Published: 23 Jun 2016

How They Fall

Standing face to face across from each other, Jax and Cressca stared menacingly at each other with weapons ready. Behind them Sting, Athene and Angela arrived and were attacked by Cressca’s guards. Sting grabbed one man with each claw and smashed them to the ground killing them quickly then moving on as another tried to stab him in his carapace. The spear bounced off and Sting kicked out at him knocking him into two other guards crushing them. Firing bolt after bolt of mystic energy, Angela advanced into the courtyard followed by Athene in her wolf from.

“This is over Cressca.” Jax called to him. “We turned the villages away from your hellish pyramid. You’ve failed your mistress.”

“Not if I kill all of you.” He stretched out his wings and then pulled them tight against his back. With a horrid scream Cressca raised his spear and ran at Jax thrusting at his chest. Jax spun around and slashed at Cressca’s back to cut into his wings. Cressca screamed in pain and brought his spear around and hit Jax in the face with the shaft. Jax stumbled back almost tripping on a dead guard. Seeing his chance, Cressca jumped into the air with his spear ready to impale Jax. Using his speed, Jax hurried out of the way and slashed out at Cressca’s side as he passed leaving him with a deep cut in his side. With a quick criss cross slash Jax cut the membrane in Cressca’s wings making them useless then kicked him in his back sending him face down into the dirt. As Jax stood over Cressca, he walked around the downed monster.

“You’ve killed thousands of the people here.” Jax said as flame erupted all along the scimitar. “This ends now!”

Cressca rolled over onto his back and sneered up at Jax. “Go on! kill me! I’ll be back in time!”

“Not this time you won’t. See this blade?” Jax held out the flaming scimitar. “It was made for Serina, the goddess of war. All her weapons are spelled. You know what that means? They kill immortals.”

Cressca’s eyes grew wide as it sunk in that this will be the final death. Scrambling to his feet Cressca spread his wings and tried to escape by air. But because of the damage to his wings, he couldn’t get very high. Jax jumped up and grabbed his leg and threw him to the ground. As Cressca crashed to the ground he sent a blast of energy out into Jax’s face blinding him and knocking him on his back. Hazzard flew from his hand and off behind the two combatants.

“Well god of justice.” Cressca laughed. “I guess I get to please my mistress after all. Though I don’t know how pleased she will be when I retrieve your weapon and use it to make myself the new death god. With Nestor gone, once I kill Muerte. I’ll stand unopposed in the underworld. Even Jandar and Rage won’t be able to defeat me then!”

“Yes they will.” Jax said rubbing his eyes, blinking to clear them. “Monsters are made to be destroyed. And that’s all you really are. Nothing but a fuckin monster! You’re no god! You force people to worship you so you can devour their lifeforce. You’ll never take the underworld. They’ll stop you!”

“You won’t be there to see it.” Cressca raised his spear for the killing blow and advanced on Jax.

“Good bye God of Justice!!”

With a sinister smile on his face and the spear ready to be driven into Jax’s chest. Cressca took a step forward and screamed as Athene drove Hazzard into his back from behind. As he screamed, the souls of everyone he devoured started tearing their way out from the wound in his back. Like ghost they flew from his body into the air to find peace in the Underworld at last. Cressca screamed an ear shattering as he began to fade into nothing and Hazzard sent a shock through Athene’s hands. Angela ran to her daughter and helped her as she recovered from the feedback of power from using a god weapon. Sting shifted back to his Vampire form and went to help Jax up. They were silent as they took in the last few minutes.

“Cressca’s dead.” Jax said. “At last we’re through with him.”

“Yes,” Angela said. She pushed the hair from Athene’s face. “Are you ok?”

“Yes.” She said with a smile.

“I’m exhausted.” Jax smiled at them. The others came over and stood with him looking pleased.

“There’s one more thing to do.” Athene said. “Bring down the rest of this pyramid. Jax?”

Jax reached out and took Hazzard from Athene and walked to the ruins. He raised the scimitar and bought it down and sliced through the rock pile. The ground began to tremble as he stepped back. Like a small earthquake the ground opened and the ruins began to fall in on itself. Soon there was nothing left but a large hole.

“I’ll get Dreik to fill it in later.” Jax said, “Let’s go home.”

High over Relos, Ariel met Jayce while they look for any traces of Toric or his father. She could feel the turmoil going on inside of Toric. Battling his own father she was sure, was not an easy thing to do.

“Have you seen any sign of them?” Jayce asked.

[No.] She answered. [But I know they’re down there somewhere.]

“What’s that?” Jayce pointed off to the west where they saw something coming out of the trees. Ariel looked where he was pointing. She saw a flock of all types of birds coming towards them.

[I think we’re in for a fight.] She sent. [Pelis sent them to slow us down so he can do with Toric what he wants to.]

“It’s not going to work.” Jayce told her. “I have a fast solution to that problem.”

[Then you better move fast. There almost here.]

[Graym!] Jayce sent. [I have a problem here. Look up, See that flock? It’s heading my way. Send your sunbirds to intercept them.]

[We’re on our way.] Graym sent back.

Out of the sun flecks of light quickly began to fly towards the mass of crow’s flapping their way towards Jayce and Ariel.

“Dive into the trees!!” Jayce told her.

[No. I don’t have time for this.]

Ariel called out with her powers to the wind. She made it grow stronger and stronger until there was a wall of air between them and the flock. There was no way the birds could pierce that wall. As they watched, the sunbirds caught up with the flock and tore into them. Feathers flew as they ripped them apart.

[They are some deadly little things aren’t they?]

“You should see what they do to vampires.” Jayce smiled. “We should get looking for Toric.”

On the ground Pelic searched for Toric and Pelis. With a wave of his hand he parted foliage out of his way as he searched the area he was in. Hearing noise and growling he thought he had found the battle. So he rushed in. He was wrong, what he found instead was a clan of cave bears waiting for him. Pelic stopped where he stood. All the bears were snarling and slowly advancing on him.

“This isn’t good.”

Suddenly the lead bear leaped for him. Pelic thrust out his hand and repelled the bear sending it flying to land on his back. Without warning the rest of the clan attacked. Pelic hardened his body to its absolute density as they tried to rip into him. He didn’t want to hurt them, he knew Pelis was making them attack him. With another wave of his hand, he pushed them all back away from him. Once they were clear, he spread his arms and floated up out of their reach. Below him they all were bellowing at him trying to reach him. As he sailed away they followed below him giving chase. A thought came to Pelis as he watched the bears leaping to grab him.

[This is great.] He said to himself. [If I find Toric, I’ll lead these bears right there to help Pelis.]

[Then take them somewhere they’ll be safe.] Jayce told him.

[I’ll put them to sleep in their cave then find you all.]

[Hurry.] Jayce sent. [We may need you.]

Toric stood and watched as his father got to his feet towering over him. Pelis began to growl in rage as the beast took over him. With a mighty leap and his claws stretched out, Pelis came at his son. The look on his snarling face was horrible. Toric threw up his hands and put a force shield between him and his father, Pelis slammed into it hard, then used his fist to beat on it he tried to break through. Thrusting out, Toric expanded the shield throwing him off. Like a cat, Pelis landed on his feet and rushed back. He summoned a powerball and slammed it into the shield causing it to crack. The strain of holding the shield together was painful on Toric. He didn’t know how much longer he could stand the assault. Again and again Pelis bashed at the shield making it weaker and weaker. It wouldn’t take many more hits before it fell and Toric was exposed.

[Tory.] He heard in his mind. [You have to hold on. Jayce and I will be there to help in a few minutes. Just hold on!]

[I don’t know if I can.] He sent back. [I don’t have much left to fight with.]

[Toric, you’re a collector.] He heard in his mind. It wasn’t Ariel this time but another voice. A familiar voice. His mother.

[I know you have never used your powers to siphon power before, but that’s the only way. Siphon his power and use it against him. Do it now!]

The shield was almost destroyed and that would be his end if it fell. Could he do it? There was only one way to find out. Toric reached out with his mind to his father and slipped into his mind. What he saw there was a blazing core of power. He reached for it and made contact with his father’s center of magic. Power began filling into him, his sprained ankle healed and he felt stronger. His shield began to strengthen as Pelis’s strikes became weaker.

[What are you doing to me?] He backed away feeling his strength fading from his body.

“I’m doing what you’ve done to us for years.” Toric stood and drew more and more power from him.

[No! Stop it right now! I order you to stop!! You can’t do this to me. I’m your father!]

“Why not?” Toric yelled back at his him. “Did you ever just once show a bit of mercy on anyone? Did you? You tortured your own wife for years! Not to mention all the others you killed!! Why should I spare you, you monster!!”

At that moment Ariel and Jayce landed near the pit. Ariel shifted and they ran over to them. Toric stood over the howling beast draining his life force. Ariel reached out and touched his shoulder. Her love began to overcome his hate for his father

“Tory.” She said. “Stop. You don’t have to do this. Not this way. He’s beaten.”

“But he’s hurt so many.” Toric said. ” He has to be stopped for good.”

“And we have stopped him.” Jayce said. “Look at him.”

Toric looked down at the weakened form of his father on the ground whimpering his tongue hanging from his mouth. Toric released him and he whined. Ariel pulled him into her arms as he started to cry.

“He’ll never hurt anyone again.” She said as she soothed him. He looked up at her.

“Don’t bet on that.” He whispered to her. “He’ll find a way. I know it.”

“Then we’ll be there to stop him.” Ariel kissed him. “You and I.”

“No.” Jayce said. “All of us.”

Ono sat up and rubbed his eyes then looked at Shayn lying next to him sleeping with a smile on his face. He was dreaming. And Ono had seen the dream. Jax destroyed Cressca. That age old death god was dead and gone forever. And Pelis was under Toric and Jayce’s control again. This would please Jandar and Rage. Some good news at last. Ono moved over to Shayn and kissed his face and ran his hand across his chest and down over his backside. He rolled over and smiled at him.

“They’re ok.” He said as he pulled Ono down to him.

“Yeah they are.” Ono kissed his lips and took him into his arms.

“You know I love you.” Shayn pushed the hair from Ono’s face as their bodies ground together in the heat of passion.

“You better.” He said. “You know it’s not over.”

“I know.” He ran his hand down Ono’s back pushing his shorts down and off. He felt Ono hot and throbbing against him

“But we’re winning.”

“So far we are.” Ono kissed him again. “Dream us something nice this time.”

“Why don’t you help me.” Shayn smiled and pulled the covers over their heads.

“You are my dream.” Ono whispered as he kissed Shayn’s neck.

I accept all comments. Contact me here: jandar.tyr@castleroland.net