Destruction

by R C Knight

  “You believe –”

  “Land ho!” Riley shouted from the crow’s nest, his voice booming. Myra sighed gratefully as Keira looked around the ship.

  “Another time, then,” Keira commented quietly as she spotted Zane making his way to the crow’s nest.

  “Cut the shit and hoist the sails,” Zane shouted towards Bishop and Kai.

  “Why are you hoisting the sails?” Ryder asked, his voice low and tired.

  “At this distance, if we hoist the sails, anyone on the mainland won’t be able to see us. But we can see them.” He smiled as he watched Bishop and Kai adjust the rigging, gathering the sails. “We are going to wait here for a few hours and see what’s going on there. We wouldn’t want to be ambushed the moment we hit land, would we?” Zane looked up towards the crow’s nest. “What do you see Riley?”

  “There is a weird, red aura around the place. I can’t tell what it is or where it’s coming from.”

  “Like a wildfire off the horizon?”

  “Kinda, but it’s on the mainland as well.” Riley’s voice was filled with worry as he looked down at Zane. “It doesn’t look natural.”

  “Keep a close watch and let me know if anything changes.”

  “Will do,” Riley shouted down as he gazed over the waters, his gray eyes focused on the mainland.

  “What do you know about this place?” Ryder asked as he scanned the land mass.

  “Not much really, mostly rumors. I’ve only heard of one city here, other than that, the rest of this country is supposedly in a constant war.”

  “Aria’s going to love that.” Ryder chuckled as his eyes fell on her still form sitting at the bow of the ship. “She’s always loved a good fight.”

  “If the rumors are right, she’ll be getting plenty.” Zane sighed as he turned away from Ryder. “I’m going to my cabin, alert me if anything changes.” He clenched his jaw as he quickly walked away.

  ~~~~

  Darkness settled in as Riley descended the crow’s nest. He walked quickly across the deck towards the Captain’s Cabin. What a perfect day. He thought with a smile as he opened the door, the bright light from the lanterns blinded him as his eyes slowly adjusted. Zane, Bishop, and Ryder were sitting around the desk, discussing their options. Bishop sat quietly, his face filled with sorrow, his sunken eyes staring blankly at the others as they talked.

  “There better be a plate of food somewhere in here for me.” Riley chuckled as he pulled up a chair. “I’m starving!”

  “Well?” Ryder asked, his green eyes piercing Riley, searching for answers.

  “It’s clear we aren’t near a populated area; I didn’t see anyone all day. Not a sign of humans or demons. Which is weird, because there’s a perfect, natural harbor that would be great for fishing. I honestly thought I’d see someone and –”

  “Get to the point, Riley,” Zane’s voice was low as he eyed him.

  “Uh, yea… right.” Riley cleared his throat as he looked around the group. “Anyway, there’s plenty of room in the harbor for us to land, along with Cain and Abel’s ship. I don’t believe anyone is in the area to welcome us on the beach. In fact, I doubt they even know we are here.”

  “Alright.” Zane looked over at Bishop and Ryder. “I still want to be cautious.” Ryder nodded in agreement as he looked over at Bishop, his eyes filled with worry. Zane glanced back over at Riley. “I want you to signal Cain and Abel’s ship, tell them to stand fast. We’ll go check everything out. If they don’t hear from us in three days, then they should come ashore and look for us. Once you’re done with that, head down to your quarters. The women felt bad for you and made you a big meal.”

  “Damn right!” Riley chuckled as he stood up and headed back to the door. “At least some people on this ship still appreciate me.”

  ~~~~

  Aria sat quietly on her hammock as she eyed Myra, who was leaning against the wall, her face pale. A small bucket sat next to her, its metal handle knocking softly on the wood as the ship swayed. “You don’t have to stare at me like that.” Myra’s voice shook as she spoke. “The corruption doesn’t take over that fast.”

  “I know,” Aria responded quietly. “I still wish there was something I could do.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” She coughed as she grabbed the bucket and quickly leaned over it to vomit. Aria sighed wearily as Myra hovered over the bucket dry heaving. A soft knock sounded on the door.

  “Come in,” Aria responded. Ryder opened the door and quickly walked in, followed closely by Kai.

  “Again?” Kai commented worriedly as his eyes landed on Myra hovering over the bucket. “You still haven’t found anything that helps, huh?” Myra moaned in response as she leaned her head back against the wall, her pale face drawn tight.

  “What’s going on?” Aria asked, her eyes meeting Ryder’s.

  “They’ve decided to go to shore, we leave tomorrow night,” he responded as he sat down next to Aria. “They want Cain and Abel to wait offshore for a few days before joining us.”

  “Alright,” Aria replied as she looked over at Kai. “How has Zane’s training been going?”

  “Great,” Kai responded enthusiastically. “I think he’s finally learning how to control his corruption and use it to his advantage.”

  “Good,” Aria replied quietly. “I still want you to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn’t get out of hand.” Kai nodded as he eyed Ryder sitting next to her, a sly smile on his face.

  “Of course.” His eyes drilled into Ryder, making him shift uncomfortably.

  “Has he told you anything else about Raphael’s spells?” Ryder asked, his voice strained.

  “Nah,” Kai responded wearily. “He doesn’t really like to talk about him. And I don’t blame him. No one likes to talk ill of the dead.”

  “We need to know what else he is hiding.” Ryder’s voice was filled with irritation.

  “Well, I’m not the one who’s gonna get it from him.” Kai shrugged nonchalantly as he looked at Aria, his eyes filled with mischief. “But Aria could… Seduction has ways of –”

  “No.” Ryder interrupted, his voice low and firm, leaving no room for argument. “I know where you’re going with this and I won’t allow it.”

  Aria looked back and forth between the two, her green eyes filled with amusement. “But if it would get the information we need,” she responded. “I could easily –”

  “No, Aria.” Ryder stared into her green eyes as a flicker of worry flashed across his face. “I don’t want you doing anything else that could get you in trouble with Michael.”

  Kai chuckled as his eyes lingered on Aria. “Actually, he doesn’t want you seeing anyone –”

  “Shut it Kai,” Ryder growled. “We will find another way to get the information. Until then, just keep an eye on him.” Kai stared at Aria, his dark blue eyes searching hers, almost as if he was trying to send her a message.

  “Ryder, what’s he talking about?” Aria asked curiously as she turned towards him. He quickly shook his head at Kai before looking down at her delicate face.

  “Nothing,” he said softly. Aria looked back and forth between them, she sighed wearily as she shook her head.

  “Whatever.” She glanced over at Myra, who had dozed off against the wall. “I’m too tired to try to figure out your hidden messages.” She looked over at Kai. “Could you take Myra to her room please?”

  “Of course,” Kai responded as he turned to Myra and gently picked her up. “I bet she can’t wait to get off this blasted ship.” He chuckled as he carried her out of the room. Aria turned towards Ryder, her eyes wearily searching his face.

  “Will you stay the night again?” she asked quietly, her green eyes locking onto his.

  “Of course, I will.” He smiled softly as he leaned back on the hammock and quickly made room for her. Aria sighed wearily as she laid down next to him, resting her head gently on his chest. “How have the nightmares been?”

  “I haven’t had any with y
ou here.” She smiled softly as she closed her eyes.

  “Good.” Ryder smiled as he watched her drift off to sleep.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Earth

  The night was warm as Zane sat at the bow of the small boat, leading the way to the natural harbor. The full moon was covered from the red haze, creating a blood red glow. The air was still and quiet as they made their approach. Keira and Riley slowly paddled, creating as little noise as possible. Bishop sat quietly at the back of the boat, watching the black land mass grow as they drew closer. Kai sat at the head of the other boat, murmuring quietly as he kept a bubble around their group, dampening any sound that they made. Aria and Ryder kept pace with Zane’s group, leaving mere inches between their boats. Myra sat in the back, chanting quietly to herself as she managed to subdue her seasickness.

  The boats quietly landed on the soft, white sand. A warm breeze brushed across their bare skin as they gathered their gear from the boats. The red mist was dense, making it difficult to breath. “I have a bad feeling about this,” Aria muttered as the screech of an owl attacking its prey echoed through the trees, breaking the calm silence of the night. Aria glanced up at the sky, her eyes locking onto the red moon. Her breath caught in her throat as Cordelia’s words echoed through her mind, all shall be revealed under the red moon.

  “Let’s head to the wood line. We need to stay out of sight.” Zane whispered hoarsely as he pointed towards the dense forest.

  “Aria, come on.” Ryder gently nudged her.

  “What?” She tore her gaze away from the sky and looked around her. “Oh, yea,” she muttered as she slowly walked after the group. Ryder followed close behind, his eyes watching her with worry.

  The trees towered above them, rising high into the black sky. Aria sighed wearily as her hands twitched nervously towards her daggers. Moonlight filtered through the dense canopy above, its blood red light barely lighting their path. Aria scanned her surroundings as she walked as quietly as possible, bringing up the rear of their group. Ryder walked silently next to her, his sword at the ready.

  “There’s something off here,” Aria whispered to him, her voice low and hurried.

  “I know,” he responded nervously, his green eyes alert for any movement. “The Red Horseman has done something to this land. It feels so… unnatural.”

  “Freeze,” Zane’s stern voice echoed through the silent night. “We’re surrounded.” He inhaled deeply, a devilish smile crossing his face. “Just humans.” He sighed with relief. “If they attack, show them mercy.”

  A deep voice filled the night air, its commanding tone filled with confidence. A foreign language rumbled through the night as loud screams began to echo through the trees. Dark figures jumped from tree limb to tree limb as they surrounded them from above. More figures ran through the underbrush, weaving in and out as they raised their bows and aimed. An arrow zipped by Zane’s face, slightly nicking his cheek as a fine line of blood began to form.

  “Keira, Myra. Take care of them,” Zane muttered. Keira smiled as she raised her bow, Myra followed suit, quickly releasing an arrow in the opposite direction. Small explosions of holy light lit up the dark night as two of the dark figures were thrown backwards. Shouts in the foreign language filled the air as the dark figures continued to surround them.

  “You must be either brave or stupid to enter our land with such a small group,” Kai translated as the shouting continued. “Either way, you die tonight.” He looked over at Zane, whose eyes darkened as he tightened his lips.

  “Remember,” he shouted to his group. “Mercy.” With that he disappeared into the night. Shrieks of surprise filled the air, quickly followed by screams of pain.

  “What the hell!” Aria shouted as she ran forward, navigating her way through the underbrush towards the screams. She stopped short as her eyes fell on dozens of men and women laying on the ground, groveling in pain. It was clear they were some kind of indigenous tribe. They all wore hoods and armor made from a thick linen. Its dark green color meant to camouflage them with the canopy above.

  “I thought you said to show them mercy!” Ryder shouted as he stopped next to Aria, examining the scene in front of him.

  “The spine of my sword is mercy,” Zane responded darkly as he gestured at the flat back of his sword. “Tie them up and heal them.” He looked over at Ryder and smirked. “After all, humans are easy to heal, right?” he scoffed darkly as he looked at the natives.

  “Let’s gather them all over here,” Ryder sighed as he pointed to some of the underbrush that had been trampled down, creating a small, flat area. “Kai, Myra, and I will work on healing them.”

  “What’s the point of capturing them?” Myra asked as she made her way over. “It’s clear they want us dead.”

  “True. But we know nothing about this land. Their cities, villages, culture… it’s all a mystery to us.” Riley grunted as he dragged one of the men over to Myra. “We need to find a way to get from here to the Red Horseman without gathering a lot of attention. Unless you’re cool with fighting the entire army of Hell on the way.”

  “Look at their weapons,” Keira interrupted as she pointed at a sword laying on the ground. “They’re demonic.”

  “They aren’t all human then.” Bishop scowled as he tightened the rope around one of the captive’s wrists, smiling as it cut into the skin. “I can’t wait to question them when they wake up.”

  “Can you still heal them?” Zane asked Ryder, his voice filled with worry.

  “It’s just broken bones and some internal bleeding,” Ryder responded as he glanced over at Zane. “It won’t take much.”

  “Good. Don’t heal them all the way. Not until we know what we’re dealing with.” Zane paused as he looked at the group of captives. He glanced back at Ryder; his blue-hazel eyes locked onto him. “Use Raphael’s spell on them, let’s find out what’s in their souls.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?” Zane snapped. Ryder stood up from the captive he had been working on. He turned towards Zane, his eyes narrow and lips drawn tight.

  “There are consequences for using magick that is outside of your level.”

  “No one here is going to tattle on you,” Zane replied sarcastically as he held his arms out, gesturing at the group.

  “That’s not the issue,” Ryder’s voice was loud and clear as he focused on Zane. “There are physical consequences, a kind of recoil from the spell. This one seems minor, but if I use it too much, I don’t know what it will do to me. I already feel drained from using it on everyone in Cain and Abel’s group.”

  “Just do the damn spell!” Zane’s eyes darkened as he glared at Ryder. “Damn the consequences.” Aria scowled as she stormed up to Zane and stood in front of him, her green eyes locking onto his dark ones.

  “This isn’t the way,” she stated calmly. “Calm yourself before you’ll do something you regret.” She smiled softly at him before turning towards Ryder. Her green eyes searched his face, noting the distress he was under. “Just focus on the leader,” her voice was soft yet firm as she pointed towards the large, muscular man that had been pulled to the side. His bronzed skin was covered with tribal tattoos, and even though he was unconscious a menacing aura surrounded his body.

  Ryder sighed wearily as he walked over to the man, his green eyes tracing the scars that covered his body. He knelt next to him and sighed as he placed his hands on the man’s broad chest. The Enochian chant filled the night air as Ryder merged with the man’s soul. Red flames swirled around the light blue core, creating a feeling of fear and hatred. “His emotions are elevated, more than what they should be. It seems like something is messing with his body.” He paused, his brows furrowing as he focused on the light blue core. He watched as a black speck floated in the center of the core, small black flames tendrilled out of the speck, threatening to take over. “He hates everyone. He sees everyone outside of his tribe as an enemy. I can sense his fear, anger, and hatred. It’s all amplified and
burning with pure malice. His soul is on fire.” Ryder’s voice was low and filled with sadness as he broke his connection.

  “Maybe it has something to do with this red mist,” Aria commented as she looked around the forest. “I’ve felt off ever since we entered it.”

  “We should work quickly then,” Bishop interjected; his brown eyes filled with worry as he glanced at Zane. “Before it starts affecting us as well.”

  “There’s something else.” Ryder looked over at Zane. “I can sense demonic blood in him, in all of them. There isn’t much, but it’s enough to alter their physical forms. Which would explain why this one here.” He nodded at the leader. “Is so big.”

  Zane sighed wearily as he examined the captives. “That’s enough for now. Let’s set up camp here. I want two-hour guard rotations. I don’t want us caught by surprise again.” He paused as his eyes scanned the dense trees surrounding them. “Someone will be with the prisoners at all times.” He watched quietly as the group mumbled amongst themselves while they got to work.

  ~~~~

  Zane awoke to a violent shake. “Wake up,” Riley’s voice muttered loudly in his ear. Zane moaned as he swatted Riley’s hand away and rolled away from him. “Wake up, dammit.” Riley sighed as he smacked the back of Zane’s head. “One of the prisoners is awake.” Zane’s eyes popped open as he zeroed in on Riley’s face.

  “Fine, I’m up,” he mumbled as he lifted his body off the ground and grabbed Raphael’s sword. Riley smirked as he turned to Kai.

  “Told you I’d have to hit him,” he chuckled as Kai stared at Zane.

  “Great,” he muttered with a sigh. “Now I owe him a favor.”

  “What kind of favor?” Zane chuckled as he rested Raphael’s sword on his shoulder.

  “Anything I want!” Riley smirked as he turned, leading them to the prisoners. “The possibilities are endless,” he said with awe as Kai sighed wearily, shaking his head in defeat. They walked to the edge of the camp where the prisoners were, the rays of the morning sun shining eerily through the red mist.