Ardat zoomed down to ground level to stand next to Tracy.
“Wow, don’t do that to me,” Tracy said, wiping sweat from her forehead. “I almost hit you with my lance.”
Ardat ignored Tracy and looked for the minotaur, Cratos, she had spoken with when talking to Queen Baymor. He had said he knew Alan and he, more than any other, would understand the importance of keeping Tracy safe. Ardat spotted him a few yards away, sweeping his huge battle hammer like a scythe at a group of terrified demon soldiers.
“Cratos,” Ardat yelled above the din. “Cratos!”
He swung his giant armored head toward Ardat, shaking blood from his horns.
“Sodom approaches.”
The two words were enough for Cratos. Throwing his arms behind him, he lifted his muzzle to the sky and let out a bone-chilling cry. As one, every minotaur within hearing range turned to heed his call.
Cratos extended an open hand then clenched his fingers into a tight fist and retracted his limb to his chest. Although the command was silent, the result was not. Each minotaur who had seen the gesture ran to form a wall around Tracy and Ardat.
Ranks formed within seconds as they stood shoulder to shoulder, stomping their hooves and snorting in anticipation of the fight to come. Cratos stood next to Tracy and Ardat, rolling his massive head from side to side and preparing himself to face Sodom.
“That was intense,” Tracy said just loud enough for her unicorn and Ardat to hear. The unicorn nickered as if he agreed. Blood was dripping from the single horn that sprouted from his forehead.
“Clear your mind,” Ardat ordered. “Remember your training.”
“I will,” Tracy said, clenching her teeth together.
It seemed that no demon was brave enough to attack the circle of minotaurs crowding around Tracy and Ardat. Instead, they remained content to wait for their leader to approach.
He came walking with a smile on his face, ringed by his ebony-armored personal guard. The two forces met. “So you called to the Minotaur Nation for help. I must admit, I never saw this coming. They have managed to stay out of this conflict every time despite the plea for help from each side. Tell me, Ardat, how did you do it? I’ve known you a long time. You never struck me as the type to ask for assistance.”
Ardat walked between the ranks of minotaurs to look Sodom in the eye. “I didn’t ask for their help. Regardless of who did, this only ends one way—with you dead.”
Sodom smirked, shaking his head from side to side. The act maddened Ardat even more. His nonchalant attitude burned her.
“I understand why you have to believe that. But even with the strength of the Minotaur Nation behind what remains of Michael’s army, by sheer numbers we will outlast you. This is the greatest host of demons assembled since the war in heaven. See reason, Ardat. Give me the Horsewoman of Disease and go along your way. You will be richly rewarded for simply walking away. When the reign of the Usurper comes to fruition, you can be reunited with Michael again. That is what you want, isn’t it?”
Ardat’s hands clenched into fists. Sodom knew Ardat would do anything to have Michael back. If he thought playing on her emotions was the right angle to take when convincing her, he was wrong.
“How about this?” Ardat said, lifting slightly from the ground with her hands open. “I kill you and wipe that stupid thing you call a face off your head. I like that idea much better.”
Any pleasantry from Sodom vanished. “Kill them all,” he shouted.
Ardat took to the air as the two forces clashed. Her hands clenched into fists, Ardat hammered down strikes against Sodom. To her dismay, the weight of gravity that would have crushed anyone else simply made Sodom turn a smiling face her direction. “You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?”
Ardat looked around, confused. To the best of her knowledge, Sodom’s abilities were confined to absorbing and using others’ powers. Then she caught sight of them: small yellow comets racing around Sodom’s body, encasing him in a protective shield. The ability was familiar to Ardat; it was the Horseman of Famine’s shield.
If Sodom’s impenetrability wasn’t enough, the fight waging below Ardat between Cratos and his minotaurs and Sodom’s personal bodyguards wasn’t going any better.
It seemed a spell had been cast on the armored core of soldiers, taking away any sense of pain or fear of dismemberment they otherwise might have felt. Ardat watched, horrified as Cratos swung his hammer down on an enemy, crushing the demon’s left shoulder. What remained of the man’s arm fell to the ground but instead of flinching or writhing in pain, he continued to move forward. Cratos was barely able to deflect a return blow from the soldier.
It was the same all across the battlefield. Like a black tide, Sodom’s forces moved forward. Even those who had been taken out at the legs were crawling onward.
Just like that, their plan was crumbling. Ardat reminded herself of her priority and raced down to stand next to Tracy. The young girl’s mouth was open. Fear was written plainly across her eyes as she witnessed the undying horde approach.
“Fight, Tracy,” Ardat ordered as she scanned the landscape, summoning every type of bladed weapon to her. “Now is the time we fight.”
Tracy nodded as the black horde reached them. Ardat grimaced as she bore the weight of hundreds of spears, swords, and arrows high above her head. In droves, she cast the weapons down on the approaching ranks of Sodom’s army. If she couldn’t kill them, pinning them to the ground would have to do.
Over and over again she drove down the weapons, sticking the black-armored warriors through the head, chest, and legs. Each barb sank deep, anchoring them to the dirt below, but for how long? Every time she was able to stop an enemy, he started to squirm. His hands would search for the weapon and pull his body from the trap. On many occasions, the unfeeling soldier would morbidly push whatever body part was trapped to the ground through the opposite side of the weapon.
Ardat began to sweat as she continued to send hundreds of weapons into the oncoming ranks. Her efforts were serving to slow the enemy but not stop them.
Likewise, the mintoaurs were having the same problem dispatching the unit of robot-like soldiers. “Their legs,” Cratos shouted, “go for their legs.”
Even as he said this, Ardat knew the strategy would only serve as well as her own. They needed a permanent solution. Dispatching the rest of her weapons floating in the air at a single soldier, who turned into a human pincushion, Ardat focused on gripping a handful of units. With a great push, she sent them flying backward. Their armor was so heavy they didn’t travel as far as she would have liked, and once again, it was only a temporary solution; they would be back.
As Ardat lifted soldier after soldier into the air to send them hurtling through the sky, her eyes tracked Tracy’s and Sodom’s movements. Sodom was in the middle of a crowd of minotaurs, absorbing their blows with delight and striking out with fire blasts that came from his hands.
Tracy was holding her own as her unicorn slammed into soldiers, taking their heads clean off. Tracy fought valiantly to fend off any others who would have an open strike at her steed’s exposed neck.
Then Sodom made his move. With a blast of fire, he consumed the mintoaurs holding him at bay and stalked toward Tracy.
Ardat lifted two large soldiers from the battleground and prepared to throw them at Sodom. She never got the chance. It felt like a tree trunk had been used as a baseball bat and she was the ball. Flying through the air, a blinding light crossed her vision.
Landing amongst the debris of war, Ardat felt as if she had every ounce of air knocked from her lungs. Gasping for breath, she struggled to her feet, retracing the trajectory from her impromptu flight. She took in the sight with awe.
A dragon stood towering above the battlefield. With long swipes of its tail, the ebony beast swatted minotaurs like rag dolls.
“A dragon,” Ardat said out loud to no one in particular. “But how?”
The answer to her question came in
the form of a tall dreadlocked figure stalking toward her. A grin on his lips taunted her as he stepped over broken bodies and twisted pieces of weapons and armor. “You didn’t think it was going to be easy, now did you?”
Ardat was struggling to come up with a plan, any kind of plan that would leave her alive as the summoner and his dragon closed the distance. Before an idea could take shape, she heard her name being screamed.
“Ardat! Ardat! I could use some help here!”
Ardat looked to Tracy, who was hedged in by a group of zombified guards. Sodom was reaching up to her, the unicorn bashing its head and hoofs against Sodom valiantly but unable to pierce through his armor.
It’s over,” Ardat thought to herself as the dragon reared back on its hind legs, preparing to pounce. She could feel the heat from its maw as streams of acrid smoke drifted into the air.
Then the unexpected happened. The Shaman appeared out of thin air, took Ardat’s hand gently in his own as if they were going for a stroll, and together they disappeared.
---
Gabriel’s and Raphael’s fighting styles couldn’t be more different if they were trying to do the exact opposite from one another. Gabriel used his twin swords made of fire like a tornado of pain and death. Swirling both weapons, he cut down anyone who stood in his way and even those who ran. Gabriel made use of his weapons as projectiles as well. If an enemy was out of his reach, he would throw the sword, dispatching his opponent. Within seconds, another sword would sprout from his hand, replacing his arsenal.
Raphael, on the other hand, led the Angelic Army slowly, gaining ground as he struck with his trident in a clear, refined form. He ignored any enemy who thought better of his attack and fled.
Danielle kept close to both Angelica and Gideon. She would fight if she had to, but her main purpose now was to make sure Gabriel didn’t step out of line. The trio was following in the wake of Gabriel’s destruction, so coming across any living enemies wasn’t an issue.
Despite the overwhelming odds, Danielle was surprised to see the Angelic Army advancing under the lead of Gabriel and Raphael. Kassidy, atop her gryphon, would swoop in and out of the fight, accompanied by Esther and her command of flying angels.
Watching the battle unfold in front of her amazed Danielle. The skirmish was fought with traditional weaponry just as much as powers and abilities. Yellow electricity flashed here, sinkholes were manipulated, while soldiers on both sides granted with the gift to transform into animals ran across the battlefield.
One enemy, who looked like he could control the earth itself, blocked an attack by Gabriel by constructing an earthen wall in front of him and hindering Gabriel’s flames. The Fallen Archangel sneered as he shot flames forward from both his hands in a steady stream, then manipulated the flow of the fire so it split into two channels, which curved around the earth barrier then met again, burning the demon.
Somewhere in the back of Danielle’s mind, she knew it was just a matter of time. Things were going too well for the Angelic Force. No real opposition had presented itself and foot-by-foot, they were marching deeper into Sodom’s camp.
“There,” Angelica said, shading her eyes against the sun, “I see a cloud of dust and—and I can hear hooves.”
“Calvary?” Gideon asked as his helmet fell lopsided across his eyes and he struggled to right it again.
“Shield wall,” Raphael ordered, falling into a perfect line with his men.
Danielle, Gideon, and Angelica hurried to obey. Gabriel looked at them with a roll of his eyes as he made no move to shelter himself alongside the protective barrier.
“Gabriel?” Raphael asked, inviting him into the safety the wall of shields provided with an open hand.
“If I wanted to hide then I’d still be chained in that dungeon. I’m here to prove my worth to the cause, remember? I can’t do that cowering behind a makeshift fence of steel, now can I?”
Raphael shrugged as if he had expected the response and turned to address the oncoming force.
Danielle’s heart raced with anticipation. The cloud of dust was growing heavier by the second. Soon shouts and war cries could be heard amongst the cacophony of galloping hooves.
She could see Raphael tense and even Gabriel rolled his shoulders, preparing for the encounter. To all of their surprise, not darkly clad enemy soldiers atop horses but centaurs appeared, racing through Sodom’s forces, killing any who stood in their path.
Danielle’s breath caught in her throat. She had never seen a centaur before. The creatures were amazing, deadly, and beautiful at the same time. As they came closer, the centaur in lead raised an arm and the entire unit slowed to a halt. Someone who had been riding behind the centaur jumped off. It was Alan.
Danielle couldn’t stop herself. For days she had been denying the possibility that Alan was dead. Now seeing her friend for the first time since his capture, and alive, she broke rank and ran to him.
Alan’s familiar boyish grin broke over his beaten face as they embraced. “Uhhhgggg, take it easy on me, Turner. I can barely stand.”
“Oh, oh right,” Danielle said, awkwardly stepping back and feeling her face flush. At once, she was aware of exactly how many eyes were on her. Before the moment could grow any more uncomfortable, Alan broke the silence.
“It’s good to see you up and fighting,” he said to Raphael, who followed Danielle’s lead and broke ranks.
Alan noticed Gabriel for the first time. His eyes widened as he looked to Raphael and Danielle for an answer.
“He’s with us,” Raphael said, clasping Alan’s hand in his own. “We’ve come to an agreement.”
“My Lord!?” Triana said, jumping from behind her centaur and running to exchange words with Gabriel.
“You should have left him to rot,” Kyle said, approaching the group with two strangers in tow.
Danielle took a step back. The last time she had heard, Kyle was fighting alongside Gabriel against Michael and his forces.
“It seems Gabriel isn’t the only one who’s had a change of heart,” Alan said, calming Danielle’s fears. “I’d also like to introduce you to Lavos, the king of the centaurs.”
The lead centaur Alan had been riding stepped forward and extended a hand to Raphael. “Yes, Alan Price, Poseidon and I know each other well from the Greek wars between his own kind and the Fallen.”
“Indeed,” Raphael said with a warm smile. “It’s good to see you, my friend.”
“Well, isn’t this wonderful,” Gabriel said, joining the group. He looked as if any further pleasantries would make him physically ill. “The Horseman of War is alive, the Horseman of Death wants to be a hero, and the centaurs are on our side. Now that you’re all done hugging and kissing each other, there is a war to win.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Alan said with a cold stare in Gabriel’s direction. He turned to Danielle with a sigh. “Think you have enough in you to restore Kyle and me back to fighting mode?”
Danielle dropped both her sword and shield, which felt as if they had grown a hundred pounds each since she accepted them from Angelica. “I know I can. Who’s first?”
Chapter 17
The feeling was like every ounce of strength being sapped from your body. Even Tracy’s will to fight seemed to seep out of her pores. What had happened? How did everything fall apart so quickly? One moment Ardat was fighting beside her, the next a giant dragon had appeared out of thin air and Ardat had vanished.
Tracy was powerless against the grinning Sodom, who had pulled her from her horse and was leaching the force of the Horsewoman from her. In vain, her unicorn bashed its head against Sodom but his defenses held. Not only were tiny yellow comets running around his body, forming a protective barrier, but two navy-blue electric wings had sprouted from his massive back and were hampering any weapons from striking his person.
Tracy’s heart was slowing; any will to fight back was gone. Her only ability to resist now was through the stare she screwed him with.
Through
her peripheral vision, she could see the minotaurs struggle with the group of undying soldiers. Some even ran to her aid, striking Sodom with clubs and axes, but to no avail.
If this was going to be her last breath, she wasn’t going to go quietly. “You’re going to lose,” she grunted to a grinning Sodom. “You’re going to lose.”
Sodom shook his head ever so gently. “No, my dear, it is you and yours that will not live to see tomorrow. Once your abilities are mine and I hold the power of the Four Horsemen in one body, I will bring about the Apocalypse. Then my master will rise, and a new dawn will welcome a future where demons rule both men and angels.”
“Spare me,” Tracy said as she was released from Sodom’s grip and fell to the hard ground. In that moment, she wished she could have thought of something more heroic to say, but all she could think of was how far she had come from Mocha Frappuccinos and designer handbags.
Unconsciousness came for her like sleep after an exhausting day of shopping. The last thing she remembered was her unicorn taking a protective stance in front of her and Sodom’s cackling voice as she drifted into oblivion.
---
There was a crackling like lightning and a sound like thunder. Steam and smoke rose from her skin as though she had just been struck by lightning.
“Here you are, my dear,” the Shaman said. Averting his eyes from her nakedness, he motioned with open arms to a room of woman’s clothing. “It’s an imperfect means of transportation between the realms but at the moment, it will have to do.”
Ardat’s mind retraced the events that had occurred as she stood stark naked in the middle of a dark retail clothing store. I was fighting the undying soldiers—alongside Tracy … when … the dragon then … Tracy!
Alan Price and the Horsemen of the Apocalypse Page 13
