by Billy Wong
She rolled under a two-fisted downward blow and thrust into its groin. Ripping her sword up and out, she slit it open from crotch to sternum. But no blood or guts came out. She leaped away to avoid an arm swipe; flying far up due to her shield's power, she kicked off a tower and bounced between it and its neighbor to go higher and higher. What was she doing... the beast followed, rapidly closing the distance as it mimicked her easily without artifact help. Just when it was about to catch her, she spun in midair and slashed its eyes. They both managed to cling to the tower their jump carried them into, her higher up, but it paused covering its face as if temporarily blinded or stunned. Blackbird let go of the wall to fall sword-first at its head. It countered with a volcano-like punch, connecting thunderously so that her body was launched straight up. It flung itself towards the sky after her, maw opening wide.
Now it was her turn to recover quicker than anyone would have predicted and swung her sword down into its dark visage. The blow stopped its upward momentum dead and they both dropped to the roof. Blackbird got up first, though unsteadily, and barely dodged her opponent's rising punch. She spun behind it and sliced the back of its legs. For once there seemed to be a significant effect as it went to its knees. She ran around to its front and cut its throat while she passed, but before she could get out of reach it grabbed her by the waist. It picked her up and slammed her into the floor, then punched down again and again. The blows were so fast Henry couldn't clearly see its fists or Blackbird under them, but a crater formed around the point of impact and blood flew out. They had to help her, she was going to be killed—yet Henry hesitated to shoot his lightning, for fear hitting the monster would shock Blackbird too. He stood there with teeth clenched, not knowing what to do. Stupid Andrew's weapon taking forever to recharge...
The creature suddenly stopped. Henry forgot to breathe, thinking Blackbird might be dead. Then she saw that her blade had sunk up to the hilt between giant knuckles. It twisted. The monster's whole right arm blew apart, becoming two halves which hung flapping absurdly from its shoulder. "She loves destroying arms..." Andrew mumbled while she stood up from the crater.
The arm started to grow back together. "You're hard to keep hurt," she said. A grin slowly spread across her badly beaten face. "But since you don't seem to absorb anything to heal... I wonder if your energy to do so has limits." She darted at it. Its intact fist shot forward, but she ducked while sticking her sword up, splitting it in half too. She jumped at its opposite shoulder and chopped down, hewing the right arm clear of its body. It swung its mangled left hand. She cleaved through the elbow before it reached her, and the detached forearm flew past her. A bulge from the right shoulder showed its arm was trying to grow back. Blackbird hacked most of the way through its knee, making it stumble to all fours—threes. A tremendous uppercut with her hilt knocked it on its back. She jumped on its belly and plunged the sword into its gut over and over. When it tried to sit up, she leapt and buried her blade in its head down to the nose.
Its mouth opened and a blinding light grew in its throat. Blackbird tried to pull her sword free, but energy burst forth before she could and hammered into her middle. It carried her across the roof before she hit another tower and fell down. Henry shot lightning into the creature, but only made it paused for a second. When Blackbird tried to get up, the monster blasted her again. Then, its knee healed, it jumped over and stomped repeatedly on her. Her blade remained stuck in its head, making a comeback similar to before impossible.
Kara couldn't take it anymore. She raised her axe and sprinted to save her friend. Henry joined her, then Andrew too. Before they could reach the beast, it turned its head fully around and fired a beam that tore a gash in the roof. It never stopped stomping Blackbird. Kara and Andrew both tripped, the latter smashing his face on the stone and probably breaking a tooth as he clutched his mouth. Henry jumped over the gap, but shook with fear knowing the power he was to confront and what little chance he had. By now one of the monster's arms had grown back and the other was almost there. The energy glowed from its mouth anew, and he doubted it would miss again.
#
Archcardinal Demetrious watched from the chapel with satisfaction as the Angel of Death continued to pummel that irritating girl. Soon those stupid youngsters would all be dead, the fat prince included, and the country back in his hand...
#
Just when Henry thought he was about to die, the creature did a clumsy looking spin, fell and hit the floor with its head the same way Andrew had. What... Blackbird had grabbed its foot and twisted it off balance. Now she ran up its back as it pushed itself up, grasped her hilt and yanked the blade free. Its mouth beam shot skyward, but she avoided it by leaning back.
"You do have limits," she said, "you're healing slower with each wound I give. So how about this!" She gripped her sword in both hands and cleaved through its neck, then put her hand in its mouth and threw the head off the roof.
Kara stared. "That was dramatic."
The decapitated thing was still trying to move, and a bud began to form from the stump of its neck. "You're... annoying me!" Blackbird snapped. The familiar words warmed Henry's soul. She stabbed it repeatedly where its spine would be, each time piercing completely through its body. That didn't stop it from attempting to rise, though it slowed, so she plunged her blade into the joint of thigh and hip and twisted, separating a leg from the torso. Now that it wouldn't be able to stand, she switched targets. She turned back to the shoulder, struggling to keep her balance against its writhing, and chopped down. But perhaps because she was weakening from her injuries, the first blow didn't remove the arm. The desperate beast set its hands against the ground and shoved—heaving itself sideways into the air and off the roof.
Henry's jaw dropped. He'd stopped to watch thinking she had it under control, but maybe he should've followed through on his resolve to help. He ran to the edge and looked down, his friends joining him shortly. Blackbird was spread eagled in a pool of blood upon the cobbles, her fingers open around her hilt. The headless, three-limbed creature lay beside her, but started to turn to its side, a hand reaching for her. "Blackbird, get up!" they all cried. Henry shot electricity into it again, though it didn't seem to do much.
She gradually rolled away, came to her knees and tried to stand with the help of her sword. Shuddering in pain as she made it to her feet, she walked up to the monster and lopped off the arm on the same side as its missing leg. It flopped down and floundered pathetically with only right limbs. But even after she cut those away as well and struck its torso again and again, it still didn't die, its parts trying sluggishly to grow back. She re-amputated those that got too big, yet even she began to slow down.
"Maybe you can slow down the healing, but not kill it," Prince Michael said grimly.
Blackbird stopped, coughing out dark red fluid. "Or maybe, it has a core..." Her voice rose. "Guys, you can help me now!" With renewed vigor, she chopped furiously into its chest. Henry and the others ran downstairs and outside to see that she had exposed ribs. She reached in and, teeth gritted with effort, wrenched one out before throwing it far away. "Let's find the chewy center!"
Kara and Henry rushed to work, hacking away piece after piece with the latter forgoing his magic spear for his old sword. "You should be able to use your shooting tube again by now, Andrew," Kara said. "Help us destroy the sternum!"
He set the weapon against the middle of its chest and fired, making a big hole. Blackbird seemed to glimpse something through it, stuck her arm inside and felt around. "I think—got you!" She pulled her hand out. The seemingly deathless body stilled at last. In her fingers was a black orb.
"Isn't that... an artifact?" Henry breathed. He wondered if the beast had once been a person, only to be tricked or forced by the church to become this... thing...
"No, it's a ball!" Blackbird said. She tossed it up and hit it with her sword like it was a stick in a children's game—only instead of flying into the distance, the orb was cut in two and the pie
ces melted when they touched the floor. "We wouldn't want anyone else becoming something like that anyway, right?"
Prince Michael clapped. "You all are amazing! But somebody still needs to help me from this tower."
They went back up to the roof, as Blackbird didn't want to jump so far being hurt, and got him down by rope. A large number of people had gathered to behold the dead creature and destruction caused by the battle, and Kara yelled, "Where were the angels when this monster was killing so many and threatening our kingdom? Hiding, cowering in fear! And look what stopped it instead. Us, regular people! Humanity doesn't need the church, or its angels. We can stand on our own, strong and fearless!" The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Since when did she become our spokesperson?" Andrew asked.
Holding Blackbird while she leaned against him with fatigue, Henry shrugged. "Her voice is louder than ours."
"Shouldn't we also tell them that thing was an angel?"
"We have no way to prove it and what she said is a lot less controversial, so it'll do."
Now that their identities were exposed, church knights shortly arrived with an excuse that they had been "held up" to demand their surrender. But Michael declared they were under his protection, and on this day the church decided it would not be in their best interest to push the issue.
#
The church was quiet for some days while they stayed with the prince, with no reports of angel activity either. Public doubt towards the institution was at an all time high after the monster's appearance and their failure to act. Even some church knights were deserting, and some individual churches claiming independence from the main one. "Seems like we might finally be close to winning this war, huh?" Andrew said as they ate the glazed meats of royalty with wine on the side. "Just hope we don't get too fat to fight before then."
Henry nodded. "Things are looking up now that the prince has taken a firm stand against them. But if they'd managed to kill him, they would probably be back in control, so it's fortunate we got back right when we did."
"I do wonder where the angels have gone?" Blackbird tore a huge chunk off a turkey leg with her teeth. "I know I didn't get all of them before you guys decided you wanted a weapon upgrade."
Kara elbowed her playfully. "They're hiding scared because they know we're better than them!"
"Maybe so. But I'm sure they'll try something soon. Let them come. I look forward to ending this once and for all."
"That's the Blackbird we know and love!" Andrew said, and they shared a chuckle.
"So what do you think was your toughest fight," Kara asked, "Rodrick, that last monster, or the ancient hero you took your sword from?"
"None of those. The lord of Mulhrum Swamp was harder than all of them. I don't know if I'd even consider that one a win for me, maybe more of a draw since I made him walk away but was too hurt to go after him and finish the job. We had a mutual respect between us after that—he doesn't mess with me, and I don't mess with him."
Henry suspected she wasn't referring to a person. "How big is this lord?"
She smiled. "About as big as the castle." Jaws dropped. "He eats tree-eaters with his two heads, so I fought him to protect Mare and her herd. He doesn't bother them now either."
"I love you, you overly strong little beast," Henry said, and hugged her. She looked confused. He let go and added, "As a friend."
Michael walked into the dining room. "My great warriors, I have good news and bad news."
"What's the good news?" Andrew asked.
"There are ever increasing calls for us to storm the Sky Chapel. It seems to be the people's will that we topple the church."
"That's great!" Kara said. "What could be the bad news?"
"An envoy is here from the western kingdom of Yekal to express concerns about increased cost of exported medicines if the church should fall. Apparently, military action is being considered to preserve the current environment. My father may not be willing to approve our overthrow of the church at the risk of war."
Henry didn't know all the details, but had an idea what the problem was. "Can't you just make sure whoever takes over making those medicines from the church charges the same for them?"
"That... is not feasible. The church is able to produce medicine cheaply with the help of unpaid labor from charitable believers. Private merchants are not able to inspire such generosity, and thus cannot afford to match their prices. If we force them to do so, they will simply go out of business."
"Well, can't the government just take over those functions performed by the church and keep that aspect of the economy running as is?"
Michael frowned. "This is an option I've considered. However, if the church is gone we will be stretched thin just to maintain order, and unable to guarantee anything else. The leaders of Yekal know this and a promise alone regarding this matter will not gain their trust."
"Then you're just going to back down and let the church off the hook?" Andrew demanded, agitatedly waving his hand. "They've killed many innocent people and lied to us all for so long, and because of exported medicine prices they won't be punished?"
"Relax. I never said I'd given up my resolve to overthrow them. It just might take a while before this is resolved and we can proceed."
"Why not let us talk to him? We can help you convince him how wrong the church is, and what an injustice it would be let this slide."
"What would you tell him?" Kara asked. "That your sister died because of them, that you lost your arm? Sorry, I don't mean to make light of your suffering. But if their concern is the interest of their whole country, they're not going to care about that—at least not enough to allow an emotional appeal to affect their decision. Let Prince Michael and others experienced in these things take care of it."
Andrew shot her a harsh look. "It's not about my sister or my arm. The church has been hoarding artifacts that could better society as a whole—if we claim them, maybe we'll even find some that will allow us to produce medicine as cheaply or cheaper. Why don't we tell this to them?"
"That is a possibility," Michael said, "and one to consider. It's not a certainty, and thus will not carry as much weight. Besides, Yekal has already heard the rumors of artifacts possessed by the church and the issue will undoubtedly come up in our discussions. Anyway, the envoy is waiting for me. I should get going before he gets impatient."
After he left, Andrew fumed. "So we're just going to sit and do nothing while waiting for some diplomatic jaw-flapping to finish? I hear that sometimes drags on for months, yet with the church at its most vulnerable the time to strike should be now!"
"I agree with the last sentiment," Kara said, "but what can we do? We'd be out of place in court, and do we really want to start a war?"
Henry considered while they continued to debate back and forth. "Well, we could try talking to him. Even if we aren't seasoned diplomats, maybe a fresh perspective will help him see clearly. It can't hurt that much, right?"
Blackbird finally spoke up. "Doesn't seem like a crazy idea. But how do you propose we do it? Fat man won't likely give us a chance for fear of embarrassing him."
"Then we'll have to catch the envoy when Michael isn't around and hope he's willing to listen."
They discreetly watched their target until they came up with a plan. While he was away, Blackbird distracted the guard and the others snuck into his guest room, much more luxuriously furnished than the servants' quarters they shared. Blackbird herself got in by climbing along the outer castle wall from another window. They hid—Andrew and Kara stuffed together in the large closet, Henry and Blackbird under the bed—and waited for him to return. Henry just hoped he wouldn't scream for help upon realizing he had visitors.
The pale, slender man entered the room looking bored. After he turned away to close the door, the friends stepped out of their hiding places. "Be calm," Henry said, "we're not going to hurt you. We just want to talk."
The envoy faced them. "I wondered if you would try to contact me, knowing y
ou were here. Talk? But aren't you the young 'heroes' who think everything can be solved by violence? I suppose I should count myself lucky you haven't already killed me."
Henry's neck grew hot. "What?! That isn't true!"
"Are you not the ones who go around having that savage kill all in the way of your goals?" he asked, making Blackbird pout.
"No—I mean, yes she's killed for us, but we never wanted to harm anyone at first. We would be dead many times over if the church had its way. When marked for death, don't we have the right to defend ourselves?"
"You've taken it beyond defense. You could have fled the country or gone into hiding. Instead, what do you do but assassinate dozens of the church's finest in retaliation?"
Henry felt off balance. They had come thinking to persuade the envoy, only to have things turned around on them and their cause questioned. When he didn't respond quickly enough, Blackbird replied, "Assassinate? I never ambused anybody, I always let my presence be known before killing the angels. As for my companions, it's practical for them since they're less skilled."
"Shut up Blackbird..." Andrew growled.
Kara said, "We weren't retaliating—I mean, we all had some desire for payback, but we didn't kill just to get it. We had no other way to prove the truth, we didn't know how else to remove the artifacts from them so we had no choice if we wanted to expose the lies of the church."
The diplomat took a lengthy sip from the glass on the nearby table. "Sorry, I'd been talking a long time before this. Now, these lies of the church—what made you decide exposing them took precedence over human lives?"
Henry fumbled for an answer. "The lies have cost people their lives! Before I began to actively oppose them, I'd found this ring that could cure disease and used it to help many. The church took it from me under the guise of destroying it only to end up hoarding it because of their greed, letting it sit in disuse while it could have saved lives!"
