Destiny

by Jason A. Cheek

  Klaus deep voice suddenly broke the silence. “Das ist ein scheißesturm!”

  Tearing her eyes away from the teeming hordes’ main attack, Beth noticed another group of Scourge heading their way. Dragging Sean with her, Beth ran for the Pols and Triumphant’s crewmembers that were already starting to form a defensive line yelling over her shoulder.

  “We have incoming!”

  Calls of “Incoming!” echoed around them as Ryan and Klaus followed her with the two large men they’d been helping a step behind. As she slid to a stop, there were only seconds left before the new wave of Scourge were on top of them. Looking into the burning red eyes and fang-filled maws rushing down on them, terror momentarily gripped Beth’s chest as doubt clouded her mind. There was no way they could stop this many of the creatures!

  Remembering the fear she’d felt during the first invasion, Beth forced her mind to focus as she prayed to Ukko. As if a veil had been removed from her eyes, she immediately knew what to do. While the Ukkodians around her scrambled into a rough line, Beth reached deep into her soul for the power that Startüm had shown her, visualizing her need.

  Immediately a coruscating blue shield of pure energy rippled closed around them just as the ground exploded underneath the front wave of the charging Scourge. The jarring impact knocked everyone to the ground as rocks and debris fountained into the air like a volcanic eruption. A part of Beth’s mind registered the shockwave as the Ospreys exploded midair above her head in fiery balls of flames as shrieks of terror and agony filled the air. Again and again, the earth shuddered as the slope above them was blasted away in large chunks with every impact.

  Just as Beth thought devastation was finally over, her blood turned to ice as a chorus of inhuman bestial roars rang out in challenge from inside the massive hole that had suddenly appeared in the slope above. Horrified, she met Ryan’s eyes as they both screamed in unison.

  “Demons!” Beth could only watch in dread as a black-clawed hand three times the size of her head grabbed ahold of the hole’s crumbling rim. There was a loud metal clank as a second hand joined the first on the opposing side. Strapped to the underside of each thick forearm were black chunks of sharpened curved metal with glowing red runes. Effortlessly the demon lifted itself out of the gaping back opening. As soon as its taloned feet touch the rocky slope, the massive armored head turned to face her crackling blue shield of power.

  “Oh shit.” The words left Beth’s suddenly dry lips as she released the energy shield she’d been holding onto. As soon as the demon’s glowing red eyes swept over them, the feeling of pure hopelessness washed through her soul. Beth heard the shuddering gasps of despair from the men around her as they too fought their own internal struggles against the demonic aura of evil. Focusing her thoughts Beth gave a silent prayer to Ukko for strength.

  Instantly the overwhelming feeling of dread cleared from Beth’s mind as Ukko’s power flared through her veins like fire. Taking a two-handed grip on her katana, she studied the otherworldly creature before her with a tactical eye. The differences between this demon and the one that she and Ryan had faced with Startüm in the swamp were immediately apparent. It was only about half the size, but without the other demon’s wings or battle-axe. Although it was still terrifying, the comparison gave her hope as the monster threw its head back and charged.

  Spinning around Beth shoved Ryan and the Captain away as the demon struck. In a blur, its armored fist slammed into the ground where they’d just been standing a second earlier. Pushing power into the runes of her katana, Beth lashed back. Spinning around her katana cut deep into the demon’s arm.

  Ignoring the wound the demon ripped its arm back yanking Beth with it. Arching her back, Beth twisted her blade free as she was pulled off her feet. Turning her fall into a tumbling roll, Beth rose into a crouch as she was forced to dodge another deadly swing of the glowing red blades. Springing back, Beth tried to put distance between her and the demon, but the creature stomped after her relentlessly swinging its massive weapons in a slashing flurry.

  Losing her footing on the loose rocks, Beth slide down the slope out of control. Flipping around, she slid to a stop as the massive demon came barreling after her. It was just about on top of her when Ryan dragged her back to her feet. Hollering in her ear, he shoved her after the Captain shouting.

  “Run!” Turning around Beth took off down the slope as fast as she could, while Ryan followed after her as everything happened at once. Roars of rage rang out behind them as Beth quickly glanced over her shoulder only to instantly wish she hadn’t. More demons were pouring out of the hole as her team, and the new Ukkodians threw themselves at the otherworldly creatures.

  The helpless of it all should have stopped Beth in her tracks, but she was too busy trying to survive to be scared. Their flight was quickly approaching the destroyed Marine camp and the injured soldiers searching for survivors, when Beth caught up to the bare-chested Captain at the base of the slope. Seeing the terrified faces of the Marines looking up in horror at the nightmare headed their way, Beth urgently yelled back to Ryan.

  “We’ve got to kill this thing and get back to our team!”

  “I know! Captain MacRory, if Beth and I can distract the demon can you take off its head?”

  In answer, the runes of the great two-handed sword in the large man’s hand flared with power. “Aye lad, if any blade can cut through that demon’s hide it’ll be Morthwyl Gelyn.”

  Seeing Beth’s quick nod of agreement, Ryan continued. “On the count of three, we’ll distract the demon until you can get into position.” Taking a deep breath Ryan reached for his own power beginning the count. “One … two … three, break!”

  Curving around in opposite directions she and Ryan charged the demon as the runes of their latanas glowed with blue fire. Beth heard Ryan’s wordless battle cry as they both threw themselves to the side of the charging demon at the last second. Beth felt her blade bit deep into the demon’s leg as it barreled past; the impact nearly ripping the katana from her hand as she dove into a roll.

  Ramming one of its black blades into the ground the demon slid to a stop as it immediately reoriented on her. Obviously, she was its intended target. Flexing her knees, Beth waited as the demon rushed her swinging its heavy wrist blades. Before it could reach her, Ryan was there slashing at the back of its knee as Beth threw herself out of the demon’s path once again.

  Sliding to a stop the demon roared in fury as it whipped around to face them both. Not waiting for the monster’s next attack, Beth lunged forward with a two-handed slash at the weakened arm she’d struck earlier. As the katana cleaved through the demon’s forearm, Beth saw Captain MacRory leap past her shoulder with his blazing claymore held high above his head bellowing.

  “Kanskje!” The greatsword cleaved half way through the monster’s thick neck as the demon reared back in rage and surprise. With a bellow, it backhanded the Captain away, sword and all, with its bloody stump.

  Attacking from the opposite side, Ryan’s katana bit deep into the demon as he used the strength of his entire body for the strike. Ripping the blade free Ryan threw himself at the demon once again, only the demon was too fast to repeat the same attack two times in a row. As Ryan’s rune-charged katana struck at the weakened arm, the demon twisted its wrist bringing its glowing black metal blade in-line with the strike.

  The results were spectacular. As soon as the opposing runes connected, the air lit up like a blown transformer. Red and blue rune-power arced between the blades as Ryan’s entire body jerked upright like he’d touched a live wire. The pulsating shower of conflicting eldritch energies ended a second later as Ryan was blasted off his feet.

  With a wordless shriek, Beth lunged at the demon, striking a two-handed blow at the damaged forearm. She felt the blow through her entire body as the blade cleaved through the demon’s thick bone. Leaping back, Beth snapped into a guard position, bringing her katana up diagonally before her body as the demon lashed back.

 
Beth didn’t have a chance to react. One second she was standing on her feet and the next she was being pummeled into the ground. All that she could clearly remember seeing was the oozing stump leaving her face as the air whooshed out her lungs. As the arm pulled back to pound her again, a bellowing war cry rang in her ears.

  “Kanskje!” Blue fire flashed over her head in a flaming arc as Captain MacRory’s claymore severed the demon’s armored head from its massive shoulders with one mighty swing.

  ***

  Location Earth / Kane McDougal:

  As the seventh demon leaped from the hole in the side of the mound, Kane shoved Hans and Wolfgang towards the beast slinging his axes through the air as once again the Ukkodians’ makeshift defensive line split like a well-oiled machine. With a yell, they charged the hulking piece of meat before it could decide on a target to charge.

  Grimly Kane grinned at the loud double bong that rang out as the axe heads bounced harmlessly off the demon’s black metal helm. It was an old tactic his ancestors called ‘ringing the bell.' While the attack did nothing to hurt the demon, it had the intended result Kane wanted as the massive head swiveled in their direction. His boys split their attack to either side of the demon hacking low as Kane slid between the tree-trunk sized legs like he was going for a slide tackle scooping up his fallen axes.

  Bellowing in rage the demon’s fist blades flailed at his boys in a twisting flurry of blows. As Hans and Wolfgang leaped out of the way, Kane launched himself at the demon’s back with a wordless shriek.

  It didn’t matter that the demon was five meters tall or that Kane was only a little over a meter and a half on his best day. Most people were taller than Kane. Not that size had ever mattered. Being born on the bad side of town in South Limerick, Kane had been fighting larger opponents all his life, but through it all, he’d never frozen up in a fight. At least not until that first demon had looked him in the eyes. Letting the rage flow through him, Kane swore he would never let happen that again as he clambered up the demon’s back using his axes like a mountaineer’s pikes.

  Planting one axe into the top of the demon’s muscular shoulder, Kane pulled himself all the way up while hacking at the thick corded neck one-handed with his second axe. Unbelievably, the glowing blade barely left a mark on the demon’s thick hide. Hooking his knee around the axe head buried in the creature’s shoulder, Kane shifted to a two-handed grip as he began raining down blow after blow on the monster’s thick corded neck. Chunks of oozing gray flesh spat out with every chop as he howled in fury. Just as it felt like he was beginning to make progress, a clawed fist backhanded him off his perch, slamming him into the ground ten meters away.

  Rising to his hands and knees, Kane felt the healing energy flowing through his battered body as he staggered back to his feet. Within seconds, the blood streaming down his face slowly stopped as the jagged wounds on his forehead began closing shut. Spitting out a mouthful of blood Kane flicked the enraged demon off.

  “You’d better hit harder than that if you want to hurt an Irish banger, ya bloody wanker!”

  Ignoring Hans and Wolfgang slashing at its legs the demon hate-filled eyes locked onto Kane. As it lowered its head to charge, Kane blanched as another demon leaped out of the hole behind his boys. Before he could shout out a warning, the new demon’s black metal blades cut them both down.

  For a second Kane couldn’t believe his eyes as the demon pounded the unmoving bodies again and again. Around him time seemed to stop as he took in the small groups of Ukkodians fighting for their lives. The original defensive line had been forced back step-by-step, splitting into smaller fighting units with each new demon arrival, until the fifth creature had clawed its way free of the hole. Thankfully the Greeks had arrived in time to catch the mob, but they too had been forced to split their ranks when demon number six joined the fight. Without Hans and Wolfgang, Kane didn’t see how he was going to stop these newest demons from overwhelming them all when the disparate plan suddenly came to him.

  Taking a quick look over his shoulder to judge the distance, Kane launched himself at the charging demon as he threw his last axe at the monster that had slaughtered his boys. As the bong rang out, Kane slid between the first demon’s legs. Dodging around the second demon, Kane threw himself at the next demon climbing out of the pit. Drawing his daggers he pounced on the armored face slamming the thin blades into the demon’s red glowing eye slits. As the demon’s thick club like fingers pawed at its face, Kane back-flipped off the creature’s chest into a roll as he snatched up Han’s and Wolfgang’s large double-headed axes in each of his hands.

  Spinning around Kane raced up the slope. A quick look over his shoulder confirmed that all three demons were chasing after him as he headed for the black horde at the top of the volcanic mound. As he neared the raging battle, three bloodcurdling roars blasted out behind him. The reaction was instantaneous as the entire backside of the horde suddenly whipped around in fear. The glowing red eyes that turned towards him didn’t even register Kane as they focused on the three massive demons barreling down on top of them. Immediately the black mass split open in front of Kane as the horde scattered before him shrieking and clawing at each other’s backs or leaping off the volcanic plateau in their fear to get away from the oncoming demons.

  Praying to Ukko for strength Kane lifted both battle-axes over his head as a red glow began radiating from his body. Holy power flowed through is veins as the engraved runes of each bearded axe head erupted in blue fire. With a howling shriek, he threw himself at the retreating backs of the horde. Again and again, Kane tore into the bony carapaces before him swinging both battle-axes like a crazed man as he drove deeper and deeper into the packed bodies. Purple blood splattered his body with every hit as grayish-black bodies dropped to the ground in front of him with every strike.

  The crunch of splintering bones and the shrieks of the dying filled the air as the horde went insane around him. Kane heard the physical concussion as the demons slammed into the horde’s compact mass behind him. Like wrecking balls, the massive red glowing blades killed indiscriminately in bloody sweeping paths of destruction as the demons chased after him in their fury.

  Justified retribution thrummed through Kane’s soul as the gore and chunks of the enemy rained down around him. It was only a shame that he wouldn’t be able to take down the demon that had slaughtered his boys. Even so, Kane swore he would make these monsters pay for killing Hans and Wolfgang, even if it were the last thing he did.

  A quick look behind let Kane know the desperate plan he’d come up with on the fly was almost up. If he were going to die, he might as well take as many of the evil cocksuckers with him that he could. At least, his sacrifice might give his people a chance to survive this day.

  Leaping onto the back of a dying Scourge in front of him, Kane kept driving deeper into the packed mass, hacking the creatures down before they even knew he was there. Another quick jump brought him to the top of a mound of dead bodies as he turned to face the trio of demons. His energy reserves were almost spent, but he still had enough power for one last bout. As the runes of protection tattooed into his skin blazed to life, Kane held his glowing battle-axes at the ready.

  “He wasn’t going out as a cladhaire!”

  “Legionis procursus!” Kane almost jumped out of his skin as the words bellowed out behind him. As shrieking whistles rang out around him, the same voice bellowed again. “Cuneum formate!” Immediately a wedge of armored Minotaurs began flowing around him.

  For a second Kane could only watch in shocked awe as the massive armored warriors suddenly charged, until the demons struck. With broad hacking sweeps, the demons blasted the Minotaurs aside as if they were toy soldiers. Even so, some managed to get through. Bellowing in fury, the survivors threw themselves at the demons hacking with their glowing fist blades.

  Kane had been saving his last bit of juice for a killing blow before he died, but seeing the Minotaurs fighting for their lives, he used the energy for the aura
he’d learned upon becoming a Keeper. The effort would drain him, but if they could take down these monsters, it would be worth it.

  Concentration to share the aura with the horned warriors around him, Kane prayed to Ukko. “Kanskje.” As the red glow of the strength aura radiated out from him, the Minotaurs fighting for their lives began to glow as they received Ukko’s blessing.

  Seeing the hated demon that had killed his boys stagger to its hands and knees before him, Kane dropped one of his bearded axes as he took a two-handed grip on the weapon still in his hands. With a wordless shrieked of rage, he leaped into the air as the axe head flared like a glowing beacon of wrath.

  The impact drove the demon into the ground face first as the axe blade cut deep into the monster’s meaty neck. With a single-mindedness driven by loss, Kane ripped the axe-blade free and hacked again. This time taking the head completely off as the demon’s body collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Exhaustion weighed down Kane’s arms as he staggered back from the demon looking around. To either side of him were the headless corpses of the other two demons and the Minotaurs that had brought down. With a nod of thanks, Kane met the bulls’ unflinching eyes.

  “Appreciate the assist, lads. What’s the plan now?”

  The clank of metal behind him caught Kane’s attention as he turned around to see a large bloodstained Minotaur approaching him. Immediately he saw the sound was coming from one of the Minotaur’s fist blade that was slowly shrinking to reform into a gauntleted fist. Even more strange was the snake-like naked woman held in the bull’s arms. Coming to a stop before him, the Minotaur slammed a closed fist to his chest in salute.

  “Fortitudinem, et honorem, Paladin. Et nesciebat Klavikians fecisset in terra.” (Strength and honor, Paladin. We did not know the Klavikians had made a place on earth.)

  Wide-eyed, Kane hesitantly returned the fist salute. “You know, I didn’t catch any of that except the word Paladin.” As the lead bull’s head jerked back in surprise at his words, Kane saw the other Minotaurs tense around him. Studying Kane’s face intently, the large bull tried again.