they charged forward. The demon was massive, equal to any bull I’d ever seen. Even though it was no skin and all bones, it would surely break mine if I let it touch me.
I threw my backpack towards the middle head and desperately dived towards the prone angel.
The head flew upwards, the body stopping short as it reared to catch the bag. The two heads on either side began rending the bag, torn pages scattered in a spray of literature. It worked better than I thought, but then again I wouldn’t be quick-witted either if I’d died twice in as many days.
The savaging continued as I sprinted flat-out towards the prone figure I had sworn to God and Tim I would protect.
I nearly sobbed in relief as I got close enough to see that she was still breathing. I didn’t know how badly she’d been hurt, but there wasn’t any blood pooling beneath her and seeing her chest rise and fall would have to suffice. There were other matters to attend to.
The demon, having savaged the bag to ribbons, lumbered in a great half-circle to orient upon me yet again. The jaws loosed another silent scream before it shot up a rooster tail of dust and pelted towards me.
I set my feet and gathered all of my will and anger and determination into my heart. With each beat, I sent it pumping through my veins alongside my blood. My skin glowed, trickles of brilliant white power seeping from my pores as it coursed through me without a focus to guide it. I pooled as much of it in my hands as I could. When the painful pressure became too much to bear, I threw both hands forward with a yawp of defiance.
The power rushed out, rocketing from me in a boiling flood of fluorescent steam.
It slammed into the demon like a freight train. The lead head exploded in a shower of bones that disintegrated into corpse dust as they flew through the air. The beast was tossed through the air by the power of its charge, the four hooves flailing over me as it flew out over the fence and into the field from whence it had come.
I let out a wordless howl of triumph as I fell to my knees and began gasping for breath.
I tried to still the frantic thumping of my heart, taking deep, calming breaths just as my father had taught me. I pushed myself to my feet, fighting through the aching tiredness of channeling so much power. My half-smile of triumph vanished as I caught sight of my foe.
The demon was already on its feet, the two remaining heads swaying drunkenly as they tried to locate me. They caught sight of me after a few moments and they shook their whole body like a dog shedding water as they prepared yet another attack.
I reached deep, scooping up all the emotions I had left so I could send the demon permanently out to pasture.
The power within flowed in tandem with my blood, but I had already wasted too much with my last attack. Everything I had left would never be enough to turn aside the next charge, let alone blast the demon to smithereens as I had been hoping the first would.
Two wordless howls later and it bounded after me for the third time.
I had nothing. No bag, no weapon, no power. I could barely move and even if I could I would never leave Anzi defenseless.
Poor thing. She’d been in my care less than twenty-four hours and I had already failed her. Tim had sat at his desk working miracle after miracle to take care of my family. Then he’d sent Anzi to me for rehabilitation, even after she’d… she’d…
I forced myself to see Anzi lying upon the ground. All of her. Every curve of dark skin and lock of jet-black hair. The beautiful full lips, the gentle curves of face and hips.
And as I did I could just make out the baldric where her sword lay strapped to her waist.
With a tired sob of triumph, I dove towards my only salvation and yanked it free of the scabbard.
The sword lit up like a second sun, the dregs of power flowing through me drawn into the sword like moths to the flame.
At once, all exhaustion and fear fled me as though they were a dream I was just now waking from. I felt invincible. In that moment, it felt as though the universe revolved around me. I knew precisely what to do and how to do it. I almost laughed at how silly I had been to think that I could fail, of all things.
I turned, using both hands to raise the sword high and straight before me. The demon heads reared up, stunned by the shining presence of the heavenly weapon. Their madcap dash faltered for just a moment before they shielded their gaze and resumed their stampede.
I shot across the dirt like a human comet leaking sunshine, lowering the weapon to my side and letting it flow out behind me as I went. The horns never faltered, steady and sure of their impending victory. I almost felt sad for the hell-spawn.
I had won, the demon just didn’t know it yet.
With a piercing scream, I swung the blade with all of my newfound might. Light extended out beyond the metal, lengthening my strike. I pushed even more of my magic into the blade, fusing my power to my muscles with a single, masterful stroke.
The blade connected; a white-hot upward arc which slashed through the heads, the necks, the chest, and the frontal legs in a cataclysmic blow.
Dust filled the air as the half I had severed flew apart in the breeze. The half of the fiend which remained lay slumped upon the ground, twitching and thrashing blindly.
With a contemptuous one-handed backslash, I rent the remaining bones asunder.
With a sigh of relief, I turned my face to the sky and let loose a silent prayer of thanks to Tim and the rest of the heavenly hosts for their aid in my hour of need.
I turned, intent on ensuring Anzi was indeed safe and whole, when I felt the ground smack into my cheek. The pain confused me; I hadn’t even noticed I was falling. My thoughts came sluggish and thick, and my body refused to heed my commands for it to rise.
The sword was still sucking energy from me. My magic had run out, however, so now the sword was powering itself with the strength of my soul. I panicked in a slow, quiet way. I tried to open my hand, but it was as rigid and unresponsive as the rest of me.
The ghost of a smile brushed my lips. I had won the battle, but it was the Warlock which had won the war. The price they must have paid for creating a physical vessel and shoving the demon into must have been ruinous, but it had been worth it all the same
A shadow fell across me.
“All I would need to do to be rid of you is stand here and watch you die.”
I looked up, seeing the young woman silhouetted against the bright morning sky. With the last dregs of life still clinging to me, I lifted my face towards her. I couldn’t speak, but I mouthed ‘help’ as best I could.
Anzi looked down at me, her face a melting pot of anger and confusion and sadness.
“And yet, I find I cannot tolerate the thought of you dying such an ignominious death.”
A hand, supple and warm, reached down and freed the sword from my grip. With a sound like silk running across steel the sword vanished into the scabbard and then both sword and scabbard vanished into the obscurity of assumed absence.
The hand returned, and as it wrapped around my cold fingers I could feel my magic and soul flow into me through the contact. Each heartbeat came stronger than the last. After a few moments, my hand was just as warm as the one holding it.
From the very edge of oblivion itself, my guardian angel hauled me back onto my feet.
I clasped Anzi’s arm as I tried to get my feet under me. Once I had succeeded, I yanked hard on both hand and arm, pulling the unsuspecting angel into a ferocious bear hug. I sobbed ‘thank you’ over and over into her shoulder as I did my best to squeeze my heartfelt gratitude into her.
The contact obviously flustered her. She didn’t know what to do, so she settled on awkward one-handed back patting.
“It’s okay Claire. Uhhh, you fight well! For a human, that is. Err… hmmm…”
Her uncertain attempts to cheer me up did the trick, and after a few moments I was able to separate myself and stutter out the last of my thanks. As I released her hand, she held it mid-air for just a moment before she crossed her chest with it and began rubbing her other arm.
“It was nothing. I just… I didn’t…”
She trailed off into silence, face turned to the side as the rubbing sped up. She looked flustered, uncertain of what to do with all the emotions that were playing across her features.
Anzi turned back to the road, grumbling about humans and all of our nonsense as she went.
I grinned and began limping after her. Despite walking the razor’s edge of survival, I felt happy. Buoyant, even.
As Anzi had turned to leave, I had caught sight of the shy smile she had been trying to hide.
I began humming softly to myself as my grin grew wider.
To be continued…
Swordfully,
The Unsheathed Quill
