by Owens, Wendy
The older guard with the dirty blonde hair rushed over to the face of the building. He slid a key in, and turning it, the lid to a small box fell open. The boys couldn’t quite see what he was doing, but it became clear when a loud siren started going off.
Both of them clutched their ears, the piercing noise causing jarring pains in their heads.
“What’s that?” Uri yelled in Gabe’s direction.
“I don’t know, but I have a feeling it isn’t good.”
A moment later a large steel door on the right of the building began to lift into the air, and the sirens fell silent.
“Feel that?” Uri asked clutching his stomach.
“You’re kidding me right?” Gabe barked. “My augeries have been going nuts since we got here. How can you tell the difference?”
“Whatever it is, it’s big,” Uri added.
“Whatever what is?”
But before Uri could answer Gabe’s question, it was answered for him. The earth began to shake under their feet as a large lizard head emerged from the opening.
“What the hell is that thing?” Gabe revised his question.
“I don’t know, but he’s got a friend,” Uri cried stumbling back as the second head followed. And then a third. “Make that friends.”
“Seriously? They’ve got a hydra?” Gabe grumbled as the rest of the body pushed itself out into the open.
Uri watched as fire sprayed from one of the beast’s head. “I fought one of these once.”
“Great, I’ll let you get this one then,” Gabe joked.
“I didn’t say I defeated it,” Uri snapped back.
“That’s comforting.”
“Don’t cut off their head,” Uri instructed.
“Excuse me?” Gabe asked.
“If you cut off their head, two will grow back in its place,” Uri informed his friend.
“Oh this keeps getting better and better.”
In only a few of the creature’s enormous bounding steps, it was upon the two men. They quickly went to work on the beast, swiping their swords at it. Uri shouted, suggesting they aim for the underbelly. However, the monster had different plans. Each time Gabe or Uri would even come close to moving in towards where the heart might be, one of the heads was there to block the attack.
“Any other bright ideas?” Gabe yelled.
Gabe jumped high into the air, avoiding a shot from the head that spit fire. Uri found himself in a compromising position as he fell to the ground and one of the heads caught sight of him. The neck bent and swooped in towards his location as quickly as it could. Using all the force he could muster, Uri pulled his feet back, crouching into a ball, and rolled onto his back.
“Uri!” Gabe shouted, extremely concerned by the position he saw his friend in.
As the head of the hydra came in at full sweep towards him, Uri uncoiled his body, sending his boot-clad feet directly into the chin of the one of the heads. The animal’s head went flying backwards, a green saliva spraying out of its mouth as it did.
A small portion landed on Gabe’s leg and quickly began eating its way through his denim. In a panic, Gabe cut the pants away at the knee, but not before a small bit ate through the flesh on his leg the size of his fist.
“Agh!” Gabe cried out in pain.
“Are you all right?” Uri shouted, parrying out of the way of another attack.
Gabe winced, doing his best to suck up the pain. Through gritted teeth he replied, “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Watch the green head, he spits acid.”
“Oh wonderful,” Uri huffed.
Pushing himself to his feet, Gabe attempted to put weight on the leg, almost causing him to fall to the ground once again.
“It’s bad,” he yelled to Uri. “I can’t stand on it.”
The hydra redirected its attention, all three heads in Gabe’s direction, as if it had understood what he had just said.
“Oh shit!” Gabe moaned, “What do I do now?”
Uri shot a fireball in the direction of the creature, and though it seemed slightly annoyed, it did not shift its focus from Gabe. Gabe continued moving backward, dragging his injured leg behind him, watching over his shoulder the entire time.
The hydra didn’t attack, though; it simply watched him, as if it were amused by his attempt to escape.
“I don’t think so!” Uri yelled out, lifting his hands.
A moment later the earth beneath all of them began to shake and the asphalt cracked, parting slightly beneath the monsters feet, causing it to stumble momentarily. Gabe fell back on his bottom, unable to hold his footing on the shifting earth.
When he saw the hydra was struggling to stand, Gabe knew it was time to attack. Closing his eyes and pushing his hands forward he made his request of nature, blasting forth from where he stood was an arctic chill. It covered not only the hydra but also the entire building, in a layer of ice.
Uri lifted his sword high into the air and bringing it down with a mighty thud shattered the frozen hydra into thousands of pieces.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Uri rushed to his friend’s side and began to inspect his wound. “Wow, that looks nasty.”
“Yeah, where’s a healer when you need one.” Gabe laughed.
“Give it a few minutes and your body will start healing itself.”
“Something tells me we don’t have time for that,” Gabe commented looking around at the guards that were left, watching them closely from their hiding spots.
“You could cast a healing spell on yourself, you know you’re capable of it,” Uri suggested.
“I can’t, it takes too much out of me and I need to be awake for this,” Gabe replied.
“Then we should get out of here, we can come back when you’re rested,” Uri advised his friend.
“You’re not going anywhere,” a voice boomed from the front of the building.
Uri slowly turned around, catching a glimpse of what appeared to be a man in black robes. He paced back and forth in front of the doors, shoving the incompetent guards from one side to another.
“We came here to see Baal,” Uri called out, no longer seeing any reason to use the fake name, Grant Ledger. It was obvious after the hydra, the humans who were guarding him, knew full well what he was.
“And what business might you have with our great and mighty king?” the voice called back.
“Umm ... did I miss something?” Uri scoffed sarcastically, “has he gone off his rocker? The fight getting a little too intense for him? He’s gone and crowned himself king now. King of what? Assholes?”
“Silence!” the man shouted, coming to a halt, the hood falling to his shoulders. “This insolence will not be tolerated.”
And that was when Uri and Gabe caught sight of his face. The features were feline in appearance, and his hair full and long, as if it were a lion’s mane. Based on descriptions, they knew exactly who this was, one of the greatest hunters of all times, and the commander of the demon who killed Sophie and attacked Michael.
“Valafar,” Uri hissed in a low voice.
“Oh, I see my reputation precedes me,” the demon boasted.
“I’m going to kill you,” Uri enlightened him.
“I seriously doubt that,” Valafar cackled.
“Gabe, will you be all right to stay out of the way?” Uri asked.
Gabe nodded, then inquired, “Are you sure you can handle him on your own?”
“Oh hell yeah. This prick is responsible for Sophie, and now, he’s gonna die.”
Gabe pushed himself upright, managing to half crawl to the brick wall on the opposite side of the street. Leaning back, he took a moment to catch his breath, watching his friend begin to pace, as if he were stalking his prey.
“Oh this is too much,” Valafar bellowed, “You actually think you have a chance of beating me, don’t you?”
“Are we gonna talk or are we gonna fight?” Uri challenged.
Widening his stance, Valafar motioned for Uri to attack. Visions flashed through
Uri’s mind, Sophie’s lifeless body lying on the earth in front of Gabe’s cabin, Michael’s dead eyes staring back at him. He began to tremble, the rage consuming him. Pushing off the ground with his toes, he charged at Valafar, his weapon held high over his head, it now glowing a bright green in color.
Valafar didn’t shift his position, he didn’t even blink, just watched Uri running towards him with his thunderous cry. Uri was within only feet of him now, his heart racing, as he prepared to strike. Valafar casually raised a single arm, his palm held open towards Uri.
Uri stopped, dead in his tracks, as if he had hit a wall of some kind. Valafar turned his hand upwards and clenched his fist shut. As he did, Uri felt as if hands were closing in around his throat, squeezing the life out of him. With one hand he held his sword tightly, and with the other he clutched at his neck, trying to find the source of the invisible pressure.
Just as Uri thought his life was about to be extinguished, with the ease of a flick of his wrist, Valafar sent Uri flying across the street, his back slamming into a parked car.
“Oh this is going to be fun,” Valafar laughed, walking across the street.
Gabe watched, frantically trying to think of any way he could help his friend. “Leave him alone,” Gabe shouted.
“Don’t worry pretty boy, you’re next,” Valafar yelled.
“Why are you doing this?” Gabe asked, attempting to stall and give Uri time to recover.
“It’s what I do,” Valafar said plainly, stopping directly in front of Uri’s crumpled body. “And besides, you two were the ones who came looking for trouble.”
Valafar pulled back his foot, delivering a swift kick to Uri’s ribs. “You know you smell like them. It’s disgusting. Every vile and nauseating thing about them has latched itself onto you. I can’t see the angel blood in you at all. You’re like all these humans I see day in and day out. Worthless.”
Kneeling down, Valafar wrapped his fingers around Uri’s shirt, lifting him high into the air and tossing him into the middle of the street, as if he were a mere doll, a toy to be played with. Uri hit the ground with a thud and skidded to a stop.
Coughing, spitting out a spray of blood, he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, looking around for his sword, which had broken free from his grasp mid-air. Catching sight of it ahead of him, about five yards, Uri scurried forward, Valafar’s footsteps close behind.
“What’s this, are you still trying? I will say this about humans … they have loads of perseverance. You seem to have inherited that trait, as well. Not that it will do you any good.”
Gabe watched as Valafar walked towards his friend, his feet heavy with a mission, without giving it another thought Gabe lifted his hands in the direction of Valafar, casting a fireball and thrusting it in Valafar’s direction. The first one hit a nearby lamppost, grabbing the attention of the demon, who turned to face Gabe. Gabe had now managed to prop himself up against the brick wall, the tissue on his leg already beginning to regenerate, though very slowly.
Thrusting the heel of his hand towards Valafar, Gabe cried out, a shot of blue lightning leaping from his palm. Valafar responded with a spell of his own, deflecting Gabe’s magic.
“You two are really thick! When will you get the fact that you can’t beat me?” Valafar screamed in the direction of Gabe.
Before he could turn to re-engage Uri, Valafar was robbed of his voice. Looking down to his chest, he saw a green glowing blade sticking out of his gut. Uri slowly twisted the sword, the gurgling noises squeaking out from between Valafar’s lips.
Uri leaned in close over the monster’s shoulder. He whispered in his ear, “What were you saying about us never beating you?”
Pulling the weapon free, Uri watched as Valafar’s body slumped and fell to the ground. Raising his sword above his head he yelled out with a frenzied cry, then brought it down with all his fury, and cleanly sliced the demon’s head with ease. Uri fell to his knees next to the body, sinking his chin down into his own chest and sitting silently. His eyes closed tightly.
Gabe hobbled to Uri’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Are you all right?”
“I hope she knows that was for her,” Uri remarked, not moving.
Before Uri could stand, the street around them was filled with a deafening sound. “What is that?” Uri shouted. “It sounds like … frogs.”
Gabe knew exactly what that noise was. He was about to be granted the audience he had requested. “Uri, you have to hide, now!”
“What? Why?”
“Please, just hide, there, in the alley,” Gabe begged.
“No, why on earth would I hide?” Uri argued.
“Just do it for me. I need you to promise me something,” Gabe knew he didn’t have much time.
“What are you talking about?”
“Promise if something happens to me, you’ll take care of Rachel and Micah.”
“What’s going to happen to you?” Uri was obviously confused. The sound of the frogs had nearly over taken them now.
“Please!” Gabe shouted, his eyes filling with tears. “You have to promise me.”
“Fine, I promise,” Uri replied. “Now will you tell me what the hell is going on?”
Squeezing Uri’s arm he commanded, “You promised, now hide!”
Something in Gabe’s voice that last time made him listen. Rushing to the alley, and positioning himself behind a stack of pallets, Uri peered between them, watching for a hint of what Gabe might be talking about.
The croaking sounds stopped in an instant and an eerie silence fell over the street. It was the quietest Gabe could ever remember New York sounding. Turning around slowly, he already knew what would be waiting for him. Before he even lifted his gaze, he said, “Hello Baal.”
Uri’s breath caught in his throat as he watched, helpless from his hiding spot.
“Hello Gabe, so nice of you to come for a visit.” Baal’s voice was as soft as velvet. He looked around at the mess before him. Valafar’s body, the pieces of the hydra, now starting to melt, caused a lingering grotesque smell of flesh to hang in the air. “Although, I must say that your manners leave something to be desired, my dear boy. Hasn’t anyone ever told you it’s customary to bring someone a housewarming gift when they move into a new place.”
“I figured you weren’t staying,” Gabe said in a cool tone.
Uri could hardly believe his ears. The absolute nerve of Gabe to speak to Baal in such a manner, he couldn’t be prouder.
“Oh no, I quite like it here.” Baal laughed, straightening the lapel of his jacket.
Gabe inspected the man before him, his trademark devilish smirk on his face. Baal pulled the white cuffs of his shirt over his wrists, his grey, pinstripe, three-piece suit, made him look like he belonged on the cover of a men’s fashion magazine. He ran his fingers through his slicked back black hair, his tongue flicking out and wetting the corners of his lips. Gabe shivered as he watched him.
“I have a deal for you,” Gabe began.
Baal didn’t reply he just stared at Gabe with that sickening smile. Gabe didn’t know what to say next, he feared if he approached the proposition in the wrong way, Baal would not even listen to him.
The night suddenly didn’t feel as dark to Gabe, peering up at the sky, it looked as if it were burning.
“What’s happening?” Gabe gasped.
“Speak what you came here to say,” Baal instructed, ignoring Gabe’s question.
Gabe licked his lips, nervously eyeing the rolling reds and oranges over his head. “We’ve lost nearly two-thirds of our legions here on earth. I know your numbers must be similar. Isn’t that enough for you? Haven’t you won already?”
Baal placed his hands together, palms facing one another, his fingers tapping together, his lips pushed tightly together as if he was actually considering what Gabe had to say. “Do you know I’ve been searching for you, since the day you were born? I’ve come close to finding you more times than I care to count.”
> “Well I’m standing right here,” Gabe remarked, frustrated by the way Baal was continually avoiding his direct questions.
“Yes, you are. You’ve made it so easy for me,” Baal said, shifting his fingers, folding them inward and cracking his knuckles.
“I’m serious when I say we should call a truce. Consider it, your side withdraws from human society, finds a little corner of Earth where you can be happy and not hide who you really are. We’ll do the same. Nobody else has to die,” Gabe offered.
“Tisk. Tisk. Tisk.” Baal shook his long slender finger in the air, “How naive Gabe. We’ve tried the truce thing before, it didn’t really work well for us.”
“Is there some other way we can end all of this blood shed?” Gabe asked, hoping for a compromise.
“Yes, of course there’s a way to end the war. Once I kill you, and all the other Guardians, God can watch me destroy his precious mankind,” Baal replied coolly.
“I had hoped I could reason with you,” Gabe sighed.
Baal tilted his head, staring at Gabe curiously, “Doesn’t it disgust you, the way he loves them?”
“What are you talking about?” Gabe shouted.
“Your supposed heavenly father, the favor he shows to them. I know it makes me sick, I was just wondering how you all stand it. The most unworthy of his affections are the ones he loves the most. We were the ones he created first, equals, capable of being a real companion. But that wasn’t good enough for him.”
Gabe shook his head, “Wait. What? All of this is because you’re jealous of humans?”
Baal clenched his fists, moving a few steps closer to Gabe, he shouted, “Jealous?!” And with the sound of his voice the glass in all of the surrounding buildings blew out, spraying up and down the street. Pulling up an arm, Gabe shielded his face from the shards.
“Humans are beneath me. They’re beneath all of us. God was afraid the angels were gaining too much power. He knew it was just a matter of time before we would grow tired of sitting next to the throne and want to actually sit on the throne. You know, that’s why he created them? He wanted to make sure he put us in our place, wanted us to know we were weak and he was all powerful,” Baal snarled, “all he managed to do was piss us off.”
