by Lynn Landes
Soon the Keeper will pay for letting them kill his wife and destroying his life. He tosses his empty bottle on the sand and turns in for the night. He will wait for them to all retire, then his plan will be put into action.
The family pitches in to help clean up after the wedding. While the men move furniture, Elina and Leilani clean up trash. They walk around laughing at the antics of the men as they fill their trash bags.
Elina is smiling when she walks toward a glass bottle on the beach. The moment her hands touch the glass, the vision takes hold.
Tu’rel the tattooed hairless demon and son of the Mocker is talking to someone in a library.
“Bring me the information I need and your family will be protected, human. I seek a much greater treasure than your family. I want the Keeper! She has killed my brothers and she must pay. Do not think for a moment that you can run from us. We are many.”
“I will do whatever it takes to protect my family.” Scott says drinking another glass of whiskey and trying not to look into the eyes of hell.
“Excellent, though I am tempted to taste your daughter. She is… sweet.” he says, laughing at Scott’s reaction.
His eyes meet the black eyes of the demon. “No! I will do what you ask, but only if you promise not to hurt my family.” Scott demands….
Elina’s startled scream grabs Jake, and he runs towards her just as she drops to the sand. When he touches her arm, Elina feels him with her and shares the vision with him.
Fury fills his face, as he says “Betrayer!”
The vision fades and she looks up at Jake, “I guess my vacation is over.” Makaio and Leilani with their sons all stare at them, expectantly.
Jake pulls her to her feet, “Change of plans. Tonight we hunt.”
Jake and Elina say goodbye making sure to be loud enough for Scott to hear and head back to Jakes house. Scott watches them climb into Jake’s truck and ports to the woods behind Jake’s house, waiting.
“Jake this doesn’t make sense. Scott blames me for the death of his wife, but it was his choice to betray us all. Why would he risk Heather’s safety, now that she is happy? He loves his family.” she asks as they drive back to the house.
“What I picked up from the vision was madness, Elina. Rage, Fury, and guilt. He feels guilty for the death of his wife. He is sick. I can’t believe no one picked up on this until now. I mean I knew he was struggling with alcohol, but we all thought he was getting better.”
“I felt that too, but there is more. He has lost his grasp on reality, he is determined to make me pay at any cost. Even the loss of his only living child? I can’t risk the safety of everyone because of him. His abilities must not be discounted, he is still a keeper, Jake.”
Jake cuts the engine as they pull into his driveway. “Are you ready?”
“Yes. Let’s go.” They get out walking inside.
Hidden in the woods, Scott ignores the sounds of the bugs, frogs and other creatures of the forest and hides being sure to stay out of sight. He uses his Keepers ability to call the demons just as he did when he betrayed his family. Lights fill the windows as they move deeper into the house and Scott smiles. Sure, they will remain inside for the night, he moves back into the forest.
The Lua warriors are spiritual warriors who have been highly trained in martial arts, weapons, and stealth. Like the ninja’s of old, Lua warriors have the ability to blend into the night and not be seen or heard.
Makaio had summoned the strongest of his brothers and they answered the call. His strike force ghosts through the forest, hidden by the thick brush, they edge up the side of the small mountain, readying themselves in silence.
Scott turns at a sound behind him and stares in horror at the demon looking at him. It steps through the brush into the open on all fours. His skin is translucent and long white hair hangs around its face. Black beady eyes and an overlarge mouth, lined with rotting needle sharp teeth. It’s muscular, hairless body has long skinny arms that end in large hands. Like a gorilla it rests the weight of its body on the knuckles of each hand. The back legs look like the hooves of a goat.
It growls and starts toward Scott, only to cower back on its haunches and stare into the woods behind him.
Afraid to turn around Scott trembles and soon feels the heat of something leaning close over his shoulder.
It inhales smelling Scott’s neck and hisses at him. “I see you have met my brother, human. Why have you called us?” he asks passing by Scott to greet the demonic creature on the ground. He pats its head and the creature flinches as though expecting a blow, then lifting its head like a cat, savoring the touch.
Scott stares at the more human looking version of the same demon. This one stands on human legs, but he too has the same skin, hair, and eyes. They look nothing like the things that killed his wife. “I have brought you a prize. I know the location of the Keeper.”
Beady black eyes snap to Scott’s, “You would give us this information freely?” He asks rubbing his brother’s head. They look at each other as though communicating silently and wait.
“Yes. I want her to pay! She is staying in a cabin not far from here. If you hurry, you may even be able to catch her lover.” Scott tells the aberrations with a sick smile.
“What makes you think, I will not kill you and take her anyway?” he asks advancing on Scott.
“Because if you fail to capture her, I will be able to provide inside information for you. I am no use to you dead,” he replies no longer afraid of death. His need for revenge has taken over his common sense. Unable to bear the burden of guilt over his wife’s death, his mind has snapped. Elina was the obvious person to blame.
“We shall see human, what use you are…” the creature on the ground whines, and rises up on its hind limbs, sniffing the air. It hisses from its rancid rotting mouth and his skin begins to change. He steps back to the nearest tree his skin rippling, like a chameleon he blends into the bark becoming invisible.
“Scott,” Elina says, stepping quietly into the clearing, “you should know better than to try to bargain with death.” Dressed in black leather she is flanked on both sides by Jake and Seth’s brothers. Makaio is making his way up the other side of the mountain with the Lua Warriors to block any escape.
“Ahhh, very good, you have saved me the trouble of coming after you, Keeper. Come back with us and your friends will live. Fight and they will all die,” the wretched thing standing in front of her demands.
“Save your lies, monster. They didn’t save your brothers when I destroyed them and they will not save you,” Elina smiles purposely taunting the demon.
He smiles and the trees around them explode with loud cracking detonations. The impacts of their great trunks hitting the ground as they fall sends shock waves through the earth with thunderous booms.
Elina’s group looks around in surprise through the flying dirt and debris as shadows climb over the downed trees around them and attack. Scott ducks down the path back finding a hole in the chaos and runs away up the mountain, hoping to escape. He does not notice the chameleon demon stalking him.
Elina and Jake circle to fight the new threat leaping at them.
Jake strikes at them with an energy whip that sizzles and snaps when he connects with the swarm. With each crack he burns his targets to ash.
Elina is at his back, eyes aflame with holy fire, she swings her twin blazing swords lopping the heads off any demon that gets too close.
Seth’s brothers have separated from them and flank the demons when they attack Jake and Elina. They swing and beat at the wall of teeth and claws until their war clubs, hang heavy with the flesh and bone of the defeated. With all of the fighting the area is fierce with the sounds of battle and death. The demons seem to have an unending supply to fuel the chaos.
While they are distracted the larger demon attacks from the edge of the melee. Thinking it will take her heart and all of the power it holds for itself!
Elina sees the large demon lunge from the e
dge of the clearing towards her and Jake. Its mouth opens impossibly wide to expose rows of glistening serrated teeth surrounding a pit of pure blackness. The eyes radiate with malevolence, intent on her destruction.
She watches as it crosses the clearing in a bound, pulverizing any hapless lesser creatures in its way with a swing of a bony armored fist.
She looks away for a moment to see where her people are before sending a warning to them, “Everybody, group up and head for the trees to meet with Makaio. Push the lesser demons towards him and the Lau. I will handle the ugly one and see you there!” Raising her swords, she sends up a silent prayer and readies for the fight.
With Elina’s silent orders heard, Jakes group forms a wedge and begins forcing the demons into the trees and up the mountain. They fight with a righteous zeal slowly pushing the creatures towards the Lua warriors.
Jake watches Elina while he fights, wondering if he should stay back and help her. His doubts are unfounded as he sees Elina block the creature’s first attack with her swords and then land a hard kick to its chest with a resounding crack that drives it back with a yell of pain.
A roar escapes the demons decay filled mouth and he charges back at her swinging his now bone armored arms and fists, intent upon smashing her into the ground.
Elina ducks the clumsy attack and slices at its chest, opening up deep bleeding wounds. With a quick step, she is behind the wounded demon and drives both of her swords into its back. Thinking the fight is done, she steps back and is surprised to see the creature turn towards her with a smile on its gruesome face.
“You think a couple of fancy swords will kill me? My brothers were weak…”
Before the demon even finishes, Elina forms a pure ball of energy and shoots it into the gaping mouth. The impact detonates, lighting the whole side of the mountain in a bright flash of pure light. She stands at the center surrounded in amber colored flames with what’s left of the demon, watching it burn to ash.
Blocking his eyes from the explosion Jake turns back to the demons still fighting and doubles his efforts to destroy them all.
The death of their leader has slowed the demons because of the confusion from the blast. The reprieve lasts a few moments when a low howl erupts from their ranks.
Jake and his brethren are attacked with even more intensity. Demons fling themselves at their battle line desperate to reach the Keeper who destroyed their Leader. The humans fight, beat, sever, club, and brawl to deny the wave of evil that falls upon them.
Jakes body begins to slow from the effort and multiple wounds. He had lost his whip earlier in the fight and now battles with his military combat knife which is always with him from his days in the service. Its black blade is now covered in the gore of the numerous kills he has made. Exhaustion feels like it is just around the corner looking at him, but he still he fights on. His brothers in arms fight with all their souls to not allow the demons to gain any ground.
When it looks like they have no more energy to even stand Jake hears a battle cry from behind the line of monsters opposing him and he sees a serrated toothed club take the head of the demon standing in front of him. A spray of dark blood and the dead creature falls to the ground. Standing behind it is Makaio with death showing in his eyes.
“I see you saved some for us. Well fought Jake, now let’s finish this!” With that, he turns and jumps into the fray with his brother Lau and Kale.
“Hot Damn! The cavalry just arrived! Let’s go!” Jake yells to the men fighting beside him with renewed vigor.
Makaio and his brethren Lua, having made their way down the mountain side and slams into the backs of the unsuspecting demons. Their weapons had been blessed and anointed with Holy Power before beginning this hunt, so the creatures do not stand a chance against the Lua’s small force. They just don’t know it, yet.
Attacked from the rear the demons turn to meet the new threat and howl with hunger for fresh blood, thinking these humans easier prey than the Keepers at their front.
The monsters leap forward to attack the fresh meat only to have the front runners of the pack incinerated by the Lua’s shark toothed battle clubs and volcanic glass blades.
Jake and his brothers watch as the horde shift to face the Lua and use the short time to reload and clear their weapons of debris from the battle.
With a second to think, Jake searches for Elina to see if she needs help. All he sees is a burnt crater and blasted trees where she had been standing. Worrying, he quickly looks for her thread while he reloads his pistol with his last remaining clip of ammo. In his mind’s eye he sees the golden threads of the keepers but no trace of Elina, she must be blocking her thread. With a look at his men and a sigh he starts running up the mountain side with them to clean up the rest the demons with the Lua.
After the flare of the explosion died down, Elina stands looking at the remains of the creature she had slain. She feels drained.
“Another of his sons killed. How many of these monstrosities do I have to burn before this is done?”
She turns and hears the noise of battle further up the mountain. Bending down, she sifts through the ash looking for her swords, all she finds is the melted hilts.
“Well, I won’t be using those again,” With a flash she ports towards the battle still raging, hoping to finish it and save the lives of the brave warriors who are fighting it.
Elina drops in at the edge of the battle, intending to fight her way towards the center and kill as many demon spawn as she can on the way. She listens and begins moving in the direction of the loudest fighting. As she stalks through the forest, she sees piles of ash and gore everywhere. There are clumps of demon bodies scattered around that are still smoking from the grievous wounds they had suffered.
She breaks through the low brush into a clearing. She sees the battle she was hearing before. Makaio and his Lua are fighting a much larger horde of monsters.
She watches for a moment and hope dawns in her eyes. Judging by the smoking dead and dismembered demons she crossed on the way to this clearing, the Lua are the source of all the carnage!
With every strike of a war club or shark toothed sword, a demon falls screaming in pain. Some of the Lau are using only their hands to smash in the creature’s faces and jaws. Others are just snapping arms and legs with hard strikes that can be heard as the bones break. They leave the writhing bodies on the ground behind them for the heads to be taken by sword as they move forward in a mass of bodies and claws.
Elina is awestruck by the show of determination and ferocity of the Lua as they fight. She knew they were skilled warriors, but she was not expecting to see so few bring the demons to their knees and destroy them.
Makaio is a righteous force unto himself. With every strike there is a flash and a crack of light as his hands contact the demons, blowing holes in chests and ripping limbs from bodies.
She can see the effort of the fight on his face, but he does not slow down until there are none left standing around him. The Lua are all covered in the blood of their foes.
As if sensing Elina’s presence, Makaio turns to look at her with a knowing smile. “So it is done, their leader is dead then?” he sends to her mind.
“Yes, he was burned further down the mountain.” Elina responds back to him.
Makaio surveys the area around them with a look and sees Jake and his group break into the clearing. They immediately move to help clean up the straggling demons that are left from the battle. The creatures do not put up much of a fight, having spent most of their energy fighting with the Lua.
He hears the crack of Jakes pistol as he empties the last few blessed rounds into a group of demons. A last shriek of pain and they burn to dust. His Lau move about making sure every one of the vile creatures is dead and not moving.
Elina approaches Makaio and Jake, while looking around them at the piles of dead. Horror fills her mind as she sees they are already decomposing and sinking back into the earth, killing all of the plants around them. After being
exposed to such evil she wonders if anything will ever grow in this area again.
She smiles at Jake, “It’s good to see you made it through this. I was worried about you, considering the number of demons we had against us. It seems that as the Mockers sons grow stronger, so do their armies. I almost hate to think about what we have ahead of us.”
Jake wipes some gore from his face, “With all of our forces together, we will be able to face them. The damn things stink though, don’t they?”
Makaio laughs. “They do stink, but they taste even worse!” and he spits on the ground trying to get the taste of their blood out his mouth from the spray caused by close combat.
The small group stands laughing as warriors do after winning such a battle. They turn towards the peak of the mountain when a human screams in terror.
With a look at each other they all say the same thing, “Scott!”
Elina steps up and grabs Jakes and Makaio’s hands. She ports them to where the screaming is on the top of the mountain.
When they open their eyes, they face another demon similar to the one Elina killed, except more animal like. It has Scott by the neck hanging him over the cliff face of the mountain.
The clawed hand is dug into the side of Scott’s neck, causing his blood to drip down his shoulders and chest. Scott’s eyes are bulging with the effort to not pass out from the pain and pressure.
Elina scowls at it, “Damn, he must have had a brother we didn’t see when all this started.”
“Release him demon and you can leave.” Makaio demands stepping towards the creature.
The demon smiles a mirthless smile at Makaio and dives backward off the cliff still holding Scott.
Makaio having anticipated what it might do had palmed a weighted cord in his hand. He throws it at Scott’s leg and it wraps around his ankle as they fall over the edge. Makaio braces himself for the shock of catching Scott.
As the cord tightens, Scott is jerked free, but the claws of the demon slices through his throat. Elina helps Makaio pull the writhing Scott back up the cliff face, leaving a bloody trail from his wound. The bleeding is severe and Elina rushes to try to stop it.
