by B C Morgan
They were the ones to call themselves Gods, ordering adoration and sacrificing those who refused to obey their wishes.
“Do you have any idea how much you hurt us? How much you hurt me? You broke my heart, pummelled it into ashes and just let it scatter into the wind. Do you believe I deserved such malice, all I ever did was love you humans and you threw it back in my face.”
“Please Goddess, I didn’t know any of that had happened to you. I will make it up to you I swear,” stated the male reporter as he fell onto his knees before her.
“Jeffrey, get up. What has gotten into you, have you forgotten we are getting married in a week?” Stated his co-host and Fiancée, hurt and also disgusted by the attention he was showing to the unfamiliar female.
“You would ask him to take back his adoration for me, tut tut Stacey. I cannot allow such selfish, pitiful versions of humanity free reign to turn our admirers away from us.”
Stacey’s eyes narrowed in anger as she bore witness to Aphrodite gracefully bending down and connecting her mouth with Jeffrey’s.
Stacey rose up from her chair and approached the woman who was encroaching on her territory.
“You deluded bitch,” She screamed, as she swung her hand out, aiming for Aphrodite’s face. But just as she was about to connect, her wrist was seized in a vice like grip. It made her cry out, as her hand was pulled backwards, revealing the white of her bone as it broke the skin.
“Enough of your games Aphrodite, it is time for me to show these pitiful creatures just what we will do to those who choose to rally against us. And to those who would be foolish enough to ever try raising a hand to one of my brethren.”
Athena walked around Stacey, as she cradled her broken wrist close to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks leaving thick mascara lines trailing in their wake.
Athena stopped once she was behind her and raised her head to the camera.
“This doesn’t even come close to what you deserve, but everyone should have a second chance at redemption. So, let this pathetic girl be a lesson to you, the wisest lesson I could ever teach. This is what you should aim to avoid.”
Her spear materialised into her palm, and she thrust it through Stacey’s back, piercing her heart and letting the spear head come out on the other side.
“There is a girl we seek, whoever brings her to us will be granted immunity to any punishment from our hands. Devon is her home, she has the blackest of black hair and she goes by the name of Unya. You want to be in our good graces, then do as requested and you will never fall to my spear.”
Calder was the first to turn the television off, a sickened look clear upon his face. None of us uttered a single word, it was clear, none of us knew how to handle this new development.
“My sister needs to be warned, she cannot go through with her plan,” muttered Calder, thinking out loud.
“What plan?” Asked Ishira, but she didn’t look as perplexed as I felt by his statement.
“You know what I’m talking about Ishira, just because you thought you were successful in your attempt to reason with her, does not make it so. She has already left to put it in motion, if any of them discovers her intentions, all of us nymphs will face down a firing squad.”
“What the hell is going on?” I shouted, my voice booming across the small room.
“Aurelia is trying to bring Pearl back, and before you say it is impossible know there is always a way, as long as you are willing to pay the price. Aurelia would do anything to be reunited with her love, in her eyes, no price could ever be too high.”
“How could she hope to bring her back? Even Hades wouldn’t grant such a favour,” I said, staring straight into Ishira’s eyes.
Neither Ishira nor Calder seemed eager to respond, and we all sat there is an awkward silence, waiting for someone to break it.
“Don’t any of you see, she’s gone to ask a favour of a powerful race, one not from this dimension,” Stated Nora matter-of-factly.
This was all growing too complicated for me to follow, but Nora explained there were many dimensions housing different creatures. Some were like our own and others were such beings that none of us could conceive of. David asked her how she could know so much, and her answer floored all of us, except for Janelle it would seem, who did not show an ounce of surprise on her face.
“I came from one of those dimensions, it’s why you have never come across another one of my kind and why my gift seems so unique to all of you. I am an elemental, mankind from your realm has written about us many times over the centuries, and they weren’t wrong. It’s just that in my home world, we are the supreme race, we are more than just fire, water, earth and air.
You would call me a light nymph I believe, but that doesn’t even touch on what my people are capable of.
I am a quintessential, but the meaning of what I am here is different. It’s why I can manipulate light it is also why I knew what to do when it came to saving Janelle’s friend. In our dimension we are aware of all other realms that exist, we do not know all the varying types of inhabitants, but our knowledge is still extensive.
This place has been kept in the dark because of your Gods, if they were to discover the truth then a war between all worlds would soon ensue and it would be a bloodbath, equal to complete annihilation.”
“How did you come to be here then?” David asked, staring at Janelle, who was choosing to remain mute on the whole enlightening subject.
“I was summoned a long time ago, for what purpose is irrelevant, but when it came to complete the summons, and for myself to return, the person who summoned me was killed. It resulted in me being stranded within your realm with no hope of returning. I haven’t stopped seeking out a way to return home, but my conviction has lessened since coming across your cause.
I wanted to see this out to the end and aid you in any way I can, hopefully once that has been done, I will be able to return home and see my loved ones once again.”
This new revelation had thrown my world upside down, I guess it couldn’t be that far-fetched seeing as I lived in a world which was inhabited by Empusas, Gods, Erinyes, Sorcerers, shifters and many other beings. But for there to be other dimensions with new races, it was a lot to take in.
It was clear we all needed to take some time to let this revelation sink in, and so we all disbanded for the time being, just to take a breather and try to figure out just where we went from here.
24
Malachi
I’d tried to resist taking another life, hoping that killing one creature would’ve been enough to quench Unya’s thirst, but the opposite was true.
I’d gone to her room later that day and found her sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth.
“Unya, pet, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“I wanted to have some fun and I sent for a creature, but it didn’t go the way I thought it would.”
She was slapping the sides of her head, I tried to move closer to her, but she screamed at me to stop.
I froze, but I realised why when she lifted her head, and I saw her toxic blood dripping down her face.
In one of her hands was a jagged knife and do I need to explain what she’d done to herself.
“Did something happen love?”
“I just told you, didn’t I? I just wanted to see what my blood could do, to see how much it would make them scream,” she moaned that last part, and my cock reacted to that sound in an instant.
“I killed him and it was brilliant, until he wouldn’t shut up. He’s in my head, screaming at me. He just won’t stop.”
Screw the blood, if it eats through me well, it’ll give me a chance to see just how well an Incubus could heal.
I pulled her up and into my arms, she tried to fight it, but I refused to relent. Her head came to rest on my shoulder, with her face pressed against my neck.
I couldn’t help the hiss that escaped as her blood began to eat its way through me, skin and bone.
“If we heal each other
, do you think we could go and have some fun. Help me to feel whole Malachi.”
How could I ever refuse a request like that!
We kissed and played, but we didn’t go any further. It didn’t feel right under the circumstances, what with how broken she was right then.
I left the fun up to her, I would do whatever I needed to, just to put a smile on her face.
We ended up in the tavern and a hush descended, I made it clear that whatever she decided I would support, but the barman was off limits.
He was the only one who could supply earthly liquor and I had a feeling she would have need of it sooner or later.
“What is she? The angry female who seems to want to gut me where I stand.”
“She’s an Empusa pet, her sister was killed after she tortured you,” I struggled to get it out, the thought of her dead and lifeless still haunting my every nightmare.
She smiled, it seemed a little forced, but whatever she needed to get her through.
I wasn’t deluded, her explaining that someone was screaming at her within her mind wasn’t normal. Then again neither was talking to the heads of her decapitated victims or brandishing my ex bed mate as a piece of wall art. She was losing her mind, but she was still Unya, she was mine. I’d already broken my rule of never killing again just to keep her, there wasn’t anything left that I wouldn’t do.
“I love the fire that makes up your hair, I controlled fire once, but it abandoned me,” she said, sounding forlorn as she walked around Lilith’s sister.
“You deluded bitch, I hope you rot in Tartarus when your actions catch up with you,” she screamed, spitting into Unya’s face.
Her eyes flashed as they narrowed, her nostrils flared, and her cheeks reddened.
She grabbed hold of the Empusa’s head, Crystal was her name if you can believe that, and she stared in wonder as the fire began to spread up her arm.
“You didn’t abandon me, did you? I get it now, I don’t know what brings you out, but I’ll figure it out my beauty.”
A real smile appeared on her face this time, her whole face lighting up under her utter joy.
She thrust her engulfed hand through Crystal’s chest and ripped her heart straight out of her chest, laughing as her lifeless body slumped to the floor.
She killed three other creatures before she stopped and came over to me.
“You’re not going to let me have all the fun, are you?”
Her eyes were shining and even though I wanted to resist, a big part of me was drawn to that darkness within her and I let go of the last part of me that had continued to resist.
I grabbed hold of a water nymph and crashed my mouth down upon hers, she moaned in pleasure as she fisted her hand in my hair, but the entire time my eyes were locked upon Unya’s. She seemed pleased that I was using my gift and a little excited, if her breathing was anything to go by. But I could also see jealousy burning in her eyes and that excited me a hell of a lot.
I broke the kiss, wrapping my hands around the nymph’s waist, making sure I was touching her bare skin. Her neck turned to the side and I lowered my mouth down to the supple skin before biting down. Hard.
She screamed out but I wouldn’t stop, especially when Unya joined us slicing her blade across her stomach, letting the blood flow free.
With the loss of blood added into the mix, the Nymph didn’t last long but she was just the first.
By the time we finished, everyone but the barman was dead. My heart was pounding, and I could feel my blood thrumming through my system when Unya came to stand before me.
I had no idea what she was going to do when she dropped down to her knees, covering her bare skin in the blood of our victims.
Her hands went to the waist band of my jeans, before she, rather violently, pulled them down along with my boxers.
My cock sprang free, hard and ready for whatever she had planned.
She started by gliding her tongue up and down the shaft, cupping my balls as she went. I inhaled sharply, trying to catch my breath amongst the pleasure she was stirring within me.
When she suctioned her mouth around me, my eyes rolled to the back of my head.
“Stay with me baby, I want to see you come undone.”
With that said she tightened her grip, as her hand and mouth moved in tandem. It was too much I could barely hold on, and then she bared her teeth. That mixture between pleasure and pain was all it took, I tried to pull away, but she wouldn’t allow it as she took everything I had to give.
I barely had time to process or even form a coherent thought, when she pulled me down to the ground straddling me and sheathing herself without a second to waste.
We were covered in blood and surrounded by bodies, but it only added to the thrill. She rode me hard and fast, scratching my chest, leaving behind deep bloody gouges in her wake.
The day of the challenge arrived and Unya had been quick to leave my side and prepare for the event. I could tell the idea of myself and Troy fighting excited her, but I also knew she did not want him to win. After everything we had shared, it was clear to everyone, we were made for each other. Even if we hadn’t gone down this path, I always would have found a way to stop Troy, whether she would have been mine or not.
I could not allow such a nefarious being to ever marry Unya, no matter which version of her prevailed in the end. Though and I hated to admit it, I wasn’t sure if the old Unya would even want me but this one did.
I loved her no matter who she was, but she spoke to the creature inside now and she didn’t fear him, if anything I think she may have loved him and me.
By the time the event rolled around, my nerves were frazzled, something told me this was not going to be your standard run of the mill daemon fight, oh no, there was something else working against me.
I couldn’t be sure what it was, but a voice inside of me kept screaming to avoid any shadows that may be present, at any cost.
Troy was already there when I entered the fighting pit and once we were both in place, the ground around us began to rise, creating an impenetrable barrier, locking us both inside until, only one emerged as victor.
“I’m going to make you suffer Malachi, I look forward to witnessing the moment your life leaves your eyes.”
I chose not to reply to him as I removed my shirt and stood before him in a pair of combat shorts, like his own.
“Welcome beings from all races, today we will discover who gets the honour of marrying the Ebony Child. You may both choose your weapon, but choose wisely, as only one of you is permitted to leave this area with your life still intact.”
The crowd erupted in cheers, and Hades once again took his seat between Persephone and Unya.
Troy chose a Saber and a Haladie, while I claimed a Katana and a Hunga Munga.
Our weapon choices were similar, but my Hunga Munga had a distinct advantage seeing that it could be wielded within my hand or thrown like a throwing knife.
We met in the centre, and our swords touched, neither of us wanted to give the other respect, but it had to be done under Hades’ decree.
Once Hades’ voice bellowed for the final time, the game began. Troy came at me hard and fast, while I deflected and countered with ease. My plan was to let him tire himself out, but after fifteen minutes passed, he was showing no signs of slowing down. If anything, my tactic only seemed to agitate him further and his blows came at me harder and harder each time.
I managed to get a few good blows on him, but they’d been nothing more than flesh wounds, where as his cuts had gone much deeper, making me tire from the blood loss.
His cockiness was growing with every hit he got, while my mind was beginning to grow fuzzy. I had to figure out a way to put an end to this, but no solution was presenting itself yet.
Our swords came together, and he used his to rid me of mine, making it soar through the air and lodge in one of the walls.
His smile grew wider as he kept raining down his blows and only my hunga munga was preventing h
im from impaling his Saber into my head. With a last-ditch effort, I managed to hook the curve of my blade around his sword, and soon his too, was sent flying through the air striking one of the spectators in the chest.
My attention was lost, as I watched the creature clutch onto the sword, as if that could somehow change his fate. His eyes connected to mine as he began to disintegrate and disappeared.
That loss of attention cost me dearly as Troy’s foot impacted with my chest, sending me hurtling into the wall and breaking at least five of my ribs in the process.
I struggled to regain my footing as he hooked his arm around my neck, locking me into a choke hold. The next moment he was thrusting my head down as he brought his knee up, crushing my nose on impact and making the whole world spin before my eyes.
I clutched onto his arm, temporarily forgetting about the only weapon I had left, when I suddenly grabbed hold of it and brought it down onto his arm, nearly cutting it clean off.
Troy screamed in pain, but it didn’t slow him down, he was determined to win this at any cost, and I knew deep inside myself I could not hold out for much longer.
He charged at me, but I swerved at the last moment, he managed to use his momentum to run a few feet up the wall before executing a back flip. He was behind me before I had the chance to turn around and I felt his Haladie enter my back, going into my spine and sending me down onto my knees.
His big win made him forget himself as he held his uninjured arm up, spinning around rejoicing in the crowds’ cheers.
I raised my eyes to Unya, who looked on in shock, but she didn’t look defeated. That gave me a shred of hope, maybe I could somehow still make it through the fight with my life intact. And with Troy showboating to the crowd, it increased my chances.
With my last bit of effort I clutched my weapon in my hand and pulled my arm back, I knew I had to time it just right, I only had one shot and If I messed it up then there would be no more second chances.
