by Lynn Landes
The pain from the Mockers teeth shocks Elina into action. She can feel her life force slipping away. Keeping one hand over her chest, she strikes at the Mocker, driving her fist into his raw flesh ripping at the very muscles of his body.
She feels the pressure of his mouth lessen. She hits and pulls more, tearing at the tortured blackened flesh. Finally, she hits something and with a gasp of pain he releases her. Her head is swimming from her injuries and blood loss.
Stumbling to her feet, she looks at the Mocker and watches as his body is reforming right in front of her horror filled eyes. His lush white wings snap out fully feathered, his face reforms back to its glory, his body is completely regenerated. He looks down at his now beautiful body and laughs before turning to look around.
Alex watches with a look of horror, understanding on his face. Elina is the final piece. “Noo!!” he screams and starts running towards them, praying that God will help him stop the Mocker.
“Too late! I am reborn!” He says, looking at what is left of the Keeper, “Where is your God, Keeper? Who is going to save you and your pathetic humanity now?”
He turns away from the ruin of the woman before him and drops his shield, showing all what he has become. A wave of his hand and a huge portal opens again to his realm.
It screams a tortured sound as unholy energies force the two realities together. With the portal open his sons and their legions pour through into the world above.
Chapter 33
He is too late. Alex looks on in disbelief. This is not possible, this was not part of the plan. They are supposed to win! He skids to a stop and watches the horrors marching into his world to look once more at his sister.
He can see the blood running down her body. She falls to one knee, no longer able to support herself. A loud boom rocks him on his feet and he turns to see Michael and the other archangel’s flying toward the growing horde of demons firing lightning at them to slow down the tide. Black charred bodies fall across the ground from explosions, only to be stomped upon by the monsters behind them fighting to escape hell.
“She’s dying,” he whispers and all sound fades. He scans the ruins that were once his village and finds Jake and the other Keepers. With all of the angels busy fighting back the Mockers army, they will be no help.
Jake is on the other side of the village fighting with Makaio and his son Loe. The battle has pushed them back from the center of the village where the portal first opened.
Jake is bleeding from his neck and arms with cuts on his face. Makaio and Lao only look a little better from the heavy fighting of the demons. They are in a group pushing a pack of dog demons back towards the open portal. Every strike sends a plume of dust and debris into the air as they beat the hell hounds back.
Alex yells, “Jake! He’s killing her! Jake! She needs help now!”
Jake hears the scream for help and what he finds stuns him. Horror shows on his face as he takes in the scene and Elina’s current condition. The Mocker is standing over her bloody body, taunting her, as he watches his sons lead their armies out of hell with an insane smile on his face.
Alex has a flash of an idea. “Jake, catch her!”
Before it even registers with Jake, Alex attempts to port Elina away from the Mocker, as she did him. His intention is to send her to Jake and the others Keepers so they can help her.
Evil is not so easily fooled. The Mocker feels the power surge around the brutalized bleeding woman at his feet and reaches down quickly snatching Elina’s ankle. Fueled by the power of the keeper’s blood, he drags her into his arms and explodes straight up into the night sky.
Elina fights, but she knows she is no match for the demonic archangel. He is fueled by the power of her blood. Weak from the fight and blood loss she watches the ground fall quickly away.
The Mocker searches the ground looking for the keeper who attempted to take his prize. His eyes land on Alex, their intensity burns a hole into Alex’s soul.
“So, little brother thinks he can save the great Keeper of the Light? She is mine! I am going to drain her dry, then hang her head from my throne. No one will save her!”
Still watching Alex, he fashions a chord of energy around Elina’s leg then attaches it to his sword belt. With a push of wings, he flies towards the angels fighting his sons. As he nears the group he drops her knowing they will try to save her.
“Live bait!” he laughs releasing her. Elina screams of agony ripples across the battlefield. Through the haze of pain Elina calls for help. Alex and Jake both try to port her away from the Mocker but they are blocked.
“It must be the chord tying her to him!” Jake yells. Alex screams for Malach as he is fighting his way to the other keepers who are being overrun with Nightwalker demons. The creature’s massive claws dig great gouges in the earth leaping at them, only to flash to cinders as they are struck by the holy fire of the Keepers weapons.
“Malach, Malach! He has her! We need help!” Alex calls looking to the sky for the massive dragon. He is nowhere to be seen. Alex pushes his senses out looking for the angel knowing he can help if they can find him.
The roar of the mighty dragon is heard as he attempts to leap to Elina’s aid, only to be drug from the very sky by a writhing mass of demons crawling all over his body.
His wings are held down by great rock creatures while smaller demons, with huge mouths filled with rotting sharp teeth gnash and tear at the beautiful hide.
The dragon is fighting with claws as sharp as swords and a tail that pounds cracks into the earth. With every flick he smashes any creature within his grasp. Great gouts of flame erupt from his mouth burning any close enough to ash and the very air is choked with smoke and fire as everything erupts to flame around them.
“Don’t, let him take her! She is the final part of the book! Do what you must!” Malach sends his thoughts to Jake and Alex.
“What does he mean, do what you must?” Alex asks but he is greeted with nothing but the sounds of the battle and death around him. “Jake?”
A Nightwalker leaps at Jake before he can answer only to fall backward missing most of its head and giving them a moment to breath.
“Alex, think! The tattoos on her skin are the final part. We have to get her into the Ketuwah to complete the covenant.”
“What will happen to her, will she be okay?” Fear for his sister shows on his face and in his voice.
“I, I, I don’t know. We just have to get her there and right now the Mocker has her. We need to move and get her back!” Both of them search the sky for them. Makaio and Loe can be heard fighting behind them holding the demons at bay.
Jake is the first to see him, “There I see him! He is headed to the portal!”
“Got him, how do we get her back?’
Jake pulls his pistol, “Alex, add your power to my shot and I should be able to sever the chord from his waist!”
“Are you crazy? She will fall, Jake!” Jake places a hand over Alex and ports them with a flash to where the Mocker is flying overhead and sends Malach the plan.
“Alex she should be able to port to safety. We don’t really have a choice. This has to work!” Jake yells, praying he is right.
“Jake, you must keep the covenant!” Elina calls to his mind. “There’s not much time!”
With a sick feeling Alex looks up and sees the Mocker laughing and flying with Elina dangling like a fish on a line. Demons beneath leap skyward and fight each other for a piece of the mighty Keeper.
“Okay, let’s do this!” Alex says watching his sister dying before him.
Together they build their power and Jake takes aim. “Aim for his lower spine, maybe we can break his back as a bonus. Together now!”
Malach breaks free just before Jake pulls the trigger and fights his way towards them.
Elina feels the power surge below her and looks down at her brother and Jake. The entire area surrounding them is smoking from the gathered energy. They are illuminated by a deep blue light pulsing from th
eir bodies.
The surrounding demons are unable to break through the shield Alex provides. Her life force is fading. She looks up at her captor and sees he is intent on the battle with his sons and the Archangels. He has yet to notice Jake and Alex.
“Malach? Where are you? There is no time left.” She has to get to the Ketuwah and complete the covenant.
Malach turns distracted by the weakened call and the demons attack him again.
“I need your help, my love,” she reaches out and finds him fighting to free himself as they drag his dragon body back to the earth. His hide is bleeding, his wings are torn but he fights with all of his being, burning and clawing his way into the air.
“Fight Malach, fight! It is time!”
Elina turns back to Alex, and pools all of her power as the Keeper of the Light. All of the gifts given to her by God and the knowledge imparted to her by her mentor. She pushes into one single surge for her brother and she waits for Jake to pull the trigger.
Alex drops the shield and Jake fires. The power released is immense, the sky lights with the passage of the beam. For a single moment they are connected to the Mocker with beams of cyan blue light. The report of the passing bullet rolls a thunderous boom across the village, causing all to look skyward.
Just at the bullet impacts the middle of the Mocker’s back, Alex feels his sister with him.
“Alex take what is mine,” she whispers and floods him with her power, releasing all of her gifts to her brother. “My time as the Keeper is over. Take what is mine, I give it all to you. Always remember, I love you brother.”
Alex feels the power flood his body and his head fills with memories not his own and he drops to the earth.
“Nooo, we can save you! Not now! We still have time!” He begins screaming as he sees the cord holding Elina dissolve away in the white hot detonation and his sister begins to fall to her fate.
“Jake, she can’t port! She gave me all of her power! She can’t port!” She plummets to the earth screaming for Malach.
Malach feels the detonation and tears through the air, on tattered wings. He turns toward where he feels Elina and explodes through the cloud of demons between him and her. The winged creatures stab and swing at him, attempting to stop him from his mission. Malach leaves a trail of smoking dismembered bodies behind in his frenzied flight to save her.
Elina watches the light of the bullet as it passes by and says goodbye to her brother. With a jolt she is free and all she hears is a rush of wind passing her ears. She closes her eyes and prays for strength to finish her journey. She prays for those left behind that they will endure what is coming. She hears Malach scream of agony and she senses he is close, but he won’t be in time. Her fate is near.
The Mocker is blown across the valley from the explosion against his back. The pain from the fire is so intense he does not feel his prize drop away from his now bleeding and torn body. He lands in a grove of trees, digging a great gash in the earth.
Jake sees her body break free and hurtle towards the trees below. He grabs Alex and ports to where he thinks she hit. Just as they arrive, they all feel the impact deep in their souls! His scream is joined with Alex’s and he fights the surrounding demons back to keep them from her broken body. A weak moan has Jake diving into the trees and brush looking for Elina.
Jake finds her sprawled on her side at the base of a tree. Limbs and leaves of her passage still drift in the air around her. Her legs are twisted under her, both broken, and her left arm is behind her, snapped at the elbow and bleeding heavily. Her face is bloody with her left eye swollen shut from the impact. A low groan escapes her bleeding, broken lips.
The crash of breaking tree branches pulls his eyes from Elina and he turns to see Malach slide to stop behind them. A cry of anguish escapes his mouth at the sight of his beloved.
“It’s going to be okay, Elina.” He reassures her as he kneels on the ground and tries to heal her body once more.
She stills his hand and speaks to his mind. “Malach, God sent you to take care of me. Shelter me under your wings, beloved. Lighten my path and don’t leave me. Stay near me and defend me against the evil here.”
Jake watches the tree line around Elina and Malach. Loud explosions can be heard from Alex’s fight to protect his sister. The air is filled with the strangled roars of hells soldiers being blown to pieces from his power.
A loud crack of splintered wood has Jake looking behind them to see a huge tree fall from being pushed over as demons clear a path for their attack. They smell Elina’s blood and have come to claim it. “Incoming, We need to move now!” Jake urges.
“Help me Malach, in this last struggle of my life. Deliver my soul home so that I may complete the Blood Covenant!”
A rush of wings batters the broken keeper as a Fist of God lands in the small clearing between them and the advancing mob of darkness. They spread out to protect the broken keeper and her brother.
Alex is pushed back into the trees from the fighting and sees Malach attempt to heal his sister. The angel is bloodied, half his armor is missing showing the ragged gouges and holes in his body from where it was ripped off during the fight. He has dropped his ragged, torn wings down around himself and his sister protecting her with his own body.
Looking past the archangels protecting his sister, he sees the advancing demons and knows they are now surrounded by hells children. He hears the concern in Jakes voice, and is determined to stop the evil from hurting her anymore.
Elina coughs and blood covers her lips as she turns to look at the angels. “Protect the Light!” she orders, pointing to her brother. Coughing again she screams in agony as Malach lifts her. Alex looks on understanding, she is no longer the Keeper.
Tears begin streaming down Alex’s face and a fire of rage begins to burn in his chest. He feels their combined power and lets it build, directing it into his open hand. He creates an orb of holy power saying, “No More,” and steps into the trees hunting for justice.
The angels Gideon, Raphael, Liam and Michael shield Malach and Elina as they watch the new keeper erupt into holy, cleansing fire, burning the limbs and foliage back from his passage. His rage can be felt in the waves of energy rolling off of his body as he stands in front of the Mockers legions.
Elina smiles watching her brother, for she has seen this before. ‘Take me home, Malach.’
“Father! We are ready!” Malach calls and the Ketuwah flows from a crack in the ground softly at first, it glows tall and strong in front of them. A turquoise light flickering and fluttering it waits for them to complete the task.
The Mocker pulling himself from the trench of his impact sees the divine light of the Ketuwah. He is bleeding heavily from a ragged hole in his back. A thought and the torn ruptured meat begins to pull together healing, but leaving a massive red knot of tissue for a scar.
A yell of rage and pain has him spreading the tortured meat and feathers of his wings pulling himself into the smoky, dust filled air to fly with a final rush of power. He lands a short distance in front of Alex and his six remaining sons step behind him facing the Light and his cohort of archangels.
The holy light emanating from Alex shows the Mockers sons for the nightmares that they are. Gone is all semblance of beauty, their eyes glow a deep red as if projected from the bowels of the underworld, their faces and bodies are scarred from thousands of years fighting. Hands have been reformed as talons and claws, mouths are dripping with gore and blood. Their armor has been corroded and distorted from the corruption of their souls. The Mocker looks at his sons and turns to the light, smiling a broken smile.
Elina watches and the noise begins to fade, her heart stutters. There is a ringing in her ears and everything fades to ebony.
Malach pulls her tight to his body and steps into the bright shimmering blue wall of light, giving his life to see her home.
Excruciating pain floods his body as his wings flash into flames, but he does not stop. He holds his scream inside and accepts
his fate, for only the Keeper is allowed into the Ketuwah. Releasing her broken body from his burning arms, she floats into the soothing embrace of home.
Her clothes are burned away by the sapphire flame and the tattoos begin to lift. Elina hears each word spoken in the Holy language as they return home. When the final word lifts from her body as she takes her last breath and drifts down to lay in front of Malach.
Malach falls to his knees weeping. The agony from the firestorm surrounding him does not compare to the anguish in his soul. He crawls to her body as his wings drift to ash.
Gently he takes her hand, “It is done, Elina. You did well.” The moment his fingers touch hers a cool azure light leaps from her hand to his. It flows like a river from Elina to Malach, easing over the angel extinguishing his flames, comforting his ravaged body and soul.
Chapter 34
Alex feels the moment when the mighty archangel steps into the Ketuwah with his sister. Malach does not falter. He carries her broken body home, and Alex feels the pressure growing, burning and surging. The power flooding his body needs a target, “It’s time.”
Alex lifts his hands and sends his power into the orb of light. It explodes outward seeking the demons who walk the earth. Hundreds fall screaming to the ground in agony as they are pinned to the earth and burned to dirty black ash clouds.
The Mocker watches but does not defend them. He simply looks at his six sons and points to the orb. They smile, leaping straight into the sky on wings of leathery sinew and raw muscle.
As the son’s climb into the air, the orb’s burning power coalesces and concentrates into their bodies. They don’t burn as the weaker creatures did. The power is absorbed and corrupted by their combined evil. The energy becomes a tool of evil instead of the righteous fury that created it.
