by Lynn Landes
Maeling nods and tucks it into the sash of her jacket just as another explosion occurs.
“Ya-Ya?” Maeling cries thinking of her Father above deck.
“Maeling. Will you trust me as you did before?”
The young girl nods her head and buries her face in the crook of Elina’s neck.
“Good.” Elina builds her power as she clutches the child to her body. She turns and runs up the hallway towards the main ladder.
“When we get to the top deck, grab your father’s hand and I will send you home. Friends of mine will help you get to safety from there.” Elina promises as she lowers Maeling to the ground.
“ELINA! He’s here!” Malach yells a warning from the deck above.
At the bottom of the ladder, Elina hears screaming and chaos, footsteps stampede as workers run for safety.
“Picture your father in your mind, and your home. Hold the image in your mind of where you want to go, okay?”
Maeling nods and Elina takes the image from her mind, and then ports the child to her father.
“My turn,” she thinks with a flash, she lands beside Malach. Elina is greeted by a swarm of demons. Malach is fighting, holding his power in check until he needs it all.
“Ba-Ba!” Maeling’s voice screams and Elina turns seeing the child on the ground helping her father rise up from his knees. With a great push of power she sends them on their way, praying that Jake is already there to meet them.
Chapter 28
Maeling clutches onto her father’s hand and holds the image of home in her mind, just as Elina told her to. Distracted by the sights and sounds rushing past them, Maeling doesn’t notice how her father is struggling until they drop into the kitchen.
When he stumbles to a chair, her mother rushes to his side. Afraid to move, Maeling stares stupefied at the shadow demon now attached to his back.
“Ba-Ba,” she whispers in horror. Struggling to look at his family, he tries to speak, but can’t take a breath.
The demon has no face for it is shadow still, yet it wears the body of an insect. It grows stronger and bigger because of the fear in the room. It wraps long jointed legs around her father, and spears their wicked tips deep into his chest. When his victim gasps in pain the demon stretches its antennae over his head and shoves them deep into her father’s open mouth.
He begins to choke, grasping his throat, he struggles for every breath not understanding what is happening.
All noise fades, Maeling no longer hears her mother’s screaming or her grandfather rush into the room. A burning begins to build in her little chest.
Maeling’s grandfather calls her name and runs to her. Scared, she grabs his hand and points at her father. He turns to look and sees the shadow demon for the first time.
“Ying-zi!” he says loudly. The demon turns from its meal opening its cavernous mouth and spews out a smaller demon onto the floor directly in front of Maeling and her grandfather.
It runs towards her mother leaping at her. The pressure builds and Maeling hears Simeon’s voice in her mind, “Breath, we are coming. Don’t fight the feeling, Maeling. Picture it flowing into your hands.”
Maeling closes her eyes and listens to the soothing voice.
“Good, now shape it into a weapon.” Assisted by the angel, Simeon, Maeling pictures in her mind two throwing daggers, called shurikans. Her eyes open, she now holds two deadly daggers made of light.
Watching closely, the lesser demon spawn leaps to the ceiling and screams for its father. The large shadow demon holding her father hisses and a vibration fills the small kitchen, calling out for more.
Maeling quickly tosses a dagger at the ceiling piercing the smaller demon, destroying it in a flash of fire and ash.
A screeching scream of rage explodes from the larger demon. It releases her father, violently ripping its antennae from his body and tossing him across the kitchen.
Maeling’s eyes glow with anger and tears while her mother screams and runs to her father.
Her grandfather jerks her backwards away from the larger demon.
A face begins to take shape inside the demon. Sensing the strength in the human form he discards the insect shell and grows arms and legs. The demon smiles clapping his hands together the room darkens as more shadows fill the room, seeping in from every corner.
Maeling throws the last of the shurikans but the demon leaps to the ceiling sticking like a spider. It runs down the walls before landing directly in front of them with a thud. Reaching out impossibly fast he seizes her grandfather’s throat in a clawed hand and begins to choke him.
“Maeling, follow the image in your grandfather’s mind. Do it now!” the voice urges. Pressure builds and power grows burning Maeling from the inside.
“Ya-Ya,” Maeling says as she wraps her arms around her grandfather’s waist in a tight hug, “You are the vessel!” and she gives him her power.
Hot white light explodes from the duo, filling the room. It bursts through the shadows, disintegrating the demons and releasing all from the clutches of evil.
“Peace little warrior, we are almost there.” The voice fades.
Her father stares at her coughing loudly and lifts his arms to his daughter. She rushes to his embrace. “Forgive my ignorance, Maeling. I am sorry for doubting you,” he begs through tears.
“It’s okay Ba-ba, help is coming.” She says assuring him. Her grandfather stumbles on shaky legs to the table and sits hard in a chair.
“What do you mean, who is coming Maeling?” her mother asks.
“We are,” says a voice from behind as the front door crashes open.
They turn and standing in the doorway is a large, beautiful Angel. His wings are massive, and he fills the doorway with his luminescent light.
“You did well, Maeling.” Simeon says. “We must get your family to safety.” With a small smile he shakes his golden wings and they disappear, allowing the others behind him to fill the small room.
Heather rushes past Simeon, to Maeling, followed by Seth. Simeon watches and an uneasy feeling fills his mind.
“That was too easy,” he hears Loe complain. “Here I was anticipating a good fight.”
Too easy. The phrase echoes in the now still air.
“Way too easy.” Jake agrees looking closely at Simeon.
“We should go, now.” Heather says with a glance at Seth.
“I’m staying,” Jake announces. “Elina will need me.”
Maeling gasps at the familiar name. “The bad one was attacking the ship when we left! She is in trouble. Can you help her?”
“Yes, but first we need to get you all to safety. I will return as soon as I can,” Simeon states and they are gone. Leaving Makaio, Loe, and Jake to head to the ship.
Chapter 29
Nameed follows Alex’s thread through time smiling at the ease with which he wields his power. He remembers when the first nightmare came, Alex was a child.
It was always the same images of hands carving small wooden pens. People speaking in a language he could not understand. The hands tremble as they rush to carve with exquisite detail, adding a cap on the end that is not detectable. Next, the same hands write in minute detail on a small scroll, salting the ink, and rolling the tiny scroll up, then slipping it inside the bottom of the pen. The hands seal it with black tar and continue carving once it has dried. The detail work is so meticulous that the seal is undetectable.
New hands appear to place a tea crate on top of the work area. With a tool, they pry open the bottom of the crate and place a matching wooden inkwell and a pen. The bottom of the crate has been lined with straw, as well as the entire area surrounding the secret items before being sealed shut.
The scenery changes, but the hands still carry the tea crate. The smell of fish and voices echoes as they near a fish market. The hands pass the crate to someone who carries it onto a large ship.
Once more back at the table, the hands continue carving identical quills and wells. They tremble with f
ear as he painstakingly carves until loud voices are heard. The sound of wood splintering and voices raised in anger and fear.
Alex sees the hands rise up attempting to block the blow, and the quills are sprayed with blood and the hands fall to the ground, still in death.
Nameed shakes the memory off to focus on the task at hand. It had been a challenge to train and guide the child until his moment came. When Elina came to him asking for his help, Nameed was surprised at the unorthodox plan. He did as she asked, guiding Alex through time, to this moment.
The plan is for them to exchange the pen and quill from “the hands.” His orders were to exchange the pens before the soldiers arrive and get out without interfering.
“Why not save ‘The Hands’ if we can?” Alex insists for the tenth time. Nameed sighs, he can read Alex’s intentions.
Alex smiles. He never was good at following orders.
“No, we make the switch and get out.” Nameed says, creeping along in the shadows outside the little mud covered hut. When he gets no response he groans in the dark. “Reckless, impulsive, human. So like his sister!” He doesn’t have to turn around to know Alex is gone.
Alex drops into the room, cloaked waiting in the shadow. Thanks to Nameed’s excellent training, he can shield his thread with no problem.
Nameed follows silently, glaring at Alex, who smiles when he feels his guardian. Angels may not value life, but Alex wants to make a difference. He has lived a lifetime watching this person die over and over again. Not today!
The old man is crouched over his work table, working silently he waits for death to claim him. He knows what is coming and he is ready for it.
His ancestors protected the sealed pot with the original scroll for generations. Time took a toll and the pot was destroyed. It was decided to transcribe the scroll and hide it. Feeling led by God, he promised to keep the Covenant and recreated the scroll, but time was not his friend. Whispers spread and powerful people caught wind of what they were doing.
Humanity is greedy for power and lusty for more. Enough is never enough. His family was forced into exile and those that would not run, were slaughtered. Even when the blood ran deep, he kept the Covenant. He is the last. He would make sure their deaths would matter.
Nameed knows what Alex does not, that every death matters. Angels value life, because it is a gift. They treasure it for the miracle it is.
He walks over to the man, and rests a hand on his shoulder soothing his soul. He will be with him in the last moments of his life. He would be guided home, a hero, who kept the Blood Covenant.
The man stops moving the moment Nameed touches him and turns looking directly at the spot where Alex is waiting.
He puts down his tools and rushes to a floorboard in the corner of the dusty hut. With trembling hands, he pulls open the wood on the floor and pulls out a package wrapped in dirty red silk.
Slowly he stands and returns to where Alex is. Alex looks into the milky colored brown eyes of the man and drops his shield.
Joy fills the weathered lines of the man’s face as he offers the gift to him. Alex takes it and his eyes open wide at the rush of power he feels the moment he touches the silk! Reverently he touches Alex’s hand and steps back.
When the footsteps are heard and loud voices occur the old man quickly returns to his table. Nameed shields Alex, protecting him from what is coming.
They are not demons, but humans. Soldiers rush in and Alex is forced to watch as the man is struck down and his blood splatters the floor. The soldiers take the pen he was working on and the tea set and set fire to the small workroom before leaving, laughing at the mess they made.
Nameed releases his hold on Alex.
“Why didn’t you let me help? We could have saved…” Alex’s voice fades out when the first glow appears.
The old man stands young once more. He smiles at Alex and nods his head at Nameed before turning towards the bright light. From inside the glow, voices call and he runs into the arms of his family.
Alex turns away feeling ashamed for a moment. He envy’s this man, his family waits. What would he give to meet his Father, Mother and brother? He should not question God’s plan. He knows better, but the pain is always with him like a wound that will not heal.
“There is no shame in being human, Alex. Angels know that every breath you take is measured, by a loving hand. Every moment of your life is a gift. Your family will be waiting for you, one day. This I promise you.”
Chapter 30
The sun has set and darkness arrives, bringing with it a silence among the streets. The fish markets are still as Jake, Makaio, and Lao hurry towards the docks using the cover of alleys and doorways to conceal their movements.
In the distance they see flashes of bright light with the sounds of low thundering reports. A scent floats on the air, catching Jakes attention. The trio pauses when they realize it is smoke. Fire!
They begin to run and when the docks come into view, they skid to a halt.
The regal ships that had once greeted the dawn, now stand covered in demons, fire and death. The creatures creep across every inch of the ships and docks.
The humans crawl along, screaming silent screams as their souls are leached from them. Some of the stronger dock workers try to fight with the unseen enemies by swinging makeshift clubs and short work knives, but they are powerless against such evil.
Jake sees Elina standing on the top deck of a huge black and red ship, fighting back to back with Malach. They face monsters on every side and calmly fight as if one being. Fluid in their motions like a choreographed dance, where one motion ends the other begins it again. They are beautiful to watch as they fight in tandem. The demons attacking cannot find a gap to strike them.
Malach’s great sword is covered with the blood of innumerous beings. The demons are struck so fast they do not realize they are dead until falling over, cleaved in two. Elina is no less efficient at dispatching the foes in front of her. The difference is when she strikes with her obsidian sword, it burns in a bright arcing flash.
She yells to Malach, “In coming,” and ducks. Malach immediately stretches his wings out over them to protect them from a dark energy blast one of the demons has shot at them. With a loud boom and a flash of pure blackness, the explosion rolls over them.
Sensing an opening, the horde rushes at the Keeper and the Archangel trying to overrun them. Instead, the closest ones are met with the powerful edges of Malach’s wings as he sweeps them open and Elina bursts forth carving into the mass of muscle and bone.
A great rippling wave from her powerful swing and she ends the existence of the line of demons facing her.
Malach wades into the fray again using his fists as well. With every strike an unfortunate creature falls over the railing screaming in agony. Those are the lucky ones that are still alive. Most he hammers to the deck with a crunch of bone and gristle. The blood of the fallen covers the once beautiful wooden planking of the ship.
Jake, Makaio and Loe have made an entrance of their own as they have fought their way down the pier towards the ship that Elina and Malach are on. The trail of broken and burning bodies lingers behind them. They are within striking distance of the gangplank to the ship when Jake feels a tremor through the old wood of the pier beneath his feet. He stops moving and looks at Makaio.
“What was that?” Jake asks.
Loe is already looking around to locate the source, “I have no idea, but it is big!”
Makaio is looking towards the city when he sees a flash of bright light and the ground vibrates once more. “I think it would be a good idea to put some space between us!” He says pointing down the pier.
Jake looks and sees a being walking slowly toward them. “Mocker,” he murmurs.
The being raises his arms, a bright light fills the sky and the pier begins to hum from the power emanating from him. Every step he takes reverberates through the pier and the ship. With a contemptuous look he slams his hands together, creating a
rolling thunderclap and all noise ceases except for the flapping of demonic wings.
Loe begins pulling Jake with him while he quickly reloads his pistol. A glance up to the sky has Jake chilled to the bone. The sky behind the Mocker is thick with an army of demons and fallen angels who follow him.
He looks at Loe, “It looks like you will have the fight you were hoping for!”
Makaio chuckles, “And we were having such a good time.” He swings his shark toothed battle club while rolling his shoulders, preparing for what lies ahead.
The Mocker stands as a powerful, beautiful image of what one would imagine an angel to look like, missing only his wings. His long blond hair blows around a chiseled face. He holds a large sword in one hand and wears silver armor laden with white diamonds. The effect is stunning.
Elina knows what the others do not. He stands a very mockery to the name that is whispered from the humans who dare glance upon him.
He looks at the Keepers and Archangel standing defiant against him, “Ah, I see you have brought some friends, Elina. Excellent, my thirst is great for their blood! And I see one of my jailers here as well, perfect. I will hang your wings over my throne and…”
Malach steps to the edge of the ship’s deck interrupting him, “Brothers, hear my call! The Betrayer walks again!” From his sword a brilliant beam of light shoots to the heavens with his voice echoing across the night. He smiles when the Mocker screams in rage and points his sword at Malach.
“Attack, sons! I want his impudent head!” Instantly the night fills with the noise of battle and inhuman screams. The Mocker begins laughing as the army of the damned rushes forward seeking blood!
Elina watches the army of creatures flood towards her and Malach. She looks to the pier to locate Jake and finds him with Makaio and Loe. They are fighting to board the ships gangplanks trying to reach her.
Elina sends a thought to him, “Jake, Don’t come to me, I will meet you on the pier.” She sees what they do not, they will have more room to fight without being surrounded.
