Monsters and Angels

by Erik Weir

“What were you like…when you were alive?”

  It was none of your damn business!

  Victor let out a laugh into the abyssal void.

  I’m glad you can still laugh when we could die at any point.

  “We spend so much time worrying about death, we never truly live. Death is no different here then when we were back on Earth. One day I may understand its mysteries, but for now, I’m going to enjoy the ride.”

  You must have a brain defect. No one can be this happy all the time. Carrie Fisher had a disorder of being too happy. I’m starting to think you suffer from it as well.

  “How do you even know that?”

  You’re going to make me say it? Fine, I used to be a therapist before my untimely heart attack. I worked myself to the bone trying to heal others in a strange attempt to heal myself. The stress eventually got to me and before I knew it, I fell over during a session. Next thing I know, I wake up and I’m starving. Not like a little hungry but fucking hungry for anything hungry. Walls and doors didn’t stop me as I fed on sleeping people. Once I was strong enough, I needed to find a home. That’s when I smelled your soul.

  “You know you didn’t have to tell me, but thank you anyway,” Victor grinned.

  Yea, shove it up your ass. I know we need each other, but can we get back to the real deal here. You gained Divine orbs and you didn’t spend them in Night Sun. Why is that? Shouldn’t you be preparing for when we kick Draygon’s ass?

  Victor rubbed his chin, “I think I saw some of the abilities I would gain from the Night Sun Realm and frankly, I didn’t like them. They seem more like chaos and shadow abilities. Since Valis is our next stop and they are the most powerful realm of the six, I’d rather get a head start. The moment we show up, I spend the orbs and gain some pretty sweet abilities. I can go back to Night Sun another time and gain those powers.”

  That’s some forward thinking. You continue to surprise me.

  “If everyone thinks you’re a fool, it’s easy to impress the ignorant.”

  Did you just fucking call me…

  “Hey look, the others are coming,” Victor grinned.

  Bodies floated down from the darkness. Lily landed next to Victor and gave him a hug. The other four succubi floated down until their feet touched the invisible ground. Wide eyes looked around in astonishment as tendrils of mist began to appear.

  Victor addressed the new acolytes, “Lily and I will bring you to the edge of Vala’s realm. Once you step through, Vala’s Keeper Cassandra will fill you in and show you to your new homes.”

  “What about you,” Winsha whined.

  “Lily and I have to move on to another realm, but we will be back. Don’t worry, you’ll see us again.”

  The four demon women pouted. Victor turned and began to walk, not wanting to stay between realms for too long incase anything was watching. The mists grew before a small portal appeared in the distance. Victor and Lily smiled as they picked up the pace, the demon women following. When they reached the portal, Lily gave them a reassuring nod before pointing an open hand to it. In turn, the succubi walked past, winking and blowing kisses to Victor before passing through to Vala’s realm beyond. Winsha was the last one, cupping Victor’s package and kissing him before parting, winking, and stepping through.

  When the four ladies were gone from sight, Lily took hold of Victor’s hand and led him further into the mists. Victor focused on the realm of Valis as they walked. The mists grew brighter with each passing step. An oval portal appeared in the distance and when they stepped closer, Lily let go of Victor’s hand.

  “Watch the first step,” the succubus smiled.

  Victor stepped on, looking back for a moment and smiling before a boot stepped through. For a brief instant, Victor thought he touched ground when gravity took hold and he fell forward. Brilliant light blinded his senses as the wind whipped at him for a fraction of a second and water enveloped him.

  Arms and legs kicking, the brightness fell away to vibrant blue waters. Holding his breath, he kicked until his head burst from the water and took a deep breath of air. A shadow fell over Victor and just as he turned his head, Lily cannonball into the water. Treading water, the Blade grinned as Lily’s head appeared in a small splash.

  “You could have warned me,” Victor laughed.

  “No way, it happened to me and I’ll be damned if it didn’t happen to you too,” the succubus grinned.

  Something brushed Victor’s leg and a sudden urge to fly out of the water sank into every nerve. He was in some alien ocean and something big just brushed his leg. Images of giant alien sharks with lasers filled his frantic mind as he spun around. Something hard broke the water and a black eye looked to him before it dived back down. Victor watched as more hard shells broke the surface, sunlight gleaming of them.

  Fear bled away as wonder curled around his heart. “Sea turtles,” Victor shouted.

  The waters surrounding them were filled with sea turtles, swimming along like they barely noticed Victor and Lily. The pair watched as the turtles with strange colors and designs across their pointed shells surfaced and dived in a cloud of flippers.

  “They are plant eaters and harmless to us,” Lily grinned.

  “This is awesome,” Victor shouted as he spun in the water, watching the majestic six-foot-long turtles swim past them.

  On one more spin, something big caught Victor’s eye. Tilting his head up, a large island lay about a hundred feet from them. A white sandy beach surrounded the coast as large stone walls stood in the sunlight. Beyond the tops of the wall, tall metallic and stone towers raised into the sky, one tower higher than all of them. Turtles crawled onto the sandy beach, sunning themselves in the warm light.

  Lily began to swim toward shore, Victor following. Wide stone steps lead into the calm waters and when the couple was close; Victor put his boots down and began to take each step. Emerging from the warm waters, Vala’s Champion continued to look up in awe at the fantastic towers past the high walls.

  “Is this heaven,” Victor asked out loud.

  “This is Valis,” Lily said as she walked at his side.

  A pair of high doors stood imbedded into the wall, glowing runes sparkling in the light. Victor closed his eyes and took in the ocean scent and air. It reminded him of when he and his family took a vacation cruise to the Caribbean in his youth. It was a magical experience where every day was more amazing then the last. Old memories washed over him as he slowly opened his eyes, basking in nostalgia.

  Lily continued to climb the steps until a metal locking mechanism lurched and the giant doors parted. Light spilled out as three shadows appeared. As the light died, three stunning women stepped to the top of the stone stairs and looked down with warm smiles.

  Victor was entranced as he slowly climbed the stairs. The women wore thin white and silver robes. The robes were so sheer, he instantly could see nipples pointing against the fabric. Slits ran along their legs, revealing smooth legs as the wind played with the thin fabric. The sun, surf, and beauty caused Victor’s mind to swim in mind altering delight.

  “This is like a dream,” Victor whispered to himself as he stepped to Lily’s side.

  A blonde woman who stood in the middle looked down with bright green eyes. “Welcome Vala’s Blade and Shield. We have been expecting you for some time. Umus has been looking forward to your visit and he waits in the citadel. Please follow us.”

  The three women turned and began to walk toward the open gates. Victor and Lily followed, taking in the picturesque city as they reached the gates. Stepping across the threshold, light flashed and Victor looked down at his clothes. They were dry, clean, and even had a scent of flowers floating off of them. The Blade lifted his arms and looked himself over as Lily gave him a sideways glance and smirk.

  “We need something like that on Vala’s mountain,” Victor joked.

  Lily couldn’t contain her amused smile as the young Champion looked around like awestruck kid. The buildings shined and gleamed in the
dazzling light. Some people emerged from open windows, smiling and waving to the man and demoness as they walked along. Victor waved back as he noticed individuals moving about their day, looking to them and smiling.

  Victor smiled and waved to anyone he saw, but after a few minutes, it became apparent something was odd about the tall city. Despite running into citizens here and there, the city as a whole seemed empty. Passing street after street, many of them were devoid of anyone. Victor’s smile slowly faded as he saw the city was much too big and there didn’t seem enough people to fill it.

  Victor leaned toward Lily and spoke out the side of his mouth, “Didn’t you mention there weren’t a lot of people here? I finally understand what you meant. It’s like a ghost town here.”

  Lily nodded. “The Valis Realm is a water world with many islands across its vast surface. I had only been here once a long time ago, but it was the same. I didn’t stay long, but it was enough to see that their population was dwindling.”

  “They just let you walk around? It didn’t bother them that you are…”

  “A demon,” Lily flashed a razor smirk.

  Victor laughed. “I was going to say ‘from the Night Sun Realm.’”

  “Valis is very progressive. They allow anyone to visit as long as they behave themselves. To be honest, I didn’t stay long because there isn’t much to do here. How long can anyone drink wine, eat, and lounge around doing nothing?”

  Victor let out a small chuckle, “I think I could give it a try. I’m more than willing to test how long it would take for me to become bored.”

  The Champion gave Lily a wink, “And to see if you would grow bored with me if we made love all day and all night.”

  Lily smiled and rolled her eyes, “Sweet talk? Really?”

  “Nothing sweet about it, I would have you walking funny for days.”

  Lily couldn’t fight the sudden pink touching her cheeks as she shook her head. Victor grinned before he looked forward. The blonde woman walked ahead, but her two friends continued to glance back and smile at the Blade. At first, he thought they were just keeping an eye on them, but the more they looked back, the more he felt they were flirting. They sometimes looked to each other and giggled, hips swaying like they were trying to attract his attention.

  The hypnotic sway of the women’s plump behinds caught Victor and he was entranced. Their robes left little to the imagination and he wondered how they got anything done. Blood drained from his mind as comfort and a sultry cloud seemed to fill the wide street.

  The Citadel stood at the end of the long wide street, a tower glowing like a comforting beckon to all. White, silver, gold, and grey colors and metals blended with the building’s powerful structure. It gave off an aura of power and strength like it could stand for a million years and never change. Victor’s eyes remained wide, drinking in the glory as they approached stone stairs fanning out like blooming flowers.

  The blonde stopped and turned around, the two dark haired women at her sides doing the same.

  “My name is Portia. To my right is Felice and to my left is Hannah. We are part of Valis’ High Guard. You are about to enter the Citadel and meet the awakened god, Umus. Aside from meeting, there is no need to stand on ceremony. Please, be yourselves and know we are all friends.”

  Victor and Lily nodded. Portia turned and began her ascent, Felice and Hannah following. The five made their way up the stairs to the magnificent oval entrance. Male and female guards stood at attention, covered in light metal armor. Victor looked one guard over and though the metal was much too thin to protect anyone from anything. Lily had mentioned the people of Valis were a little naïve. Was this just an example of such childlike wonder?

  The entrance yawned overhead as they group made their way into the largest hall Victor had ever seen. It seemed to stretch on, to the point he wasn’t sure he could see the end. Stained glass windows let colored light in, painting the marble floors with scenes of angels, gods, and monsters caught in battle. The further in they walked, the more the images changed to caring, healing, and laughing. The whole walk infected Victor with a lightness and warmth he never expected. Soft edges filled the corners of his vision as he enjoyed the walk, feeling like he was in one of those large cathedrals when he was younger, but grander.

  To the sides and among pillars, small groups of barely clothed citizens turned and waved to the newcomers. Lily smiled while Victor made it a point to wave back to everyone.

  The Champion leaned toward Lily again, “So, what’s the dark side of this place? Do they eat people?”

  Lily barked out a laugh that startled a few citizens. She quickly recovered and spoke out the side of her mouth.

  “Nothing dark, they are genuinely nice people.”

  “There’s got be something. I can’t believe such a place exists and everyone is not trying to get in here. I mean, I don’t think I want to leave.”

  “You don’t see it yet?”

  Victor raised an eyebrow as he looked to the small clusters of people. It didn’t hit him at first, but he began to see what she was talking about. A few women in the small groups looked just like the three leading them. It was so uncanny; they appeared like sisters or even twins.

  “Clones,” Victor whispered.

  Lily gave a slight nod, “They haven’t been able to create offspring in a very long time. They are highly advanced and turned to cloning, but feel the genetic defects of many races would hinder their purity. They allow visitors and do not deny interactions, but their bodies are incapable of having children.”

  “They can’t continue like that. Cloning degrades with every generation. They’re dying,” Victor said with an astonished edge.

  “Until they decide to change their genetics to allow mixing with other races, they will die,” Lily stated.

  The hall grew wider until they passed through another archway and into an immense chamber. A high throne stood at the other end with massive stained-glass windows surrounding it. A man in full armor sat, back straight and his head uncovered. A short beard covered his chin as piercing brown eyes gazed down, a smile forming. Above his head floated a halo of golden light. The armor was grey and gold with intricate runes and symbols etched into every inch of it. A pale golden aura surrounded the man as he leaned forward, his smile growing wider. Around him on the dais were more people in armor. Below them and to the sides, many women gathered, speaking, giggling, and looking in Victor and Lily’s direction.

  Portia stopped and turned around while Felice and Hannah moved to the sides.

  “Welcome to the Grand Throne Room. Awakened God Umus is ready to see you,” Portia said before bowing and moving off to the side.

  Umus clapped his hands together and let out a hearty laugh, “Welcome! Welcome to Valis!”

  “Um, Hi,” Victor said, stunned by the sheer positive blast of energy from the god.

  Umus kept his wide grin, “I can feel your energy from here and I am pleased to finally meet Vala’s chosen. Your adventures have been talked about greatly among the pantheon and now I can see why. Vala has firmly touched your already beautiful heart. I am in awe of your presence.”

  Victor scratched the back of his head as he smiled, “Um…thank you.”

  “There is much to discuss, but that is why we are all here. We should begin our conversation, but how about in more comfortable surroundings,” Umus said as he stood up and clapped his hands.

  Energy whirled up around them. Victor mentally prepared to call on a sword when the energy swirled and solidified into thick tables, comfortable chairs, and many tables filled with wine and mountains of food. The edges of the throne room remained the same, but now it looked like a vast dining room. Bodies moved to empty seats while many began helping themselves to the many tables of food.

  Victor relaxed until the chairs before him slide around and moved behind him. Before he fully turned his head, the chair slammed into his legs, forcing him to sit and slide up to the edge of a large metal table with angelic de
signs and runes covering it. The same thing happened to Lily, but she wasn’t fazed in the least as she reached the edge.

  Umus took hold of his chair, spun it and sat in it, arms folded across the back of it now toward the front. The warm smile stayed as he scooted closer, eyes beaming. Several men and woman placed large plates of food and wine before the god and Vala’s chosen. Without ceremony, many began to talk, eat, and drink wine.

  Umus held up a large goblet, “Eat, eat, enjoy. We can talk while you fill your bellies.”

  Not ready to turn down a free meal, Victor grabbed a fork and began chowing down. A large wine glass was filled nearly to the brim and the Blade found himself grabbing and drinking it with reckless abandonment. The moment it touched his tongue, he was blown away on how good it tasted. He guzzled it down, never having tasted anything so delicious in his entire life.

  Lily continued to smile, watching Victor eat like he was a starving animal on the side of the road. Umus let out another hearty laugh as he guzzled his wine and picked up a thick meaty bone, tearing away succulent meat with his teeth. The surreal moment touched Victor’s mind that he was indeed sitting and eating with a god, but it quickly fell away as Umus seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, like sitting down and eating with a favorite uncle who can’t control himself.

  “It is really an honor to meet you,” Umus grinned. “Nasty business what happened to Vala, nasty business. We here in Valis had no part in it and tried to be a voice of reason when the pantheon turned on her. It brings me great joy to know she picked a new Blade and is returning to the realms.”

  “The work isn’t finished yet,” Victor said through bites of food.

  Umus nodded. “No, it is not.”

  Lily spoke up, “I was here before and I don’t wish to take away from the moment, but I wasn’t given an audience with you.”

  Umus’ smile faded a touch, “Please forgive me. I knew of your visit, but Vala’s connection to you was tenuous to say the least. We weren’t sure what to expect or how long before Vala was strong enough to climb from death’s embrace. But now, Vala’s Blade and Shield are in my very throne room!”