by Wendy Owens
“Is something wrong?” Dina asked again. She made her way to an overstuffed floor pillow and curled up on the rug, hugging the pillow to her chest.
“I’m leaving,” Gabe stated flatly in response.
The response came much more easily than Dina had imagined it would. “Wait, what do you mean you’re leaving? Where are you going?”
“I can’t be here anymore. Did you know that Michael is gone?”
“Yeah, I know. I met Bishop, a real charmer, isn’t he?” she chimed back sarcastically.
“It’s not just Michael. I caught Uri and Sophie kissing yesterday.” As Gabe spoke, Dina did her best to act surprised. “I just can’t be here anymore, surrounded by these people.”
“Gabe, maybe if you—”
“Don’t tell me to give it time, Dina!” Gabe interrupted.
“I— I wasn’t …” Dina insisted.
“I am leaving. I just wanted you to tell everyone for me so they wouldn’t think I am missing or something,” Gabe explained.
“Gabe, I know this seems awful right now, I mean, it’s awful, but I don’t think you’ve thought this through,” Dina argued, conflicted if she should be traveling down the path of this argument.
“All I’ve done tonight is think this through!” Gabe’s voice was intensifying. “Will you tell them?”
“What about Baal? How can you be safe out there? Have you thought about that?” Dina decided she wasn’t going to plead for him to stay any longer, but if he was going to leave, she was going to make sure he was prepared.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’ve thought it through. I will be on my own. I can keep moving and use cloaking spells, I’ll be cautious.” She could see a confidence in Gabe that reassured her slightly.
“Oh, Gabe, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Dina added one last time, trying to express her concern without changing his mind. In that moment, she knew she couldn’t keep Gabe here just because she wanted to keep a friend near. She couldn’t put his happiness above the greater good. In that moment, she understood what Calysta was saying. The council had done the things she claimed, not because they were evil, but because they were worried about the greater good.
“I’m leaving, can you tell them?” Gabe attempted to confirm.
Dina nodded, her heart stinging as she watched Gabe turn to leave.
“Wait!” she shrieked, jumping to her feet. Running to the wardrobe near the foot of her bed, she grabbed the satchel. Quickly, she started filling it with small glass bottles of potions.
Gabe chuckled, “Only you would have a stockpile like that.”
“Well, hopefully you won’t need any of these, but should you, they are all labeled.” Dina carried the bag over to Gabe, forcing it into his hands. She glanced down at the enchanted charm hanging near the strap, the beacon spell she cast on it would ensure that one day she would find her friend again.
“I’m sure I won’t need them, but thank you,” Gabe replied, reaching out to embrace her.
“Gabe,” Dina began, grabbing hold and pulling him closer. “You have to promise me, if things get bad out there, you’ll come home.”
Nodding, he released himself from her embrace. She watched as he walked down the dark corridor, never looking back, and then he was gone.
Dina crept silently back into her room, pushing the heavy door closed behind her. Taking her spot back on the plush floor rug, she clutched the pillow again tightly to her chest. Releasing the muscles in her body, allowing them to tremble, she began to cry, praying she had not just sent her friend off to certain death. Without the Guardians there to protect him, Dina feared the worst. The hours passed, her cheeks grew tacky as the tears stopped and dried where they fell. Her hopelessness had given way to numbness, an oddly satisfying shift.
“Dina? Can you hear me? Are you all right?” As things came into focus again, Dina saw Uri standing in front of her, waiving his hands around vigorously. Haim was standing behind him, looking over Uri’s left shoulder at her.
Realizing her friends were standing in the middle of her bedroom, she quickly sat up. Dina looked at them, a slightly horrified expression on her face. “What are you doing in my room?”
“We were banging on your door forever,” Uri shouted, annoyed.
Haim nervously shifted his weight from oversized foot to oversized foot, “We’re sorry, Dina, we were worried about you.”
Dina hopped to her feet, wiping away the paths of the dried tears that had stained her cheeks. “No, it’s fine. I’m sorry, I must have dozed off.”
Uri scoffed. “You weren’t sleeping, Dina!”
“What?” Dina narrowed her brows, getting aggravated by Uri’s tone.
Uri didn’t back down as he continued to argue. “Something is wrong, are you going to tell us?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dina insisted.
“Fine,” Uri huffed. “I don’t have time to play games. Gabe is gone, have you seen him?”
“What?” Dina did her best to act surprised. “What do you mean he’s gone?”
“I mean, I went to his room this morning and he cleared out his stuff. He’s gone!” Uri exclaimed.
“Maybe he just needs some space,” Dina argued.
“So you haven’t seen him, fine. Come on, Haim.”
“Wait! Where are you going?” Dina cried, jumping into their path.
“We need to get going before the trail gets cold.”
“No, you can’t! Just give him some time, Uri,” Dina pleaded.
“I gave you a chance to take care of this. I asked for your help already and now look, Gabe is missing.”
“He’s not missing,” Dina groaned, reluctantly.
“What do you mean he’s not missing?” Uri did his best to contain his frustration.
“He came to see me this morning.”
“Well, where is he?” Haim asked.
“I don’t know exactly,” Dina answered.
“So, he is missing,” Uri insisted.
“He’s not missing, he needs a break,” Dina argued.
“A break from what?” Uri grew impatient with the back and forth.
“From you!” Dina shouted, wishing she hadn’t said it. “Not just you, but from Rampart and everything else. He’ll be back … eventually.”
“What?” Uri gasped. “You let him go out there by himself? Do you realize Baal’s forces have been spotted in the area? Are you trying to get him killed?”
“I gave him potions—”
“Are you freaking kidding me? You gave him potions? I can’t believe what I am hearing from you. Every tracker in the world is after him, Dina! What were you thinking?”
Realizing the truth in Uri’s words, her heart sank. She feared that she, in fact, had been led astray by Calysta. “I guess I wasn’t.”
Uri rushed to the door. Looking back at Dina, he said, “You better hope he’s all right when we find him.”
“I’m so—” Dina’s tear filled apology was interrupted by a blaring siren.
Uri looked to Haim in a panic.
“The perimeters!” Haim shouted.
Before Uri said a word, Dina was suiting up in her leather and armor. “Go!” she shouted. “Find out what’s going on, I’ll catch up.”
Uri and Haim were out the door in an instant.
Entering the area outside Dina’s door, it was as if a tidal wave of sounds had knocked into them; panicked cries could be heard all around. Fighting their way down the crowded halls, Haim and Uri could not imagine what awaited them in the courtyard. Uri called out in a booming voice, demanding someone in the crowd tell them what was happening, but nobody answered. Whatever was happening, people were more worried about their own welfare in that moment. Looking towards the opening at the end of the corridor, instead of the usual daylight greeting them, all they saw was a heavy gray smoke with random dark figures milling about within the cloud.
Emerging from the building, the larger picture came into focus. A
cross the courtyard there was a fire burning, Uri realized it was the great hall. Dozens of people were running past them, fleeing from an unknown force. Uri recognized a face in the crowd. Reaching out with his large and powerful arm, he stopped the small girl dead in her tracks, the force at which she struck his arm sent her flying backwards.
Haim reached down, picking up the girl with one hand, careful not to release his grasp on her.
“I know you,” Uri said, staring at her for a moment longer, still unable to place the face. “Where do I know you from?”
“I’m in some of your friend’s classes,” the scared girl answered, her raven hair sticking to her soot stained face.
“That’s right; you’re the girl who has a crush on Gabe.” Uri added, remembering suddenly.
“What? No—” the girl shrieked at the idea of her secret being revealed. That terror quickly faded away as she glanced over her shoulder and remembered what was chasing them. “We have to get out of here.”
“What’s your name?” Uri pushed.
“Did you not hear me? We have to get out of here or we’re all going to die.” The panic made her voice strain and sound as if at any moment she might burst out weeping.
“You’re going to die a lot sooner if you don’t tell me your name!” Uri barked, loosing what little patience he had.
“Uri,” Haim moaned before shifting his attention to the girl that was struggling to release herself from his grasp. “Look, he’s in a mood, I would just tell him what he wants to know.”
“Neru. My name is Neru. Now, will you please let me go?” she begged.
“Not before you tell us what’s going on,” Uri demanded.
“Didn’t you hear the sirens?” the girl questioned, puzzled at how they did not know what was happening.
“Yes, of course, the perimeters. I am not an idiot. I’m asking who is attacking us!” Uri shouted.
“Demons— hundreds, no— there have to be thousands of them; they’re everywhere.” Neru cried.
“That can’t be, our scouts would have seen a force of that magnitude and reported it ...” Uri’s argument was interrupted by a fireball rocketing past them, smashing into a fleeing herd of students. The cries of pain caused Uri’s spine to stiffen.
“Listen carefully,” Uri began, reaching out and grabbing hold of the small girl, seeing she was distracted. “Are you listening? You need to go and find Dina. Do you know who Dina is?”
Neru nodded, her eyes filling with tears.
“Tell her Rampart has been compromised and we need to evacuate. Do you understand what I’m telling you to do?” Uri watched the girl for some sort of response, but she offered him nothing. “I said, do you understand?”
Forcing the paralyzing fear down into a hidden place, she at last acknowledged him. With the gravity of her mission sinking in, she stood up tall. Haim released his hold as she did. “I’ll do it.”
“Then go, she should be near her chambers,” Uri added. Neru turned and ran from where they were standing.
“We need to make sure Bishop knows,” Uri said, looking at Haim.
“How can he not know? All hell is breaking loose,” Haim countered.
“You know what I mean, he needs to know it’s Baal.”
“Baal? How can you be sure?”
“He is the only one who could gain command of a legion this size.”
“Oh, God. What about Gabe?” Haim gasped.
“The best place he can be right now is as far away from Rampart as possible. We’ll have to worry about him later,” Uri reassured his distressed friend.
Haim pulled the battle hammer from his belt. “So what do you want me to do?”
“Uri! Haim!” Raimie’s voice called out from behind them. “What in the hell is going on?”
“Baal’s broken through the perimeters of Rampart,” Haim answered, completely confident in Uri’s analysis.
“That’s impossible. The scouts—” Raimie began.
“That’s what I thought, apparently it’s very possible,” Uri explained.
“Where’s Dina?” Raimie asked instantly.
“She’s fine, we just saw her. I sent Neru to tell her what was happening and that she needs to start evacuations,” Uri explained.
“Who?” Raimie asked confused.
“Nobody, just some girl. Does anyone know where Sophie is?” Uri inquired, the previous evening’s kiss no longer anywhere in his thoughts.
“Uh— yeah, I think,” Raimie answered, shaking his head as if physically trying to get his thoughts in order. “I saw her this morning and she said she was going to the infirmary, she had a terrible headache.”
“Ok, good. That will be the first place they evacuate, so she should be fine,” Uri continued. “Raimie, we have to get word to the council about what is happening here. Can you get to Bishop and tell him he needs to contact them? Haim and I will do our best to help hold them off while everyone evacuates.”
“Of course,” Raimie answered. Immediately, he turned and began pushing his way through the crowds towards Bishop’s office, calling out over his shoulder. “I’ll be back to help you guys as soon as I can.”
Haim looked at Uri, a question in his eyes. They had fought side by side for so long that it didn’t need to be spoken. Instead, Uri knew Haim was asking if he was ready. Gripping his weapon, which was now glowing brightly, was all the answer he needed.
Running forward into the smoke, a hundred yards in, their weapons were met with a clash of steel and tearing flesh. The demons burst into fluttering piles of ash and flame as their swords sliced through them. Confidently, the men bounded further into the battlefield.
The earth began to shake and tremble beneath their feet. Uri thought perhaps it was an earth quake until he heard his friend’s voice.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Haim groaned.
“What is it?” Uri called back, squinting as the smoke stung his eyes.
“They have a hydra!”
“Huh?” Uri gasped in disbelief. Taking a step closer in Haim’s direction, he peered into the distance, trying to make out the dark figure that loomed above them. As the air began to glow orange, Uri soon realized that what he saw were the flames coming from one of the beast’s five heads.
“Oh, shit!” Uri cried.
“What do we do?” Haim asked, his brutish tactics no match for a hydra.
“This is the stuff Sophie’s good at, damn it!” Uri grumbled. “Just kill as many of them as you can. Love you, brother!”
With those final words, Uri pushed deeper into the mob of demons. It was hard to determine where one monster ended and the next began. Their eyes glowed, their teeth gnashed, hungry for flesh. It only took a moment for Uri to be lost in the sea of unholiness, losing any sight of his friend.
Uri took stock of his situation. Circling above his head was an alp, a trail of smoke streaming behind it. Alp’s were known for haunting one with nightmares. Uri knew he had to keep his guard up and not allow the creature into his thoughts. A bajang was creeping closer to his left. Its feline features did nothing to soften the glare of its exposed fangs. He knew, given the chance, the bajang would suck every last drop of blood from his body. Behind the bajang was a cluster of cambion, their skin blue in color, their skeletal-like frames shaking as they screeched a high-pitched battle cry. A cambion was the offspring of a human and succubus; they had always turned Uri’s stomach.
To Uri’s right were three goblins; their skin was a putrid green, which appeared to always be secreting a slimy fluid of some kind. The goblins clutched their daggers tight, cackling as they prepared to attack. Directly in front of him stood a rokurokubi, which caused Uri to do a double take, at first thinking perhaps Baal had recruited a human.
The male foe was the first to attack, running towards Uri and swinging wildly. As Uri brought his green, glowing blade towards the man’s throat, he was surprised to see its neck flex backwards and to the side, growing at least six feet in length. The being laugh
ed at Uri’s failed attempt to slice its jugular. Uri quickly realized he was not dealing with a human. Instead, he had come face to face with a being he had only ever read about in books. A rokurokubi by all appearances was merely a human, a character trait that allows them to blend into society on Earth. They have an amazing ability to extend their necks to unnatural lengths, a handy trick they use to spy on the humans and report back to their demon masters.
Uri stumbled, careful to avoid the swiping blades of the goblins. After assessing the dangers, Uri was prepared to destroy the ravenous cluster of demons, and they were all prepared to do the same to him. Lunging forward at the rokurokubi, this time Uri was prepared for his evasive maneuvers. He watched as its neck stretched, the shades of its flesh turning an eerie white as it did. Uri was not trying to slash again at the man’s throat; instead he had his aim focused on the creature’s chest. Pushing his blade forward, the heel of his hand thrusting at the butt of it mightily, Uri knew exactly where to penetrate to slide between the ribs. Slicing into his chest with great precision, Uri pulled the blade back out and brought it to rest at his side. His movements had been too quick for the rokurokubi to see.
Thinking the Guardian had foolishly missed again, he started to laugh, but instead of laughter exiting his mouth, there was simply a gurgle. The monster’s blood had already begun to seep into the lung Uri had sliced. Rather than wait for the being to die the slow and agonizing death it deserved, Uri stood and swiped at it’s now exposed, lengthened throat. Cutting clean through, a spurt erupted from the beheaded neck before the body fell to the ground with a thud. At the sight of the fallen demon, the cambion increased the intensity of their shrieking. Uri fought the urge to cover his ears.
Looking in their direction, a glare in Uri’s eyes caused them to hiss as they coward briefly. He was prepared to put an end to them, but the bajang had other plans. The creature moved as though he were floating. He swiped at Uri’s chest, and though he missed his target, his claws managed to grab a piece of Uri’s arm as he pulled away. Uri winced, the wound only angering him.
