Master? What master? he thought, backing away a couple of paces nervously. Brian tried to summon another conflagration to consume the foul creature before him, but found he couldn't muster enough energy for the spell. The only thing he could do now was annoy the cyborg enough to distract it so Katie could incapacitate it. Before the machine could turn its focus back toward her he jabbed at it again with his spear.
Using the opportunity, which Brian had afforded her, Katie snatched the sword from the dirt, grimacing as she gripped the sword tightly in both hands and swung with all her strength. Unfortunately, the blade did not sever the leg she had struck like she hoped. Instead, it became firmly lodged in its metal skeleton. She tugged in futility to free the blade, but couldn't budge it.
The formless one inside the machine suddenly realized the man was just bait to keep his attention while the woman hacked away at him with her sword. "I'll get back to you in a minute," the cyborg told Brian, swinging around to face Katie.
The hollow, metallic laughter died in its throat as it spun toward her. The sword which had been stuck in the cyborg's leg clattered to the ground as the appendage buckled and snapped, the fracture caused by the blade spidering outward to crack the remaining metal. The cyborg tilted forward crazily as it lost its balance, giving Katie a matter of seconds to roll out of the way before it crashed to the ground.
Though the machine lay on its stomach in the dirt, it flopped around like a turtle turned upside down on its shell, flailing in a useless effort to flip itself over.
Picking up the sword, Brian motioned Katie out of his way as he strode over and placed a boot on the creature's back to hold it down. Mimicking what he had seen Katie do, he gripped the blade in both hands and swung with all the force his one hundred and forty pound frame could muster. In a shower of sparks, the cyborg's head left its body and rolled a few feet away, its glowing red eyes blinking in disbelief.
Pushing herself up from the street and dusting herself off, Katie cheered. Blushing, Brian stepped off the twitching machine and walked over to Katie, handing the sword back to her. "In the future, I would prefer to use something I wasn't afraid of cutting myself on." He grinned.
"Well, if it weren't for your quick thinking the day would have ended on a much sadder note," she sighed.
"You did most of the work." He laughed, waving a hand at her as if he had only played a minor role.
"Maybe so, but if it weren't for you and Jack I would probably be a flattened, bloody splat mark on the road with footprints all over me," she confessed, trying to keep a serious look on her face, but snorting when she thought of herself as the unfortunate Wiley Coyote being crushed under the giant boot intended for the Road Runner.
"What's so funny?" Brian looked at her in confusion. "Is there some kind of hidden humor in a life or death experience?"
"Nothing you would understand," she replied. "My words reminded me of a cartoon I used to watch as a kid, but it was way before your time so I doubt you would have ever seen it."
Standing between Katie and the building burning on the opposite side of the street, he put his hands on his hips comically. "Are you trying to say that I'm old?"
With his face shielded from the light of the fire Katie couldn't see the expression he was wearing, but what she did see caused her to step backward. "What the hell?"
"What now? Another joke?" Brian teased.
Shaking her head vehemently, Katie pointed toward the dismembered cyborg. Slipping out from the severed neck was a fog-like mist, which she had first thought to be steam or smoke from a burning circuit. The longer she watched, the more it seemed to take on a human shape, looking somewhat like the transparent way a ghost would appear.
"You may have won the fight, but the battle is far from over," the formless demon hissed. Before Brian could turn toward the sound of the voice, the minion slipped behind the buildings and disappeared from sight.
Chapter 40
Verin gazed into the Black Knight's monitor in disgust. The lesser demons he had pulled from the Factory and sent down the mountain aboard the railcar had failed their mission. As he watched the tiny creatures scrambling back onto the platform to scurry back to the safety and security of the Black Knight's hidden fortress like whimpering dogs with their tails tucked between their legs, he turned away from the screens and drifted back to Cemetery Hill to greet them.
As he glided effortlessly down the tunnel from his master's chamber, Verin considered what to do with the lesser demons upon their return. Should he admonish them and send the creatures back to finish the job or escort them back to the Factory where the Black Knight had deposited them before heading off to wherever he'd gone?
Entering the expansive room known as Cemetery Hill, Verin was immediately met by someone he hadn't expected to see. The formless one who had been left as a sentry to take care of George should he return was rushing toward him. "Verin, it's good to see you. Where is our master?"
Disgusted that the demon had addressed him as if they were friends, Verin snapped at him. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be in the dumping ground waiting for George!"
"The humans destroyed the machine I was inside of, leaving me no choice but to—"
"Stop your whining!" Verin demanded.
"The master isn't here, is he? That explains why you think you're King Shit," the minion spat.
"No, he isn't here. I'm not sure what distant land he has traveled to, but it must be similar to this world. I poked my head through his portal," he confessed, pointing toward the giant black oval in the corner, "and heard a noise which sounded like a dragon."
"Well, I'm not going back to the dumping ground and there's nothing you can do to make me. The humans are too powerful. The master is going to need a much larger army if he intends to deal with them." The formless one slid by Verin without another word, not giving him a chance to protest, and disappeared into the tunnel.
It was only a matter of minutes before the railcar screeched to a halt outside and the room began to fill with the remainder of the lesser demons Verin had sent down to take care of the humans. Screaming and shouting curses at one another they approached him.
"Quit your infernal bickering!" Verin's voice boomed above them. The chamber immediately fell silent except for a few murmurs of dissention. "I hope you at least have some good news."
"I think we may have injured or killed one of the humans," one of the braver minions responded, stepping to the front of the group.
"Only one?" Verin raved, the mist of his form encircling the tiny creature like a choke collar. "You should have obliterated that puny group! The sheer numbers alone gave you a significant upper hand!"
"But ... there is one among them who could have snuffed us out like a candle," the demon stuttered in their defense.
"And because of this one mortal you all run away like cowards? You are demons, for fuck's sake! Act like it!" Verin growled.
"There is no way we could have won the fight," the impish creature retorted, growing angry at the accusation. "We would have all died had we stayed. In my opinion it was more intelligent to flee the battle and warn the master than to let them overrun us and ruin his plans."
Verin swirled around the tiny creatures angrily as he tried to figure out what to do. Drifting outside he gazed down the mountain at the town below, the conflagration clearly visible even from this height though he couldn't see anything moving down there. Scanning the area around him, he devised a last ditch plan to keep the mortals at bay should they decide to try climbing the mountain.
"You there," he pointed at the leader as he returned to the chamber, "bring the strongest half of your fellows outside, you may still be useful."
"What about the other half?"
"They can return to work in the Factory," Verin hissed.
Chapter 41
The light emanating from the burning structure had dwindled considerably by the time Edward regained consciousness. Opening his eyes he saw the others, their faces hoveri
ng over his own seemingly riddled with worry lines. "What ... what happened?" he inquired weakly, his voice cracking.
His body protested hotly when he attempted to sit up and Brian moved behind Edward to prop him up, offering his body as a leaning post. Katie passed a water skin to him, which he immediately put to his lips and drank deeply from, coughing and spitting the liquid that managed to rush down his windpipe instead of his throat.
"Apparently you thought you were Superman or something," Katie whispered, wiping the excess water from his chin with a strip of the torn tunic she had used to bandage him. "You tried to take on a small army of what I think were demons all by yourself. Needless to say, you weren't fairing very well. We heard the commotion and rushed in to help, but we couldn't get to you before they managed to incapacitate you."
"Well, you got here in time to save my life," Edward groaned, trying his best to smile but the lacerations on his face caused it to look more like a grimace. "Is everyone all right?"
"Other than a few scrapes and bruises, I think we came through the battle pretty well," she replied, hiding her swollen hand from view and looking up at Brian for confirmation. In the dimming light of the fire it was impossible for Katie to see his eyes, but she did see him nod his head in agreement. With Jack it was harder to distinguish if he had acquired any new injuries because of his thick fur, but she didn't remember seeing anything different about him when he had stormed out of the alley. No fur matted with blood, no obvious limp other than that caused by his shortened, makeshift leg, and no whimpering like he had any internal issues.
"What about my horse?" Edward asked, glancing over Katie's shoulder and seeing the two mechanical creatures the others had been riding, but no sign of his own mount.
"I'm afraid the animal faired far worse than you did," Katie answered with a sad shake of her head. "Whatever those tiny things were that attacked you, they went after your horse first. I guess it was their way of forcing you down to their level so they could get at you easier."
Putting his head into his hands, Edward began to cry. "I should have listened to you, Katie. My stubbornness has caused the death of every horse I've come in contact with since meeting you."
"Don't beat yourself up over it. Shit happens. Unfortunately, you just seem to have bad luck in that department," she stated softly, kneeling down in front of him and lightly wrapping her arms around him.
"As much as I despise doing it, I think I would be better off riding with you from here on out," he confessed, sniffling.
"The way I see it, you're in no condition to be riding anywhere, with me or otherwise," Katie gently scolded.
"But—" Edward started to protest, "if we don't get moving soon those creatures will get away."
"They're already gone," Katie confided. "They scattered when Brian torched the building behind me. I think they went up into the mountains."
"Then we have to go after them before they get too far," Edward insisted.
"The only place you're going right now, mister, is to that structure over there." She pointed. "You will be less than useless if you don't get some rest, or are you determined to share the fate of your horse?"
"Fine," he murmured, knowing his stubbornness would be the death of him if he didn't start developing a little flexibility instead of acting like a hard-nosed dictator that had to have everything his way. "Help me up, please."
Standing up, Katie offered her good hand to him while Brian boosted Edward from behind. Wobbling and unsteady, he braced himself against them as a wave of dizziness passed over him.
When the feeling was gone, Edward urged them on. "I'm fine now," he mumbled. Slowly they made their way over to the building, which as they got closer seemed to resemble an inn.
The door hinges creaked loudly as Katie pushed her way inside, batting her free hand at the multitude of cobwebs clinging to the frame which drifted in front of her face. The glow from the burning structure next door was minimal at best and they found themselves stumbling through almost total darkness, tripping over chairs and tables as they searched for somewhere to lay Edward down.
After crashing their way through the interior for several minutes, they finally gave up their search and set Edward down in a chair. "I know it's not the most comfortable thing in the world to do, but lay your head down on the table and get a little rest," Katie urged.
"What about the rest of you? Aren't you going to join me?" Edward sank into the wooden chair painfully, his muscles screaming in agony when they flexed.
"I was going to ask Brian to take a walk with me to make sure there are no more surprises lurking outside for us before joining you," she stated. "I don't imagine it will take more than ten or fifteen minutes to check things out. Jack can stay here and watch over you." Knowing she probably couldn't see where he was, Jack sauntered over and licked her hand then sat down beside Edward.
"Okay," he sighed, feeling the warm fur against his leg, "but be careful."
"I'm sure we'll be fine," she said, patting him lightly on the shoulder, one of the few places on his body which had escaped injury.
After watching Katie and Brian depart through the front door, he laid his head down on top of his arm on the table. Feeling Jack's hot breath against his leg, Edward reached down and affectionately stroked the top of his head. "I hope they don't run into any trouble out there," he murmured aloud, more to himself than Jack.
***
Feeling the lightheartedness of the body he possessed both upset and repulsed George. Having witnessed the battle, he was surprised that her son had not perished in combat with the demonic creatures. He had hoped they would have killed the man and reduced the power of the foursome dramatically, but since the old woman's son had survived he would have to find another way to dispatch them. Although, the injured man would be easy enough prey for him to finish off if George could somehow manage to get him alone for a few minutes.
Waiting for an opportunity to present itself he remained hidden in the shadows of the huge willow, watching the others help the injured man into a building. Contemplating whether or not to attempt sneaking up on them, George drummed the woman's arthritic fingers against the bark of the tree.
Within a few minutes his prayers were answered as he saw two darkened figures exiting the building, leaving the injured man and the lame wolf inside, beckoning George to action. As the two shapes disappeared around the corner of the building, he made his way from the shadows toward town.
***
The light from the burning building was rapidly diminishing, but for now at least it provided enough of a glow that they could see their surroundings. As Katie rounded the back corner of the inn she stopped in her tracks and gasped. "Oh my God!"
Turning the corner after her, Brian's mouth unhinged, gaping at the sight before them. Stacked haphazardly against the back wall of the inn were what appeared to be hundreds of corpses, piled like trash behind the structure.
"Who would do such a thing?" she asked, appalled and disgusted, attempting to hold her nose to prevent the stench from filling her nostrils but realizing the bodies had been there so long that they no longer gave off an odor.
"I would suspect those demonic creatures that attacked Edward had some sort of hand in this," Brian replied sadly.
Repulsed, Katie turned her back on the dead, hoping she wouldn't encounter more of the same if they continued searching the rest of town. As she spun around, Katie saw the firelight glinting off of something near the edge of the forest surrounding the city. "What the hell is that?" she pointed.
Walking over to the spot to investigate, Brian suddenly realized what lay before him had likely been the source of the sound he'd heard when the tiny creatures had fled the battle. "Railroad tracks," he shouted over his shoulder to Katie.
Joining him, she bent down and ran a hand over the surface of the nearest track. "It's not old and rusty like everything else seems to be in this town," she announced. "These have been used recently."
"Do you think it's how
the demons escaped?" Brian asked, wondering if Katie had heard the same noise he had once the demons had fled the fight in the center of town.
Glancing down the length of rail before her, she couldn't tell where the tracks led. "It's possible," she replied. "We will have to check this out more thoroughly in daylight."
Standing back up, she turned to face Brian and saw movement. The flames consuming the building before her were small enough now that she could see over them to the opposite side. "Who the fuck is that?"
Brian turned his head to look but his view was temporarily blocked by Katie, rushing toward the other side of the burning structure. His eyesight was nothing compared to hers, but he could see someone walking up the street dressed in light colored clothing.
As he rushed to catch up to Katie his vision grew fuzzy and his breathing became more labored. "Katie, wait up!" he wheezed.
When she rounded the corner, Katie barely managed to stop before running into the old woman who was shuffling slowly up the street in a white nightgown with the aid of a gnarled branch she was using as a walking stick. She looked up at Katie as if she were shocked to see another human being.
"Excuse me, miss. Have you seen my son?" she croaked.
"Your son?"
"Yes. Tall man with long, dark hair who fancies himself a wizard." She grinned, revealing a mouthful of perfect teeth.
"Edward?"
"Oh, you've met him?"
"I can take you to him," Katie replied excitedly. "Hey Brian! You're never gonna guess who I found."
"Something ... not ... right," he wheezed, staggering out of the alley toward her. "Evil."
Peering into his cloudy eyes, Katie became hesitant. Nervously she glanced back at the old crone, but saw nothing to indicate malicious intent, just an old lady trying to find her son. Quickly she surveyed the surrounding area, hoping to find another possible source of what Brian was feeling. "There must be something else out there that I can't see," she told Brian, taking the old woman by the arm and guiding her toward the inn. If this doesn't cheer Edward up and make him feel better, nothing will.
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